The William Davidson Institute (WDI) at the University of Michigan has appointed Rajat Chabba as its Senior Director of Innovation and Partnerships, a newly created role at the institute. With expertise in enterprise acceleration and strengthening innovation ecosystems, Chabba will focus on expanding WDI’s impact in emerging markets.
Chabba highlighted WDI’s potential to support and scale entrepreneurial ecosystems in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in energy, climate, and health sectors. He aims to foster new collaborations and drive innovation at multiple levels, from platforms to ecosystems.
Before joining WDI, Chabba was the Technical Director for Market Solutions at Jhpiego’s Innovations Hub, where he engaged the private sector to advance health initiatives across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. He also established Jhpiego’s Worldwide Innovation Support Hub, aiding over 100 social innovators. His previous role as Global Lead for Healthcare Practice & Innovations Lab at Intellecap focused on addressing healthcare challenges through technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation in underserved communities.
Chabba pointed out that despite the potential in energy, climate, and health, scalable innovations remain limited. He emphasized WDI’s role in advancing enterprises, supporting incubators, and collaborating with investors and governments to build a sustainable innovation environment. With traditional donor funding declining, Chabba sees impact investing, blended finance, and public-private partnerships as crucial alternatives. “WDI has the networks and expertise to bridge the financing gap and scale innovative solutions,” he stated.
WDI President & CEO Wendy Taylor welcomed Chabba’s appointment, praising his ability to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and stakeholders to expand WDI’s enterprise accelerator and systems catalyst efforts.
With over a decade of experience in women’s health, infectious diseases, climate health, eye care, and sanitation, Chabba has worked with corporates, nonprofits, multilateral agencies, and consulting firms to drive developmental impact. Holding an MBBS from BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad, and a Master’s in Rural Management from IRMA, Chabba is also an Acumen Fellow (2015) and a League of Intrapreneurship Fellow (2021).