Rebecca Distler is Strategist for AI, Data, and Digital Health at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. She is passionate about ensuring innovative technology is designed to improve global health; at the foundation, she partners with organizations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America that are committed to making this vision a reality.

Over the last decade, Rebecca has worked with technology companies, foundations, non-profits, and governments. This multi-stakeholder view informs her work at the intersection of digital technology, public health, and policy – particularly as it relates to applications of AI in health systems across low- and middle-income countries.

Rebecca previously served as Global Health Programs Lead at ID2020, where she led initiatives around privacy-preserving digital credentials for COVID-19 vaccines. She is also the former Director of Global Health Initiatives at Element, an AI digital identity company. Throughout her career, Rebecca has partnered with organizations such as Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the World Health Organization to advance innovation in health.

Rebecca holds a Masters in Health Policy and Global Health from the Yale School of Public Health and a BA in Political Science from Yale University. She is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and was previously selected as a Forbes Ignite Impact Fellow, AI XPRIZE Semi-Finalist, and Gavi INFUSE Pacesetter.