About
Hi, I'm Aaliyah Khwaja.
I'm the founder and principal of Seven Summits Advisory. I help mission-driven organizations adopt AI responsibly, use research well, and run programs that last.
Background
Policy training, operations experience
Before starting Seven Summits Advisory, I worked at the United Nations Development Coordination Office, where I led knowledge management work: I wrote the UN's Knowledge Retention Framework guide, coordinated an interagency knowledge management network, and helped build and test an AI querying tool used across Resident Coordinator Offices worldwide.
My research has taken me from more than thirty stakeholder interviews with international NGOs in Amman, Jordan, to policy tracking and briefings in Washington, D.C. I've also run federal leadership development programs and managed a six-figure budget as president of Columbia SIPA's graduate student association.
Closer to home, I handle operations for a free medical and dental clinic in Phoenix: onboarding volunteers, scheduling, intake, and fundraising. That work keeps me grounded in what small organizations need: systems that are simple, documented, and easy to hand off.
At a glance
Credentials
- EducationMaster of International Affairs, Columbia University (SIPA)
- BA in Political Science, summa cum laude, Arizona State University, Barrett, The Honors College
- ExperienceUnited Nations knowledge management, policy research, nonprofit operations
- LanguagesEnglish, Urdu, Arabic
- Based inArizona, working with clients remotely
About the name
Why Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest peaks on each continent. The name is a nod to global work and to the goal behind every engagement: helping organizations reach their highest ambitions, one well-planned climb at a time.
Have a project in mind?
Tell me what you're working on. I reply to every inquiry within two business days.