We believe education must evolve to prepare young people for a changing world.
World Savvy was founded in 2002 by Dana Mortenson and Madiha Murshed in response to the rise of fear, misinformation, and xenophobia after 9/11. As educators and global citizens, they saw a deep gap in how young people were being prepared for an increasingly interconnected world—felt even more personally as Madiha, a Bangladeshi Muslim woman, experienced xenophobia in New York City.
Motivated by a shared belief in education as a great leveler, they asked a powerful question: How are young people being prepared to thrive in a diverse, rapidly changing world?
What began with one high school in Oakland has now reached 922,000 students and 7,400 educators across 45 states and 32 countries. In 2024, after 22 years of leadership, Dana passed the baton to Dr. Hamse Warfa, a global leader in democracy and workforce development, who now guides World Savvy’s next chapter.
Today, we work to transform an outdated K–12 system built for another era—empowering educators and leaders to embed global competence into teaching, school culture, and policy. Our goal is simple: Prepare every young person with the skills, mindsets, and adaptability they need for work, community, and life.
Executive Team
Guiding World Savvy’s Vision for the Future
Hamse Warfa
Chief Executive Officer
Patrick Robbins
Chief Administrative Officer
Whitney McKinley
Chief Program Officer
