Growing up as a first-generation American played a key role in Joy Basu’s life. Her parents emigrated from West Bengal in the 1970s, finally settling in Illinois, where Joy was born. Growing up, she felt fortunate to be able to attend excellent schools, but realized that many other girls, even in the United States, were not afforded the same opportunity. And so her passion for public policy began. Joy started her career in management consulting at McKinsey & Company, where she cut her teeth on projects supporting international nonprofits and development agencies investing in food security. Those experiences led to a job with the World Economic Forum, where she managed their New Vision for Agriculture initiative.
While earning her JD and MBA from Stanford, Joy supported a women’s co-op in the West Bank region of the Palestinian territories during her summer breaks, and later served on its board. After graduate school — and being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List — Joy worked as the first chief of staff at TPG Growth, a private equity fund. There, she led the design and launch of their $2 billion impact fund, a first of its kind in private asset management. She also served as the fund’s global food and agriculture lead.
In 2021, Joy was chosen to be a White House Fellow, appointed by a presidential commission to one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service within the United States Department of Justice. Based on a sense of gratitude and service to her country, Joy also commissioned as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. Most recently, she served as a deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs under the Biden Administration, where she oversaw economic and regional affairs across sub-Saharan Africa.
Through roles spanning private equity, international development, and government service, Joy has consistently bridged sectors to create impact at scale. As classmate Virginia Woolworth, MBA ’15, puts it: “Joy is mission-driven to her core and exemplifies goodness and excellence in all that she does.”
