Dahl, Carol
Executive Director, The Lemelson Foundation
Dr. Carol Dahl is the Executive Director of the Lemelson Foundation whose mission is to use the power of invention to improve lives. The Foundation inspires and enables the next generation of inventors and invention-based enterprises to promote economic growth in the U.S., and social and economic progress for the poorest populations in developing countries. The Foundation focuses on Impact Inventing, targeting social impact, environmental responsibility and creation of products and businesses that are financially self-sustaining.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Carol was founding Director of the Global Health Discovery Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she led the development of the Grand Challenges in Global Health and Grand Challenges Explorations programs.
Previously, Carol worked at a start-up diagnostics company, as well as at the U.S. National Institutes of Health at the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Human Genome Research. She also served on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh.
Carol serves on the Advisory Group for the USAID Global Development Lab, the Engineering for Global Development Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the Executive Committee of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE).