Komal Goel

Komal Goel has over a decade of experience leading research and managing programs in economic development, financial inclusion, and public sector innovation across India, Africa, Latin America, and the U.S. She uses experiments, quantitative, qualitative, AI, and GIS data analytics to translate evidence into policy solutions for governments, nonprofits, and communities. She is also an experienced evaluator with demonstrated ability to partner with teams to use data for increased impact.

Before earning her MPA at Harvard Kennedy School, Komal worked as a research manager at The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia on randomized controlled trials focused on financial inclusion and microenterprise development, exploring how personalized credit products and better targeting methods can improve outcomes for small entrepreneurs in rural and urban India. At HKS she worked across research, evaluation, and policy analysis supporting place-based education initiatives, labor policy research, rural economic development, and public finance.

Outside of work Komal is a single parent who loves hiking mountain trails with her son, visiting local farmers markets, exploring new cities on foot, and cooking. She believes the distance between a good policy and a good outcome is almost always an implementation problem.

Initial Fellowship Focus: The fellow will enhance citywide systems and routines for collecting, managing, and using data in budgeting, planning, and operational decision-making, with the ultimate goal of achieving What Works Cities Certification.