Raïsa Mirza is a systemic designer, participatory researcher, social entrepreneur, photographer, and strategist with over 15 years of experience working across 26 countries in a variety of industries. She specializes in using participatory arts-based methods, behavioral design, and strategic facilitation to drive community-led systems change.

Her work spans large-scale behavior change initiatives, innovation, and government systems strengthening across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. She led agricultural programs with One Acre Fund in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania, and supported integrated WASH/Market Systems projects through Cirque du Soleil’s official charity, One Drop Foundation, using their Social Art for Behaviour Change model.

In the past, Raïsa has co-created several leadership programs and youth entrepreneurship hubs in collaboration with educational institutions and global partners including co-developing the new 'Systems Transformation' project based course at UWC Atlantic in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) and as a Consulting Director for Community Innovation at the Tamarack Institute. She also co-convenes the Hakuba Forum, an international forum connecting education leaders for systems transformation.

Raïsa has founded multiple impact-driven ventures, including the Rural Design Network and WabiSabiJetty, a foresight and rural innovation consultancy; MixMix, a direct trade spice company in Ethiopia; Newfoundeshi, a fresh sauce company in Canada; and OnePeace, a sustainable apparel brand.

A lifelong changemaker who began organizing at age 10, Raïsa draws from lived experience as an immigrant navigating class, migration, and systemic inequity. She serves on several boards, including the MakeWay Foundation, one of Canada's largest public foundations, and is affiliated with the Open Lunar Foundation. Raïsa is passionate about driving collective impact efforts in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities by centering thriving lands and waters for future generations.