The IRC is thrilled to welcome Tara Rangarajan who comes from a career with the United Nations, where she has been a leader in improving working conditions and helping to lift millions of workers, mostly women and often migrants, out of poverty and into self-sustaining livelihoods.  Prior to joining the UN, Tara spent ten years working for Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) as a senior advisor to large multinational companies across sectors on how to be a positive force for social change.  Tara’s expertise is in creating partnerships between government, civil society, the private sector, and local communities to address some of the world’s most intractable problems. She has a master’s degree in international economic and political development from Columbia University and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.  

Tara is a well-experienced leader with a passion for building strong and diverse organizations.  She has overseen large teams of staff across different countries, with a focus on building shared purpose, creating opportunities for growth and development, and ensuring a culture of openness and mutual accountability.  She is also a fluent Spanish speaker. 

Joining the IRC as the Executive Director for Northern California brings Tara back to her professional roots and personal passion. In her early career as a journalist, Tara exposed unsafe conditions in migrant worker camps along the California coast and has worked closely with displaced populations in the United States and around the world throughout her life.  She is thrilled to be joining the IRC and looks forward to engaging with, contributing to, and learning from the strong IRC team and its global and local communities.