Meet the Team: Rami Arafah

Our Meet the Team blog series gives you a glimpse into our team members' approach to working with our partners to achieve better results for communities. Today we’re getting to know Senior Consultant Rami Arafah.  

How would you describe your role to someone outside this field?

Evaluation and learning can definitely be a little mysterious as a field. I work with clients in the social sector to understand and maximize the impact of their work. Depending on the situation, that may call for various research methods, facilitation techniques, partnerships, and ways of showing up. Typically, we start by figuring out what we want to learn, why we want to learn that, who our learning will ultimately benefit, and how we’ll go about doing it. It can be challenging at times, but I love bringing people together to unpack complex issues and chart a shared path forward.

What experience do you bring to this work?

I’ve worked in lots of different spaces in the social sector–from refugee resettlement, to research, to philanthropy, to consulting. Most recently, before joining Engage R+D, I supported internal evaluation and learning at a foundation committed to health and racial equity initiatives. I draw on all these experiences in my work at Engage R+D, and I think the combination of them gives me a unique perspective on the strengths and tensions in our sector. Early in my career, I had a feeling I was trending towards a focus on research and evaluation, even before I really knew what that meant. In our line of work, I think it’s important to figure out your very small way of chipping away at the much larger challenges we all face together. I’ve found that asking and trying to answer difficult questions through evaluation and learning is my way of doing that.

Can you share something that motivates you?

I’m driven by a belief in seeing people in their entirety and being seen in the same way. That includes our histories, our intersecting identities, our lived experiences, and all the big and small things that shape how we move through our days. Evaluation sometimes has a reputation for being cold, judgmental, or overly critical, but I find myself motivated to center people and communities in this work and to be a part of shaping its future. I have two young daughters, so I’m committed to modeling a world to them where they can show up unapologetically as their full selves and stand confidently in that space. It’s a work in progress but knowing they’re watching is sometimes the little push I need.

What do you love about your job?

I have to say I love working with teammates who are trusting and trustworthy, and who are such amazing people all around. At this stage in my life, I want to do good work with good people, and I’m fortunate to be able to do both those things today. I also love being able to wear so many different hats across my projects and work with so many impactful organizations and clients. 

What are you exploring outside of work these days?

I’m currently on the lookout for new hobbies and am open to any new ideas! For now, I find joy and comfort in spending time with my family and getting outdoors whenever I can. I also love to experiment in the kitchen and feed the people I care about, thanks to a lifetime of watching the Food Network.