Reshma Patel

Reshma Patel is a project director for the AIR Opportunity Fund, where she leads community engagement for the Priority Places strategy. In this role, she oversees outreach to potential grantees, hosts listening sessions with community leaders, and conducts research on places AIR may invest in—ensuring that community perspectives and priorities shape future funding decisions.

In addition to Priority Places, Reshma manages a portfolio of grants focused on reimagining public safety, including harm reduction, restorative justice, and youth-led approaches to advancing safety.

She brings deep experience in scaling community-based programs and evaluating their impact. Prior to AIR, she served as executive director of Impact Network, growing the organization from 8 to over 40 schools in rural Zambia. Earlier in her career, Reshma worked at MDRC, a nonprofit social policy research organization focused on improving the lives of low-income communities.

Reshma’s work reflects her passion for building sustainable solutions that empower communities and foster lasting change.