Originally from Hawaii, Levani Lipton is the Executive Director of the Ananda Foundation which supports grassroots nonprofits in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific and focuses on providing educational opportunities for children and supporting economic empowerment through small business development and skills training for women. She has directed Ananda Foundation's international grant making program in fourteen countries and has traveled extensively to learn about poverty alleviation strategies and has focused on the role community leadership and development.

Levani holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Hawaii and is a graduate of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is a recipient of the Phyllis Strimling Award from Harvard University for which she was recognized for her work empowering women and girls in the developing world.