Ian Bassin leads partnership and external communications work for GiveDirectly. Previously, he served as Associate Counsel to President Barack Obama, Deputy Counsel to the Mayor of New York City, and General Counsel and Campaign Director at the organizing NGO Avaaz. He has a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.     

Extended bio: Ian Bassin leads partnership and external communications work for GiveDirectly, where he is currently helping to organize their universal basic income pilot. Previously, he served as Associate Counsel to President Barack Obama, where he focused on government ethics and reform, campaign finance, civil rights and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

He has also served as Deputy Counsel to the Mayor of New York City and General Counsel and Campaign Director at the organizing NGO Avaaz, where he led campaigns around the world in support of human rights. His writing has been published, among other places, in Slate, Salon, The Huffington Post and the Harvard Law & Policy Review.  He has a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.