Ilicheva is a product and innovation leader with a proven track record in accelerating top line growth for Fortune 500 corporations, private equity backed portfolios and startups, with a focus on launching new products and services, building internal innovation capabilities, and developing talent, culture and best practices. Alfia is currently Product Lead at Bridgewater Associates. Ilicheva was previously Managing Director at R/GA Ventures, an award-winning venture investment division of R/GA, where she led the strategy practice and connected corporate businesses and private-equity backed portfolio companies with startups and emerging technology resources. Prior to her role at R/GA Ventures, Ilicheva was Group Director at R/GA’s Business Transformation team, where she advised C-suite executives of Fortune 500 businesses on strategic growth opportunities, with a specific focus on catalyzing new revenue streams, launching sustainable products and services, and building internal innovation capabilities. Prior to R/GA, Ilicheva was an Engagement Manager at Fahrenheit 212, an innovation and design consultancy, where she led high-impact innovation engagements for Anheuser-Busch, Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Discover, Nestle, Pfizer, and Uber. Prior to Fahrenheit 212, Ilicheva was the President of Five Boroughs Foundation of Photography, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on providing photography mentorship programming in underserved schools. She was previously an analyst at the Royal Bank of Scotland, where she implemented capital issuances across technology, retail, natural resources, and CPG industries. Alfia is Co-Founder of WIN: Women in Innovation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with an international mandate and a mission to close the gender gap in innovation. Under her leadership, WIN transformed from a local New York-based initiative into an industry-leading and globally-recognized organization. Ilicheva was the architect behind the original governance structure, operating model and the strategic roadmap and global growth plan. She now serves on the Board of Directors. Passionate about public service and philanthropy, Ilicheva is a board member and advisor to different nonprofit organizations, including Hanna & Khalida Foundation (Founder and Board Chair), NeighborShare (Founding Team Member and Advisor) and Kozakov Foundation (Advisor). Ilicheva was previously President at Five Boroughs Foundation of Photography. Additionally, Ilicheva serves as a member of Columbia Business School’s Hermes Society Leadership Council. Ilicheva is an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow, a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a Founding Member of Columbia Business School’s Women’s Circle. Ilicheva has been named “Woman of Influence” by New York Business Journal and has been featured by President George W. Bush in his bestselling book, "Out of Many, One – Portraits of America’s Immigrants,” alongside Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as one of 43 leaders whose contributions have shaped and strengthened the United States. Ilicheva is a frequent speaker and moderator at innovation industry conferences (Fast Company Innovation Festival, SxSW, 500 Startups Unity + Inclusion Summit, Grace Hopper) and academic institutions (Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, and MBA Innovation Summit). Ilicheva graduated from Georgetown University with honors in international business diplomacy and received an MBA from Columbia Business School. She was the first undergraduate editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, a university-wide publication. Ilicheva resides in Weston, CT with her husband and four children.