Muqaddesa Yourish is a Senior Advisor at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, a founding member of DGA Group, and is based in Washington, DC. A former Deputy Minister of Trade for Afghanistan, she is renowned for her contributions to public service, private sector development, and women’s economic empowerment in Afghanistan and South Asia. Muqaddesa brings more than two decades of experience in public policy and government relations, commercial diplomacy, geopolitical advisory, and strategic communications.  

Most recently, she served as a visiting professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, mentoring the next generation of foreign policy practitioners on geopolitical risks and their implications for global development and providing academic and policy insights to students and high-level policy forums.  

A Fulbright scholar, she holds an M.B.A in International Business and a B.A. in National Security and International Relations. Recognized globally for her leadership and advocacy, she is a recipient of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award and the Diane von Fürstenberg Award. Her insights on South Asia’s governance and political economy have appeared in The New York Times, BBC, CNN, and PBS Newshour.