POPVOX Foundation Welcomes Anika Aftab
Anika Aftab joins POPVOX Foundation as an Advisor for State Initiatives, where she leads efforts to explore how state legislatures are adopting innovative, data-driven tools that strengthen public service and modern governance. Her work explores connections and relationships between state capacity and legislative modernization challenges at the federal and state levels, drawing on her background in public health, policy, and implementation to improve how governments serve their communities.
Born in Bangladesh and raised in New York, Anika is now living the aloha life in Hawaii. A passionate traveler, she’s explored over 35 countries — more than half solo — while learning from cultures around the world. She speaks Bengali and is learning Mandarin and Swahili. When she’s not working or tending to her thriving plant empire, she’s cooking her way through new cuisines, chasing after her two energetic boys — Lono, an Australian Shepherd, and Kohaku, a Border Collie — and hosting The Only in the Room,", a podcast celebrating those who’ve ever felt like the “only” in a room full of others.
Anika holds dual degrees from the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Individualized Study, where her research focused on healthcare AI and global project management — specifically addressing bias in clinical AI datasets to ensure equitable, high-quality patient care. Passionate about the responsible use of technology, she believes AI can be a force for good and strives to stay at the forefront of ethical, inclusive innovation. She also pursued additional studies in neuroscience in Budapest, Hungary.
Before joining POPVOX Foundation, Anika led large-scale software implementations for Primary Care networks at Elation Health. She supported the Committee on the Modernization of Congress at the Partnership for Public Service through the Alliance for Congress initiative. Her earlier career spans leadership across the public health and social impact sectors, including serving as Chief of Staff and Public Health Consultant at BioPrep Solutions, where she advanced community health initiatives during COVID-19, and as Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Lead at Arkatecht, a startup helping working mothers build their careers while caring for their children.
Anika also served as a Program Lead for AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, coordinating multi-state emergency medical response operations alongside the CDC, FEMA, and state Departments of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. She participated in medical brigades in Honduras and worked with the Social Entrepreneur Corps in Guatemala, where she re-designed four local nonprofit organizations to strengthen sustainability and impact.
Passionate about the military community, Anika served as a Soldier and Family Readiness Group (SFRG) Leader for her spouse’s Army unit, leading initiatives to support military families and strengthen unit communication. She also guest-hosted The Women in Tech Show, conducting nine interviews with leaders across technology and innovation.
