I am an economic sociologist, researching how digital technology is transforming the global economy and society—with a focus on labor and human mobility.

My research examines these transformations through three interconnected streams: digital labor, platforms, and AI. Empirically, I study refugees as an emerging transnational workforce engaged in various forms of digital work, such as digital freelancing, AI data work, and remote employment.

My work is funded by the Global Poverty Research Lab, Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, among others. I use qualitative methods, including traditional and digital ethnography, in-depth interviews, and text analysis. My fieldwork has taken me across the UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Azerbaijan.

I am a Fellow at the Interdisciplinary Network for Technology and Entrepreneurship Research in Africa and an Affiliate at the British Institute in Eastern Africa. Previously, I was a Fulbright Fellow, Research Fellow at the Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy, and Research Consultant for UNHCR and Bain & Company. I am a member of various research networks, including DISCO (Digital Inquiry, Speculation, Collaboration, and Optimism) Network and Labor Tech Research Network.

Prior to academia, I worked in the tech sector at data analytics startups in Austin, San Francisco, and Shanghai, where I observed how digital technologies are transforming labor markets. I also taught English in Malaysia, India, and Taiwan—experiences that exposed me to the lived realities of cross-border work and learning, and helped shape my interest in transnational labor and mobility.

I am committed to engaged scholarship that connects research with practice. I collaborate closely with social enterprises, refugee-led organizations, and nonprofits, and I have founded several community initiatives, including Digital Dreams Database (3D) for Refugees, Scientists for Migrant Learning & Education (SMiLE!), and Young Tech Leaders of the Middle East.