Donald Swen

Head of Engineering & Design

San Francisco, CA, United States

Donald Swen serves as Head of Engineering & Design at KickStart International, where he leads the design and development of high-quality, affordable irrigation pumps and agricultural technologies for smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa. His work focuses on combining engineering and human-centered design to create practical, scalable solutions that strengthen farmer livelihoods.

Donald brings a multidisciplinary background spanning engineering, design, and global field research. Prior to his current role, he worked at Stanford University as a Teaching Assistant in the Product Realization Lab and the d.school, and as a Design for Extreme Affordability Fellow, where he supported the development of solutions for underserved communities. He has also conducted international research and fieldwork across India, Morocco, Austria, and Japan, including designing a community water distribution system and conducting ethnographic research with farmers.

He holds a Master of Science in Design from Stanford University, a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Willamette University.