About David Galipeau
I’m a Canadian researcher, advisor, and educator with 35 years of experience across business, finance, publishing, and international development — including two decades inside the United Nations system.
Before the UN
I spent my early career as a senior manager in finance, publishing, and digital technology across Canada, Europe, and Asia, working as both a corporate executive and a dotcom entrepreneur. I took two startups through to successful exits before joining the United Nations in 2005.
Twenty years at the United Nations (2005–2019)
I joined the UN in 2005, managing global innovation, knowledge, and digital portfolios for UNAIDS and UNCTAD in Geneva. In 2010 I moved to Bangkok to join the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, where I built out knowledge management and innovation initiatives across the region.
In 2015 I founded UNDP’s SDG Impact Finance platform, a blended-financing model connecting venture philanthropists, foundations, and governments to invest in next-generation technology for sustainable development. Then I led the Frontier Technology research until I retired. That work became the foundation for what I do today.
SDGx Group (2019–present)
In July 2019 I co-founded SDGx Group, a Singapore-based research, venture-building, and investment management firm focused on social-innovation investment into next-generation technologies applied to sustainable development.
Teaching & advisory roles
- Senior Lecturer, UN System Staff College
- Adjunct Lecturer, Asian Institute of Technology, Global Academy @ Siam, and Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation
- Advisory Board / Expert Advisor, AI Impact Alliance
- Expert Mentor, Hult Prize Foundation
- Director, SDGx Near Future Lab
Education
My background in project management and business leadership draws on studies at Harvard Business School (USA), IIBS (Germany) and Clemson University (USA).
Current research
My present research and writing focus on how artificial intelligence reshapes the social contract, the individual psyche, and culture — the subject of my forthcoming three-volume Citizen trilogy, published by CRC Press (Taylor & Francis) between 2026 and 2028. Learn more about the trilogy →
For speaking and advisory engagements, see engagement details or get in touch.
Citizen 5.0, Citizen 6.0, and Citizen 7.0 are published by CRC Press, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group. Publication dates for Citizen 6.0 and Citizen 7.0 are provisional pending final publisher confirmation.