Dr Emily Weeks, provides leadership across Climate, Natural Resource Management, Land and Resource Governance, Resilience and Food Security. She has led several key efforts including the Natural Resource Management guidance for the US Government Global Food Security Strategy for Resilience, Climate and Natural Resource Management policy, The Agency guidance on Nature Based Solutions, and the Land and Resource Governance Joint statement. Emily is a co-chair on the Global Donor Working Group for land, was the USAID representative on the National Climate Assessment 5, committee member on the donor advisor group for Agro-Ecology and committee member on the FAO Fisheries panel. She was also the lead for IPPC review in 2019 and was part of the USG delegation for the IPCC. Emily established the Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI), a global initiative that supports local organizations to work with key stakeholders at country level to meet NDC and NAP commitments. She was also the co-founder of the National Land Resource Centre, in New Zealand. She has managed over 20 themed collaborative research projects, as well conducted research for a range of projects in Oceania, Asia and Africa. She has a PhD in conservation biology and an MSc in Marine Ecology.

With over 23 years of experience in global development, Dr. Kablan specializes in designing, implementing, and scaling multi-sectoral nutrition programs that bridge research and real-world impact. His expertise spans food systems and various elements such as food loss and waste, nutrition, and food safety, integrating evidence-based solutions across agriculture, health, education, and private sector initiatives. He has built a strong international network across governments, private sector, academia, and philanthropic/NGO sectors, fostering strategic partnerships that drive transformative change. Through WICE Consulting, Dr Kablan provides tailored strategies to strengthen food systems, enhance nutrition outcomes, and promote sustainability worldwide

Iulia is a licensed New York attorney and economist with over 13 years of leadership experience at the intersection of foreign policy, international development, financial services, and law—across government, the private sector, and nonprofits. Proven track record of leading complex, high-stakes initiatives as a U.S. Diplomat, Chief Operating Officer, and Senior Director in Latin America, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Skilled in managing multimillion-dollar investments, driving public-private partnerships, and navigating regulatory frameworks in challenging global environments. Holds a Top Secret security clearance, an LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation, and an MBA. Known for driving market-based solutions, managing complex projects, fostering collaborative leadership, and aligning strategy with measurable impact.

Brianna is a strategic advisor with over 14 years of experience advancing public health programs across Africa. She brings a deep understanding of U.S. government foreign assistance, global health policy, and multisectoral institutions—drawing from years of hands-on experience with complex global initiatives. Her consulting approach is grounded in translating technical complexity into practical, actionable strategies. Brianna has guided health programs in over 20 countries, providing strategic and operational support in areas such as HIV/AIDS, cross-sector collaboration, climate resilience, and innovative energy solutions. She is skilled at aligning diverse stakeholders, facilitating interagency coordination, and navigating high-stakes policy environments. Brianna has a proven track record in securing and managing large-scale investments, developing evidence-based policies, and designing systems to improve program performance and accountability. She is also recognized for her collaborative leadership style—mentoring teams, leading change processes, and driving consensus in dynamic settings. Her career began in the field as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, an experience that continues to shape her commitment to community-driven and sustainable health solutions. Brianna holds a Master of International Affairs with a concentration in Global Health and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is a published author and the recipient of multiple U.S. government awards for innovation, leadership, and outstanding performance.

Dr. Suresh Babu draws on his interdisciplinary background with formal training in agriculture, environmental economics, data analytics, and public policy to inform his work in climate solutions, policy, and action. Dr. Babu has over three decades of policy research and implementation experience in sustainable food and natural resource systems in the Global South. He has published 28 books and edited volumes, 129 refereed journal articles, 99 chapters in books and conference proceedings, and many working papers and pieces in popular press. An effective policy communicator, his food crisis management and higher education contributions in Africa resulted in two US Congressional Testimonies. As a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), he recently served as the Asia Lead for the USAID’s Comprehensive Action for Climate Initiative (CACCI) which engaged with and strengthened climate policy systems in 12 countries in Asia. Dr. Babu also led IFPRI’s partnership with USAID’s Feed the Future - Food Security Policy Innovation Lab (PRCI), which strengthened food policy think tanks and policy systems in 14 countries in Asia and Africa. Similar multicounty programs have been the hallmark of his research, capacity development, and policy communications career at IFPRI. Over the past 33 years at IFPRI, Dr. Babu established IFPRI’s Learning Program and implemented institutional and human capacity strengthening for higher education, research, extension, and policy systems in more than 40 countries in the Global North and South. He has strengthened the capacity of more than 6,000 mid-career professionals, policy researchers, analysts, and advisors through learning programs and mentorship in food, nutrition, agricultural, and natural resource policy analysis and policy communications. Dr. Babu served as a Coordinating Lead Author of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. He currently serves as the Extraordinary Professor, University of Pretoria, South Africa and holds or held honorary/visiting professorships at the Kasetsart University, Thailand, University College, Cork, Ireland, the Chinese Academy of Rural Development, Zhejiang University, and Indira Gandhi National Open University, India. He has been quoted, profiled or interviewed in popular press including the Time Magazine, New York Times, St Louis Post Dispatch, The Reuters, IPS News Service, AllAfrica.com, Times of India, Economic Times, Financial Express, Business Standard, The Hindu, South African Farmer, BBC, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Pakistan Public Television, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Indian National Television, and All India Radio. Dr. Babu began his post-doctoral career as a Research Economist, Cornell University and outposted as a Senior Food Policy Advisor to the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture, where he developed a national-level Food and Nutrition Information System that helped to prevent famine and starvation. He also served as an Evaluation Economist for UNICEF-Malawi designing decentralized food security and nutrition intervention programs. Dr. Babu holds MS and PhD degrees in Economics from Iowa State University.

Dr. Sarah Paige is a trusted global health professional with over 15 years of experience living and working in sub-Saharan Africa. She has built enduring relationships with NGOs, civil society organizations, and national and local government partners, all united by the shared goal of preventing, detecting, and responding to emerging infectious disease threats. Sarah is an expert in communicating highly technical information across the domains of human health, animal health, and the environment to diverse audiences through a variety of media. She is also an effective team leader in high-pressure, fast-moving situations such as outbreak responses, known for her ability to rapidly identify priorities and deliver critical information to high-level stakeholders.

Julia Kennedy is an international climate, clean energy, and development leader with over 15 years of experience directing empowered, cross-cultural teams and impactful sustainable development projects. Her work has spanned government agencies, multilateral institutions, NGOs, and the private sector; building partnerships in complex environments across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A former Foreign Service Officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), she most recently served as the division chief for economic growth, environment, and agriculture initiatives for USAID’s Africa bureau. She led Power Africa’s climate finance team and worked to increase climate and clean energy investments for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Julia was the Deputy Director of the Clean Energy and Environment Office for USAID/India and USAID’s Deputy Indo-Pacific Coordinator in South Asia. She also served in Haiti, Ecuador, and Chad, and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mauritania. Prior to joining USAID, Julia was a Presidential Management Fellow working for the State Department on international climate negotiations. Ms. Kennedy holds a Masters degree in Global Environmental Policy from American University and a Bachelors degree in Engineering from Brown University.

Kelly is a dynamic and results-driven public health professional with over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of leading and managing large-scale programs in international development. Her expertise spans strategic planning, full lifecycle project development, workforce planning, technical assistance, and capacity building for civil society organizations. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from The George Washington University, a Master of Education from Harvard University, COR certification, and a Secret security clearance. Kelly is passionate about advancing the health and well-being of vulnerable populations worldwide.

Stephanie is an urban planning and strategic communications professional with over a decade of international experience working with UN agencies, multilateral institutions, and governments to advance sustainable development goals through policy, planning, and public engagement. She specializes in developing long-range, evidence-based strategies that support climate resilience, urban regeneration, and inclusive economic growth. Her work bridges research, strategy, and storytelling to drive systems-level change. A central focus of her professional and academic pursuits—also the subject of her PhD research—has been understanding the urban and economic impacts of sports stadiums, arenas, and entertainment districts. She has explored how large-scale infrastructure can shape neighborhood development, land value, and city governance when integrated within broader urban policy frameworks. Through roles at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-Habitat, and USAID, Stephanie has supported climate and water-focused initiatives that incorporate nature-based solutions, enhance urban policy, and foster cross-sector collaboration. She has also led strategic communications for global campaigns on plastic pollution, freshwater ecosystems, and sustainable development, translating complex policy and scientific insights into compelling narratives that inform, inspire, and mobilize diverse audiences. Thriving at the intersection of urban planning and communications, Stephanie is currently open to consulting or new opportunities with organizations addressing today’s most urgent climate and urban challenges.

Zachary is a strategic leader with over 16 years of experience in knowledge management (KM), organizational learning, and data-driven decision-making. He is recognized for transforming knowledge-sharing processes and leading multi-million-dollar initiatives that have strengthened institutional performance and impact. Zachary has been at the forefront of pioneering AI-driven information synthesis to enhance learning, collaboration, and decision-making across complex organizations. His work integrates cutting-edge technologies with practical strategies to streamline workflows, foster organizational learning, and ensure that knowledge is effectively captured, shared, and applied. With a passion for leveraging technology to improve knowledge ecosystems, Zachary consistently drives innovation that empowers teams, improves program outcomes, and supports adaptive management in dynamic environments.

Cindy Arciaga Hodor has 20+ years of experience providing knowledge management (KM) expertise and specialized information services, communication, dissemination, outreach, and business and proposal development predominantly in the international public health arena. As the Senior Communications and Knowledge Management Advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Global Health (GH), Office of Country Support (OCS), she directed communications and knowledge management strategies in order to better support USAID’s health staff working in Missions and Country Offices outside of Washington, D.C. Producing and promoting OCS and GH Bureau tools and resources internally and building relationships, she facilitates the exchange of GH’s knowledge and resources between Washington D.C. and global teams. Prior to USAID, she was the Senior Director for Knowledge Management at Jhpiego. She was responsible for strategic planning and implementation of global KM and dissemination in partnership with headquarter staff and country teams. Before Jhpiego, she worked for FHI 360 leading organization-wide knowledge exchange initiatives guiding collaboration and knowledge sharing activities for FHI 360’s communities of practice. She was a Project Coordinator for the Public-Private Partnerships for Handwashing with Soap; the Communications Director for A2Z: The USAID’s Micronutrient and Child Blindness Project; the KM Director for FHI 360 projects addressing avian and pandemic influenzas, and the Knowledge Sharing Team Leader for the former USAID Development Information Services (DIS) Project. Other skills include project management; training and facilitation; branding and marking strategies; materials development; conceptualization, management, and evaluation of KM tools and services; development of KM, communication and information plans; research, writing and editing; and knowledge product design. She is certified from APMG International in Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro). Cindy has a Masters in Health Sciences in International Health and Population Policy from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Robert is a global economic, environmental, and humanitarian policy leader with extensive experience navigating the complexities of international geopolitics and multi-stakeholder collaboration to address some of the world's most pressing challenges. He has a proven track record of success in designing and implementing strategic programs across diverse cultural and political contexts, including in Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Vietnam, and the Philippines. As a diplomat and donor with USAID, Robert has led high-impact initiatives that integrate policy innovation with actionable, on-the-ground solutions. He has worked across governmental, multilateral, and private-sector partners to drive measurable results. His areas of expertise span climate change, biodiversity conservation, tourism, private sector engagement, humanitarian response, and community development—often in fragile or politically sensitive regions. Robert excels at developing visionary strategies and leading teams to translate those strategies into practical frameworks that deliver transformative outcomes. He brings extensive experience in managing the complexities of international partnerships and balancing the intersecting priorities of diverse stakeholders. In senior leadership roles, Robert is driven by a deep commitment to sustainability, self-reliance, and resilience for households, communities, organizations, and countries.

Schala Battle has over 18 years of experience promoting peace and stability in complex and conflict-affected environments. Her technical expertise lies in designing and managing civil society, political transition, stabilization, preventing/countering violent extremism, conflict mitigation and peacebuilding programs. She brings diverse programmatic and operational experience, having served in a variety of field and DC-based positions on USAID and Department of State-funded programs. She is adept at working across the full program cycle including program design, project management, MEL, and reporting. Ms. Battle most recently served as a Strategic Planning and Activity Design Advisor with USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. Prior to joining USAID, she provided technical, design, writing, and facilitation support and training to for-profit, non-profit, and small business clients as an independent consultant. She previously provided technical leadership on several-large scale democracy and conflict programs, leading country assessments, strategy development, and context-driven program design and serving as senior field leadership on programs in Africa and the Middle East. Schala holds a Master’s degree in international affairs and development from the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University.

SiuSue is a political economist and development practitioner with over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of democracy promotion, social justice and human rights, conflict mitigation, and land and natural resources governance. Of this, she has spent 10 years collaborating with local and indigenous communities to safeguard land and natural resource rights, while advising governments and the private sector on sustainable natural resource management. After working for various NGOs and bilateral donors, including FCDO and USAID, she now serves as a Peace & Development Advisor on the United Nations’ Roster and the OSCE Mediation Roster, with a focus on natural resource conflicts. She has synthesized many of the themes in which she has been engaged in her book Forging the Nation: Land Struggles in Myanmar's Transition Period (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2023). SiuSue is an experienced manager of diverse teams, operations, and budgets in fast-paced, complex organizations. She possesses well-honed analytical skills, including political economy analysis and evaluations for programming and policymaking. She is adept at transforming analysis into practical governance solutions that place a strong emphasis on human rights. She has geographic expertise across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Latin America, and increasingly in the United States. SiuSue speaks intermediate-advanced Spanish, intermediate Chinese, and conversational Burmese.

Sadia is a dynamic global development leader with over 20 years of experience leading program design, cross-regional implementation, donor engagement, and organizational strategy across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Her proven history spans two decades in designing strategies to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, nutrition, and gender (RMNCAHNG). She has long-term experience in commodity security, supply chain management (SCM), health financing reforms, and health systems strengthening (HSS). Sadia has a demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-sectoral, multimillion-dollar portfolios and lead diverse teams globally. She is a strategic thinker and planner, results-driven, and rapidly adapts to meet organizational and business objectives as well as global and local priorities. Her deep expertise includes mobilizing resources, cultivating partnerships with multilateral institutions, the private sector, and civil society, and driving program innovation across thematic areas such as women’s economic empowerment, youth and women’s entrepreneurship, gender equity, and the nexus between health, environment, and development. Sadia is highly skilled in project oversight, team collaboration and mentorship, and aligning programs with institutional goals and donor expectations.

Dr. Patrick Webb has worked extensively on food policy, nutrition research, humanitarian emergencies, and climate change interactions with food systems. He holds the prestigeous Alexander MacFarlane endowed chair in the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, where he served as the School’s Dean for Academic Affairs for 9 years. He recently served as Chief Nutritionist for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), overseeing nutrition priorities and strategies across the agency.

Nana Pinkrah is an experienced Contracts and Grants Specialist with over a decade of progressive responsibility in U.S. Government acquisition and assistance (A&A), international development, and private sector procurement. With a unique blend of expertise across multinational development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private corporations, he brings an in-depth understanding of complex procurement frameworks, donor regulations, and high-value contract management. Throughout his career, Nana has demonstrated a strong command of U.S. Government procurement regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), and 2 CFR 200 and 700. His work with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spans both the Ghana Bilateral Mission and the West Africa Regional Mission, where he has supported critical sectors such as education, governance, health, and economic growth. Nana has consistently provided technical guidance to Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) and Agreement Officer’s Representatives (AORs), ensuring compliance throughout the full A&A lifecycle—from pre-award to post-award implementation and closeout. His leadership has also been integral to USAID’s New Partnerships Initiative in West Africa, where he served as the Mission's point of contact. In this role, he played a key role in onboarding new and underutilized partners, guiding them through USAID’s complex procurement and compliance frameworks, and contributing to organizational capacity building. His support has enabled numerous local entities to successfully implement programs while meeting donor expectations and performance targets. His professional experience extends beyond development cooperation to include procurement roles in the telecommunications and construction industries, where he managed high-value, technically complex contracts. Nana has led and participated in numerous evaluation and merit review committees, conducted cost and price analyses, and provided mentorship to new staff in acquisition offices. He is recognized for his ability to interpret and operationalize procurement policy, adapt in high-pressure environments, and consistently deliver high-quality outcomes. Nana holds a Master’s degree in International Business and Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History. His academic background, paired with hands-on experience in field missions and headquarters settings, gives him a strategic and practical understanding of development operations and stakeholder engagement. A skilled communicator and mentor, Nana is known for his analytical thinking, adaptability, and strong interpersonal skills. He is proficient in Microsoft Office applications and upholds the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, reflecting his longstanding service on behalf of the U.S. Government. He thrives in diverse, fast-paced environments and is passionate about advancing development impact through compliant, efficient, and inclusive procurement practices. With a wide professional network and a strong track record of collaboration, Nana continues to contribute meaningfully to organizational success and mission-driven outcomes in international development.

Dr. Ir. Daan Vreugdenhil, oversees the strategic planning, development, and implementation of global conservation initiatives. Collaborates with international partners, manages project budgets, and ensures program alignment with the organization's goals. Provides leadership to conservation teams and serves as a key spokesperson for conservation issues. Daan has worked for 30 years in planning and management of natural resources of temperate and tropical terrestrial and aquatic environments. His career took him across 5 continents, while dealing with dry and humid tropical as well as temperate ecosystems. His background includes vegetation and animal ecology as well as natural resources and national parks management.