We are SO excited to introduce to you this group of extraordinary individuals all willing to HELP you. The board represents a diverse range of sectoral and professional expertise. From recruiting in the social sector; to impact investment; to international advocacy; this amazing group of professionals will respond to select questions from The Social Change Career Helping Line group to enrich and guide you on your career of purpose. They are amazing!
What is The Social Change Career Helping Line? the Social Change Career HelpING Line, first of its kind, crowdsources questions on careers in social change. Feedback comes from peers, the PCDN team, and we regularly select questions to be answered by the PCDN Advisory Board. The responses with their amazing insights can go directly into the helping line and periodically we post summary blogs on PCDN which can be seen here.
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Bob Spoer
Chief Entrepreneur for People/Search
Ashoka
Bob is Chief Entrepreneur for People at Ashoka, the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs. A veteran of Silicon Valley search Spoer has recruited business and technical innovators globally for a number of Silicon Valley companies. In addition to LinkedIn, he led global recruiting at Trimble and Teknekron. He began his search career with Spencer Stuart based in Hong Kong.
Bob is the co -founder of “Recruiting for Good” (RFG)at Linkedin, which does probono searches for ngos globally, leveraging the Linkedin platform. Pro bono clients have included the White House Presidential Innovation Fellows (RFG was the primary outside recruiting partner), Playworks, Global Network Initiative and Ashoka. Thanks in part to RFG’s recruiting success at the outset of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, President Obama signed the bipartisan Talent Act making the Presidential Innovation Fellows program permanent. -
ElsaMarie D’Silva
Founder/CEO
Red Dot Foundation (SafeCity)
ElsaMarie is the Founder & CEO of Red Dot Foundation (Safecity) which isa platform that crowdsources personal experiences of sexual violence and abuse in public spaces. Since Safecity started in Dec 2012, it has become the largest crowdmap on the issue in India, Kenya, Cameroon and Nepal.
ElsaMarie is an alumni of the Stanford Draper Hills Summer School, the US State Department’s Fortune Program and the Commonwealth Leadership Program. She is also a fellow with Rotary Peace, Aspen New Voices, Vital Voices and a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader. She is listed as one of BBC Hindi’s 100 Women and recently was awarded the Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices. She has spoken about her work at the Aspen Ideas Festival , at TEDx MidAtlantic, UN Women, State Department, Vital Voices South to South Leadership Summit. Prior to Safecity, she was in the aviation industry for 20 years where she worked with Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines. Her last portfolio was Vice President Network Planning & Charters where she oversaw the planning and implementation of 500
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Marthe Reinette
Global Participation Director
THNK, School of Creative Leadership
My passion revolves around connecting people and supporting them with finding their purpose at the intersection of social and environmental impact and leadership. Working at THNK is the right place to be.
I have a background in sustainable development and have extensive experience working as a marketer in the responsible investment and impact investing space. Most notably I held senior marketing roles at Nyenrode Business University, Sustainalytics (leading responsible investment research firm), FMO (Dutch Development Bank) and Phenix Capital, an investment consultant focused on impact and sustainable development investing.
Born and bred in Paris, France, I have visited over 35 countries and lived in Switzerland, Canada and the UK before settling in Amsterdam in 2006. I hold a Bachelor’s in International Business from La Sorbonne University, Master’s in Sustainable Development from Sussex University and an MBA in General Management from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management
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Diana Castro
Chief Alliance Officer
Pro Mujer
Pro Mujer is a leading women’s development organization that delivers transformative services to low-income women in Latin America. Diana brings broad experience in social finance, private banking, consulting and private equity in Latin America. Prior to Pro Mujer, she was the Founder of Ascenda, a consultancy committed to business solutions that drive meaningful social change. Diana was also Principal of FIRST, a private equity fund investing in Brazilian growth stage companies delivering social impact alongside financial returns. Additionally, she spent several years as an international private banker at Royal Bank of Canada and Barclays. Diana serves on the boards of Pro Mujer Nicaragua, Pro Mujer Bolivia and the Career Advisory Board of Peace and Collaborative Development Network. She was also Co-Founder of the Association for Corporate Growth, Brazil chapter. Diana graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and later earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. She also attended Harvard University’s Financial Institutions for Private Enterprise Development, an executive education program for microfinance at the JFK School of Government.
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Michael Davidson
Director of Global Recruitment
Open Society Foundations
Michael Davidson is the Director of Global Recruitment at the Open Society Foundations where he is responsible for the development and delivery of the overall talent attraction strategy, from pre-recruitment through on-boarding for all of Open Society’s hub and regional offices. Michael further acts as an advisor to Open Society’s individual foundations on the development and implementation of their recruitment strategies. Prior to joining Open Society, Michael oversaw recruitment and onboarding at the Clinton Foundation where he expanded the recruitment function across the Foundation’s multiple international entities. Before the Clinton Foundation, Michael worked at Human Rights Watch overseeing recruiting, onboarding and global mobility and was the co-chair of HRW’s Diversity Committee. Michael received his BA in Political Science and Intercultural Studies from Fordham University.
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Sanam Anderlini
Co-founder and Executive Director
International Civil Society Action Network
Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini is the Co-founder and Executive Director of ICAN. For over two decades she has been a leading international peace strategist. In 2000, she was among the civil society drafters of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. In 2011, Ms. Naraghi-Anderlini was the first Senior Expert on Gender and Inclusion on the UN’s Mediation Standby Team. She provides guidance and training to senior personnel in UN agencies, governments and NGOs worldwide, and has worked in conflict affected countries globally.
Between 2002 and 2005, as Director of the Women Waging Peace Policy Commission, Sanam led ground breaking field research on women’s contributions to conflict prevention, security and peacemaking in 12 countries. Between 2008-2010 she led UNDP’s 10-country action research on men in crisis settings. She has published extensively on peace and security issues, including Women building peace: What they do, why it matters (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2007). Ms. Naraghi-Anderlini holds an M.Phil in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University. Iranian by birth, she is a UK citizen, and has twin daughters. -
Anne Steen
Director of the School of Foreign Service Career Center
Georgetown University
Anne leads the general management and strategic direction of the office, ensuring the Graduate Career Center produces quality programs and services to the many different constituents supported by the office: students, employers, alumni, faculty and the greater GSFS and MA Government communities. Anne also oversees new and existing employer relationships, as well as leads professional skills workshops. Anne individually coaches students and alumni as they grow and develop into industry leaders. Anne is a professionally certified Executive and Leadership Coach (PCC) as well as a certified Career Management Coach.
Prior to coming to Georgetown, Anne taught career management courses at George Mason University. She also served as the Associate Dean of Students at American University. Anne holds a M.Ed. in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Mary Washington. -
Elisabeth Kvitashvili
Elisabeth Kvitashvili is an accomplished development professional with global humanitarian and crisis response leadership and field operations expertise spanning more than 35 years. She was a Senior USAID Manager, and held multiple positions within USAID including Mission Director for USAID/Sri Lanka and Maldives, Colombo, Sri Lanka,2015, Mission Director for USAID Russia, Moscow, Russia, 2009-2010, and Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Middle East, 2013-2015. She was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in the Conflict Resolution Program and created and taught “Food Security and Conflict Resolution: An Operational Perspective; Food Security,” and “Humanitarian Assistance and Conflict Resolution: An Operational Perspective”. She is a part-time senior development advisor for International Orthodox Christian Charities and Crown Agents and a Senior Associate (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
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Mohit Mukherjee
founding Director
Centre for Executive Education at the University for Peace
Mohit is an innovator in the education space, focused on developing curriculum to help youth be ‘changemakers’. He is the founding Director of the Centre for Executive Education at the University for Peace (UPEACE), headquartered in Costa Rica. In this role, he has developed and taught over 50 seminars in eight countries on themes ranging from ‘Education 2.0’ to ‘Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Change’. Prior to this role, he served as VP of Programs at Watson U and Education Program Manager of the Earth Charter Initiative, an international nonprofit organization. He also spent four years at A.T. Kearney management consultants. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and did his Master’s at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Tammy Lynn Gilmore
Senior Conference Programmer and Non-Profit Grant Specialist
SXSW
I am an event producer, grant maker, grant program creator and social impact expert. I currently run the SXSW Community Service Awards, the Social Impact track of programming and oversee grant-making at SXSW. My skills are: event production, creative content ideation, writing, video direction, project management, customer service and public speaking.
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Amr Abdalla
Assessment and Evaluation Director of the Reform of Education in Muslim Societies Project
International Institute of Islamic Thought
Dr. Abdalla’s current position is the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in the Washington, D.C. area. From 2014 to 2017 he was the Senior Advisor on Policy Analysis and Research at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of Addis Ababa University. In 2013-2014, he was Vice President of SALAM Institute for Peace and Justice in Washington, D.C. From 2004-2013 he was Professor, Dean and Vice Rector at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica. From 2001-2004 he was a Senior Fellow with the Peace Operations Policy Program, School of Public Policy, at George Mason University, Virginia. He was also a Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Leesburg, Virginia. He was a public prosecutor from 1978 to 1987 in Egypt. He then emigrated to the U.S. where he obtained a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University.
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Surabhi Lal
Director of Career Services
NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Throughout my career I have been helping individuals and organizations achieve their goals in nonprofit, education, start-up, and international settings. I have a natural ability to help others craft their pitch, develop a strategy for their search, and connect them with resources and people. Institutionally, I apply these skills to develop strong teams, cultivate partnerships, streamline systems, and lead innovative initiatives. As a skilled career coach who uses a multicultural and multidimensional lens, I know that searching for a job impacts many facets of one’s life. My joy comes from making the unwritten rules of a job search more explicit and guiding others on their journey to career success. I am passionate about developing talent, cultivating innovation, and creating cultures where individuals and teams thrive.
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Carolyn Goodman
Recruitment Source
Open Society Foundations
Based in London, Carolyn works as part of the global recruitment team at Open Society Foundations on talent engagement, attraction and direct sourcing strategies for mid to senior level hires. Before coming to OSF she worked in executive search, most recently as part of the not-for-profit team at Odgers Berndtson, the UK’s pre-eminent executive search firm, where she handled the delivery and execution of a range of executive and non-executive appointments across the sector.
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Nick Martin
President and CEO
TechChange
Nick Martin is an educator, technologist, and social entrepreneur with over ten years of international development and peacebuilding experience. He is the founder and CEO of TechChange, a Washington DC-based social enterprise that provides tech training for social change. The TechChange model for technology training has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Economist, Fast Company, PBS NewsHour and more. Nick is a PopTech Social Innovation Fellow (2013), an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow (2014), and an International Youth Foundation Global Fellow (2009). Nick is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown and George Washington Universities where he teaches graduate courses on Technology for Social Change, Technology for Crisis Response, and Mobile Phones for International Development. Nick received his BA with honors from Swarthmore College and holds an MA in Peace Education from the United Nations mandated University for Peace (UPEACE).
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Tony Karbo
Executive Director
N'Zarama Centre for Peacebuilding
Tony Karbo comes has over twenty years of experience as a scholar-practitioner working in peacebuilding; conflict resolution; governance and development; gender; women’s empowerment; capacity building and dialogue facilitation.
Before joining the N’Zarama Centre for Peacebuilding Tony served as Director of the Karamoja Cluster Project at the UPEACE Africa Programme in Kampala, Uganda, for the Institute of Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD).
He has also worked as a consultant for UNESCO, UNDP and the Carter Center, among others; and has served as a faculty member in universities in Ethiopia, the US, and Zimbabwe.
He has written extensively on peacebuilding, development, and conflict resolution, and contributed to journals such as African Renaissance, Africa Peace and Conflict Journal, and International Journal of Peace and Development Studies.
Tony holds a M.S. and a Ph.D in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University in Virginia, in the US, and a B.Sc in Agricultural Economics from the Odessa Institute of Agricultural Sciences. -
Craig Zelizer
Founder/CEO
PCDNetwork
Craig is the Founder and CEO of PCDN, the go-to hub for global social change. From 2005 to 2016 he served as professor the Conflict Resolution program at Georgetown University before stepping down in June 2016 to work on PCDN full time. Craig has dedicated his life to being an entrepreneur and to creating a more peaceful world. Before creating PCDN, Craig also helped to co-found two NG0s – the Alliance for Conflict Transformation and the TEAM foundation in Hungary. Craig serves on a number of boards/advisory boards including the Alliance for Peacebuilding, the Inzone Project, Tech Change, Move this World, and the Amani Institute. He spent two years in Hungary as Fulbright Scholar and was a Boren Fellow in Bosnia.
He has led trainings, workshops and consultancies in over 20 countries organizations including with USIP, USAID, CRS, and Rotary International. He has received several awards including George Mason’s School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution’s alumni of the year award. He has published widely on peacebuilding, entrepreneurship, and innovation in higher education. -
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Kajsa Hendrickson
Coordinator of Career Development, Partnerships and Alumni Relations
University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace Studies
Kajsa Hendrickson is a career advisor and international education professional. In her role at the University of San Diego, Kajsa manages career development advising and programming for three graduate programs. She also facilitates partnerships for student internships and professional opportunities, and coordinates the School’s alumni relations. Kajsa’s background includes working as an Education Abroad Advisor and Faculty-Led/Custom Program Coordinator at Washington State University, serving as a graduate assistant for the Political/Economic Office at the United States Embassy in Laos, and teaching English in China, Thailand and Vietnam. Kajsa has consulted on writing and development projects for nonprofits in San Diego. Kajsa is a Gilman Scholar with her MA in Peace and Justice from the University of San Diego and her BA in Global Politics from Washington State University.
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Xoan Fernandez
Principal Executive in the Social Innovation Initiative
CAF - Development Bank of Latin America
Expert in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship for development, sustainability and digital transformation. I have worked in Europe and Latin America with IDB and CAF for almost ten years managing and advising projects with entrepreneurs, NGOs, companies and governments. I have a master’s degree in innovation for sustainable development at the University of Sussex/SPRU
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Katie Kross
Managing Director of the Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
As Managing Director of the Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment (EDGE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Katie Kross manages Center operations, directs programming, and connects MBA students with classes, project opportunities, career support, and other resources to pursue their interests in the energy and sustainability sectors.
Katie has spent more than 10 years in university and nonprofit administration. She has advised on energy and sustainability strategy, business planning, and market research projects for a number of organizations in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and is the author of Profession and Purpose: A Resource Guide for MBA Careers in Sustainability (2nd edition, Greenleaf Publishing, 2014). She is an active speaker at business schools around the country on energy and sustainable business careers, and has counseled hundreds of students on their individual career paths.
Ms. Kross has served on the boards of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development and the Triangle, North Carolina professional chapter of Net Impact. She holds a BA from Davidson College and an MBA from UNC. -
Shadé Brown
Sustainability (ESG) analyst and strategist
Consultant
Shade is a leading expert in sustainability. She previously worked at in a variety of position at Calvert Research and Management. As an ESG analyst Ms. Brown has environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expertise in the healthcare and telecommunications industries. In addition to ESG analysis and corporate engagement she led Calvert’s research and development efforts on key responsible investment themes such as corporate diversity and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in partnership with academic institutions, ngos and think tanks. Ms. Brown’s previous work experience includes research with the Stanford Graduate School of Business and economic, conflict, and policy analysis with international ngos. She has conducted labor and human rights analysis with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and consulted with Center for Sustainable Economics at the United States Institute of Peace, Ms. Brown earned a B.A. in Economics and Psychology from Smith College and an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University.
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Stone Conroy
Senior Analyst for the Geopolitical Analysis & Intelligence Team
United Airlines
At United Airlines, Stone conducts timely, accurate, relevant, and creative assessments of international security issues and provides analytical support to security leaders during crisis situations such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, or major civil unrest.
Stone is also the Senior Advisor for Venture Peacebuilding at the International Peace & Security Institute, where he manages the Venture Peacebuilding program. He was recently the Manager for Innovative Finance & the Private Sector at InterAction. Prior to this he was the Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships at the Alliance for Peacebuilding. Before that he spent several years on the Outreach and Engagement team at the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC).
Stone was a Boren Fellow in Nigeria where he served as a Conflict Management and Economic Development Fellow at Mercy Corps, and worked on peacebuilding and economic empowerment programs in the Middle Belt region. Stone holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and attended Middlebury College for undergraduate studies.
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Simon Cohen
Keynote Speaker, Communications Consultant
Simon Cohen set up Global Tolerance when he was 24, and went on to manage the PR for HH Dalai Lama, Gandhi’s grandson, The Prince of Wales and many of the world’s leading change-makers. Simon grew the company to be worth approximately £1m and then launched a global competition called an Open Leadership Exercise, to give away the company he founded. He is now a stay-at-home father and works as a keynote speaker, broadcaster and communications consultant.
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Geraldine Hepp
Community and Communications Director
Amani Institute
Geraldine is part of the founding team at Amani Institute and has been leading their Inner Journey of the Changemaker course in Kenya and Brazil since 2013. With a background in adult education, music and mediation she loves to help people explore the intersection between personal and social change. It inspires her to connect people, ideas and initiatives to tackle social challenges in her work as the Communications and Community Director at Amani.
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Jennifer Bangoura
Career Services Specialist
2U
Jennifer Bangoura is a Career Services Specialist at 2U who works at the intersection of meaningful employment and helping people move to the next level in their career. She has spent the past 10 years working in the primary and higher education sectors in the US, Middle East and West Africa at the village, university, career center and HQ levels. From living and working in a village of 1,000 people in Mali, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer to coordinating career services training for over 250 university staff in Iraq and Morocco, to delivering white glove career coaching to graduate students, service with a smile is her mission. She has a heart for empowering the next generation of leaders to identify their strengths and skills to secure meaningful employment that makes a difference in their life and that of their families. Fluent in French and Bambara, she is especially interested in how the world of work is shifting in North and West Africa and how higher education can meet the needs of rapidly evolving economies.
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Aileen O’Donnell
Lead of Alumni Relations & Programs
International Institute of Education
Aileen O’Donnell is the Lead of Alumni Relations at the Institute of International Education (IIE) for an alumni audience encompassing 27,000 participants annually on more than 150 programs around the world, such as the Boren Awards, Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs, GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Program, and IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund. In her role, Aileen heads the development of Institute-wide strategies for alumni data systems, past participant grantee assessments, and comprehensive engagement strategies and initiatives. Working in alumni relations, she is most passionate about creating valuable resources for wide-ranging grantee audiences, specifically career advancement resources and networks; she has expertise in developing and facilitating webinars, workshops, and other resources to help returnees articulate the transferable skills gained from immersive international experiences in a meaningful way to employers – through resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Aileen holds a M.A. in Public Policy from Central European University (CEU) with a focus on higher education management. She graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in International Relations and History.
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Jessica Loman
Independent Consultant
Toniic
Convener, mover & shaker, and systems thinker for 10+ years with focus in education, health, and international development. Facilitated social entrepreneurship practices and personal development sessions for hundreds of businesses leaders and young innovators; Fundraised internationally to establish an educational program & annual competition in Indonesia; Awarded Fulbright for leadership and dedication towards mutual understanding between nations; Convened and supported a global community of 300+ impact investors.
Actively conspiring to create a new culture of health alongside leaders at Duke’s Leadership Program in Integrative Healthcare and beyond.
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Vicki Johnson
Founder Director
Profellow
Vicki Johnson is Founder and Director of ProFellow.com, the leading online resource for information on professional and academic fellowships. Vicki is an alumna of the New York City Urban Fellows Program, the German Chancellor Fellowship, the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship and the Ian Axford Fellowship in Public Policy (New Zealand).
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David Smith
CONSULTANT | SPEAKER | COACH | TRAINER
David J. Smith Consulting
David J. Smith’s work spans the fields of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and civic and global education. He has over 30 years’ experience as an educational consultant, lawyer, mediator, college professor, trainer, senior program officer, senior manager, and author. David supports educators, youth, and professionals in developing institution-wide initiatives and student activities promoting civic, conflict, and peacebuilding awareness. He is the author of Peace Jobs: A Student’s Guide to Starting a Career Working for Peace (Information Age Publishing 2016). He has consulted with nearly 500 colleges around the U.S. and has given over 600 talks on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international education. He is the president of the Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education, Inc., a 501c3 not-for-profit that offers experiential learning opportunities for students and professionals. He was formerly a senior program officer and coordinator of national outreach at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
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Alma Jadallah
President
Kommon Denominator, Inc
Dr. Alma Abdul-hadi Jadallah is President of Kommon Denominator, Inc. She has advised and worked on strategic projects related to conflict prevention and mitigation, training and education, and capacity building on the national and international levels.
Alma won top honor as the 2009 Woman Business Enterprise Regional Star Award. Previous awards include the DC – Region Outstanding Woman Business Enterprise for 2008. In 2007, the company was listed on the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise in Maryland.
She earned her Ph.D. from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. As a scholar / practitioner, she teaches graduate level courses in conflict resolution practice and theory at leading academic institutions such as the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University.
Alma serves her community through active board participation. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, and member of Board of Directors, Institute for Victims of Trauma, McLean, Virginia. She is also a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, Women in International Security, Virginia Mediation Network and Rotary International, and Peace and Justice Studies Association. -
Cheryl Saferstein
Recruiter
United States Institute of Peace
Cheryl Saferstein is a recruiter with the global human resources team at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). In this role, Cheryl serves as an internal consultant to help managers identify strategic solutions to address staffing needs. This includes managing full life-cycle recruitment for DC and overseas employee and contractor positions; administering USIP’s research assistant and event staffing programs; and staying up-to-date on employment immigration requirements and legislation. In addition to her four years in human resources, Cheryl has provided broad operations support to USIP senior leadership and contributed to a variety of special initiatives. Cheryl earned her professional certification in HR through the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-CP) and holds a Bachelors of Arts in International Relations from American University.
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Sandra Jones
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Monica Kang
Founder and CEO
Innovators Box
Monica Kang is the Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox® where she helps leaders unlock their creative leadership potential and is redefining innovation in the workplace. Since launch, InnovatorsBox® has been recognized as the only creative education firm that is teaching creativity in a tangible, practical and relatable way for professionals to understand, embrace, and practice. She is an avid supporter and speaks often on the importance of rethinking creativity, diversity and inclusion, diversity in technology, and social entrepreneurship. She actively supports DC Tech growth as the Organizer and Facilitator at Startup Weekend and President of DMV Startup.
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Mike Jobbins
Director of Global Affairs
Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground is an international conflict transformation NGO working in 45 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Mike leads Search’s work with governments, NGOs, international organizations, and the private sector, with a focus on violent extremism, business and human rights, and complex emergencies. He was previously Search for Common Ground’s Program Manager for the Africa Region, where he oversaw the development and launch of conflict resolution programs across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, amidst state collapse in CAR, the crisis in South Sudan, and in the wake of Cote d’Ivoire’s electoral crisis. He previously served with Search in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, managing emergency, governance, and security sector programs. Prior to joining Search, he worked on African affairs at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Mike has an MA from Georgetown and a BA from Harvard.
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Paul Breloff
Co-Founder & CEO
Shortlist Professionals
Paul is the Co-Founder and CEO of Shortlist, a recruiting technology startup transforming how talent meets opportunity in emerging markets. Shortlist is on a mission to unlock professional potential and combines technology, data, and a human touch to source and screen great job-seekers for growing, purposeful companies across India and East Africa.
Before Shortlist, Paul was the Founder and Managing Director of Accion Venture Lab, a financial inclusion-focused venture capital fund. Under his leadership, Venture Lab invested in 24 fintech startups across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the US. Prior to that, Paul worked with SKS Microfinance, India’s largest microfinance institution, leading a team of 20 in Hyderabad, India on business development, product, and strategic partnerships.
Paul has also advised CGAP, Root Capital, Shell Foundation, BRAC, and others on access-to-finance issues globally; practiced corporate law with Mayer Brown; and worked as an advertising account executive for Leo Burnett. He currently teaches impact investing courses for the Impact Business Leaders certificate program, and serves as a Senior Advisor to Blue Haven Initiative, a family office based in Cambridge, MA. Paul has a BA from Amherst College and a law degree from Yale Law School. He lives in Mumbai, India.
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Helena Puig
Managing Director
Co-founder Build Up
Helena is the managing director and co-founder of Build Up, a social enterprise that designs, researches and implements innovative and technology-enabled peacebuilding programs that promote peace, support civic engagement and prevent conflict. She has worked with NGOs, governments and United Nations agencies in conflict and post-conflict environments including Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, Cyprus, Syria, Nepal, Somalia and Colombia. Helena writes and speaks often about technology innovation for peacebuilding, and is considered a thought leader in the emerging field of peacetech. She is also on the Board of Advisors of International Alert and Elva Community Engagement.
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Christine Oatis-Skinner
Career Development Advisor and Coach
University of Peace
Currently, as an international volunteer, Christine provides Career Services for students and alumni at the UN-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica. Christine’s work in career advising and coaching spans 35 years including public and private university settings, public-private sector initiatives, teaching career development courses for credit at community colleges and a university, and serving at nonprofits.
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Devin Thorpe
Journalist, author and speaker
devinthorpe.com
Devin is a journalist, author and speaker. He calls himself a champion of social good. He travels extensively as a volunteer doing service, as a journalist finding heroes and as a speaker sharing what he’s learned. As a Forbes Contributor he covers social entrepreneurship and impact investing, reaching an audience of over 1 million people. He’s produced over 800 episodes of his Your Mark on the World show featuring luminary change agents. A bestselling author, his books—read over 1 million times—help people use money for good. To tell stories, he draws on his entrepreneurial finance experience as an investment banker, CFO, treasurer, and mortgage broker. Previously he worked on the U.S. Senate Banking committee staff and earned an MBA at Cornell.
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Mirsad Jacevic
Vice Chair
Institute for Inclusive Security
Vice Chair Mirsad “Miki” Jacevic has been integral to the conceptualization and the work of Inclusive Security since its founding in 1999. A native of Sarajevo, he attributes his inspiration to his experience supporting women peacebuilders working to stop the bloodshed and promote reconciliation in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now, after two decades of finding practical solutions to seemingly intractable conflicts in more than 40 regions, he leads Inclusive Security’s effort to promote lasting, systemic change around the world by developing national action plans that ensure women’s leadership in peace and security affairs.
Before joining Inclusive Security, Mr. Jacevic directed the Emerging Leaders Project at the State of the World Forum and managed reintegration efforts for child soldiers at Search for Common Ground. He is a PhD candidate at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and he teaches at American University, Georgetown University, and the School for International Training, with a special focus on transitional justice. He and his wife, Guatemalan human rights activist Eva Morales, live near Washington, DC with their two children. -
Catalina Rojas
Director of Innovation
PCDNetwork
Dr. Catalina Rojas is originally from Bogotá, Colombia. However, she came to the U.S. to pursue her doctoral studies, fell in love with boy and has made the Washington DC area, her home for 18 years. She is part of the PCDN team. Her title is Director of Innovation but in reality she is involved in most aspects of the PCDN operation. From growing the amazing pool of clients and partners; to researching and producing the best content possible for our members; and everything in between. Dr. Rojas is PCDN’s graphic designer, webinar host, blogger, photographer and also spends more time than she wants updating our customer relation management CRM database. (Not everything is fun). Prior to PCDN, Dr. Rojas worked in the intersection of policy, international development and gender for a Washington DC women’s organization: Women Thrive Worldwide. Dr. Rojas created partnerships with NGOs and CBOs from Central America and West Africa. She has a Ph.D in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and she specializes in gender and peacebuilding issues. She has also worked as a consultant for IIS, USAID, UNWOMEN, OAS. She is also a seasoned trainer, researcher and teacher. Dr. Rojas loves working for a small company like PCDN that has a very intentional social mandate. Working for a small organization gives her the flexibility to spend as much time as possible with her intrepid and fabulous 6 year old who already is better at her doing pull-ups. She is an avid (not so good) crossfitter, lover of healthy nutrition (she even has a food blog) and wishes she could have a treadmill desk so that she can do all her work standing up and walking.
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Shamsia Ramadhan
Program Manager, Capacity for Inter-religious Action
Catholic Relief Services
A peace practitioner with over fifteen years’ experience in all aspects of Peace building — Conflict Analysis, Conflict Sensitivity, Non-violent Social Action & Conflict Transformation, Community conflict prevention and Peacebuilding, Religious Peace Building, Peace Research and Peace Education.
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Frank Blechman
Consultant
Frank Blechman is a consultant helping businesses, community organizations, and public agencies increase their effectiveness though internal and external consensus building. He has assisted with process design, system design, facilitation, training, and motivation.
Since 2002, he has been an organizational consultant, working on local and state-level projects. From 1991-2002, he was a member of the graduate faculty at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution of George Mason University. Since 2013, he has served as a Board member of the Northern Virginia Mediation Service (NVMS) Formerly an Associate of the Conflict Clinic, Inc. (1987-91, affiliated with GMU), he has extensive experience in research and analysis, conflict intervention, mediation and conciliation of public issues, designing conflict-resolving processes and systems, and providing training in conflict resolution to policymakers, public and private officials and citizen leaders. -
Dale Nirvani Pfeifer
Founder/CEO
Goodworld
Founder/CEO of GoodWorld, the tech company fueling generosity on social media through instant payments with a hashtag: #donate.
Extensive experience in social media campaigns, fundraising, communications, leadership research and program management at the highest level of the foundation and non-profit industries. Worked extensively with organisations across the United States and New Zealand to help them understand their purpose and deliver cutting-edge programs and communications strategies.
Dale is changing the way we connect online. Her #donate software, developed to make giving easy on social media, is unleashing the next generation of generosity. Her goal is to support the evolution of the human experience with money by creating a generosity-based financial system. A native Kiwi, her company GoodWorld is based in Washington DC. -
Bri Riggio
Assistant Director of Fellowships and Career Advising
Pomana College
Bri has years of experience working in fellowship and career advising, international education and exchange, and experiential education and internship programming. Bri holds a BA in History from Claremont McKenna College and an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University. She has completed the National Career Development Association’s “Career Development Facilitator” 120-hour training program and earned the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) credential in August 2017. She acquired the NCDA’s Certified Career Services Professional (CCSP) credential in September 2017. Bri currently lives in Southern California and works at Pomona College as the Assistant Director of Fellowships and Career Advising where she is the sole fellowships advisor for nearly 1,600 undergraduate students. Prior to that, she served as the Career Counselor and Internship Program Coordinator for UC Riverside’s School of Public Policy, helping graduate and undergraduate students find meaningful internship experiences and preparing them for careers in the field of public policy. She also lived in Washington, DC for seven years where she worked at American University’s School of International Affairs, Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, and the Institute for International Education on the Fulbright Scholars Program.
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Russ Finkelstein
Co-Founder and Managing Director
Clearly Next
I’m the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Clearly Next, a career navigation platform that helps people build lifelong fulfilling careers.
I serve as Senior Advisor to Fund the People which increases philanthropic investment in talent development across the non-profit sector. I also work as a Coach and Advisor with the Roddenberry Foundation to aid progressive activists.
I was on the founding team of idealist.org and served to spearhead revenue generating programs and the nonprofit career related work.
I’ve served as an advisor on talent issues with EPIP, NOI, City Hall Fellows, ELiSS, the Schusterman Philanthropic Network and the Point Foundation. I have received fellowships from the New Organizing Institute, the Social Innovation Incubator, Selah and StartingBloc.
I currently serve on the board of YNPN and am an advisory board member for Veterans for Global Leadership and write articles for LinkedIn and Forbes.
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Monica Curca
Founder and Managing Director
Activate Labs
Monica Curca is a peacebuilder, communications specialist and facilitator, leveraging storytelling and capacity building to make a more just and peaceful world. She is the founder and managing director of Activate Labs, a strategy, storytelling and transformational leadership capacity building organization. Monica is a facilitator utilizing participatory processes and design thinking to support movements, organizations and grassroots communities as they collectively work to shift policy, narrative and culture towards justice. She holds two Masters Degrees from the Heller School for Social Policy in Management at Brandeis University, in Sustainable International Development and Conflict and Coexistence and lives in Southern California with her partner and two curious and creative children.
