​Zach Beecher – USA, Chief Strategy Officer of C5 Accelerate

Zach Beecher is the chief strategy officer of C5 Accelerate, the early stage venture arm and startup accelerator of the global technology investment firm C5. He also serves as a civil affairs officer in the US Army Reserves. Previously, Zach was director of C5 Philanthropy, where he developed veterans training, counter corruption and counter trafficking programs designed to use tech as a tool for good. Before the private sector, Zach served with the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army. A recipient of the Bronze Star, Zach deployed as the lead advisor for logistics in support of combat operations in Mosul, Iraq. He holds master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge and King’s College London as a Rotary Foundation Fellow studying strategy in both a foreign and domestic policy context. Zach graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public policy focusing on national security from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

​Sheila Carina – Indonesia, Analyst at Microsave Consulting

Sheila Carina is an analyst at Microsave Consulting, a sustainability consultant for Anwar Muhammad Foundation and board director at the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) in Indonesia. She is currently involved in the financial inclusion project, training of sustainability reporting for small medium enterprises in Indonesia and promoting quality engagement in Indonesia for the implementation of Agenda 2030. Previously, she worked as a training coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals for UCLG ASPAC and as an advisor for the inter-parliamentary cooperation at the Indonesian House of Representatives. In her 4.5 years of working experience, she has been involved in mainstreaming sustainable development goals and the promotion of sustainable thinking both at the local and national level. Sheila has also conducted environmental and social due diligence for small and large-scale businesses in Indonesia. She is a part of the Managing Global Governance (MGG) Alumni Network of the German Development Institute, where she had created a comic policy brief about the future climate cooperation with her team. Sheila holds a master’s degree in sustainability with a focus on business, environment and corporate responsibility from the University of Leeds and a bachelor’s degree in international business management from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

​Vivien Croes – France, Project Manager at Airbus

Vivien Croes is a project manager at Airbus Defence and Space in Paris and a reserve officer in the French Navy. At Airbus, Vivien leads several space electronics projects, managing the end-to-end product lifespan from bid management to development and production. Vivien also leads several improvement and deployment projects at Airbus, managing change in a mutating space sector. Vivien received a doctorate in plasma physics focusing on Safran aircraft engines, which ledto several publications in peer-reviewed journals. Vivien holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Collège des Ingénieurs in Paris and a master’s of science degree from the Ecole Polytechnique and the Technical University of Munich.

Tori Zheng Cui – China, Doctoral Candidate at Pennsylvania State University

Tori Zheng Cui is a doctoral student and research assistant with Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests focus on the influence of mass media on perceptions of scientific issues, with climate change as one of the specific topics. Prior to academic research, Tori worked with the Guardian and Caixin Media in China with a focus on public issues related to the environment, science, public health, and climate change. In 2014, she was selected as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT and has won several national and international awards for her environmental reporting. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the Communication University of China and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the China University of Mining Technology.

​Varun Hallikeri – India, Financial Advisor and Vice President at Delphos International, Ltd.

Varun Hallikeri is a financial advisor in Washington, DC and currently vice president at Delphos International, Ltd. He advises private investors, governments and multilateral institutions on energy and infrastructure policy and investments in emerging markets, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Motivated by his desire to address climate change and aid economic development, Varun specializes in facilitating renewable energy investments including through public-private partnerships. He previously worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in Mumbai and as a legal advisor at Clifford Chance LLP in London. In his pro bono work, he has provided recommendations on legislative bills, assisted in legislative drafting, and testified before India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the National Law School of India University and a master’s degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

​Tomonobu Kumahira – Japan, Corporate Finance Director at Komaza

Tomonobu Kumahira serves as Corporate Finance Director at Komaza, a Kenya-based social enterprise running sustainable forestry programs for smallholder farmers in Africa. Tomonobu leads the concept development of the Smallholder Forestry Vehicle, the world's first financial instrument focused on smallholder forestry, which won the Climate Policy Initiative's Innovative Finance Award and launched Komaza's Corporate Finance team to accelerate sustainable forestry through finance. Formerly a private equity investment professional at Mitsubishi Corporation, Tomonobu has extensive experience in corporate finance, private equity and alternative asset fund development. Tomonobu also worked with Ashoka Social Financial Service, FAO and Cabinet Office of Japan to promote finance as a means to achieve socio-environmental impact. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brown University.

​Kathrin Ludwig – Germany, Project Manager at adelphi

Kathrin Ludwig is a project manager at adelphi, where she focuses in the areas of climate change adaptation, NDC implementation and global biodiversity governance. She develops tools and strategies for climate adaptation and the sustainable use of biodiversity. Prior to joining adelphi, Kathrin worked as an advisor for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Mexico, where she supported the Mexican Ministry of the Environment (SEMARNAT) in planning the implementation of national climate policy and the development of innovative digital tools for climate protection. In the Netherlands, she advised Dutch ministries on new approaches to international biodiversity policy for PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Kathrin Ludwig holds two master’s degrees in global environmental governance and social research from Vrije University Amsterdam. She is also certified in climate adaptation finance from Frankfurt School of Finance.

​Michelle Toxopeüs – South Africa, Legal Researcher at the Helen Suzman Foundation

Michelle Toxopeüs is a legal researcher at the Helen Suzman Foundation, a non-governmental organization that seeks to promote constitutional democracy in South Africa. She is involved in supporting the strategic direction of the Foundation’s public interest litigation through targeted research and policy analysis. Michelle is currently leading a research project on water management in South Africa, with a particular focus on the role of governance in managing climate-related impacts on water security. Before joining the Helen Suzman Foundation, Michelle served as a legal researcher to Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke and Acting Justice Cagney Musi of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. With an interest in environmental justice, she holds a master’s degree in environmental law and governance from the North West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Natalie Unterstell – Brazil, Director of Talanoa

Natalie Unterstell serves as director of Talanoa think tank and as a member of the Climate Finance for Latin America and Caribbean Group (GFLAC). Previously, Natalie worked as director of sustainable development fort the Presidency of Brazil, where she led the ambitious Brazil 2040 Climate Adaptation Program from 2013 to 2015, which aimed at climate-proofing critical sectors of the country's economy. Prior to that, she was the head of the climate and forests unit at the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and served as Brazil’s lead negotiator at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is also a member of Agora!, RAPS and RenovaBR, civic movements dedicated to thought leadership and enhancement of democracy in Brazil. She is a frequent writer, media commentator and speaker. Natalie has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV).

Thomas Hale – Associate Professor, University of Oxford

Thomas Hale is Associate Professor of Global Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. His research explores how we can manage transnational problems effectively and fairly. He seeks to explain how political institutions evolve--or not--to face the challenges raised by globalization and interdependence, with a particular emphasis on environmental and economic issues. He holds a PhD in Politics from Princeton University, a masters degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics, and an AB in public policy from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. A US national, Hale has studied and worked in Argentina, China, and Europe. His books include Beyond Gridlock (Polity 2017), Between Interests and Law: The Politics of Transnational Commercial Disputes (Cambridge 2015), Transnational Climate Change Governance (Cambridge 2014), and Gridlock: Why Global Cooperation Is Failing when We Need It Most (Polity 2013). Thomas Hale is a GGF 2020 alum.

Marie Baléo – France, Head of Studies and Publications at La Fabrique de la Cité

Marie Baléo is the head of studies and publications at La Fabrique de la Cité, a Paris-based think tank covering urban innovations that was founded by the VINCI Group. She oversees the editorial process for the think tank’s publications and has conducted several research projects on current urban issues, most recently on large infrastructure projects and democracy. Prior to joining La Fabrique de la Cité in 2016, Marie worked as a strategy and management consultant and was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Nótt Magazine, an online publication running longform commentary on international affairs, politics, society, and security. She currently serves as a contributing writer and editor for the European geopolitics review Le Grand Continent and as an editor for the American literary anthology Panorama Journal. In addition to her professional work, Marie is a writer of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Her writing has appeared in over 30 literary journals in North America and the United Kingdom, and she was nominated for a Best of the Net Award on four occasions. Marie grew up in Norway and Lebanon and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Sciences Po in Paris, bachelor’s degree in international & area studies from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master’s degree in business law from Sciences Po.

André Duchiade – Brazil, Journalist at O Globo

André Duchiade is a journalist at O Globo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he mainly covers Brazilian foreign policy, Latin America and international affairs. Most recently, André reported on the uprisings in Chile and the elections in Argentina. Previous to O Globo, André worked for Jornal do Braziland for the magazine of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. His work has appeared in the Intercept, the Scientific American, the Guardian, and Agência Pública de Jornalismo Investigativo, among others. He has been a fellow at the Earth Journalism Network and at the European Academy in Berlin. He holds a master’s degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Nurma Fitrianingrum – Indonesia, Policy Analyst at the Universitas Gadjah Mada

Nurma Fitrianingrum is a researcher and policy analyst in the Department of Public Policy and Management at the Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. There, she started the podcast series “Policy Talk” as a new approach to discuss the latest public policy issues to wider audiences outside of academia. Previously, Nurma worked as a researcher at the Institute for Research, where she focused on village development and women empowerment issue in various regions across Indonesia. She holds a master’s degree in public policy with a specialization in media and communications from Central European University, where she worked as a student researcher at the Center for Media Data and Society.

​Andrew Gruen – USA, Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Facebook

Andrew Gruen is a manager of strategic initiatives for Facebook's Election Research Commission project and an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, where he is working on how to make private data available for public benefit. As a part of the Election Research Commission team at Facebook, Andrew focuses on providing data to independent academic researchers to study the impact of social media on democracy and elections in a way that preserves the privacy of individual users.Previously, Andrew was a visiting research fellow at the Shorenstein Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He also served as chief communications officer for Seven Bridges, a firm that develops tools to analyze genomic sequencing data at population scale. He led the company’s participation in the White House’s Cancer Moonshot program, with a particular focus on creating more accurate and less invasive genomics-based cancer diagnostics. As a Luce Scholar, Andrew worked in South Korea for the world’s largest citizen journalism organization, OhmyNews. Andrew has also worked with many research universities and media companies, including the Media Management Center at Northwestern University, Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California, the BBC, Hearst Television, CNET, and The Texas Tribune. He holds both a PhD and a master's of philosophy degree in sociology from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Cambridge scholar, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University. Andrew is a senior advisor to Digitalis Commons and an active alumnus of the Gates Cambridge and Henry Luce Foundation fellowships.

​Mamiko Hermann – Japan, Independent Public Relations Consultant

Mamiko Hermann (Tominaga) is an independent public relations consultant in Berlin. She advises Japanese clients on overseas PR campaigns and international clients on outreach to Japan. Previously, she worked with public sector clients such as the Prime Minister’s Office of Japan and other government ministries as a senior consultant with leading Japanese PR company Dentsu Public Relations Inc. in Tokyo. Prior to that, she served as a public officer at Tokyo Metropolitan Government, where she led on city diplomacy and tourism policies for 8 years, including three years in the Cabinet Office of the Governor of Tokyo. Having grown up in Africa, Europe and Japan, she aspires to be a cross-cultural bridge-builder empowering various cultures to more closely collaborate on shared policy challenges. Mamiko holds a master’s degree in public policy from Chuo University, a bachelor’s degree from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and has been certified as a public relations planner by the Public Relations Society of Japan.

Dev Lewis – India, Program Lead at Digital Asia Hub

Dev Lewis is a fellow and program lead at Digital Asia Hub and a Yenching scholar at Peking University in Beijing. His research interests lie at the intersection of technology, politics, and policy, and he is presently conducting research on the social credit system in China. Dev is the author of the China India Networked newsletter and writes for a number of publications as well as speaking at regional forums. He previously worked at Gateway House, where he led the Mumbai-based think tank’s digital media channels, and at Infosys, where he worked in marketing for the Greater China region. Dev holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations degree from Roger Williams University in the US and language certificates from East China Normal University and Zhengzhou University in China.

​Sarah Richmond – South Africa, Lecturer at Sapporo International University

Sarah Richmond is a lecturer at Sapporo International University in Hokkaido, Japan, where she designs and implements media-centered curricula that fosters intercultural communication and critical thinking in students from all over Asia. Previously, she lectured at Hokkaido Bunkyo University in Japan, where she taught international relations while simultaneously pursuing research on media bias and critical media literacy. During her 12 years working in Japanese education system, she has made presentations and lead workshops at various national conferences, including at the Association for Teaching English Through Media (ATEM), on the power a media-literate classroom has in combatting issues like implicit bias and stereotyping She holds an honours degree in international relations with a research focus on the role of the media in the Rwandan genocide, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in critical diversity studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Natalie Schnelle – Germany, Senior Strategic Consultant at SAP

Natalie Schnelle is a senior strategic consultant at SAP, Europe’s largest software company, where she manages SAP’s engagements in public-private settings, such as the Plattform Industrie 4.0, with the goal of spurring the digital transformation of the German industry. In addition, Natalie is an expert on SAP’s big data product portfolio, helping organizations to become more data-driven. Prior to her transition to the tech sector, Natalie was as a political and economic specialist at the US Consulate in Hamburg, where she advised US diplomats on the implementation of foreign policy goals. Other previous positions include her roles as a trainee speechwriter in the Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament and as a political risk analyst at Maplecroft. She started her career as a foreign policy intern at the Clinton Foundation. Natalie holds a master’s degree in global governance and diplomacy from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in integrated social sciences from Jacobs University Bremen.

Sophia Qian Xu – China, Director, BuzzDecoder

Sophia Qian Xu is a director at the social media consulting firm BuzzDecoder in Hong Kong, where she consults for leading global newsrooms, digital platforms, universities, NGOs, and media conferences through trainings to introduce tools, services and concepts in tackling mis/disinformation online. Formerly, she worked as a journalist and editor at the social intelligence agency Storyful, where she grew to become an expert in content management and verification in both Chinese and English social media. She has published thought leadership articles in Global Investigative Journalism Network and First Draft News, and worked on documentaries for the Journalism and Media Studies Center at Hong Kong University and Phoenix Television Hong Kong. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong.

Bingchun Meng – Associate Professor and Deputy Head, Department for Media and Communications, London School of Economics

Bingchun Meng is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Department in the Department for Media and Communications at London School of Economics and Political Science. She is also directing the LSE-Fudan Dual Degree MSc Programme in Global Media and Communications. Her research interests include gender and the media, political economy of media industries, communication governance, and comparative media studies. She has published widely on these topic areas on leading international journals. Her book The Politics of Chinese Media: Consensus and Contestation was published by Palgrave in early 2018. She has a BA in Chinese Language and Literature and an MA in Comparative Literature from Nanjing University, China. She obtained her PhD in Mass Communication from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. Before joining the LSE, she was a post-doc fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, where she also taught classes on Chinese media and digital industries.

​Marc-Antoine Authier – France, Political Adviser in the French Senate

Marc-Antoine Authier is a political adviser in the French Senate, where he serves as a technical advisor in charge of financial issues in “Les Indépendants” and a parliamentary attaché to a vice president of the Finance Committee. Previously, he drove political communication and institutional partnerships at METI, a lobbying firm for French mid-cap companies. He had already worked on influencing public debate as a policy officer concerning sustainable development and labor market issues at the Institut Montaigne, a French think tank dedicated to promoting innovative and efficient public policies. In addition to his policy work, Marc-Antoine works as an author producing book reviews and creative writing. He previously translated the book Basic Income. A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economyfrom English to French. He holds a master’s degree in management, with a concentration in social entrepreneurship, from the French Business School ESSEC.

Jessica Berlin – Germany, Founder and Director of CoStruct

Jessica Berlin is a security and foreign policy expert turned sustainable business and development innovator. As founder and managing director of CoStruct, she helps public, private, and nonprofit organizations tackle global challenges with sustainable, scalable solutions, designing innovative PPP, CSR, and economic development programs that drive both business and impact. Her work is grounded in 12+ years of cross-cutting experience in policy, development, entrepreneurship, and tech innovation in Africa, Asia, Europe, MENA, and the US. Jessica also serves on the Board of Directors of Orobo, an international fintech company based in Nairobi. She is a frequent keynote speaker at business, policy, and sustainability events around the world. Her TEDx talk on civic and policy innovation has been highly praised. She holds a master’s degree in political economy of emerging markets from King's College London and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tufts University. Jessica speaks five languages.

Tessa Dooms – South Africa, Director of Jasoro Consulting

Tessa Dooms is the director of Jasoro Consulting, a newly established development consultancy that provides organizations with services on policy, programming and organizational strategies toward the development of Africa. Jasoro provides policy analysis, program development, facilitation and training, and development communications services across sectors nationally and internationally. Tessa has 15 years of experience as a development worker, trainer and researcher with expertise on governance, youth development and innovation. In 2015, Tessa was appointed to the National Planning Commission to advise the South African President on the implementation of the National Development Plan of South Africa. She has successfully led the policy think tank Youth Lab and has lectured at three South African universities. She also serves on the board of the Kagiso Trust. Tessa holds a master’s degree in sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.

​Rithika Nair – India, Social Development Professional

Rithika Nair is a social development professional with extensive experience in analyzing human behavioral change. She has lived and worked in India’s rural heartlands to evaluate the impact of government-run public policy programs in the health, education and livelihood sectors. Previously, she was working with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab on providing evidence-based policy recommendations to the Indian government. Her projects included implementing measures to curb anemia among women and adolescent girls, evaluating the impact of the ‘graduation model’ among ultra-poor households, and scaling up training for informal healthcare providers. She has also worked as a consultant with UNICEF to monitor data collection of under-5 malnourishment and maternal and infant mortality. Rithika holds a master’s degree in international relations from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, where she wrote her thesis on the reintegration and rehabilitation of children involved in and affected by conflict.

Kazuhiro Nomoto – Japan, Junior Professional Officer at OECD

Kazuhiro Nomoto is a junior professional officer at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, where he conducts policy analysis in the realm of the blue economy including fisheries support policy. Previously, Kazuhiro was a deputy director at the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), a Japanese government-owned development financial institution (DFI) in Tokyo, where he engaged in infrastructure development for emerging countries in cooperation with other DFIs and multilateral development banks. While working in the Professional Regulation Commission as the JBIC representative, Kazuhiro published a number of articles regarding the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolian political economy in the Nikkei Industrial Journal, and his opinions appeared in both Chinese and Japanese media. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Cambridge.

Felipe Oriá – Brazil, Co-founder of Movimento Acredito

Felipe Oriá is a co-founder of Movimento Acredito. He was the director of the School of Innovation and Public Policy at the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation of Brazil's Ministry of Education and a professor and researcher at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, where he coordinated the Public Policy Laboratory (LABFGV) with a focus on public sector innovation. He holds a master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and graduated as a political scientist from the Federal University of Pernambuco. He accumulates experiences at various levels of government, including institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank's Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative, the Organization of American States and the Brazilian Senate and Secretariat for Strategic Affairs of the Brazilian Presidency. Felipe Oriá has recently taken the position of senior public policy associate at Uber, overseeing regulatory matters in Brazil's federal government.

Agung Pamungkas – Indonesia, Public Policy and Government Relations Lead at Tokopedia

Agung Pamungkas works as public policy and government relations lead at Tokopedia, an Indonesian technology company and the largest online marketplace in the country. He supports design and implementation strategies regarding the firm’s approach towards governmental policy and strengthen strategic cooperation and synergy with relevant government bodies. Before Tokopedia, he worked as an officer in charge of education, youth and sports at the ASEAN Secretariat. He assisted ASEAN senior officials and partner organizations in the development of regional projects across Southeast Asia as well as in the conduct of high-level and special meetings in education and sports. His prior work experiences include senior policy officer at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta and project officer of an EU-funded project on the harmonization of higher education in ASEAN. Agung is an Open Society scholar as well as an ASEAN-India Leaders fellow. In 2010, Agung was among Indonesian youth representatives for the G20 Youth Summit in Toronto, Canada. He holds a master’s degree in international social policy from the University of Nottingham.

​Liz Schuelke – USA, German Chancellor Fellow

Liz Schuelke is a German Chancellor Fellow, where she researches barriers to women in leadership by drawing on qualitative interviews with leaders across Germany and the US to develop solutions for increasing representation of women in top positions. From the Obama Presidential Campaign to serving at the US Department of State as a Global Intergovernmental Liaison, Liz’s career pulls on over a decade of experience at the nexus of politics and policy. She is passionate about ending the wage gap, elevating women in leadership and reducing economic inequality. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Keren Zhu – China, Doctoral Candidate at Pardee RAND Graduate School

Keren Zhu is a doctoral candidate in public policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant researcher at RAND Corporation. At RAND, she focuses on China-related research and the developmental impact of the Belt and Road Initiative. Before joining RAND, Keren worked for the Research Development International at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on international cooperation and research related to the countries along the Belt and Road. She has also worked for the International Labor Organization on public-private partnerships. In her spare time, Keren is a freelance writer and has contributed to the South China Morning Post, Sanlian and Caixin Media. She has translated the book Bushido: Soul of Japan. Keren holds a master’s degree in social anthropology from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in English from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Andrea Binder – Research Fellow, Free University Berlin

Andrea Binder is a non-resident fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) and a research fellow in international political economy with the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science at Free University Berlin. She is also a member of the Politics of Money research network, which is funded by the DFG (German research community). From 2011 to 2014, Andrea served as a GPPi associate director, co-heading the institute’s work on humanitarian action and innovation in development. Andrea is interested in understanding the causes and consequences of global inequalities. Her research focuses on global finance and humanitarian politics. Andrea holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she studied as a Gates Cambridge Scholar at the Department of Politics and International Studies. She was also a visiting scholar at the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica (CIDE) in Mexico and the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) in Brazil.