Throughout her career, Alana has joined forces with a multidisciplinary consortium of researchers, activists, practitioners, and artists around the world to promote gender justice and social inclusion.  She is deeply committed to bridging the gap between research and implementation …and harnessing the power of art to transform dominant cultural narratives and dismantle systems of inequality.  More than fifteen years of work at the intersection of public health, gender transformative approaches, and sexual and reproductive health and rights has evolved into a dynamic vision of how to shift power and resources to create an enabling environment that facilitates systemic change and progress for [women and girls].  Alana has a significant track record of leading/collaborating with multi-cultural teams and she speaks Spanish and Portuguese.  Alana has an MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Chelsea L. Ricker is a lifelong sexual and reproductive rights activist dedicated to amplifying the voices of women, young people, LGBTQIA+ groups, and local communities. After an early start as a peer educator and advocate for comprehensive sexuality education in her hometown, Chelsea has spent over 20 years developing her expertise in access to and quality of sexual and reproductive health services, comprehensive sexuality education, sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response, and international human rights structures. Her work focuses on access to and use of human rights and individual agency at the intersections of social and reproductive justice movements. In addition to her advocacy, Chelsea has designed games, training, assessment, and learning tools and strategies for large scale non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, funders, and local movements. She uses a critical feminist approach to develop participatory learning experiences, centered in values clarification, reflection, and dialogue, that are accessible to learners of diverse backgrounds and abilities. She has a BA in Religion and Human Rights from Columbia University in New York and an MA in Education, Health Promotion, and International Development from the Institute of Education of the University of London. When she's not working, you can find Chelsea volunteering at the costume shop for the Washington National Opera, serving on the Board of Directors for HIPS, a harm reduction and community advocacy organization in Washington DC, hanging out with her cats, or pursuing her newest hobby, interior design.

Bilingual in English and French, Joseph Sewedo Akoro is the founder and Principal Consultant at JSA Consulting - International. He is very interested in organizational development, research including baseline study, needs assessment, and program impact evaluation, and has technical knowledge in the areas of gender, human rights (incl. LGBTQI rights), health (HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health), and philanthropy. He has work experience, of almost 20 years, in civil society organizing and supporting international NGOs and multilateral agencies such as the UN and World Bank, in inclusive development programming. Joseph has a BSC degree in International Relations and a MA degree in Global Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.

Dr. Madhumita Das - Working in the space of gender, sexuality, and feminism, supporting organizations and donors in firming their program strategies and/or evaluating their programs/portfolios for more than 23 years. She is passionate about working with adolescent girls and young women around sexuality, gender and rights, and feminist leadership. For the last 20 years, she has been associated with civil society organizations, networks and the feminist movement. Much of her work in the last decade focused on programs that dismantle gender-biased structures and systems and address sexual and reproductive rights and gender based violence using both grass-roots and macro change processes. With deep and diverse experience supporting evaluation and learning within the context of program design, community organizing, philanthropic consulting, and change work, her approaches to work in program, evaluation and learning are shaped by her passion towards issues, activism and professional experiences.

Bilingual in Portuguese and english. Unaiti is human rights activist and gender justice activist. She has 20 years of experience dedicating herself to support processes trough strengthening CSO/CBO and Governments capacity to address gender issues, research, lobby and advocacy to influence policy changes, program impact evaluation on issues such as gender, women economic and political empowerment, gender based violence health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly of women and youth, human rights with a focus on marginalized/excluded groups. More recently she also engaged in working around sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the work field. Unaiti has a post - graduation in human rights and a MA degree in Development Studies with specialization on gender and women

Ipsita is an intersectional feminist researcher and visual storyteller from New Delhi, India. Throughout her career, she has embraced creative methodologies to social movements. Her extensive experience as a storyteller encompasses over three years, during which she has collaborated with activists across the globe. As a young woman of color, her role as an artivist has empowered her, enabling her to translate her own experiences and viewpoints into a medium that resonates deeply with those who face similar challenges. Ipsita's journey as an intersectional feminist is multifaceted, marked by a variety of roles and passions. She works as a communications specialist, illustrator, and participatory research facilitator, constantly seeking innovative approaches to challenge colonial and heteronormative practices.

Ayesha is a gender justice activist and expert with over ten years of experience in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), climate justice, Gender Based Violence, and technology for gender equality. Her expertise lies in designing and evaluating community based interventions, qualitative research, and designing transformative tools using feminist principles to address gender inequalities. She has worked with a diverse range of stakeholders including the government, INGOs, the private sector, and grassroots organizations. Ayesha is also the Founder and CEO of Baithak - Challenging Taboos, a feminist, women-led, grassroots organization that works for gender justice in Pakistan. She is a Fulbright Scholar with MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a diploma from the Swedish Institute. She is also a member of UN Women's 30 for 2030; a network of most eminent young thought leaders and activists from across Asia and Pacific who serve an advisory role to UNWomen.

Yordanos is a dedicated advocate with a deep commitment to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, boasting extensive experience in areas such as Youth Engagement, Advocacy, Peace and Security, and the implementation of a Gender Transformative Approach. Her professional journey, spanning over ten years, includes significant roles in both local and international development organizations, as well as various consultancies. Her work primarily focused on programs in Ethiopia, across East Africa, and international programs, aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of adolescents and young people. Raised in regions targeted by HIV Programs, Yordanos has been a fervent advocate, working closely with marginalized groups. This includes Adolescent Girls and Young Women in rural areas, young individuals with disabilities, adolescents in urban slums, sex workers, and survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). In her collaborative efforts, she has engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders, including donors, local and international civil societies, multilaterals, and government bodies at federal, regional, and sub-city levels, in order to create the ever so needed enabling environment in their respective communities. In her notable contributions, Yordanos has co-authored the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health's Adolescent and Youth Engagement Strategy for 2018-2024. Additionally, she had a commentary published in BMC Reproductive Health Journal analyzing the existing gaps of Adolescent and Youth SRH needs in Ethiopia in 2022.

Aïcha is a gender advocate and independent researcher who has worked all over the West African region for the past several years. She collaborated as a consultant with multiple organisations both at the international and regional levels in the gender equality and human rights space. Those organisations include UNICEF, UNFPA, Girls Not Brides, UN Women, World Food Programme, PANOS Institute, Amnesty International, Solthis and Save the Children. Aïcha holds a Masters Degree in International Development from Birkbeck, University of London. Her research interests focus on human rights in general and particularly gender, child protection and social policies. Her most recent publications discuss the social norms around child marriage but also policy implementation and budgeting around child protection, gender and education policies in West Africa. Aïcha has also led extensive work on budget analysis and advocacy to end child marriage and promote girls' education in West and Central Africa, advocating for the need for stronger policy ownership through domestic resource mobilisation. Since 2019, Aïcha has been teaching to undergrad students the Political Economy of International Development with a focus on Africa. She teaches at the Madiba Institute of Political Sciences of ISM and for the University of Minnesota Development Studies Program (West African Research Center) in Dakar, Senegal. Aïcha is also an activist advocating to end violence against women in Senegal and is bilingual in French and English.

SM Shaikat is a seasoned consultant with over 10 years of experience in research and program design, focusing on gender equality and social inclusion, child marriage prevention, youth and adolescent capacity development, and strategic communication. He specializes in generating evidence-based insights to inform policies and programs. Passionate about gender equality, Shaikat advocates for empowerment and inclusivity. He is also dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), designing impactful programs, and advocating for informed decision-making.

Nii Lantey has over 15+ years of experience in project research management and design that has led to the implementation of HIV/AIDS and other public health and biotechnology projects in Africa and the United States. His expertise includes human and community development, research, training, and strategic planning of non-governmental organizations, government institutions, and faith-based and community-based organizations' activities within U.S. government-funded programming. In 2016, Nii Lantey served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi as an NGO Advisor for the PEPFAR DREAMS initiative. Apart from working closely with the USAID PEPFAR Team and other stakeholders to develop a framework for improved NGO coordination and efficiency, his leadership ensured a successful implementation of the Girl Roster™ to identify the project’s beneficiaries. He led the implementation of the Gilead-funded BUGEP Project in Eastern Uganda which sought to reduce the incidence of HIV among adolescent girls and young women. Nii Lantey has authored several articles and research papers and participated in numerous sustainable development conferences and workshops across East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. His role as a consultant at Collective Impact enables him to bring to bear his vast experience in health research and international development, and a proven track record of successfully leading and training teams engaged with diverse multilateral organizations and government institutions. Nii Lantey holds an MPA from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY.