Resilience | Complexity | Wayfinder

Siad is a leading innovator for climate action in fragile and crisis-affected settings. He has co-designed policy and programming frameworks for Oxfam, WWF, and the International Rescue Committee, and advised private sector clients including PwC and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Siad has consulted with UN agencies, the European External Action Service, and the British Foreign Office to integrate gender, conflict sensitivity, and resilience into climate strategies. A Research Associate at the University of Melbourne, he has also taught and conducted research at the University of Wollongong and Deakin University. Siad holds a PhD in Anthropology from Rutgers University, focused on environmental governance, and a MA in the Anthropology of Social Transformation from the University of Sussex.

Food Systems | Cities | Foreteller

Azra is an environmental engineer and climate-security strategist with seven years’ experience in fragile and conflict-affected settings. As Climate Innovation, Research & Advocacy Manager at the Airbel Impact Lab of the International Rescue Committee, she leads adaptation efforts in 14 high-vulnerability countries, focusing on agriculture, seed system resilience, and disaster risk reduction. She has authored climate policy publications for the UNFCCC and the New York City Panel on Climate Change, and has worked with Mercy Corps, the Stimson Center, and the Economist Impact Unit. Azra holds an MSc in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Tufts University and an MPhil in Public Policy from The New School, where she is completing her PhD.

Climate Finance | Decarbonization | Innovator

Seth is a climate and energy policy specialist with over 15 years of experience advancing just and sustainable energy transitions. His work spans clean energy strategy, industrial decarbonization, climate finance innovation, and investment risk mitigation. He has contributed to high-level platforms such as EnergyNet UK, the Powering Africa Summit, and the West Africa Regional Energy Cooperation Summit, and currently serves as a fellow at both the Climate Policy Lab and the International Perspectives for Policy & Governance (IPPG) think tank. Seth is completing his PhD at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, where his research focuses on climate finance and renewable energy investment risk. He also holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, with a focus on environmental policy, from The Fletcher School.

Conservation | MEL | Learning Specialist

Amanda is a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practitioner with deep expertise at the intersection of environment, climate, conflict, and peace. Her thematic focus includes environmental peacebuilding, climate security, nature-based solutions, and conflict-sensitive natural resource management. She is co-author of the recently published Toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation of Environmental Peacebuilding and has advised organisations including the International Organization for Migration, the Global Environment Facility, and the World Bank on integrating robust MEL practice into interventions linking environmental and conflict objectives. She champions accessible, participatory MEL approaches that empower stakeholders and strengthen local ownership.

Diana is an ecologist with over a decade of experience supporting Indigenous-led approaches to land stewardship and climate justice. Her work bridges ecology and Indigenous governance, with field experience across Latin America, Australia, and the United States. She has led community-based conservation programs with Futuro Sostenible NGO, conducted applied research with the Government of South Australia and University College London, and has served as a Program Manager at CDA Collaborative Learning Projects, where she co-developed tools integrating biodiversity, Indigenous rights, and conflict sensitivity. Diana holds a Master’s in International Development Policy from Duke University, and a Bachelor’s in Ecology from the Agraria National University in Peru.

Energy Transition | Modelling | Data Wizard

Zhen is a PhD student in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where his research focuses on the global energy transition and the political economy of critical minerals. He brings hands-on experience in the solar sector, having helped develop solar energy projects in Ghana and supported SUNDA Solar’s entry into the Italian market through market data analysis and business negotiations. Zhen holds an MS in Global Affairs from NYU, where he specialized in data analytics, and a BA in English from Nantong University.