Marshall Memorial Fellowship 2026 Cohort Announcement

Tamara Bajčić is the CEO of Demostat, a public opinion research and policy analysis center based in Belgrade, Serbia. In this role, she leads projects focused on media literacy, democratic resilience, and countering disinformation in the Western Balkans. She has designed and coordinated initiatives focusing on empowering youth and promoting transatlantic values through civic education and public dialogue. Funders of these programs included NATO, the US Embassy in Serbia, and the US Department of State.

Bajčić has also served as office manager for the Balkans Journalist Exchange program (2022–2023), where she facilitated cross-border collaboration among investigative journalists and analysts. She also worked as a legal associate specializing in data protection and media law, and she has over seven years of experience as a media analyst, journalist, and editor. 

Bajčić is an alumna of the 2023 International Visitor Leadership Program and the 2025 McCain Global Leaders Program. She was recognized by the International News Media Association as one of the 30 Under 30 global media professionals for her leadership and innovation in the media sector. 

Bajčić is a member of the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia. She speaks English, Spanish, and German, and understands Russian and Italian. 

Margherita Bianchi is head of the Energy, Climate, and Resources Research Program at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome, Italy. In this role, she leads multidisciplinary research on climate policy, energy transition and security, and resource management including critical raw materials. 

She has coordinated several high-profile research initiatives that bridge European and international climate governance, with particular attention to the clean technology dimension. Her work also focuses on the Mediterranean region, analyzing risks and opportunities for Italian and European foreign policy in the Southern Neighborhood. She is involved in a five-year research project aimed at contributing to a better understanding of complex crises at the food-climate-migration-security nexus. The project is led by IAI and the US-based Center for Climate and Security. 

Bianchi previously worked for Italy's 2017 G7 presidency and as an adviser at the European Parliament in Brussels. She holds master's degrees in European affairs from the Institut d'Études Européennes at Université Libre de Bruxelles and from LUISS University's School of Government in Rome. 

Marie-Louise Boisen Lendal is the CEO and founder of Think Tank Frej, a Danish non-profit organization that builds bridges and drives sustainable change across the entire food value chain. Under her leadership, Frej has become a key voice in Denmark’s green food transition, engaging youth, farmers, and the food industry and influencing political decision-making. 

Lendal serves on the Danish government’s Growth Team for Food, Agriculture, and Biosolutions, an advisory group developing the national strategies for these sectors.

She also chairs the board of Denmark’s national Plant-Based Food Grant, appointed by the prime minister to distribute DKK1 billion in public funding to support plant-based food innovation. She also serves on the board of Friland, one of the world’s largest organic meat producers.

Earlier, she was a member of the board of Ingleby Farms, a global regenerative agriculture company, and she advised Reitan Retail on sustainable strategy implementation across its €10 billion operations. Lendal has also served on national advisory panels including Plant2Food at Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Danish government’s climate partnership for agriculture.

Lendal holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Copenhagen and has studied communication and journalism at the Danish School of Media and Journalism. In 2024, she was selected for Krak’s Blue Book, Denmark’s reference for influential public figures. 

Francesco Cerasani is a political advisor in the European Parliament with over 20 years of professional experience focused on the EU’s foreign policy, institutional affairs, and democracy. 

Cerasani is also a member of the National Council within Partito Democratico, Italy’s main center-left party, and coordinator of its Forum on EU Policies, where he has overseen the department for Italians living abroad. He currently coordinates the party’s department on European policies. 

His core professional responsibility is to provide political insight and policy expertise to members of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the European Parliament’s second-largest political group. In this role, he drafts legislation and speeches, organizes conferences and international missions, and monitors geopolitical trends. 

Cerasani’s work focuses on advancing progressive proposals and analyzing key issues of global democracy and EU governance, with a consistent focus on citizens’ engagement. He is a frequent speaker at public events and political gatherings. 

Cerasani holds a PhD in contemporary European history from Rome Sapienza University, with a specific research focus on international relations during the Cold War. In addition to his native Italian, he is fluent in English, French, German, and Spanish. 

Joan Chase is chief operating officer of the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (Cuyahoga Land Bank), where she oversees day-to-day operations and leads the execution of the Land Bank’s strategic priorities across property acquisition, redevelopment, disposition, and neighborhood revitalization. In this role, she works closely with the president and CEO and leadership team to translate strategy into action, strengthen organizational performance, and ensure the Land Bank delivers measurable, community-centered impact across Cuyahoga County.

Prior to joining the Cuyahoga Land Bank, Chase served as vice president at the Fund for Our Economic Future, where she helped guide the organization’s strategic portfolio and led initiatives focused on job access, site readiness, and inclusive economic growth. As a seconded executive to Power Up Local, she advanced locally driven clean-energy development through cross-sector partnerships. Before that, she was senior mManager at Allegro Real Estate Brokers & Advisors, leading strategic advisory engagements for public, nonprofit, and corporate clients related to site selection, portfolio strategy, and redevelopment planning. Earlier, Chase held leadership roles at DigitalC, the Cleveland International Fund, and the Greater Cleveland Partnership, beginning her career in management consulting at Accenture.

Chase serves on the boards of the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund, the Positive Education Program, and Cleveland State University’s Euclid Avenue Development Corporation. She holds a master’s degree in urban studies with a concentration in economic development from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Case Western Reserve University. 

Andrei Covatariu is an international energy expert who focuses on the energy transition process and its geopolitical, economic, and social challenges. He has worked extensively across think tanks, academia, the energy industry, and international organizations, engaging with stakeholders across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. His analyses are frequently published and cited in international media.

Covatariu is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, working on energy security and geopolitics themes. He also serves as co-chair of the task force on “Digitalization in Energy” at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, contributing to intergovernmental efforts to advance clean energy and digital transformation. Additionally, he is Romania’s expert member of the Nuclear Development Committee at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency.

Covatariu is the director of energy and climate mitigation at the Climate and Water Initiative and is affiliated with the Middle East Institute in the United States. He serves as a senior research associate at the Energy Policy Group in Romania, and is a member of GLOBSEC's Energy Advisory Committee in Slovakia. He  is also an energy policy associate lecturer at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. In 2025, he was selected as a Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute’s School of Transnational Governance, where he is researching the evolving concept of energy security in the context of EU enlargement. 

Santiago de la Presilla is a communications specialist at Bloomberg LP, where he is part of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa External Relations team based in Brussels. As a public affairs expert, he handles Bloomberg’s communications strategy across European markets, with a focus on tech and innovation, news and media, and corporate philanthropy. In this role, he supports the company’s institutional engagement with European stakeholders and contributes to its strategic positioning on EU policy, regulatory issues, and artificial intelligence.

Prior to joining Bloomberg, he served as senior speechwriter and political officer at the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party. In that capacity, he drafted high-level speeches and political briefs for the party’s co-presidents and led the Democracy and Security Advisory Group, composed of policy experts from over 20 countries.

Previously, Presilla worked at the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament and held the role of communications advisor at the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland. He also worked as a journalist covering European defense and security for Visegrad Insight, including at the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw.

Presilla holds a master’s degree in European studies from KU Leuven and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Uniwersytet Civitas in Warsaw. 

Stasha Espinosa is deputy director for policy and advocacy at the Inatai Foundation, a philanthropy and political grantmaking organization that invests in community power and equitable policymaking. 

Espinosa has held executive roles advancing US socioeconomic policy across local, county, and state government, including the city of Seattle, King County, and Washington State. She previously served in staff leadership in both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate as one of the youngest and one of the few women of color to do so. Across these roles, Espinosa helped pass more than a dozen state and federal laws and secured more than $21 billion in funding for Washington communities. 

She was named Professional of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America and received Washington State’s Champion for Equity award. Her research interests include strengthening citizen diplomacy in shifting democracies, with a focus on credibility, public trust, and how institutions sustain economic cooperation during political disruption. 

Espinosa holds a master’s degree in communications, law, and policy from the University of Washington.  

Frantz Eyssallenne currently serves as a senior international trade specialist at the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth US Export Assistance Center. In this role, he has successfully led high-profile international trade missions, including the Aerospace and Defense Trade Mission to Poland and Romania in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He previously served as deputy global team director for both the Europe and Aerospace and Defense global teams and currently serves as acting director for the Global Design and Construction team, coordinating strategic critical mineral and mining initiatives worldwide.

Prior to his current role, Eyssallenne was a revenue officer with the Internal Revenue Service, responsible for resolving complex tax compliance issues for businesses and individuals. Earlier in his public service career, he served in the Economic Section of the US Embassy to the EU in Brussels, Belgium. His diverse background also includes experience in business development and sales, along with over a decade as a professional touring musician.

Eyssallenne holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA in international business and management from the University of South Florida. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in international relations at Harvard University, focusing on geopolitics and international business strategy. 

Kevin Fashola is the founder and principal of The Conscious Citizen Consulting, a consulting and digital media firm that blends strategic analysis with mindful approaches to policy. He served in the Pentagon as a political appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration, most recently as chief of staff and senior advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. He advised senior leaders on international security, strategic competition, and defense cooperation, and led engagements on posture, coalition building, and multilateral strategy across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Previously, Fashola worked in the US Congress as foreign policy advisor to Representative Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also served at the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission and the US Department of State, where he coordinated transatlantic policy on defense and supply chain resilience. As an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), he focused on democratic resilience and security threats.

Fashola is a fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Career Advancement Program, and has participated in leadership exchanges with the EU, Germany, and Taiwan.

Fashola holds master’s degrees from Columbia University and the Hertie School, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Riverside. 

Jordan Ghawi is chief strategy officer at the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, where he guides the region’s emergency healthcare system. In this role, he oversaw the creation of Texas’ Infectious Disease Response Unit and played a pivotal role in the state’s COVID-19 response. Previously, he served as division chief of operations for a local fire and EMS agency.

Ghawi serves on the board of the San Antonio Housing Trust and is a director at the Texas Lyceum. He also helped launch the Center for Health Equity for South Texas. He co-chaired San Antonio’s Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing task force and has served on numerous other boards and commissions.

Ghawi was part of Leadership San Antonio’s tricentennial class. He was named “Man of the Year” by the San Antonio Business Journal in 2022 and recognized on the Texas 100 List of Influential Texans in 2023. Recently, he was selected for Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program.

He remains active as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in Bexar County. Ghawi holds a bachelor’s degree in emergency health sciences, along with master’s degrees in public administration and business administration. 

S. Mayumi “Umi” Grigsby is founder of Grigsby Strategic Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in policy development, strategic research, project management, and communications. She also serves at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, leading reform and legislative efforts focused on justice, equity, and public safety.  

Previously, she was chief of policy for the City of Chicago, advancing transformative ordinances and expanding mental health services. With over 20 years of experience, Grigsby has led initiatives in local government, philanthropy, and international development. As a consultant for Borealis Philanthropy’s Racial Equity in Journalism Fund and a former chair of the Cook County Human Rights Commission, she has shaped policy promoting equity and civic engagement. In Liberia, she worked on the International Colloquium for Women’s Development, Peace and Security, cochaired by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tarja Halonen, and supported UN Development Program poverty reduction projects in Côte D’Ivoire as a development diplomat. She also led pandemic response efforts, advised on democratic reform, and created training programs for women and girls.  

Grigsby holds a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law focused on international law and human rights, and a bachelor’s degree in French and government from Georgetown University, including study in Senegal. Fluent in French, she is the author of “EmpowHERed Health” and several articles on health equity. She serves on boards including Planned Parenthood of Illinois and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association, and she is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and a Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leader. 

Jonathan Ilicki serves as an investment professional at Industrifonden, where he leads investments in life science companies. Industrifonden is a Swedish venture capital fund, focused on investing in groundbreaking technologies with transformative social impact. 

Trained as a medical doctor at the Karolinska University Hospital, Ilicki has experience spanning clinical practice, research, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. His early work in emergency medicine and as a medical technology company co-founder showed him the power of science to improve healthcare. He has since built extensive experience in supporting life companies in the sector, driven by a fundamental belief in the importance of using science and technology to improve healthcare at scale. 

Jonathan holds an MD from the Karolinska Institutet and a master’s degree and executive MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics. Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in Evidence-Basing from the University of Gothenburg and was appointed as a clinical innovation fellow at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. In 2024, Jonathan was selected as a Europe Leader by the Obama Foundation. 

Max Jacobs is a senior policy advisor at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, where he is currently responsible for international cooperation in the security and defence industry.

Previously, Jacobs was a policy officer at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, where he was responsible for cybersecurity in the energy sector. In this role, he led strategic initiatives to strengthen the resilience of critical energy infrastructure and has built international partnerships to enhance cybersecurity coordination. He co-founded the Alliance for Cybersecurity in the Energy Sector , a transnational cooperation platform involving Germany, the United States, Israel and more allied partners. 

Jacobs also represented Germany in high-level international forums, including the G7 Working Group on Cybersecurity for Energy Infrastructure, the EU Electricity Coordination Group, and  Pentalateral Energy Forum, an initiative connecting Germany and the Benelux countries on critical infrastructure protection.

Jacobs holds a doctorate in law from the University of Saarland, a master’s degree in law and finance from the University of Oxford, and a master’s degree in international law from Université de Lille. He was also a Fulbright Scholar and Weatherhead Fellow at Harvard University, focusing on political economy, policy analysis, and governance.  

Eleftherios Karabatsakis is the co-founder and CEO of PlugSecure, a cybersecurity platform protecting electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The company supports charge point operators, original equipment manufacturers, and mobility providers in identifying vulnerabilities, preventing fraud, and ensuring operational resilience across charging protocols and backend systems. Under his leadership, PlugSecure secured funding from institutional investors and has been adopted by leading European operators.

Prior to PlugSecure, Karabatsakis co-founded Carge, a smart charging platform for electric vehicles that scaled across eight countries and was later acquired by PPC Group, the largest energy provider in southeastern Europe. Following this exit, he became an angel investor and early-stage advisor in several technology startups.

Karabatsakis studied industrial management and technology at the University of Piraeus and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania as part of the Erasmus program. He has completed a mini-MBA at the University of Chicago through the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative fellowship and recently finished an executive leadership program on artificial intelligence at London Business School. He is based in Athens, Greece. 

Derek Kitchen is a strategic advisor and a former presidential appointee in the Biden administration, where he served as director of intergovernmental affairs at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). There, he led engagement with governors, mayors, Congress, and industry to advance US exports, industrial policy, and global competitiveness. He worked with economic ministers across Africa, Latin America, and Europe and supported coordination with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development partners on trade and investment.

Previously, Kitchen served in the Utah State Senate, where he led bipartisan work on housing, economic development, and the 2034 Winter Olympics. He began his public service on the Salt Lake City Council, advancing sustainability and leading sister-city diplomacy. In 2013, Kitchen was the lead plaintiff in Kitchen v. Herbert, the case that legalized same-sex marriage in Utah and helped pave the way nationally.

He has participated in transatlantic delegations with the American Council of Young Political Leaders and the US-Spain Council’s Young Leaders Program. He currently advises clients on federal financing, industrial strategy, and energy policy.

Kitchen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Utah and has completed executive programs at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Meridian International Center. He is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Washington, DC. 

Akil Kraja is an experienced manager and public‑policy professional who regularly contributes to national media and public discourse on economic development, good governance, and the rule of law. 

Kraja has held several senior positions across the public and private sectors, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprise financing and foreign direct investment/export promotion. He previously served as a city councilor for Tirana while holding leading positions with the Democratic Party of Albania, the Freedom and Democracy Foundation, the Albanian Microfinance Association, and the Albanian Investment Development Agency. 

Kraja holds a master’s degree in public administration from École nationale d'administration in Strasbourg, a master’s degree in economics and management of public administration and international institutions from Bocconi University in Milan, and a master’s degree in international affairs from Sciences Po Paris. 

Chris Maloney is a partner at Black Rock Group. With over two decades of experience in public affairs consulting, he serves as a trusted strategist to top executives, government leaders, and nonprofit organizations, guiding them through high-stakes communications and advocacy challenges.

At Black Rock Group, Maloney has served as a general consultant for numerous winning political and advocacy campaigns, leveraging his expertise to influence policy, shape public opinion, and deliver results. In 2023, he founded RightCount, a national organization that conducts independent research and public education initiatives focused on election integrity.

Maloney was named a Rising Star by Campaigns & Elections magazine in 2015 and listed in the American Association of Political Consultants’ (AAPC) “40 Under 40” in 2018. In 2023, he was honored by the AAPC for leading the Public Affairs Campaign of the Year, which secured federal passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.

Chris holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University. Originally from New York, he serves as a committee member of the New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund. 

Dexter Mason is the executive director of the Change Collective at Civic Nation, a national leadership network launched by former President Barack Obama for local leaders who are passionate about solving issues in their communities and combating social isolation, political polarization, and civic disengagement.

Prior to joining the Change Collective, Mason served as the head of Social Impact and DEI Strategy at Buzzer Technologies Inc., where he focused on leveraging the company’s platform to promote diverse talent in the technology sector and advise on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. He also liaised with the company’s minority-led venture capital partners.

Before entering the tech world, Mason was the special assistant to the president at the Kresge Foundation, where he led strategic initiatives and projects aligned with the executive office’s top internal and external priorities. Prior to that, Mason was the director of events and marketing at RISE, a national organization that partners with professional sports leagues, teams, and athletes to drive social progress. Before returning to Detroit, he served in the White House in the Office of Management and Administration and was a staff assistant in the United States Senate.

Mason serves on the board of directors for the Founders Junior Council at the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Opera. He holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Meaghan Mobbs is the president of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation and the director of the Center for American Safety and Security at Independent Women, where she leads research and policy work on national security, deterrence, and alliance strategy. Her work integrates operational experience, clinical expertise, and policy development, with a focus on the human and strategic costs of modern conflict.

At the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, Dr. Mobbs directs humanitarian and security programs operating in active conflict zones, particularly Ukraine. She oversees advanced battlefield medical and trauma training, evacuation and treatment pathways for wounded soldiers, forensic identification and missing-in-action recovery efforts, and trauma and PTSD treatment programs. Her work also includes support for the families of fallen and missing foreign volunteers and advisory roles on the ethical and legal dimensions of humanitarian operations alongside military forces.

At Independent Women, Dr. Mobbs leads the Center for American Safety and Security, shaping conservative policy engagement on defense industrial capacity, alliance politics, and the role of women in national security. Dr. Mobbs serves on the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute, advising on leadership development, institutional governance, and military education.

A graduate of West Point, Dr. Mobbs served as an Army officer in Afghanistan. She later earned her doctorate from Columbia University, training as a clinical psychologist with a focus on trauma, resilience, and recovery.

She has testified before the US Congress, briefs policymakers and allied governments regularly, and writes widely on national security, war, and the psychological dimensions of conflict. 

Jeanette Quick is the senior manager for public policy at Amazon. She previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of financial institutions policy for the US Treasury during the Biden administration. Before that, she was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom as deputy commissioner of investor protection for the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Quick has also worked as the head of compliance, public policy, and financial services and legal for Gusto; senior counsel to Chairman Tim Johnson and Chairman Sherrod Brown of the US Senate Banking Committee; and senior attorney at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. 

Quick is an Obama Leader, Eisenhower Fellow, American Council on Germany Young Leader, Truman National Security Project Political Partner, United States-Spain Council Young Leader, and Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs New Leader. She is an invited member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, the Pacific Council on International Policy, and the Bretton Woods Committee, and serves on the board of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum. 

Quick has testified before Congress, and her work advocating for underserved communities and financial inclusion has appeared in many publications, including The Baltimore Sun, Fast Company, MSN, Morning Consult, Forbes, Business Insider, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Hill, and American Banker. 

Dr. Viktorija Rusinaite serves as the director of the research and analysis at the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE), where she leads a team dedicated to studying threat actors, developing concepts, and conducting comparative analyses of policy solutions. This team acts as a vital bridge between academic researchers investigating hybrid threats and policy practitioners. Prior to her current role, Dr. Rusinaite headed the Deterrence of Hybrid Threats project at the Hybrid CoE, which aimed to innovate classical deterrence approaches and enhance strategic skills.

Before joining the Hybrid CoE, Dr. Rusinaite served as the head of the European security program at the Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis in Lithuania. This program focuses on addressing disinformation and threats posed by state and non-state actors.

Rusinaite holds a PhD in political science from Vytautas Magnus University and is an Eisenhower Fellow. 

Natalie Samarjian is the president and CEO of Coro Southern California, which provides civic leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks they need to effect meaningful change.

Previously, Samarjian was a staff attorney at the California Women's Law Center, where she addressed the legal needs of women and girls through impact litigation, public policy advocacy, and legal education. Before that, she was a staff attorney and the Dickran Tevrizian Fellow at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, where she represented victims of domestic violence, supported impact litigation, engaged in public policy advocacy, conducted extensive community outreach, and provided legal education. Earlier, she was a labor and employment litigator at Rutan & Tucker, LLP, a California-based law firm. While there, Samarjian was engaged in pro bono efforts and successfully represented an asylum seeker before the Department of Homeland Security. Before embarking on her legal career, she was a human capital consultant in Deloitte & Touche LLP's public sector practice, where she led the firm's national public-sector human capital community of practice initiative. 

Samarjian holds a law degree from the UCLA School of Law, a master’s degree from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, and a bachelor’s degree from UCLA. She is an alumna of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and Emerge California. She is a recipient of the “Empowerment Congress’ Emerging Civic Leaders 40 Under 40” award and was named one of the “LA Impact-Makers to Watch”. 

Dr. Anna Tryfon-Bojarska is an assistant professor at SGH Warsaw School of Economics and head of the expert team at the Digital Affairs Institute, a Polish think tank focused on digital policy and cybersecurity. Her research and professional work center on infrastructure resilience, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, and innovation policy in Central and Eastern Europe.

She has led over 35 ESG-driven and technology-focused projects across four countries as head of research and innovation at Skanska Commercial Development Europe, earning national awards for digital and sustainable construction. Previously, she worked at the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, where she coordinated a strategic initiative to strengthen infrastructure resilience on NATO’s eastern flank.

Tryfon-Bojarska holds a PhD in management sciences as well as master’s degrees in geology and geochemistry. She is an alumna of the Freedom Institute Leadership School and the Center for Leadership, as well as a recipient of the Agne Sandberg Foundation scholarship in Sweden. 

Joannes Yimbesalu is the founder of Nanaade, an AI-powered job-matching and upskilling platform designed to help young Africans transition from education to employment. Nanaade, was incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab and has secured strategic partnerships with universities and employers across Africa. 

Yimbesalu previously served as technical lead for youth, skills, and employability in West and Central Africa with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, leading programs that offer education, digital skills, and economic opportunities to underserved youth. His advocacy for universal birth registration mobilized 16,000 volunteers and registered over three million children under five across 26 states in Nigeria. He now heads the youth entrepreneurship working group under the Women’s Economic Imperative (WEI), representing WEI on the International Panel on Social Progress, where he contributes to the framework on youth engagement and the future of work in Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a published thought leader on the intersection of technology and international development. His work includes “How AI is Bridging Gaps and Building Bridges in Development,” and is featured in the Harvard Kennedy School’s “From Ideas to Impact: Unlocking Youth-centered Job Creation in Africa”. 

Yimbesalu holds a master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a Cheng Fellow and an Edward Mason Fellow, a master’s degree in leadership and community engagement from York University, and a master’s degree in biological sciences from New Mexico Highlands University.