Economic Development

Antsa Razafimbelo is a specialist in project management and has worked with national and international organizations and institutions in many sectors. He has managed and carried out several large-scale projects (climate change, agribusiness, environment, renewable energy). He has expertise in financial analysis, budget management, management of agreements and contracts, cash flow, mechanisms and procedures of entities such as private investment funds, government programs, working with private multinationals and international funds such as GCF, GEF, IFAD, Adaptation Fund. He has worked for private companies such as Nordex Group, Quaero Capital, Energie Team, and for international organizations and multilateral banks such as AfDB, ADB, World Bank, UNDP, UNEP, FAO, GCF, GEF, IFAD, IFOAM – Organics International in many countries: Mali, Niger, Vietnam, Somalia and Sudan, Benin, Cameroon, DRC, Chad, Madagascar, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Sao Tomé & Principe, France, UK, Germany.

Host Organization: Collaborating for Resilience

Role at Host Organization: At Collaborating for Resilience, Antsa will be serving as Program Management Fellow. He will manage partner collaborations and undertake action research in one or more program areas, and contribute to program development, marketing and communications initiatives. He will help build the organization at a critical moment in its growth by: working to solidify partnerships in Asia, Africa and/or Latin America; delivering action research that builds the capacity of civil society partners to drive governance innovations; and expanding the base of support from philanthropic and international development agencies.

Mehdi is currently a Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability professional with more than ten years of experience, including five in Monitoring and Evaluation in both the development/humanitarian and impact investing sectors at Oxfam and Yunus Social Business. Passionate about multidisciplinary knowledge and learning, Mehdi has always been an autodidact. He holds a Master’s degree in Accounting Sciences from IHEC Carthage. During his career, he earned multiple certificates related to his domain of expertise. Mehdi has spent the last three years working mainly with marginalized communities on tackling economic and gender inequalities, topics he has a strong passion about besides humanitarian work. His contribution covers many aspects and includes in particular: assessments; impact measurement; evidence-based learning; strategy design and interventions framing; designing monitoring and evaluation processes and developing tools (IT); capacity building; and empowering people and organizations. Mehdi is recognized for his problem-solving skills, his strategic thinking abilities, and his innovative and creative thinking.

Host Organization: Transparency & Accountability Initiative

Role at Host Organization: At the Transparency & Accountability Initiative, Mehdi will serve as the Monitoring, Evaluation, & Learning Fellow. He will help implement TAI’s internal MEL system and practices. He will also support TAI’s learning initiatives, including staff internal reflection sessions, funder member-facing events and/or written products, and research around TPA-related topics.

Mialy Rasoanarivony is currently a business analyst at BNI Madagascar. The position allows her a deeper understanding of the economic realities of her country over the past 4 years by assessing the scope of several activities. Surrounding herself with financial decision-makers and leaders has greatly enhanced her risk management, analytic skills, and financial decision making towards large to middle activities. BNI is the first banking Industry implementing the environmental and social management system toward the private sector businesses they accompany. She has a great interest for Development and Environment as SDGs goal to achieve. Madagascar has great environmental potential, as the country deserves to become a developed one regarding all of their resources. Her versatile background in environmental and financial fields up to Master Degrees will help her achieve the perfect intersection of business and environment. She also has focused her environmental studies on waste water optimization for textile companies, hydrological studies, assisting a borehole implementation to meet a company’s water needs with all technical studies, and the bioremediation techniques for soil polluted by hydrocarbons. Those have been done with strong collaboration with the Nationals Environmental and Industrial Centers. In addition to circular economy experiences toward some private sectors. She strongly believes that the sustainable financing accompanied with adapted environmental policies and strategies should be an impactful component for private sectors sustainable development achievements.

Host Organization: Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Role at Host Organization: At the Miller Center, Mialy will serve as the Impact Measurement and Management Fellow: Supporting the onboarding of social entrepreneurs onto an impact measurement platform and conducting independent research with SCU faculty.

Irina Mkrtchyan is circular economy and grant writing expert, as well as environmental enthusiast from Armenia. She holds a master’s degree in Marketing, PR and Advertising from the University of Sheffield,UK and a second master’s degree in agribusiness from Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) in Armenia. She holds a BA in marketing and agribusiness from the same university. She is the co-founded and development lead of “ISSD” Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities” NGO (founded in 2017), where she is leading various environmental and rural development projects, supported by organizations like UNDP, Norwegian Retailers Fund and others. Irina is supervising grant writing, marketing, fundraising and development activities. She has raised over 550,000USD in grants and donations within the last 2 years. She has 13+ years of experience in marketing, consulting, public relations/outreach, solid waste management and environmental protection, green communication, strategic planning and development, project/grant management, startup management. She is specialized in designing, planning, executing and monitoring project and marketing/PR campaigns. Irina has strong knowledge and international experience in various industries including Fortune 500 companies, the World Bank, UNDP, GEF, World Resources Institute. Her professional/research interests are circular economy, waste management, recycling, marketing, grant writing, rural development, women empowerment, environmental protection and policy development, partnership development for implementing joint projects.

Host Organization: National Academy of Public Administration

Role at Host Organization: At National Academy of Public Administration, Irina will be serving as a Business Development and Communications Fellow: Supporting the organization’s development and fundraising efforts, and expanding and implementing communications strategies to leverage technology and social media for visibility of the organization.

Fathina Diyanissa is a government employee from Jakarta, Indonesia. She is a design graduate turned public sector hustler with three-year experience in the creative economy, currently employed in the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as the assistant to the Vice Minister. Fathina graduated with a Design major in Institut Teknologi Bandung and started her professional work as a designer for two years. Her desire to be involved in the creative sector beyond the practicing realm led her to join the Indonesian Agency for Creative Economy, where she specializes in the facilitation and potential development of Intellectual Property Rights in creative industries. Upon the merging of the agency into the Ministry of Tourism of Creative Economy, Fathina joined the assisting team to the Vice Minister, closely working with and reporting to the Vice Minister on strategic programs across the ministry. This gives her a valuable chance to see the helicopter view of the governance of the creative industry, as well as how it intersects with the tourism sector. In her further career in the public sector, Fathina hopes to remain rooted in her creative background, using her opportunities and acquired experiences to advance the ecosystem of the creative industry in Indonesia, particularly in empowering local culture and communities.

Edrida Pulungan has 10 years worked in the Secretary-General House of Regional Representatives of Republic Indonesia and expert in partnership. She earned a double Bachelor’s in Economics and Education and also a double Masters in International Relations and Sociology. She currently pursues a Ph.D. in Government Science. She worked as a Parliament PR and was then promoted as a Policy Analyst in research and budget center which has opened her mind about public policy and collaborative government. During COVID-19 to recovery economy, she innovated a penta-helix model for developing creative economy under law no. 24 and proposed her innovation to the minister. She is also active in building partnerships with senators, local, central government, private sector, academician, community, and media to overcome the social and economic problem by initiating discussion Local Heroes Network which involved youth and community. Edrida was awarded as a Government Official by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform. Edrida was concern with collaborative government, partnership, capacity building, climate change, woman empowerment, peace, and a creative economy. She published books, research, and opinion about global issues. Her book was part of the collection of Global Peace library in Paris, the title” The Peace Message of The Earth” and visited UNESCO. She is a Climate Change Leader trained by Al Gore. She also the Founder of Lentera Pustaka Indonesia which promotes literacy and the Founder of Corps International Government 4.0. She was selected to be part of Global Woman Leader ASEAN by IWB Malaysia. As a future leader, she believed her contribution to the Indonesian government and the US will increase the best partnership in the future.

C Novika Maharani was born in Malang, Indonesia. She completed a Bachelor’s of Law in International Law at Sebelas Maret University. Passionate in the international field, she is currently working as an Analyst in the Deputy of International Economic Cooperation – Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of Indonesia. Her main duties are to analyze matters related to building and maintaining economic partnerships between Indonesia and countries in the American continent countries. The analysis is not limited to trade agreement negotiation, bilateral forum meetings, and dispute settlement in World Trade Organization. Through working in her current unit and institution, she began to learn the importance of partnership as it is stated as 17th SDGs, whether it is between inter-ministries or agencies, and partner countries. Inspired by the importance of cooperation and collaboration between ministries and agencies in Indonesia, she joined a community called Abdimuda Indonesia, with other young Indonesian Civil Servants. Abdimuda Indonesia aims to promote young Indonesian public servants to have a smart mindset to contribute to their work, encourage social movements, also prepare them as the future leader of Indonesia’s government. Other than that, she is also a member of Think Policy, a think-tank for young professionals that undertakes brainstorming and research of Indonesia policy. By joining Abdimuda Indonesia and Think Policy, she contributes and encourages collaboration for young public servants and young professionals to build critical thinking patterns towards various policies and help them to reach self-development opportunities.

Ayunda is a communication professional with years of experience working for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Currently, she is focusing on the communication for development (C4D) field where she is interested in any work related to behavioral and social change. She believes that communication plays a crucial role in helping social change in the community. She is currently working for the International Labour Organization and involved in several projects related to labor issues. Prior to joining the United Nations, she worked as a Public Relations and Communications Manager at SOS Children Villages, an INGO that provides care for children who lost or at risk of losing parental care. As a communication professional, Ayunda does not dedicate herself to a particular development issue, but she is very interested in children, public health, and equality topics. Before dedicating herself to non-profit organizations, she used to work at Public relations firms where she developed her skills at developing and executing communication strategy plans for multinational and technology companies. She is now pursuing her calling as a C4D expert and wishes to explore opportunities and collaborations with more international development organizations. Ayunda holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Indonesia majoring in Communication. She later awarded by Chevening Scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Communication for Development (C4D) at the University of Reading, the United Kingdom.

Bayu Ramadhan Putra has years of experience in both the private sector and government, which all of which are related to finance, economics, and education. After graduating, Bayu gained experience in marketing and sales at Prime Blue International, LLC then Corporate Banking at KEB Hana Bank, specializing in analysis and feasibility on Indonesian corporate accounts. With the knowledge and experience, he decided to serve in the government where he is currently posted at the Ministry of Trade of The Republic of Indonesia. Bayu’s previous proved to be influential in government work, utilizing it in helping to formulate regulations, increase Indonesia’s trade balance, enhance international trade cooperation, maintain stability in the domestic market especially on basic goods, and elevate local small to medium enterprises to be financially feasible and export worthy. For over the last two years, Bayu has seen first-hand the importance of how information on trade regulation and the economy is evenly spread in the country, also how education plays a huge part in shaping the economy. From previously working with multi-national companies to serving in the interests of the economy of all classes, it was obvious that the level of education and access to information influenced people’s ethics, determination, and mindset. This experience, together with organizational and social activities throughout high school and university, developed Bayu’s passion for fair trade, education, and the development of society, determined to continue working and studying in order to best serve the economy.

Astari Raihanah currently lives in Sarmi Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia. She earned her Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Economics of Statistics from the Institute of Statistics (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Statistik Jakarta). Since then, she works as a Statistician for the Indonesian Government in the Statistics of Sarmi Regency Office, where she is actively involved in the economics and trade-related surveys and censuses conducted by the Indonesian Government. She also has experience in statistics-related conferences in Malaysia and Thailand. During her experiences in these conferences, she learned Bayesian Data Analysis and R programming as a new tool for data analysis in official statistics. In her meantime, she also volunteered for local communities by teaching basic skills such as reading, writing, and basic math for underprivileged young children from remote areas in Papua.

Untari has four years of experience in the capital market industry and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Currently, she works as a Potential Listing Development Analyst at Indonesia Stock Exchange. She covers several capital market products, predominantly equity IPO. She does deal sourcing for potentially listed companies and advises c-level management of potentially listed companies on their IPO process, of any sector or company size; as well as links them with capital market professionals and supporting institutions. She also researches efforts to increase the number of listed companies in Indonesia which will often translate into listing regulations & policies in the Indonesian capital market. Previously, she serves as a Commissioner in a company that serves small-medium scaled fish farm entrepreneurs that she co-founded during her study in UGM. Having on-ground experience in interacting with entrepreneurs at many levels made Untari realized how important public policy is in order to better our society, which ultimately will improve people’s welfare and quality of life. This is the reason that she is interested in making the capital market or any kind of financing options, in general, to be more accessible.

Roy Hendrawan has more than 10 years of work experience in the Government of Indonesia (ministries and agency). Roy has been working with the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform of the Republic of Indonesia (MABR) as a Policy Analyst that enabled him to contribute to developing the national policies of civil service management by conducting analysis in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of policies and giving recommendation to policymakers. Previously, he had worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (MFA) as a Treasurer and General Affair Officer that supported finance and technical area. He also worked in a multicultural environment abroad as Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in France that proven his ability to work in an international context. After he had earned a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Indonesia, he continued to work in Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia in assisting the surveillance and complaint handling of public service, especially in the human resources area. He has good analytical skills and a strong willingness to change government for betterment and development according to best practices of management. As a Policy Analyst, his ultimate goal is to take part in transforming civil service management in order to build highly qualified civil servants that enhancing the quality of public services, as a social goal that matters to him.