Innovating for a more equitable world

Leisa Perch is the CEO and Founder of SAEDI Consulting Barbados Inc. She has 20+ years of development experience; 15 years at the international level (13 with the UN system). In 2018, Leisa supported clients in Africa and the Caribbean in mobilizing $52 million USD in development finance, all with a gender lens.

She is an International Development Expert with 20+ years of experience in climate change, poverty reduction, livelihoods, gender equality policy, inclusive green growth, inclusive green economy, research and gender mainstreaming (in various regional settings including post-disaster and emergencies). Leisa has a proven track record of enabling purposeful dialogue & debate, coalition-building to deliver new ideas, promoting concepts of change and delivering transformation in developing and emerging economies. Well published, she has worked across the globe, from Latin America, to Africa (South and West) and more recently in Asia. She was worked on Caribbean SIDS issues for most of her career. 

As an experienced presenter, communicator and keynote speaker, she has participated and continues to participate in various national, regional and international meetings as well as multilateral dialogues and negotiation processes.

Along with project and programming skills, Ms. Perch also has senior management experience in the field as well as extensive experience with various donors. Her donor experience is wide including: The Agency for French Development, AusAid, Austrian Development Bank, CIRAD/AFD, CDKN, DFID, European Union/European Commission, GCF, GEF, Government of Brazil, Government of Italy, Government of Japan/UNTFHS USAID, NORAD, OAS, UNEP, UNDP, UNECLAC, World Bank and others.

She has received training on UNDP Human Development Reports and calculation of Human Development Index, Gender Mainstreaming, Gender and Disaster Risk Reduction, Indicators and Monitoring, Gender and Green Jobs, Gender and Climate Change. Her experience is leveraged by SAEDI as it builds its portfolio of work (as a company) and expands its network of partners and associates.

Believing that good design is critical to sustainable solutions, through SAEDI she aims to bridge, and ultimately eliminate, the persistent gaps between social and environmental policy. Changing by doing.

Reynold Murray is an environmental consultant with over twenty-five (25) of experience working across the English-speaking Caribbean. He holds a PhD in Biological Sciences with concentrations in eco-system management and conservation. He has specialized training in Agricultural Technology, Project Development and Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Results Based Management, Climate Change Adaptation and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.

Work Experience:
Ten years as an independent consultant working across the Caribbean (2010 to present); Eight years with the United Nations Development Programme as Programme Manager for Energy, Environment and Climate Change serving the Eastern Caribbean (2004 to 2012); Eight years with the Government of SVG as Environmental Services Coordinator (1996 to 2004); twenty years in academia teaching elementary school, high school and University (1974 to 1995).

Karen Lang MS (Poli. Sci) and BA (French) with over 10 years of experience in the field of translation and copy-editing and eight years working with NGOs and INGOs. Highly familiar with the issues of global trade and investment, human rights, climate change and agriculture, among others. Offers editing services in English (mother tongue) and translation services from French, Spanish and Portuguese into English. Her personal strengths are exceptional organizational, communication, interpersonal and computer skills; ability to work well under pressure, individually or in a team; and attention to detail.

Jerome Agostini, Graphic designer consultant, has more than 14 years of experience, responsible for corporate graphic design content for international organisations (UN Women, FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, OXFAM, OIM). He developed numerous graphic design projects for print and web (visual identities, logos, brochures, reports, infographics, websites). His website is: http://jeromeagostini.eu.

Tanya Wragg-Morris is a Research Analyst with the Capilano University Foundation in Vancouver BC. She also works as an Independent Development Consultant in the areas of social, environmental and economic policy. Current work has focused on gender mainstreaming and social impact across multiple sectors: energy, agriculture, and climate change in the Caribbean region.

Tanya has previously worked as a Research Analyst with the London School of Economics Public Policy Group, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth, and the IFC/World Bank. She earned her BAH in Economics and Geography from Queen’s University and MSc at the London School of Economics in Public Policy and Philosophy.

Tanya volunteers her time as a member of the Board of Directors for the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) – an organization that engages civil society locally and in global dialogue to support the work of the UN SDGs. Over the past three years she has supported their work for International Development Week, as a co-author of BCCIC's policy series for 2030 Agenda Implementation and more recently as a chapter author for BCCIC’s Shadow Report to Canada’s VNR, authoring the chapter focused on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

Born and raised in Costa Rica, Sara has approached her professional path from different yet complementary angles regarding local development. As an undergraduate Geography student, she was particularly interested in merging travel with non-formal education.

A decade since, she has been engaged in different responsible and educational travel programs for different organizations in unexplored communities and emerging destinations in Central America and the Spanish Caribbean. This opened the opportunity to experience the international cooperation work field, and join the US Peace Corps as a Program and Training Assistant in her country and get involved in different participatory socio-economic processes at the local level.

Looking to understand environmental and sustainability governance Sara assisted international consultancy on Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change adaptation for seven years, before moving to Madrid, Spain, with a government scholarship to study a Master's in Tourism Intelligence and Online Marketing.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic paused her original plans, this has been an opportunity for her to reflect on the mirror effect the virus has had on societies and systems, the need to rethink development in general and take collaborative actions to push forward education, responsible tourism, and territorial resilience.

Jacqueline Massiah-Simeon is a highly experienced social worker/counsellor, and gender & social development practitioner, with over 19 years of knowledge and skills in the areas of juvenile justice, youth development, gender analysis and mainstreaming, poverty reduction, social & gender impact assessments, and programme/project planning and management.

Jaqueline has over 8 years’ experience of working on regional development programmes for poverty reduction and gender equality with the OECS Commission and in collaboration with regional and international organizations such as UN agencies (UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF), Caribbean Development Bank, USAID, and the CARICOM Secretariat. She has more than 7 years’ experience as a Social Worker in the areas of youth development, managing youth development programmes and developing and facilitating job preparation seminars for youths, and community development. Trained as a facilitator in Social Crime Prevention methodologies and Circles for Restorative Justice.

Jacqui has a Bachelor of Social Science Degree (Social Work) from the University of Guyana and a Certificate in Gender & Development from the University of the West Indies. She has worked as a Gender and Social Analyst on UN convened teams conducting Post Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNA) to inform recovery and reconstruction efforts following the passing of a hurricane or other adverse weather systems. She has also worked on the development of Gender Responsive Sectoral Adaptation Strategies and Actions Plans (SASAPs) and the Evaluation of Gender Equality and Mainstreaming Strategies.

Special areas of experience: Gender Impact Assessment & Analysis and Social Impact Assessment & Analysis.

Donna S.  Allman, from Barbados, is the People & Systems Associate at SAEDI Consulting.

With an MBA and 20 years of management experience, she supports the business development arm of the company. She has a strong background in systems, information technology and possesses innate motivational skills. She is motivated by new ideas in technology and impactful pursuits.  A lover of new ideas and continuous improvement, she brings her desire to improve existing ways of doing things and finding new processes to improve day-to-day business operations

With a reputation of being highly efficient she has a sound background of a great motivator, leader, and team builder. For 2 decades she has displayed a genuine interest staff's well-being and advancement and this continues in her current people-centered role to find and sustain the best talent so that SAEDI Consulting continues to operate at its highest level.

Cynthia is currently Executive Assistant at SAEDI Consulting.

Based in Mexico, she has worked as a science teacher at ITESM and has also worked in the agricultural field at CIMMYT on sustainable intensification and wheat crop management.
She has also worked as an interpreter for international scientists that visit the Yaqui Valley, birthplace of the Green Revolution and one of Mexico’s most productive breadbaskets. As well as for farmer’s associations within the valley.

On her free time, she’s a screen printing entrepreneur and plant lover.

Asha is an International Gender and Development Expert with an Honors Baccalaureate in International Development from the University of Guelph, and a Master’s with Distinction in Gender and Development Studies from the University of the West Indies.

Her professional goals prioritise gender justice and promoting gender transformative frameworks. An Associate at SAEDI Consulting, she is also a partner of the Caribbean Male Action Network (CariMAN), an Independent Consultant and currently coordinates a Young Men’s Development Programme in Trinidad and Tobago.

She has experience working with international and Caribbean regional governing bodies, civil society organisations, academic institutions and private entities. When she isn’t busy with research, Asha enjoys participating in community engagement initiatives with women, men and youth.