Policy making

Mr. Nnamdi Anene has been working in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since 2008 as a geologist deployed to the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Department. His roles focus on assisting the Ministry in formulating and implementing policies for the effective development and regulation of the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining sub-sector. Prior to joining the public service, Mr. Anene had a brief stint in the private sector working with a water borehole construction company. He also participated in various geological investigations whilst undergoing the National Youth Service Corps programme at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency. Mr. Anene has a degree in Geological Sciences. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in Environmental Management from the Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management at TUD Dresden and a Master of Technology in Environmental Management from the Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria.

Alina Orrico has twelve years of on-field and HQ experience working with international development partners in different capacities, ranging from aid coordination to project management and advisory roles. She has in-depth understanding of the EU structures, the EC priorities and the EU/EDF procedures under the NDICI/Global Europe and the Team Europe and Global Gateway package.

Throughout her career she has played different roles in organizations, liaising with governments, bi-lateral and multi-lateral development partners, CSOs and the private sector to enhance effective development cooperation. Alina has worked closely with the EC services on joint programming, Team Europe and the Working Better Together approach. This includes coordination among development actors within the Practitioners' Network (PN) and the European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI) Association in Brussels, together with different EU-partner country contexts for better joint programming and joint implementation (notably with the EU Office in Palestine).

Alina is highly skilled at conducting research and analysis on development cooperation policy and has solid reporting abilities, providing briefings and making policy suggestions at different government levels. She has extensive experience in arranging and facilitating workshops attended by governments officials and civil society organizations, as well as enabling and conducting dialogue (incl. EU policy dialogues) with a variety of stakeholders.

Nishant Malhotra is the visionary behind "The middle Road," a groundbreaking for-profit social impact platform, where he serves as the Solo Founder and CEO. Nishant Malhotra, a luminary in the realm of social impact, channels his passion for global change through innovative EdTech and media solutions in his startup, "The middle Road." This unique platform seamlessly integrates media and EdTech, delivering accessible, top-tier higher education in the fields of social impact, especially international development and the financial services sector. Before his current role, Nishant wore many professional hats. With a wealth of experience acquired from diverse roles within the financial services sector, Nishant holds prestigious degrees in public and business administration from renowned global institutions. His work experience includes a diverse range of roles within the private banking and wealth management sector, including a leadership role as the head of domestic financial advisory private banking at a leading private bank in India. He also briefly taught as a visiting professor at multiple business schools in India and worked in the technology sector. In addition to his professional work, Nishant volunteered as a teacher in a visually impaired school in Pune, India.

Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, he is a fervent fitness enthusiast, a speaker par excellence, an ardent reader, a dedicated researcher, an educator, a prolific writer, a consultant, and a captivating podcast host. Nishant's unwavering dedication to making a positive social impact on a global scale has earned him the esteemed Indian Achievers Award. Furthermore, "The middle Road" was recognized as one of the top 11 civic tech startups in India in 2022 by Best Startup India, a top 35 social impact startup in India by Startup Pill in 2021. Nishant Malhotra holds a master's degree in public administration from the Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, as well as MBAs from China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, China, and Symbiosis Institute of Business Management in Pune, India. His educational journey began with a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering from Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune University, India.

Research Associate at the Katastrophenforschungsstelle (Disaster Research Unit), Freie Unverstität Berlin. Consultant and researcher on Urban Disaster Risk Governance. PhD in Development Planning at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU), University College London (UCL), MSc. in Urban Management at Technische Universität Berlin (TU-Berlin), and Designer at Universidad Católica de Temuco (UC-Temuco), Chile. Founder and Editor of the Journal of Latin American Studies on Disaster Risk Reduction REDER (https://www.revistareder.com)

Guillermo Delgado is an architect with a focus on urban development and housing; and lecturer at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM).

He lived in Namibia for thirteen years, where he was part of the team that led the review of the national housing programs and the national housing policy. There, he was part of work teams, panels and committees of national projects on urbanization and housing. He has taught courses on research methods, urbanization in the African continent, and on housing. He has supervised master's and doctoral students.

Previously he was a senior lecturer at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), where he headed the Institute for Land, Livelihoods and Housing (ILLH); and before that a researcher at the Labor Resources and Research Institute (LaRRI), where he worked with the labor movement on issues of living conditions and informal economies.

Guillermo obtained his degree in architecture from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA), Mexico City Campus; as well as a master's degree from the Berlage Institute (today The Berlage, at the Delft University of Technology), in the Netherlands; and his PhD in architecture and urban planning from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa.

He has worked on various research, consulting, advisory, and educational projects; focused on urbanization, land tenure, governance, housing, social protection, informal settlements, co-production/self-management, and alternative socio-spatial practices.

He has also been a consultant for international cooperation agencies, non-governmental organizations, for the private sector, as well as for development banks.

He is currently the president of the Sub-Saharan Africa Chapter of RedMX, an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote synergies between Mexicans living abroad, as well as with the country.