Pia Wanek is director of humanitarian assistance at Global Communities, which works closely with communities to help them recover and eventually rebuild in the wake of both man-made and natural disasters. She has directed the team's response for a variety of crises, including the West African Ebola epidemic, the 2014 war in Gaza, and the ongoing Syrian conflict. Wanek has more than 12 years of experience in the donor community and the NGO world.