Uzra Zeya is the CEO and president of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, the leading global network for organizations working to end conflict and build sustainable peace worldwide. She served previously as acting assistant secretary for democracy, human rights, and labor and charge d’affaires at U.S. Embassy Paris.

Vaishnavi Behl is the global communications manager at Restless Development.

Val Smith is the director and head of corporate sustainability for Citi. She joined Citi in 2004 and oversees Citi’s global sustainability initiatives, including leading the bank’s sustainability strategy and goals in partnership with the businesses and providing expertise on related issues and trends. She also leads the development of Citi’s sustainability stakeholder engagement strategy and human rights approach.

Valentina Baiamonte, Ph.D., is a professional whose 10-year career blends academia, international organizations, and NGOs, all while advocating for environmental sustainability in the private sector. She previously worked at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development guiding companies in implementing ESG disclosure frameworks and tackling deforestation within the food and retail industries. Today, she supports companies in navigating the latest ESG disclosure frameworks and conducts ESG risk assessments and management across value chains.

Valentina Bellesi is a junior policy analyst in the Private Finance for Sustainable Development Unit at the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate, working on research and analysis on a series of blended finance-related aspects and impact evaluation, having previously worked at the evaluation department of the Council of Europe Development Bank.

Valentina Iemmi is an LSE fellow and Ph.D. candidate at the London School of Economics and Political Science, with over 10 years of experience in the field of global mental health policy and practice. As a social scientist with training in clinical psychology and health policy, her research is multidisciplinary, drawing on multiple disciplines and fields including health policy, health economics, public policy, international development, and psychology.

Valentina Ochoa is the Global Health Advocacy Incubator's senior adviser for the road safety work in Mexico. She has more than 10 years of experience working with civil society organizations in Mexico, tobacco control, and road safety. Valentina holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico City. She has additional degrees and certifications in nonverbal behavior, public policy, road safety, and tobacco control.

Valentine Iwenwanne is a Nigerian journalist writing about politics, conflicts, global health and development. His work has appeared in ThisIsAfricaTIA, Mail & Guardian, Ozy, TRT World, Ynaija and more.

Valerie Flax is an assistant professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on the design and evaluation of interventions intended to improve the health and nutritional status of mothers and children in low-income countries. She led a study in Nigeria evaluating a breastfeeding promotion program that links microcredit, health education, and cell phone messaging.

Valerie Odhiambo is a development communications expert who is based in Nairobi, Kenya.