Sasha Havlicek
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Sasha Havlicek

Co-Founder and CEO

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Sasha Havlicek
Sasha Havlicek

Co-Founder and CEO

Sasha Havlicek is a social and policy entrepreneur who, for the last two decades, has incubated and scaled global initiatives to counter the rise of weaponised hate, disinformation and extremism, on- and offline. As founding CEO of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, she has led the build-out of ISD's advanced digital analytics capability designed to detect and mitigate information threats to democracy, public safety and national security. Spearheading ISD’s extensive partnerships with governments, cities, businesses and communities, Sasha oversees teams delivering research, policy advisory, training, digital literacy and communications programming around the world. She has advised a range of governments at the highest levels, has testified before US Congress and the UK Parliament, and is a regular commentator in the media (CNN, BBC, Channel 4 News and other networks). She is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Global Internet Forum on Counter-Terrorism, the Christchurch Call and the Global Partnership for Action against Tech Facilitated Gender Based Violence. She is a founding board member of the Forum on Information and Democracy and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition on Internet Safety.
Moustafa Ayad
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Moustafa Ayad

Executive Director; Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA)

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Moustafa Ayad
Moustafa Ayad

Executive Director; Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA)

Moustafa Ayad is the Executive Director for Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (AMEA) at ISD, with more than 15 years worth of experience designing, developing, and deploying multi-faceted counter extremism projects in conflict and post-conflict environments across AMEA. He has experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kenya, Senegal, as well the United States, with a range of government and non-governmental partners on violent extremism, conflict resolution and strategic communications. Moustafa’s research on hybrid extremism and the use of social media platforms by extremist groups and their supporters has been featured in the Associated Press, BBC, The Times, VICE, CNN, NPR,  Wired, and The Daily Beast. 
Sarah Kennedy
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Sarah Kennedy

Chief Operating Officer

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Sarah Kennedy
Sarah Kennedy

Chief Operating Officer

Sarah Kennedy is Chief Operating Officer of ISD, overseeing the operational effectiveness of the organisation globally. This includes leading the finance, HR, operations, security, governance and legal functions of the organisation. Sarah has over 15 years’ experience in UK and international non-profit organisations and previous roles included serving as UK Director of Kenyan NGO S.A.F.E., and Head of Partnerships & Events at the think tank Demos. Sarah holds a First Class degree in Economic and Social History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Legal and Political Theory from UCL. She additionally holds an Art & Design Foundation Diploma from Kingston University; a Certificate in International Business Practice and an International Diploma in Management from University of Cambridge International Exams; and a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Certificate in Business Accounting.
Dixon Osburn
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Dixon Osburn

Executive Director, ISD US

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Dixon Osburn
Dixon Osburn

Executive Director, ISD US

Dixon Osburn is the Executive Director of ISD, United States. He has served in non-governmental organizations for three decades addressing diverse issues in domestic and international human rights, security and democracy. Dixon co-founded Servicemembers Legal Defense Network that led the successful effort to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." At Human Rights First, he directed its Law & Security program leading efforts to close Guantánamo, end torture and regulate drones. As Executive Director at the Center for Justice and Accountability, Dixon led efforts to hold accountable international war criminals, including the Syrian regime and Khmer Rouge. Dixon served as a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He is author of Mission Possible: The Story of Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He currently serves as an HFX Fellow with the Halifax International Security Forum. Dixon has testified before Congress and been widely quoted in the press. He received his JD/MBA from Georgetown University and his AB with distinction from Stanford University. 
Arabella Phillimore
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Arabella Phillimore

Managing Director

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Arabella Phillimore
Arabella Phillimore

Managing Director

Arabella Phillimore is Managing Director of ISD, with responsibility for the portfolio of research, policy advisory and programming.  As part of the Executive Leadership team, she is responsible for building and overseeing the knowledge sharing, quality control and communications capability within and outside of the organisation. Arabella has over 20 years’ experience working for non-profit organisations, governments and international organisations in the UK and abroad. Previous roles include COO, then Strategic Director of UK-based negotiation NGO Inter Mediate– which she helped establish–, and Specialist Policy Advisor at the UK Foreign Office. Arabella has a policy, strategic planning and communications background and in addition to her negotiation work she has worked as a Leader writer at the Financial Times, and at the UN as both a political officer for the Department of Peacekeeping in Afghanistan, and a communications and advocacy officer for UNICEF in India.  Arabella holds a BA in Modern Languages from New College, Oxford University, and an MA in International Relations and Economics from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. She additionally was awarded a UNITAR/IPI Fellowship in Mediation and Negotiation Skills and is a Founding Trustee of UNHCR’s UK fundraising charity, UK for UNCHR.
Eric Rosand
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Eric Rosand

Executive Director, Strong Cities Network

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Eric Rosand
Eric Rosand

Executive Director, Strong Cities Network

Eric Rosand is the Executive Director of the Strong Cities Network. He has more than two decades of experience working with governments, multilateral organisations, civil society, academics, and the private sector on international counterterrorism and P/CVE issues. This includes more than six years as a senior official at the US State Department where he acted as the international policy director for the White House CVE Summit and led efforts to develop and launch the Global Counterterrorism Forum, its inspired institutions, and the Strong Cities Network. He previously was a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and served as co-director of the Global Center on Cooperative Security, and a lawyer at the US State Department and the US Mission to the United Nations. His writings, including on the role of cities and other local actors in P/CVE have appeared in a wide range of publications such as the American Journal of International Law, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Global Observatory, Just Security, The Hill, Lawfare, Order from Chaos, Time, and War on the Rocks. He holds a BA in history from Haverford College, a JD from Columbia University School of Law, and an LLM (Hons) in international law from Cambridge University.
Cornelius Adebahr
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Cornelius Adebahr

Interim Executive Director, ISD Germany

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Cornelius Adebahr
Cornelius Adebahr

Interim Executive Director, ISD Germany

Cornelius Adebahr is the Interim Executive Director at ISD Germany. He is an independent political analyst and entrepreneur based in Berlin, focusing on European foreign and security policy, global affairs and citizens’ engagement. Starting in July 2024, he has served as the Interim Executive Director at ISD Germany, where he supports and develops the organization’s efforts in the German and European contexts. His role focuses on defending democracy against digital and hybrid threats, including increasing societal polarization. He also is a non-resident fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, an associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin, an associated researcher at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome, and a member of Team Europe Direct, the European Commission’s expert network. In addition, he is an adjunct faculty at the Hertie School in Berlin and has taught at international universities, including the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and the Faculty of World Studies at Tehran University. Cornelius studied Political Science (International Relations), Philosophy, Public Law, and International Economics in Tübingen, Paris, and at the Free University of Berlin, graduating in 2001. He earned his PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) in 2008 and is the author of Europe and Iran: The Nuclear Deal and Beyond (Routledge, 2017).
Zahed Amanullah
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Zahed Amanullah

Resident Senior Fellow, Networks & Outreach

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Zahed Amanullah
Zahed Amanullah

Resident Senior Fellow, Networks & Outreach

Zahed Amanullah is a Resident Senior Fellow at ISD, leading on ISD’s civil society engagement, communications, and partnerships, coordinating the public and private sectors with activists, frontline workers, and relevant civil society networks. He has worked closely with Google.org to support British and European civil society organisations through the Innovation Fund, the Shared Endeavour Fund, and the Google Impact Challenge on Safety. He has given testimony to the UK and European parliaments and has been featured at the BBC, NPR, Channel 4, Sky News, the Guardian, CNN International, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Le Monde Diplomatique, and Newsweek, among others. He has co-authored the ISD reports The Impact of Counternarratives, Between Two Extremes: Responding to Islamist and tribalist messaging online in Kenya during the 2017 elections, and The Innovation Fund to Counter Hate and Extremism in the UK. He holds a BS from the University of California, Berkeley and a Diploma in Management from the University of Bath.
Julia Ebner
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Julia Ebner

Senior Resident Research Fellow

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Julia Ebner
Julia Ebner

Senior Resident Research Fellow

Julia Ebner is a Senior Resident Research Fellow at ISD, specialising in far-right extremism, reciprocal radicalisation, conspiracy myths and terrorism prevention. Julia regularly advises parliamentary working groups, intelligence agencies and tech firms, and delivers guest lectures at universities. She acted as a consultant on counter-terrorism for the United Nations. To bring her research findings to wider audiences, Julia has written for newspapers such as the Guardian, Washington Post and Süddeutsche and has appeared on the BBC, Channel 4, CNN, ZDF, ARD, France24 and others. She is an award-winning and bestselling author of several books. Her first book The Rage: The Vicious Circle of Islamist and Far-Right Extremism won the Bruno Kreisky Award for the 2018 Political Book of the Year. Her second book Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists was an international bestseller and has been translated into seven languages. It won the award ‘Wissenschaftsbuch des Jahres 2020’ (Science Book of the Year 2020), as well as the Dr Caspar Einem prize and was long listed for the Gold Dagger Award. Her latest book Going Mainstream: How Extremists Are Taking Over has just been released. In 2023, Julia completed her ESRC-sponsored DPhil in Anthropology at Oxford University (St John's college), where she remains a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion. Based on her academic research, Julia has written many peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapter contributions and her DPhil thesis will be published as a book with Columbia University Press. She holds an MSc (Dist) in International History from London School of Economics and an MSc (Dist) in International Relations from Peking University. Julia completed her undergraduate studies with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy and a BSc in International Business.​ Julia is fluent in English, German and French and has intermediate Spanish and Mandarin skills.  Julia co-authored a range of ISD reports, including The Online Ecosystem of the German Far-Right, The Great Replacement: The Violent Consequences of Mainstreamed Extremism, Mainstreaming Mussolini – How the Extreme Right Attempted to ‘Make Italy Great Again’ in the 2018 Italian Election, The Fringe Insurgency – Connectivity, Convergence and Mainstreaming of the Extreme Right, and Hate at the Push of a Button.
Francesca Arcostanzo
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Francesca Arcostanzo

Director of Digital Analysis Unit

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Francesca Arcostanzo
Francesca Arcostanzo

Director of Digital Analysis Unit

Francesca Arcostanzo is Director of Digital Analysis Unit at ISD, working to ensure our research methods, tools and approaches in the digital analysis space remain consistent and innovative. With a decade of experience in digital research, she is an expert in digital methods, including text network, and statistical analysis of large-scale datasets. Recently, she has been involved in the development of Beam, the ISD-CASM technology that exposes, tracks and confronts online information threats, from disinformation to hate, extremism, information operations, harassment and harmful conspiracy theories. Francesca also holds a PhD in Public Opinion, Political Communication, and Electoral Behaviour from the University of Milan, an MA in Government and Public Communication, and an MSc in Intelligence & ICT. Previously, she served as a Digital Analytics Specialist at the European Central Bank, where she monitored and analysed conversations, disinformation and threats related to ECB policies. She is also a partner at CASM Technology.
Jiore Craig
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Jiore Craig

Resident Senior Fellow, Digital Integrity

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Jiore Craig
Jiore Craig

Resident Senior Fellow, Digital Integrity

Jiore Craig is a Resident Senior Fellow at ISD with focus on Digital Integrity. Her work focuses on safeguarding democracy globally and the wider impact of online harms on society. Jiore advises global leaders on mitigating online harms including work to advance tech policy reform and tech accountability at a global scale. She has extensive international experience, previously spending eight years helping elected officials, political leaders, media organizations, academic institutions and civic society organizations across five continents to research, measure, and effectively mitigate the impact of disinformation and influence operations on public opinion and elections. She previously built a digital research and communications practice serving Europe, Asia, Africa, South and Central America, and the US at a global political consulting firm. Jiore’s work informed the design of major coalition efforts to counter disinformation in the 2020 US and 2019 European Parliament elections. In 2022, Jiore testified for the U.S. Congressional House Administration Elections Subcommittee Hearing on “A Growing Threat: Foreign and Domestic Sources of Disinformation”. She is a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. Her work is cited in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, The L.A. Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and she has been a featured guest in election broadcast programs around the world, including the podcast Pod Save America.
Allison Curtis
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Allison Curtis

Deputy Executive Director, Strong Cities Network

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Allison Curtis
Allison Curtis

Deputy Executive Director, Strong Cities Network

Allison Curtis is the Deputy Executive Director of the Strong Cities Network. She joined the Strong Cities in 2022 as Head of Partnerships and Networks. Previous roles have included Senior Manager for Communications & Strategic Planning at the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) in Malta, where she also led the Institute’s Global Central Authorities and Addressing Homegrown Terrorism Initiatives. Allison also served as Policy Analyst for the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Administrative Unit in The Hague and Senior Policy Officer at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, where she worked on the counter-terrorism, national security and legal portfolios. She has degrees in law and journalism, and a Master’s degree in International Relations.
Kelsey Bjornsgaard
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Kelsey Bjornsgaard

Director of Practice, Strong Cities Network

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Kelsey Bjornsgaard
Kelsey Bjornsgaard

Director of Practice, Strong Cities Network

Kelsey Bjornsgaard is the Director of Practice for the Strong Cities Network where she develops training models and resources to enhance locally-led approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism. She works closely with youth, civil society and national and local government actors to identify good practice, build critical capacities and drive cross-sectoral coordination to promote community-based solutions on a global scale. Kelsey leads the delivery of Strong Cities’ youth pillar, Young Cities, and is driving work on National Local Cooperation. Kelsey holds a Master's in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London and a Bachelor's in European Studies from the University of Oklahoma.
Milo Comerford
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Milo Comerford

Director of Policy & Research, Counter-Extremism

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Milo Comerford
Milo Comerford

Director of Policy & Research, Counter-Extremism

Milo Comerford is Director of Policy & Research, Counter Extremism, leading ISD’s work developing innovative research approaches and policy responses to extremism. Milo regularly briefs senior decision makers around the world on the challenge posed by extremist ideologies, and advises governments and international agencies on building effective strategies for countering extremism. He was previously Senior Analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where he led major research projects on Salafi-jihadi propaganda, international educational responses to extremism, and the transnational far right. His writing and research features frequently in international media and he has made recent broadcast appearances on BBC News, Sky News and Al Jazeera.
Jacob Davey
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Jacob Davey

Director of Policy & Research, Counter-Hate

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Jacob Davey
Jacob Davey

Director of Policy & Research, Counter-Hate

Jacob Davey is the Director of Research & Policy for Far-right and Hate Movements at ISD. Jacob has managed projects focusing on online hate speech, the international far-right and political violence. He has led a number of projects piloting novel models for identifying extremist conversation and hate speech online, including analysis tracking hate groups in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, and is currently leading a major programme of work mitigating hate threats in the US. He has advised national and local policymakers on right-wing extremism, including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. Jacob has managed and co-authored numerous ISD reports including Between Conspiracy and Extremism: A Long COVID Threat?, ISD’s Gaming and Extremism Series, and A Safe Space to Hate: White Supremacist Mobilisation on Telegram.
Isabelle Frances-Wright
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Isabelle Frances-Wright

Director of Technology and Society, ISD US

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Isabelle Frances-Wright
Isabelle Frances-Wright

Director of Technology and Society, ISD US

Isabelle Frances-Wright is Director of Technology and Society at ISD US, where her work focuses on the impacts of current and emerging technologies on civic discourse and the online information ecosystem.   Previously, Isabelle was the Global Head of Election and Civic Integrity Policy at TikTok, where she led the development of policies to combat election misinformation, coordinated inauthentic behavior and synthetic media. She also built and led the company's operation centers for rapid response for both elections and high-risk civic events.  Prior to that, Isabelle served as Digital and Technology Director at The Messina Group, led by President Obama's former campaign director Jim Messina, where she worked on electoral, legislative and advocacy campaigns both domestically and internationally.  Her work has been recognized and featured by leading media outlets including The New York Times, NBC, USA Today, CNN, BBC and Fast Company. An active member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media, Isabelle also lends her expertise to the national advisory board of election integrity nonprofit Keep Our Republic. 
Gil Jung
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Gil Jung

Director of Communications and Events, ISD Germany

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Gil Jung
Gil Jung

Director of Communications and Events, ISD Germany

Gil Jung is the Director of Communications and Events at ISD Germany. As a communications expert with many years of international experience, Gil acts as ISD Germany’s main interface between the media, key stakeholders and programme teams, as well as on all organizational matters. Gil worked as a journalist in Bonn London and Paris before switching to public relations. She has left a broad portfolio of clients from the private sector behind to support the strategic expansion of ISD Germany in the DACH region.
Katherine Keneally
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Katherine Keneally

Director of Threat Analysis and Prevention, ISD US

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Katherine Keneally
Katherine Keneally

Director of Threat Analysis and Prevention, ISD US

Katherine is the Director of Threat Analysis and Prevention, ISD US. Katherine leads the strategic thinking and projects that track online to offline threats of political violence across the ideological spectrum at the intersection of extremism, hate and disinformation in the US. She additionally advises civil society, law enforcement and government stakeholders on political violence detection, prevention and rapid response. She has been a guest on BBC and CSPAN, and her work has been referenced in The New York Times, Salon and The Hill.

Prior to joining ISD, Katherine consulted and led research for the US government related to human trafficking and hostage taking. She also was an Intelligence Research Specialist at the NYPD Intelligence Bureau's Racially/Ethnically Motivated Extremism Unit ("REME") where she supported terrorism investigations and tactical and strategic research related to individuals and groups affiliated with politically- and ethnically-motivated, as well as single-issue, extremist ideologies. Katherine has a Master of Arts Degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Studies and History from Rocky Mountain College.
Duaa Khalid
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Duaa Khalid

Director of Project Operations, Strong Cities Network

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Duaa Khalid
Duaa Khalid

Director of Project Operations, Strong Cities Network

Duaa Khalid is the Director of the Strong Cities Network (SCN) Project Operations at ISD, leading on all SCN operational management including grant management, financial management, new business development, compliance, procurement, risk management and resource management. Duaa has 15 years of experience working with non-profit organisations and international charities managing international programs and donor relationships with DFID, EU and USAID, among others. Previously, she worked with Save the Children UK and Marie Stopes International. Duaa holds a BSc Hons in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE).
Jennie King
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Jennie King

Director of Climate Disinformation Research and Policy

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Jennie King
Jennie King

Director of Climate Disinformation Research and Policy

Jennie King is the Director of Climate Disinformation Research and Policy, leading efforts to translate ISD's digital research into frontline programming and response. Through ISD, she helped found Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), a coalition of over 50 organisations working to identify, analyse and counter climate disinformation worldwide. She has spearheaded investigations on climate denialism and ‘discourses of delay’ in the contexts of Australia, Canada, Central Europe, Germany, South Africa, the US and UK, as well as co-authored a number of ISD’s flagship reports on this issue. Jennie also helped design, and currently manages, the COP Intelligence Units on behalf of CAAD, leading over 15 partners to produce real-time monitoring of mis- and disinformation around climate summits.
Sina Laubenstein
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Sina Laubenstein

Director of Programs, ISD Germany

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Sina Laubenstein
Sina Laubenstein

Director of Programs, ISD Germany

Sina Laubenstein is the Director of Programs for ISD Germany, designing and implementing the regional strategy of the Berlin-based entity and driving the strategic expansion of ISD’s portfolio in Europe. She is responsible for the inter-entity collaboration, connecting ISD Germany’s outputs and objectives to the global organisation and the wider team. At ISD, Sina is also leading a project on monitoring online gender-based violence around the 2024 European election and is co-leading the Coalition to Counter Online-Antisemitism (CCOA). She additionally was the co-developer behind the curriculum of the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D). Sina previously consulted on a law against digital violence, advising policymakers and the German government, and up until 2021, as a recognised expert in the field, she led an international project focusing on hate speech online.
Lara Petricevic-Williams
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Lara Petricevic-Williams

Director of Global Engagement, Strong Cities Network

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Lara Petricevic-Williams
Lara Petricevic-Williams

Director of Global Engagement, Strong Cities Network

Lara Petricevic-Williams is the Director of Global Engagement overseeing the work of Strong Cities’ Regional Hubs, managing regional senior staff and partners to ensure that the Network’s activities address the needs of cities and local governments on preventing and responding to hate, extremism and polarisation and related resilience and security challenges. She previously served as a Senior Operations Manager at ISD, working primarily on East Africa programmes, and providing support to ISD’s growth and business development efforts. Her earlier positions have included Resident Regional Director for the Great Lakes and Southern Africa at the International Republican Institute, managing multi-million and multi-donor projects in the region and spearheading business development efforts. She is an experienced democracy and governance professional with more than 20 years of experience in the Balkans, Middle East, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. She holds a Master of Science in International Economics from John Naisbitt University and a BA in International Business from the Grenoble School of Management. She is fluent in Croatian/Serbian and English, and has conversational French.
Melanie Smith
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Melanie Smith

Director of Research, ISD US

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Melanie Smith
Melanie Smith

Director of Research, ISD US

Melanie Smith is the Director of Research for ISD US. Based in Washington DC, she leads a team of analysts focused on detecting, exposing and mitigating the threats associated with online information operations. Melanie was previously the Director of Analysis at the network analytics firm Graphika, re-joining ISD in 2021 to expand the organization’s research portfolio in the US. Her recent work has focused on topics like state-backed influence campaigns, public health misinformation and election-related violence.
Tim Squirrell
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Tim Squirrell

Director of Communications and Editorial

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Tim Squirrell
Tim Squirrell

Director of Communications and Editorial

Tim Squirrell is the Director of Communications & Editorial at ISD. He is responsible for managing the Institute's communications strategy, ensuring that publications reach the right audiences and that ISD continues to drive the discussion around areas of extremism, hate, polarisation and disinformation. He previously worked as a senior advisor on counter-terrorism to the British government, providing expert insights on right-wing, misogynist and esoteric extremist and terrorist threats. Tim holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote his thesis on the social dynamics of online communities.
Henry Tuck
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Henry Tuck

Director of Digital Policy

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Henry Tuck
Henry Tuck

Director of Digital Policy

Henry Tuck is the Director of Digital Policy at ISD, where he leads Advisory work on digital regulation and tech company responses to terrorism, extremism, hate and dis/misinformation online. Henry oversees ISD’s Digital Policy Lab (DPL) and engagement on key digital regulation proposals in Europe and Five Eyes countries, advises key governments, international organisations and major private sector tech companies, and collaborates with ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit to translate research into actionable digital policy recommendations. Having joined ISD in 2013, Henry has previously worked across a variety of ISD’s Analysis and Action programmes, including education, on- and offline counter-extremism interventions, and civil society networks. Henry holds a Masters in International Conflict Studies from Kings College London, and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Durham University. 
Jan Nicola Beyer
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Jan Nicola Beyer

Senior Digital Methods Manager and Technical Lead

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Jan Nicola Beyer
Jan Nicola Beyer

Senior Digital Methods Manager and Technical Lead

Jan Nicola Beyer is a Senior Digital Methods Manager and Technical Lead at ISD Germany. Amongst his roles, Jan supports the Digital Analysis Unit (DAU) in the development and standardisation of research methods. He is significantly involved in the development of new digital research approaches that enable complex analyses of data from social media. Jan does this as part of the NOTORIOUS project in cooperation with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) and the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute (HBI) in Hamburg.

Prior to joining ISD Germany, Jan worked for Democracy Reporting International (DRI), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and numerous other NGOs and consultancies. His academic background includes a Bachelor in European Studies from Maastricht University, a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Political Science from Oxford University and a Doctorate (PhD) in Political Science, jointly awarded by the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE). Jan has contributed to reporting from media outlets such as Politico, BBC, Euroactive and Verfassungsblog on critical issues around disinformation, digital policy and the risks of technological change.
Anne Craanen
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Anne Craanen

Senior Research and Policy Manager, Extremism

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Anne Craanen
Anne Craanen

Senior Research and Policy Manager, Extremism

Anne Craanen is a Senior Research and Policy Manager, Extremism, specialising in gender and extremism, regulatory approaches to online terrorist and extremist content, and countering extremism and terrorism. Anne has presented her work to various stakeholders, including supranational institutions such as the European Internet Forum and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, as well as national governments, tech companies and civil society organisations. Anne is currently pursuing a part-time PhD at Swansea University, researching online misogyny and offline violence, with a focus on extremism and violence against women and girls. Previously, she worked as a Research Manager at Tech Against Terrorism, where she led the Terrorist Content Analytics Platform (TCAP), a tool designed to alert tech companies to terrorist content. Anne has also held positions at Artis International, Dataminr, and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR).
Nathan Doctor
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Nathan Doctor

Senior Digital Methods Manager, ISD US

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Nathan Doctor
Nathan Doctor

Senior Digital Methods Manager, ISD US

Nathan Doctor is a Senior Digital Methods Manager at ISD US, where he focuses on liaising with technology partners and innovating ISD's digital research. Previously, he led research into mis- and disinformation, hate speech, and extremism at Storyful and supported the US Department of Homeland Security as an OSINT analyst. Nathan holds a masters in International Security from Sciences Po.
Mauritius Dorn
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Mauritius Dorn

Senior Digital Policy and Education Manager

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Mauritius Dorn
Mauritius Dorn

Senior Digital Policy and Education Manager

Mauritius Dorn is a Senior Digital Policy and Education Manager at ISD Germany, where he coordinates ISD’s digital policy recommendations on election-related online harms and presents them to political stakeholders at EU level and in Germany. He conducts disinformation trainings with political parties and candidates, coordinates with other stakeholders from academia and civil society, and assists in the design of awareness campaigns. Mauritius is also involved in the Digital Policy Lab (DPL), a new intergovernmental working group focused on policy responses to prevent and counter online disinformation, hate speech and extremism. Previously, Mauritius worked as a public affairs consultant in Berlin, advising clients from the public and private sector on their lobbying strategies in the area of digital policy and digital economy. Mauritius holds a MSc double degree in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and Fudan University, and a BA in Sociology, Politics and Economics from Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen.
Simeon Dukić
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Simeon Dukić

Deputy Director of Global Engagement, Strong CIties Network

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Simeon Dukić
Simeon Dukić

Deputy Director of Global Engagement, Strong CIties Network

Simeon Dukić is the Deputy Director of Global Engagement for Strong Cities, overseeing the Network’s Regional Hubs in the Western Balkans and South Asia. His key responsibilities include facilitating city-to-city learning and national-local coordination, while supporting the deployment of local initiatives based on member needs. Simeon also supports strategic Central and East European city engagement under the Strong Cities Transatlantic Dialogue initiative. He previously served as a Project Associate at the National Committee for Countering Violent Extremism and Counterterrorism of the Republic of North Macedonia, where he supported the coordination of 22 government ministries, CSOs, and multilateral and regional counterparts, and was involved in the drafting of the country’s first National CVE Strategy. He holds an MA (Distinction) in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London and a BA (Magna Cum Laude) in Global Challenges from Leiden University College. He is fluent in Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian and English, and has intermediate proficiency in Russian.
Aoife Gallagher
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Aoife Gallagher

Senior Analyst

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Aoife Gallagher
Aoife Gallagher

Senior Analyst

Aoife Gallagher is a Senior Analyst on ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit, focusing on the intersection between far-right extremism, disinformation and conspiracy theories and using a mixture of data analysis, open source intelligence and investigative techniques to understand the online ecosystem where these ideas flourish and spread. Previously, Aoife was a journalist with the online news agency, Storyful. She is the author of the book Web of Lies – The Lure and Danger of Conspiracy Theories and co-author of the ISD reports The Genesis of a Conspiracy Theory and Ill Advice: A Case Study in Facebook’s Failure to Tackle COVID-19 Disinformation.  
Jakob Guhl
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Jakob Guhl

Senior Manager, Policy & Research

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Jakob Guhl
Jakob Guhl

Senior Manager, Policy & Research

Jakob Guhl is a Senior Manager, Policy & Research, at ISD, where he works within the Digital Research Unit and with ISD Germany. His research focuses on the far-right, Islamist extremism, hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy theories. Jakob is a frequent commentator on German radio and broadcast and has been invited to present his research on online hate to the German Ministry of the Justice and provided evidence to the German Minister of the Interior and the German Family Minister on how to strengthen prevention against right-wing extremism and antisemitism. His research has been featured in Die Zeit, The Guardian, DW, The Telegraph, CNN, Euronews, Coda Story, Vice, Politico, New Republic and Die Welt, among others. Additionally, he has published articles in the “Journal for Deradicalisation”, “Demokratie gegen Menschenfeindlichkeit”, Taz, Der Standard, New Statesman and GNET, and contributed to edited volumes about antisemitism on social media, conspiracy theories and the origins of contemporary political anger. He is the co-author of the ISD reports Researching the Evolving Online Ecosystem: Barriers, Methods and Future Challenges, Gen-Z & The Digital Salafi Ecosystem, Crisis and Loss of Control: German-Language Digital Extremism in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hosting the ‘Holohoax’: A Snapshot of Holocaust Denial Across Social Media, A Safe Space to Hate: White Supremacist Mobilisation on Telegram and The Online Ecosystem of the German Far-Right. Jakob holds an MA in Terrorism, Security and Society from King’s College London.
Jared Holt
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Jared Holt

Senior Research Analyst, ISD US

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Jared Holt
Jared Holt

Senior Research Analyst, ISD US

Jared Holt is Senior Research Analyst at ISD, working on the topics of hate and extremism in the United States. He has authored definitive research and investigative reports scrutinising the overlap between technology and US political extremism. Jared frequently provides expert commentary and analysis to national media outlets and policymakers, helping to educate public audiences and institutions about the subject matters he examines. Prior to joining ISD, he worked at The Atlantic Council's DFRLab, Right Wing Watch and Media Matters for America. His journalism work has been published in national outlets including The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Columbia Journalism Review, HuffPost and GEN Magazine. He is based in Chicago.
Łukasz Janulewicz
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Łukasz Janulewicz

Senior Analyst

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Łukasz Janulewicz
Łukasz Janulewicz

Senior Analyst

Łukasz Janulewicz is a Senior Analyst at ISD, focusing on climate disinformation in Poland and Germany. He previously worked at the Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM) in Warsaw, the Central European University in Budapest and the Bavarian State Parliament in Munich. Łukasz graduated in Political Science from the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent. At ISD, he has co-authored the research report: “Kalter Wind von Rechts: Wie rechte Parteien und Akteur:innen die Klimakrise zu ihren Gunsten missbrauchen Eine Analyse über falsche Fakten, Feindbilder und Desinformationsnarrative im Umfeld der Bundestagswahl 2021.”
Charlotte Moeyens
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Charlotte Moeyens

Senior Manager, Networks & Civic Action

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Charlotte Moeyens
Charlotte Moeyens

Senior Manager, Networks & Civic Action

Charlotte Moeyens is a Senior Manager, Networks & Civic Action, at ISD, sitting in the central Resources and Methods team to support with the collation and distribution of counter-extremism best practice, overseeing the development and international delivery of training modules, materials and resources for practitioners and civil society. She has supported the delivery of the Google.org Impact Challenge on Safety in Europe, Africa Online Safety Fund and Mayor of London’s Shared Endeavour Fund. Most recently, she is working with the McCain Institute to develop and build the capacity of a US Prevention and Intervention Practitioners Network. Charlotte also forms part of the Strong Cities Network's (SCN) Central Management Unit, and is co-author of the SCN's Multi-Agency Models for Preventing Violent Extremism: A Guidebook for Bangladesh, as well as ISD reports YouthCAN: The Many States of Activism and Women, Girls and Islamist Extremism.
Beatriz Saab
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Beatriz Saab

Digital Methods and Policy Manager, ISD Germany

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Beatriz Saab
Beatriz Saab

Digital Methods and Policy Manager, ISD Germany

Beatriz Saab is a Digital Methods and Policy Manager at ISD Germany. Beatriz focuses on developing and ensuring robust implementation of digital methods, innovating ISD's digital research, and aligning digital research with policy development efforts. Prior to joining ISD, Beatriz worked as a Digital Democracy Researcher at Democracy Reporting International, where she led research on disinformation, information operations, hate speech and generative artificial intelligence. She also developed a social media monitoring curriculum, conducting training for other researchers and CSOs who aimed to monitor digital platforms. Beatriz led the work at the intersection of policy and research, analysing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the impact of data access on European researchers. She is originally from Brazil and brings extensive expertise in the Latin American political landscape. Beatriz holds a master's degree in public policy from the Hertie School in Berlin and a bachelor's degree in public administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil. 
Ciarán O’Connor
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Ciarán O’Connor

Senior Analyst

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Ciarán O’Connor
Ciarán O’Connor

Senior Analyst

Ciarán O’Connor is a Senior Analyst at ISD, working in the Research and Policy unit. Ciarán specialises in using open-source research to track and monitor disinformation and extremism online, with a particular focus on far-right activity and communication across open and closed networks and platforms. Ciarán is currently working on multiple ISD projects in analysing the intersection of misinformation and extremism with COVID-19 on social media. Ciarán previously worked as a journalist on the investigations team at Storyful, a social media news agency that specialises in the verification and analysis of amateur footage and misinformation online. He is the co-author of ISD reports The Boom Before the Ban: QAnon and Facebook and Disinformation briefing: Narratives around Black Lives Matter and voter fraud.
Helena Schwertheim
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Helena Schwertheim

Senior Digital Policy and Research Manager

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Helena Schwertheim
Helena Schwertheim

Senior Digital Policy and Research Manager

Helena Schwertheim is a Senior Digital Policy and Research Manager at ISD. She leads the Digital Policy Lab (DPL), an intergovernmental working group focused on policy responses to prevent and counter disinformation, hate speech and extremism. As part of the Digital Policy Team, Helena advises key governments, international organisations and tech companies, and collaborates with ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit to translate research into actionable digital policy recommendations, with a focus on Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Previously, Helena managed digital policy and research projects at Democracy Reporting International. She also has experience working in risk and political analysis in international organisations and think tanks, including at the UN World Food Programme in Rome, and the think tank International IDEA in Stockholm. 
Olga Tokariuk
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Olga Tokariuk

Senior Analyst

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Olga Tokariuk
Olga Tokariuk

Senior Analyst

Olga Tokariuk is a Senior Analyst at ISD. Her research is focused on state-sponsored information operations and disinformation, particularly in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Olga is an Academy Associate at Chatham House’s Ukraine Forum and an Associate at Imperial War Museums. Prior to joining ISD, Olga was a fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, where she researched the role of humour as an antidote to disinformation. Olga's background is in journalism. Her work and commentary has been featured in TIME, The Washington Post, NPR, BBC, Monocle, EFE, ANSA, and other international and Ukrainian media.
Max Read
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Max Read

Senior Research Manager

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Max Read
Max Read

Senior Research Manager

Max Read is a Senior Research Manager at ISD, where he researches disinformation’s impact on elections and political processes. Prior to joining ISD, Max worked at the National Democratic Institute managing democracy and governance assistance programs in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. He has also worked with national and state-level political campaigns on mitigating information threats.
Jordan Reimer
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Jordan Reimer

Senior Manager for North America, Strong Cities Network

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Jordan Reimer
Jordan Reimer

Senior Manager for North America, Strong Cities Network

Jordan Reimer is the Senior Manager for North America at the Strong Cities Network, responsible for managing prevention programming in the United States and Canada, and assisting in the development of local prevention frameworks and the provision of capacity-building efforts. Prior to joining the Strong Cities Management Unit, Jordan was the ISD Senior Manager for Threat Prevention, where he managed projects related to targeted violence detection and built relationships with relevant stakeholders to share information on salient threats. He has also served as a policy analyst at RAND, focusing on targeted violence prevention and countering disinformation; an intelligence analyst for the NYPD, specializing in counter-terrorism investigations related to the Syrian civil war and the foreign fighter threat; and a Middle East policymaker at the US State Department and Department of Defense. He is a recipient of Princeton’s Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative fellowship and has a Master's in Public Affairs (International Relations) from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
Kevin D. Reyes
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Kevin D. Reyes

Senior OSINT Specialist, ISD US

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Kevin D. Reyes
Kevin D. Reyes

Senior OSINT Specialist, ISD US

Kevin D. Reyes is a Senior OSINT Specialist at ISD, where he leads methodology for open-source investigations and researches online hate, extremism, conspiracy theories, and disinformation. He also teaches open-source investigations as an adjunct instructor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. 

A recognized digital investigator, Kevin was previously director of research and intelligence at a consulting firm, where he conducted and managed hundreds of open-source and undercover investigations into illicit trade and transnational crime for Fortune 500 clients. Some of these investigations led to landmark civil cases as well as criminal prosecution by agencies within the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, among others. He also worked in law library management at several law schools, and in international criminal law research at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights in Washington DC and at the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law. 

Reyes is highly engaged in the development of the OSINT field. While at Berkeley's Human Rights Center in 2016, he helped launch the first university-based, open-source investigations lab of its kind to discover and verify human rights violations and potential war crimes. He was consulting editor of Digital Witness: Using Open Source Information for Human Rights Investigation, Documentation, and Accountability (Oxford University Press, 2020), the first book of its kind to teach the methods and best-practice of open-source research featuring contributions from other leaders in the field. He contributed to early work that led to the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations (2022), the first-ever manual on the effective use of open-source information in international criminal and human rights investigations, published by the United Nations. 

Kevin is a first-generation graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. His research and expertise have also been showcased in a variety of media outlets including ABC News, the Hill, Politico, Politifact, VICE, and NHK.
Nathalie Rücker
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Nathalie Rücker

Senior Manager, Capacity Building & Civic Action, ISD Germany

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Nathalie Rücker
Nathalie Rücker

Senior Manager, Capacity Building & Civic Action, ISD Germany

Nathalie Rücker is Senior Manager, Capacity Building and Civic Action for ISD Germany. She manages the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D) project and also co-leads the project "Pan European Coalition against Online Antisemitism" (CCOA). Previously, Nathalie worked at the intersection of peacebuilding research, conflict prevention and human rights education, in Germany and abroad, focusing on global citizenship education and the capacity building of civil society actors. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Public International Law and International Relations and is a trained conflict mediator.
Saba Yassin
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Saba Yassin

Senior Programme Manager, ISD Jordan

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Saba Yassin
Saba Yassin

Senior Programme Manager, ISD Jordan

Saba Yassin is a Senior Programme Manager at ISD Jordan, where she assists in leading the regional team and managing local projects including the Youth Civic Action Academy and Strengthening Prevention and Response Mechanisms to Intersectional Online Hate Speech in Jordan. Saba works closely with civil society and government entities to develop tactics on countering hate speech and disinformation, as well as involving different stakeholders to build critical capacities and drive the change. Saba has regional experience with different international organisations and holds the unique accreditation as “Certified Dialogue Education Teacher™”.
Elise Thomas 
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Elise Thomas 

Senior Analyst, OSINT

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Elise Thomas 
Elise Thomas 

Senior Analyst, OSINT

Elise Thomas is a Senior OSINT Analyst at ISD, with a background in researching state-linked information operations, disinformation, conspiracy theories and the online dynamics of political movements. She also freelances as a journalist, and her work has appeared in Bellingcat, Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast, Wired and others. She is the author of Recommended Reading: Amazon’s algorithms, conspiracy theories and extremist literature and The Long Tail of Influence Operations: A Case Study on News Front and the co-author of COVID-19 Disinformation Briefing No.4.
Emma Armfield
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Emma Armfield

Global Finance Manager

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Emma Armfield
Emma Armfield

Global Finance Manager

Emma Armfield is Global Finance Manager at ISD, responsible for the day to day running of the office finances. She has 16 years' experience working within finance across various sectors and is a fully qualified member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).
Alice Bartz
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Alice Bartz

Programme Operations Manager

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Alice Bartz
Alice Bartz

Programme Operations Manager

Alice Bartz is a Programme Operations Manager at ISD. She is responsible for project and grant managements, operational delivery and fundraising activities for projects sitting under ISD’s programmes portfolio across Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Alice has over a decade of experience in a range of project and grant management roles across the non-profit sector, in the UK and on the international level.
Hanna Börgmann
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Hanna Börgmann

Educator at the Business Council for Democracy, ISD Germany

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Hanna Börgmann
Hanna Börgmann

Educator at the Business Council for Democracy, ISD Germany

Hanna Börgmann is leading the research project "Countering Radicalization in Right-Wing Extremist Online Subcultures” at ISD Germany. She also works as an Educator for the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D), where she empowers employees to deal with hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy ideology online. Prior to joining ISD Germany, Hanna worked as a public sector consultant on digital transformation projects for PwC Germany and as a project coordinator for German-Israeli exchange in the field of innovation, including artificial intelligence, at ELNET Germany. Previously, Hanna earned her Master's degree in International Affairs at the Hertie School in Berlin, where she conducted research on antisemitic radicalization and mobilization in the image board subcultures of the so-called Chans, using the terrorist attack on the synagogue in Halle, Germany, as a case study.
Gabriel Camilleri
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Gabriel Camilleri

Communications Manager, Strong Cities Network

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Gabriel Camilleri
Gabriel Camilleri

Communications Manager, Strong Cities Network

Gabriel is the Communications Manager for the Strong Cities Network, leading internal and external communications efforts and implementation of the Network’s communications strategy. Gabriel previously served as Communications Officer for the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) in Malta, supporting delivery of counter-terrorism capacity-building in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. He also served as Local Assistant for a Member of the European Parliament. Gabriel holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Politics and Communications and a Master’s degree in Creativity and Innovation Management from the University of Malta.
Lucy Cooper
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Lucy Cooper

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

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Lucy Cooper
Lucy Cooper

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

Lucy Cooper is a Digital Research Analyst at ISD US. Lucy holds a BA in political science from Barnard College of Columbia University, where she focused on political behavior, voting and elections in the United States. She has previously worked on political campaigns in Michigan and as a research assistant.
Valeria de la Fuente
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Valeria de la Fuente

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

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Valeria de la Fuente
Valeria de la Fuente

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

Valeria de la Fuente is a Digital Research Analyst at ISD US, where she focuses on analyzing online harms and assessing their impact on civic discourse, with an emphasis on platform accountability. Previously, she worked as a Press and Public Relations Coordinator at ISD US where she managed ISD's media relations and public outreach initiatives. Prior to joining ISD, Valeria was a research assistant at the Program on Extremism, where she focused on violent extremist movements and trends across the US. She also worked at the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy on the Israeli-Arab relations portfolio and was a helpline assistant at Parents for Peace assisting in counter-radicalization interventions. She holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Criminology from the University of Seville. 
Dominik Hammer
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Dominik Hammer

Research Manager, ISD Germany

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Dominik Hammer
Dominik Hammer

Research Manager, ISD Germany

Dominik Hammer is a Research Manager at ISD Germany. Dominik focuses on the analysis of far-right online activities with an emphasis on qualitative research. Dominik’s prior research focused on democratic theory, the strengthening of democratic praxis and the analysis of antidemocratic movements. Dominik holds a MA in Political Science from the Dresden University of Technology and a BA in Governance and Public Policy from the University of Passau. He is currently working on his PhD in Political Theory.
Ellen Jacobs
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Ellen Jacobs

Digital Policy Manager, ISD US

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Ellen Jacobs
Ellen Jacobs

Digital Policy Manager, ISD US

Ellen Jacobs is a Digital Policy Manager for ISD US. She focuses on mitigating the effects of online harms, including those from disinformation, extremism and hate speech, by advancing ISD’s digital policy and tech accountability objectives. In her role, she represents ISD to a diverse array of stakeholders including elected officials, NGOs, academics, researchers, and others interested in platform accountability and regulation. Prior to joining ISD, Ellen was at the Omidyar Network, where her funding and advocacy work focused on issues related to platform accountability and open source technologies. Ellen holds an MIA in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy from Columbia SIPA and a BA in International Studies from the University of Chicago.
Sabine Lawrence
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Sabine Lawrence

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

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Sabine Lawrence
Sabine Lawrence

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

Sabine Lawrence (she/they) is a Digital Research Analyst at ISD US, where she researches online hate, extremism and disinformation in the US. Prior to joining ISD, Sabine worked for Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research as a Digital Research Associate tracking disinformation narratives during the 2020 election and Fors Marsh Group fighting COVID-19 disinformation. Sabine holds a BSc in Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University School of World Studies, where she wrote her thesis on the philosophy and social dynamics of involuntarily celibate (incel) communities.
Ever Mack
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Ever Mack

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

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Ever Mack
Ever Mack

Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

Ever Mack is a Digital Research Analyst at ISD US, where she specializes in election research. Prior to joining ISD, she acted as a Voter Protection Manager for One Georgia, Stacey Abrams' Leadership Committee, and was part of the Research and Policy Department at Fair Fight Action. Ever has a BA in Political Science from Howard University, where she focused on international comparative and electoral politics. 
Zoe Manzi
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Zoe Manzi

Analyst, Hate and Extremism

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Zoe Manzi
Zoe Manzi

Analyst, Hate and Extremism

Zoe Manzi is a Hate and Extremism Analyst at ISD. Her research focuses on the intersection between far-Right extremism, hate speech, disinformation, conspiracy theories and online harms. She has expertise in both fringe and mainstream Italian neofascist political and social movements. Whilst at ISD, Zoe has worked on a number of projects using a combination of data analysis, OSINT investigation techniques and online monitoring to identify disinformation campaigns, discern hostile state and bad actor influence operations, and track election interference.
Pablo Maristany de las Casas
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Pablo Maristany de las Casas

Analyst

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Pablo Maristany de las Casas
Pablo Maristany de las Casas

Analyst

Pablo Maristany de las Casas is an Analyst at ISD focusing on pro-Kremlin, pro-CCP, and pro-Iranian information threats to the US and EU and their links to far-right and conspiracy groups, particularly in Germany. Additionally, he researches VLOP's content moderation practices on hateful and extremist content. Previously, Pablo was an Open-Source Researcher for Amnesty International’s Evidence Lab, conducting digital investigations during his one-year tenure at Amnesty Germany and founding the Hertie School Digital Verification Corps chapter. As a Programme Assistant at the Aspen Institute Germany’s GATTD project, he researched AI and platform regulation within the transatlantic relationship. Pablo graduated with an MIA in Human Rights as a recipient of the IPLI Foundation grant and the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes scholarship.
Krystalle Pinilla
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Krystalle Pinilla

Communications Manager

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Krystalle Pinilla
Krystalle Pinilla

Communications Manager

Krystalle Pinilla is a Communications Manager at ISD. She oversees the external written content processes including publications, Dispatch-blog posts, newsletters and other outputs relating to our research, and assists in coordinating digital and broadcast media appearances. Before joining ISD, Krystalle was a Research Intern and Coordinator at the US Department of State, where she focused on CVE programmes, and disinformation in relation to terrorist and violent extremist groups. She has also worked for multiple years as a National Reporter and Editor for NBCUniversal’s Telemundo, a Spanish-language media company in the US. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master's in Geopolitics and Strategic Studies from the University Carlos III of Madrid.
Oscar Portillo-Meza
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Oscar Portillo-Meza

Spanish-language Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

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Oscar Portillo-Meza
Oscar Portillo-Meza

Spanish-language Digital Research Analyst, ISD US

Oscar Portillo-Meza is a Spanish-language Digital Research Analyst at ISD US, where he specializes in analyzing digital ecosystems and addressing online harms affecting diverse audiences in the US. Prior to joining ISD, Oscar worked with civil society groups, academic institutions, and various political entities to understand Latino/Hispanic public opinion and attitudes on a range of issues. He studied history, political science, and economics at the University of South Florida.
Hannah Rose
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Hannah Rose

Analyst, Hate and Extremism

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Hannah Rose
Hannah Rose

Analyst, Hate and Extremism

Hannah Rose is a Hate and Extremism Analyst at ISD, where she researches far-right extremism and antisemitism online. Previously, Hannah worked as a Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, where she authored various reports, including focusing on young people’s involvement in violent extremist networks. Hannah is a PhD candidate in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, researching contemporary antisemitism across the far right. She also holds an MA with distinction from KCL in Terrorism, Security and Society, where she was awarded the department prize for best MA dissertation, and a first-class BA from the University of Bristol. Hannah is a trustee of the Union of Jewish Students in the UK and Ireland.
Cécile Simmons
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Cécile Simmons

Research Manager

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Cécile Simmons
Cécile Simmons

Research Manager

Cécile Simmons is a Research Manager at ISD, specialising in malign influence operations targeting elections, public health and climate disinformation, far-right extremism and conspiracy theories. Her research includes social media network mapping, data analysis and ethnographic monitoring of closed online spaces. Her writing and commentary has been featured by the BBC, The Guardian, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Wired, among others. She previously worked in publishing and journalism, and holds an MSc in International History from the London School of Economics.
Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan
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Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan

Editorial Manager and Analyst

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Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan
Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan

Editorial Manager and Analyst

Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan is an Editorial Manager and Analyst at ISD. In this dual role, Sid works as a front-line editor on ISD’s outputs and provides training to other staff on writing technique. He also carries out analysis on topics including Hindu nationalism, the intersection of finance and misinformation, and the far-right online. Prior to joining ISD, Sid was a journalist at the Financial Times, covering topics ranging from Big Tech to fintech. He holds an MSc in the Social Science of the Internet from Oxford and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.
Marisa Wengeler
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Marisa Wengeler

Educator at the Business Council for Democracy, ISD Germany

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Marisa Wengeler
Marisa Wengeler

Educator at the Business Council for Democracy, ISD Germany

Marisa Wengeler is an Educator at the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D), an adult education project about digital citizenship. She trains employees on building resilience against hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy narratives online. Previously, she worked with different publishing houses on subscription and audience engagement strategies. She holds an M.A. in Journalism and Communication Science from the Free University of Berlin, where she studied mobilisation strategies and topics of populist and anti-democratic actors in digital networks.
Zouhair Racheha
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Zouhair Racheha

Head, Strong Cities Network

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Zouhair Racheha
Zouhair Racheha

Head, Strong Cities Network

Zouhair is Head of the Strong Cities Network’s MENA Regional Hub, leading engagement with local governments across the Middle East and North Africa to promote the Strong Cities mission and facilitate the sharing of lessons learned and approaches to effectively address hate, extremism and polarisation. His key responsibilities include facilitating city-to-city learning and national-local coordination and supporting the operationalisation of multi-stakeholder prevention frameworks. He previously served in various roles at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB), implementing counter-terrorism capacity-building programmes in the Middle East, North Africa, and West Africa. He also served as an Assistant Legal Officer at the Chambers of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He holds a Master’s in Law from the Lebanese University and Master’s in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences from the University of Lyon 3 in France. He speaks Arabic, English and French.
Maria Sarkaz
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Maria Sarkaz

Programme Lead, Strong Cities Network

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Maria Sarkaz
Maria Sarkaz

Programme Lead, Strong Cities Network

Maria serves as the Programme Lead for the Strong Cities Network’s MENA Regional Hub, driving forward engagement with cities and partners and supporting programme delivery across the region on city-led approaches to address hate, extremism and polarisation, and promote city resilience and social cohesion. With previous experience at the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) in Malta, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Administrative Unit, Maria brings valuable expertise to her role. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has a deep passion for Arabic dialects, which helps her understand and truly appreciate the region’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity.
Hicham El Haddad
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Hicham El Haddad

Programme Lead, Strong Cities Network

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Hicham El Haddad
Hicham El Haddad

Programme Lead, Strong Cities Network

Hicham is the Programme Lead for the Strong Cities Network’s MENA Regional Hub, working on strengthening long-term relationships and collaborations with members cities in the Middle East and supporting progamme delivery across the region on city-led approaches to address hate, extremism and polarisation. He previously served as the Executive Manager at PVE for Peace, the Country Manager for Morocco and Tunisia at Viamo, and an International Consultant with various international organisations focusing primarily on addressing issues related to local governance, preventing violent extremism and youth engagement in the MENA region. Hicham holds a Graduate Degree in Human Rights and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Law from Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, and is currently finalising a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Theology from Gottingen University, Germany.
Kirsty McNeill
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Kirsty McNeill

Grants Manager, Strong Cities Network

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Kirsty McNeill
Kirsty McNeill

Grants Manager, Strong Cities Network

Kirsty is the Grants Manager of Strong Cities Projects at ISD. She assists with operational management projects including grant and financial management, business development, compliance, and procurement. Kirsty has over 5 years’ experience in grant management, managing large complex grant programmes funded by the European Union and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She previously worked within KPMG’s Grants Centre of Excellence and as a Senior Project Officer at the Centre for Economic Policy Research. Kirsty holds a Bachelor’s degree in Languages for International Business.
Besim Dogani
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Besim Dogani

Network Officer, Strong Cities Network

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Besim Dogani
Besim Dogani

Network Officer, Strong Cities Network

Besim Dogani serves as Network Officer for the Western Balkans Regional Hub, responsible for coordination with municipalities, communications and network engagement. He has extensive experience in project management and consulting for international actors, governments and non-profit organisations. Prior to joining Strong Cities, he worked for non-profit agencies based in the Balkans and the United States, advising on issues such as social responsibility, education, human rights and prevention. He served as a Member and Vice Chair of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia. He holds degrees in literature and marketing management and speaks fluent Albanian, Macedonian and English, and conversational Turkish and Bosnian.
Nicolaus Limbourg
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Nicolaus Limbourg

Nicolaus Limbourg, Project Coordinator for BC4D & EA for ISD Germany

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Nicolaus Limbourg
Nicolaus Limbourg

Nicolaus Limbourg, Project Coordinator for BC4D & EA for ISD Germany

Nicolaus Limbourg is a Project Coordinator at the Business Council for Democracy (BC4D), which offers training for adult employees to promote resilience against digital threats to democracy, such as hate speech, misinformation and conspiracy narratives. In addition, he provides support as the Executive Assistant for ISD Germany operation management. Previously, he worked in the field of conflict mediation in the Middle East with a focus on Israel-Palestine. Nicolaus holds a Master's degree in MSc Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. His focus was on analysing the development of Hezbollah, its role in the Levant region, and its transition from an armed resistance group to an armed non-state actor.
David Leenstra
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David Leenstra

Networks and Membership Coordinator, Strong Cities Network

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David Leenstra
David Leenstra

Networks and Membership Coordinator, Strong Cities Network

David Leenstra is the Networks & Membership Coordinator for the Strong Cities Network, supporting day-to-day engagement with member cities and liaising with local governments interested in joining the Network. He is also involved in developing and implementing strategies to improve Strong Cities’ outreach and engagement with members. Prior to joining the Strong Cities Management Unit, David was an ISD Research Associate, contributing to a wide range of research projects focusing on extremism, hate and conspiracy theories online. He has also conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Flanders on right-wing extremist youth movements and research on Islamic State online propaganda, politics and legitimation strategies. He holds Master’s degrees in Conflict Studies & Human Rights from Utrecht University and in International Relations History from the University of Amsterdam.
Eden Davita Shankar
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Eden Davita Shankar

Operations Coordinator

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Eden Davita Shankar
Eden Davita Shankar

Operations Coordinator

Eden Shankar is the Operations Coordinator at ISD Germany. She supports the operations team in all areas of office management, recruitment and staff onboarding, and provides support to individual project coordinators. Previously, she worked in the non-profit sector, specifically in policy and advocacy at The Anonymous Indian Charitable Trust in India, and as a project coordinator at Conversation Over Borders— a refugee charity in the UK. Eden holds a BA in International Development from the University of Sussex.
Sameen Zehra
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Sameen Zehra

Youth Civic Action Coordinator, Young Cities

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Sameen Zehra
Sameen Zehra

Youth Civic Action Coordinator, Young Cities

Sameen is a Youth Civic Action Coordinator at Young Cities, Strong Cities’ youth pillar. She supports delivery of programmes, assists in developing online communications and campaigns, and supports youth activists and their projects in Belgium and Pakistan. She previously worked for the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), developing strategic communications and digital advocacy campaigns, and coordinating a multimedia training programme for local women-led peacebuilding organisations. As a graduate student, she served as a consultant for the UN Counterterrorism Executive Directorate and the Ugandan-based African Youth Initiative Network. She holds an MS in Global Affairs with a peacebuilding specialisation from New York University, and a BA in Peace, Conflict and Justice from the University of Toronto.
Caroline Wade
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Caroline Wade

Project Coordinator for North America, Strong Cities Network

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Caroline Wade
Caroline Wade

Project Coordinator for North America, Strong Cities Network

Caroline Wade is the Strong Cities Network's Project Coordinator for North America, responsible for delivering project activities across a range of city-level stakeholders in North America. She is supporting Strong Cities' development of a newly-funded program focused on small and mid-size cities in the United States, as well as programming and partnership opportunities across the North America region. Prior to joining Strong Cities, Caroline was an analyst at Moonshot delivering a wide range of research and intervention programming focused on preventing domestic violent extremism in the US. Her subject matter expertise focuses on racially- and ethnically-motivated violent extremism and anti-government, anti-authority violent extremism in the US.
Guy Fiennes
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Guy Fiennes

Research Associate

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Guy Fiennes
Guy Fiennes

Research Associate

Guy Fiennes is a Research Associate at ISD specialising in Islamist extremism. He is multilingual and a MENA specialist. His research contributes to a wide range of investigations at ISD including projects related to Russian disinformation, far-right extremism and the Israel-Hamas war. Previously, he was Project Coordinator for the NATO & the Global Enduring Disorder Project while it launched the Disorder Podcast. He holds an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies with Persian.
Cosima von Moltke
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Cosima von Moltke

Intern, Threat Analysis, ISD US

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Cosima von Moltke
Cosima von Moltke

Intern, Threat Analysis, ISD US

Cosima von Moltke is a Threat Analyst Intern for ISD US, working across various research projects on violent extremism. She holds a BA in Psychology and World Religions from McGill University, where she focused on the impact and recovery of PTSD. Prior to joining ISD, Cosima worked in threat analysis of international terrorism within the Middle East at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and has extensive experience as a research assistant within the psychology domain.