BECOME A MEMBER

Meet the Team

Behind Accountable Now is a team of accountability experts and practitioners from different sectors and geographies, united by a shared commitment to promoting justice, equality, and accountability. 

Continue reading to learn about our Secretariat, our Board of Trustees and our Independent Review Panel.

Our Secretariat

Ayo Headshot
Ayomide Salifu
She/Her
Design and Communications Consultant
Based in: The Hague, The Netherlands
Hometown: Kogi, Nigeria
Bio
Ayo is an International Communications and Digital Media Specialist with over 7 years experience in corporate, diplomatic and humanitarian communications. Skilled in storytelling, visual communication, community building and employing the right tone, she has spearheaded successful projects in education, health care, sustainable aviation, quantum technology and maritime engineering. She has worked as the communications manager/consultant for a number of organizations including the French Embassy in the Netherlands, the French Embassy in Nigeria, the International Office of Migration in Mali (IOM UN Migration) and is currently consulting for the Maritime Battery Forum.
BaoHan
Bao Han Tran Le
she/her
Head of Accountability Practices and Reporting
Based in: Berlin, Germany
Hometown: HCMC, Vietnam
Bio
Bao Han Tran Le joined Accountable Now in September 2019 as Programme Officer of the Global Standard for CSO Accountability. Bao Han has a background in International Relations, with a Bachelor’s Degree from the London School of Economics and a Master’s in International Relations from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. Prior to joining Accountable Now, Bao Han worked for Youth United Foundation in London where she coordinated a network of 11 most prominent British youth charities. She also has experience interning with the AMAR Charitable Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support UK. She is passionate about the civil society space and equal opportunities. Bao Han is based in Berlin and uses she/her pronouns.
ID_headshot
Joci Cho
She/Her
Project Associate
Based in: Portsmouth, UK
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Bio
Joci Cho is currently an intern at Accountable Now. Joci is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in International Relations and Politics at the University of Portsmouth. She has a special interest in NGO and NPO work, with a focus on education and gender.
McCarthy_Headshot
Katie McCarthy
she/her
Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator
Based in: The Netherlands
Hometown: Wisconsin, USA
Bio
Katie holds a Masters of Arts in Applied Human Rights at the Applied Arts University of Vienna and two bachelors from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As the Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator, she enjoys collaborating with Accountable Now members and partners in creative and humanistic ways. She brings a passion for women’s rights and climate change to the forefront of her work, always viewing things with a 'Human Rights Lens.' Outside of work, Katie enjoys cooking meals for family and friends and spending time outdoors rock climbing!
Megan C
Megan Colnar
she/her
Executive Director
Based in: New York City, USA
Hometown: San Antonio, USA
Bio
Megan Colnar is a recognized expert and thought leader in organizational resilience, strategy and impact, social inclusion, and civil society ecosystems in complex, dynamic social change efforts. As the Executive Director of Accountable Now, she works to expand civil society’s trust, credibility, and enabling environments, alongside leading an incredible coalition of civil society organizations who have committed to doing good, better around the world. Megan honed her skills and passion for robust, resilient civil society over her career, including at Open Society Foundations (OSF) where she pioneered learning and organizational health work that external reviews and evaluations noted for their effectiveness, equity-building, and power shifting impacts across the field; and at The Hunger Project where she advanced state of the art systems, culture, and tools to understand impact and enable community leadership for sustainable development. Megan’s career has included direct experience in more than 50 countries, including significant lived experience in Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, India, Kenya, and the United States (her home country). She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a BA in International Studies and Latin American Studies from Rhodes College. Megan speaks three languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) and is a student of many including French and Swahili. Megan is an American based in New York City and uses she/her pronouns
AC photo (1)
Olivier Biggs
He/Him
MEAL Intern
Based in: Portsmouth, UK
Hometown: London, UK
Bio
Olivier Biggs is currently an intern at Accountable Now. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Portsmouth. He is passionate about other cultures and is excited to start research work for Accountable Now.
Onesimus John Waino
he/him
Associate Chief of Staff and Administration
Based in: Abuja, Nigeria
Hometown: Jen, Nigeria
Bio
Onesimus is a results-driven IT professional with a decade of experience in system design, deployment, maintenance, operations, event management, and digital branding/marketing. With expertise in project management, he enhances non-profit operations through seamless IT integration, ideations, fostering excellent team collaboration and work delivery.
Patricia Escobar
Patricia Escobar
She/Her
Strategic Communications and Data Analytics Intern
Based in: Minnesota, USA
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Bio
Patricia Escobar is pursuing a double major in Economics and Data Science at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As a Strategic Communications and Data Analytics Intern, she enjoys working collaboratively to turn data into meaningful insights. Passionate about social justice, Patricia brings a detail-oriented approach to her projects, always aiming to use data as a tool for positive change. Outside of work, she enjoys playing the guitar and finding new ways to connect creativity with impact.
Picture 1 (1)
Shalom Ejimah
He/Him
Data and Website Management Intern
Based in: Nigeria
Hometown: Kogi, Nigeria
Bio
Shalom is currently an intern at Accountable Now and holds a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. He brings years of experience in IT Support alongside a background in data analytics. Passionate about driving social change, Shalom is dedicated to leveraging his skills to champion minority rights and promote inclusive communities.
Zipporah headshot
Zipporah Ongwenyi
She/Her
Senior Director of Community, Learning, and Strategic Initiatives
Based in: Nairobi, Kenya
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Bio
Zipporah is a dynamic and seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in shaping strategies, fostering learning, and utilizing a holistic approach towards organizational growth and development. She is also Certified Professional Coach, whose passion lies in leveraging her expertise to propel social change and support individuals and organizations towards forward movement in pursuit of their visions. She joins Accountable Now after a previous role with Open Society in Africa as Strategy and Impact manager. Away from work, she is an enthusiastic long-distance runner and has a great love for books.

Our Board of Trustees

Accountable Now’s Board of Trustees is composed of strategic thinkers and passionate change-makers from across the sector and around the world. Approximately 50% of the Trustees represent our member organisations, while the other Board Members serve as Independent Trustees.

Babacar
Babacar Ndong
he/him
Country Director, Educo
Based in: Dakar, Senegal
Bio
Dr. Babacar Ndong has been the Country Director at Educo for almost 3 years. He has over 18 years of experience working in development programs, both with national and international NGOs, with a focus on the fields of education, gender, children’s rights protection, and community development.
Caleb's Headshot
Caleb Jamal Masusu
He/Him
Advocacy Consultant at Restless Development
Based In: Ndola, Zambia
Bio
Caleb J. Masusu is a global advocacy and development practitioner with over a decade of experience advancing inclusive governance, civic participation, and social justice across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the MENA region. His work has focused on strengthening youth civil society, promoting human rights, and amplifying youth and grassroots voices, particularly in restrictive civic spaces. Caleb has led global programs on digital and gender justice, coordinated youth led grant making programs, and engaged with multilateral institutions and lobbied governments to promote more accountable and equitable systems.
Javier's Headshot
Javier Gonzalez Gomez
He/Him
Director of Institutional Development at Ethos Innovation in Public Policy
Based In: Mexico City, Mexico
Bio
Master in Public Policy and Administration (LSE) and Bachelor in Public Administration from El Colegio de México. He has completed specialized courses in public policy in Hungary, France, and Germany. He served as General Director of International Affairs at INAI, National Officer of Democratic Governance at UNDP Mexico, Head of the Internal Oversight Body at the National Polytechnic Institute, and Head of the Government Management and Performance Evaluation Unit at the Ministry of Public Administration, among other responsibilities. At Ethos, he provides cross-cutting support to the various research areas and coordinates efforts in planning, evaluation, and the development of strategic partnerships. Additionally, he has published several texts and articles on public policy evaluation, anti corruption, and development.
JeanScrimgeour
Jean Scrimgeour
she/her
Co-CEO, Chief Operations and Innovation Officer, Accountability Lab
Based in: Washington DC, USA
Bio
Jean Scrimgeour is the co-CEO, chief Operations and Innovation Officer at Accountability Lab. The Accountability Lab makes governance work for people everywhere by supporting active citizens, responsible leaders and accountable institutions. Prior to joining the Lab, Jean worked as a public affairs and democratic governance specialist in the United States, the United Kingdom and Southern Africa for Rotary, the UK Foreign Office, the Westminster Foundation and Voluntary Services Overseas.
Jesselina's Headshot
Jesselina Rana
she/her
United Nations Advisor at CIVICUS
Based In: New York, USA
Bio
Jesselina Rana is a human rights lawyer and social impact entrepreneur from Nepal. She currently serves as the UN Advisor at CIVICUS’ New York Hub, where she leads research and analysis on international law and policy, advocates for civil society participation at the United Nations, and provides strategic guidance on global civic space issues. With over half a decade of experience connecting high-level decision-making with grassroots impact, Jesselina is committed to translating feminist ideals into law, policy, and context-specific practice. Jesselina is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
rbt
Mary Brezovich
she/her
Head of Federation Communications, SOS Children’s Villages International
Based in: Vienna, Austria
Bio
Mary is Head of Federation Communications at SOS Children’s Villages International, the world’s largest NGO focused on supporting children without parental care or at risk of losing it. Among other roles, she is chief editor of the organization’s International Annual Report. She uses storytelling and data to bring complex child rights topics alive for the layperson. Her experience in governance and accountability topics began several years ago as a member of the Statutes Working Group, a project to support the SOS Children’s Villages federation in updating its statutes. She firmly believes in the concept of dynamic accountability and that embedding it in practices can help civil society organizations to achieve their vision. She is very excited to join the board of Accountable Now.
Patricia's Headshot
Patricia Lerner
she/her
Special Advisor to the International Executive Director of Greenpeace International
Based In: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bio
A political economist by training, Pat is a seasoned former US diplomat with an earlier career with USAID leading multicultural teams and delivering assistance programs in the Sahel, the Caribbean, and Central and Eastern Europe. She has been with Greenpeace International in a number of political roles engaging with the UN on climate, energy and sustainable finance, G7 and G20, allies and leading efforts around civic space. She was a founding member of the Vuka Coalition on Civic Space and was elected to the CIVICUS Board twice.
rachel smith
Rachel Smith
she/her
Board Chair , Co-Founder & Global Executive GlobalGiving
Based in: Worcestershire, UK
Bio
Rachel co-founded GlobalGiving UK and leads the organisation to make a genuine and sustained difference in people’s lives. She started GlobalGiving in the UK because of her belief that the development aid sector needs radical change: change that puts people’s dignity and dreams first. She believes that accountability is about building trusted partnerships between people and ensuring enabling conditions and structures are built and designed with dynamic accountability at the heart.
Sarah Rita's Headshot
Sarah Rita Kattan
she/her
Course Director, International Leadership Training at World Scouting
Based In: Beirut, Lebanon
Bio
Sarah Rita Kattan is an architect, educator, and strategic leader with over 15 years of global experience in youth empowerment and education across multicultural contexts. Since 2011, she has held several leadership roles within the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), including Vice Chairperson of the World Scout Committee, where she developed educational strategies and championed youth leadership while promoting safeguarding, accountability, and inclusive governance across World Scouting. As co-founder and executive director of Design for Communities (D4C) in Lebanon, Sarah Rita supports students and young professionals in creating community-centered design projects that combine sustainable, innovative design with meaningful community development. She also teaches at the American University of Beirut, where her work integrates education, leadership, and social impact.
Vanessa-G-blue
Vanessa Goas
she/her
Acting Treasure, Chief Operating Officer, Development Gateway
Based in: Florida, USA
Bio
Vanessa Goas is the Chief Operating Officer at Development Gateway. Vanessa has over 15 years of experience in implementing digital systems and supporting data management, uptake, and usage with governments in Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe – with a focus on public financial management and transparency. Vanessa received an MA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Miami.
Violet's headshot
Violet Tsagka
She/her
Account Executive at Cherokee Federal
Based In: Washington DC, USA
Bio
Violet Tsagka has over 18 years of experience leading nonprofit organizations and global teams, fostering public, private and philanthropic partnerships and collaborations, business development (BD) and fundraising, crisis response, and strategic communications. She currently leads Cherokee Federal's business development work with the US State Department. Before that, she spent over five years leading DT Institute's business development and growth efforts. In addition she served as DT Institute's Co-CEO to support the organization through a leadership transition. Violet has a successful track record of driving growth, delivering measurable social impact, developing talent, and shaping organizational culture. She is passionate about building strong, sustainable relationships with key stakeholders and partners and has experience working with donors in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, including US Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union (EU), the governments of Canada, Sweden, and Germany, as well as multiple philanthropic foundations, family trusts, and high net-worth individuals (HNWI). Violet was born and raised in Greece and earned a Bachelor of Political Science and Public Administration from University of Athens, Greece. She holds a Master's degree in Political Management from George Washington University.

Our Independent Review Panel

Our Independent Review Panel is an international panel of experts in human rights, business, academia and development, that provides thorough feedback on our members’ accountability tools and practices. The panel ensures credibility and integrity of our reporting and action planning process, highlighting good practice and supporting Accountable Now and our members to collectively advance accountability across the civil society sector.

Aferdita Pustina_Foto
Afërdita Pustina
she/her
Civil Society and Civic Tech Expert
Based in: Pristina, Kosovo
Bio
Afërdita Pustina is an expert in civil society and civic tech. Through her work she contributed to furthering democracy in Kosovo by empowering women, youth and civil society to participate in policy and decision-making processes. In the past, she designed the concept and led the implementation the online Digital Platform for Public Participation in Kosovo (platformadigjitale.com, digitalnaplatforma.com).
angela_crack_square
Angela Crack
she/her
Professor of Civil Society
Based in: Portsmouth, UK
Bio
Angela Crack is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Civil Society at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Her research interests include NGO accountability, NGO self-regulation and the role of translation in development work. She has recently conducted a major research project with INTRAC and the University of Reading, which investigated how development NGOs can improve their communication capacity to meet their commitments to listening, participation and feedback (listen to the Accountable Now webinar on this work here!). This has led to ongoing spin-off projects in Malawi and South Sudan, where she is working with communities and local NGOs to co-create practical solutions to language challenges. She has previously served as a Trustee for Amnesty International UK, and worked with several international NGOs as adviser and consultant.
Brendan-Halloran
Brendan Halloran
he/him
International Budget Partnership
Based in: Washington DC, USA
Bio
Brendan Halloran has 15 years of strategy, research, learning and leadership experience on governance and accountability programming from grassroots local action to global initiatives.  Dr. Halloran has held organisational leadership positions in a leading INGO working on fiscal governance (IBP) and the secretariat for a donor collaborative on public governance (TAI), as well as advisory roles in the Open Government Partnership and at American University.
Carlo's Headshot
Carlo Merla
He/Him
Team Leader at NIRAS International Consulting
Based In: Gaborone, Botswana
Bio
Carlo is a passionate civil society activist and practitioner dedicated to advancing social justice and community rights. He began his journey as a street social worker during university before moving on to work with NGOs across Cameroon, Chad, Bolivia and Ecuador. These early experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to partnering with communities to uphold their rights to land, natural resources, sustainable livelihoods and essential public services. Since 2008, Carlo has played a pivotal role in the Publish What You Pay campaign, driving transparency in the extractive industries through strategic advocacy and coalition building. Over the past decade, he has held senior advisory positions focused on strengthening civil society, shaping policy and practice, building capacity across diverse contexts. Today, Carlo leads an EU Civil Society Facility, where he provides strategic guidance on civil society policy and strategy in partner countries, championing inclusive and accountable development.
Person Placeholder
Marina Kobzeva
she/her
Director of Programmes and Partnerships at MapAction
Based In: London, UK
unnamed
Marlen Mondaca
she/her
VP of Programs and Partnerships at Kinvia (formerly Canadian Feed the Children)
Based in: Canada
Bio
Marlen Mondaca is a feminist leader and strategist with over 25 years of experience leading and supporting programs in the international and Canadian aid sector, where she worked with both small and large INGOs, supporting both humanitarian and development programming.
Matthew's headshot
Matthew Cruse
he/him
Senior Director, Measurement and Evidence for Learning and Impact at Global Communities
Based in: Maryland, USA
Bio
Matthew Cruse has 13 years of experience in humanitarian and development organizations where he has built extensive expertise in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL). Matt has worked across sectors, fields, and regions, including significant experience in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His MEAL career began with a focus on governance and civic education. Since then, he has held senior MEAL leadership roles at Relief International and HIAS. He currently serves as Senior Director of Measurement and Evidence for Learning and Impact at Global Communities. Matt is passionate about increased accountability and community ownership. Throughout his career, he has centered the voices of communities, local stakeholders, and staff in shaping interventions and how their success is measured. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, 9-month-old son, and dog. Outside work, you’ll find him building furniture in his shop or working on a long-overdue novel.
Picture1
Muhammad Taher
he/him
Member of the Steering Committee, South Asian Disaster Management Network
Based in: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bio
With about 40 years of development experience, Muhammad Taher has mainly been an institutional development specialist working with different national and international organisations. He has recently been engaged in an ADB-GoB (Government of Bangladesh) sponsored project as Governance specialist that helps developing organizational capacity of remote coastal Municipalities of Bangladesh.
Sean's headshot
Sean Mulkerne
He/Him
Independent MEL Consultant, Advisor, and Trainer
Based In: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bio
Sean is an experienced aid project manager and MEL specialist based in Thailand with over 12 years of experience supporting governance, economic growth, climate resilience, education, and health programs across Asia and Africa. From 2020-2025, he was the Service Lead for Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting at USAID Learns in Vietnam. Prior to this, he was the Deputy Team Leader of Ikiraro Cy'Iterambere, a civil society strengthening and policy engagement program in Rwanda funded by the FCDO, the Embassy of Sweden, USAID and SDC. He also advised several governance, institutional strengthening, and transparency and accountability programs in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and elsewhere. His experience includes delivering research and political economy analyses, facilitating participatory design processes and capacity strengthening sessions, and leading adaptive management systems that drive results and learning. Sean holds a MSc from the London School of Economics and a BA from Union College in Schenectady, NY.
Tina's headshot
Tina Ajuonuma
she/her
Founder and CEO at The Better Organisation Consultancy Ltd
Based in: London, UK
Bio
Tina is an organisational behaviour and culture facilitator who works with organisations to interrogate existing cultures and systems, and to reimagine liberatory ways of working. As the Founder and CEO at The Better Org, Tina engages organisations in the work of cultural transformation through the lens of anti-racist, intersectional feminist, justice, and care practice, thereby enabling them to reflect and navigate through cultural tensions, to dialogue and give shape to better ways of operating internally, better ways of engaging with external stakeholders, and better ways of being of service within the broader social change eco-system.  In addition to her work with at The Better Org, Tina serves on the working group of The Racial Equity Index, is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for 64 Million Artists and she is currently undertaking a Doctorate at University of Warwick, where she is researching organisational restorative and transformative justice practices.
Zack's headshot
Zack Braustein
he/him
Founding Principal at Climate Connectors
Based in: New York, USA
Bio
Zack Braunstein is a strategist and collaboration specialist with 15 years of experience spanning climate finance, philanthropy, education, public health, and multilateral initiatives. As Principal Consultant at Climate Connectors, he designs blended-finance partnerships to mobilize public, private, and philanthropic capital for climate development in the Global South. Previously, as Chief of Staff at the climate politics regranter, the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, he helped triple the size of the team and secure $50+ million in new commitments from nine of the largest institutional climate philanthropies. Zack also serves on the board of Work on Climate, advising the 30,000-member network on strategy and organizational growth. He has collaborated with and organized convenings for the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and leading foundations like CIFF, Rockefeller, and Wellcome Trust, bringing a systems lens to complex, cross-sector challenges. In his free time, Zack enjoys fiction writing, board games, kayaking, and rock climbing.
Interested in joining our team? Check here for opportunities.
WORK WITH US
Individuals interested in joining our Board of Trustees or our Independent Review Panel are encouraged to contact us with their CV and cover letter.
CONTACT US