Colleen Striegel

Executive Director

Colleen Striegel, the founder and Executive Director of HumanitarianHR, is a global aid professional with more than 17 years of experience building and promoting equitable, safe, and human-centered workplace culture for aid organizations. In tandem with the global movement to end impunity for sexual harassment and exploitation, Colleen launched HumanitarianHR to eradicate the sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking of refugees and displaced people. At HumanitarianHR, she helps organizations develop the highest standards to safeguard dignity and restore hope for those silenced in global development and aid settings. Colleen is a lifelong champion for survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse, leading investigations and developing policies to safeguard at-risk people from Congo to the Catholic Church. Colleen has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics and a Master’s Degree in Human Development.

Kelly Jaffery

Safeguarding Operations

Kelly Jaffery assisted in the launch of HumanitarianHR and, in addition to supporting the organization’s safeguarding operations, manages the design and development of outreach and communications materials. Prior to HumanitarianHR, Kelly served as Director of Development and Communications at ECPAT-USA, an NGO working to end child trafficking, where she developed and oversaw long-range development and communications strategies for all aspects of fundraising, marketing, and communications initiatives to support the organization’s mission. Previously, as Communications Officer for Happy Hearts Fund, now All Hands and Hearts, she designed and managed the implementation of communications strategies to publicize the organization’s work in rebuilding schools and supporting children following natural disasters.

Kristen Rosella

Associate Consultant and Investigation Advisor (Legal, Safeguarding, and Human Trafficking)

Kristen Rosella has 15 years of litigation experience and has represented victims and accused before national and international courts. Her current practice focuses on international criminal law, financial crimes, anti-human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and human rights. She is a Partner with Global Diligence, a social justice and human rights law firm, and she is based in Southeast Asia. Previously, she was the Legal and Program Director at Project Expedite Justice, where she oversaw training, strategic litigation, and other legal and investigative work in Cambodia, DRC, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda. Ms. Rosella has worked as a Senior Legal Consultant on a defense team at the Khmer Rouge tribunal and lectured on torts, international criminal law, regional human rights mechanisms, and legal writing at the Royal University for Law and Economics (RULE) and Pannasastra University of Cambodia. Prior to working in human rights, she was a litigation associate at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago and DLA Piper LLP (US) in New York. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.   

Sarai Chisala-Tempelhoff

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Legal, Safeguarding, and Gender)

Sarai Chisala-Tempelhoff is a human rights lawyer and legal researcher with more than 18 years of experience in women’s access to justice. She is the founder and director of The Gender and Justice Unit, a nonprofit legal research and social justice clinic, that uses strategic litigation, legislative reform, ICT, legal literacy, and access to clinical legal services as social justice and gender equality tools in Malawi. She has specialized knowledge in sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, and has developed and facilitated workshops for focal persons on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. She has also investigated and handled claims involving human rights violations, reviewed legislation for human rights compliance, and compiled legal reports and opinions. She managed and coordinated research projects for a major South African university, participated in legal reform and advocacy, and served on the university’s sexual harassment policy team. Ms. Chisala-Tempelhoff has worked in three countries on topics ranging from HIV to gender-based violence to legal empowerment and was listed as one of Apolitical's 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy 2021.

Istar Ahmed

Associate Safeguarding Consultant (Gender)

Istar Ahmed has 10 years of progressive professional experience in the humanitarian and global development fields with advanced expertise in program development, management, coordination, resources mobilization, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and capacity building. Ms. Ahmed advises on gender policy and safeguarding and conducts investigations into sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH). She also consults on vulnerable adult and child protection. Ms. Ahmed has experience working on issues related to gender equality, gender mainstreaming, and youth and women’s empowerment in post-conflict settings. Ms. Ahmed has a deep understanding of key trends in global development, the UN system, and donors, including multilateral, institutional, and corporate. Istar Ahmed holds a BA in Social Work and an MA in International Relations, with a specialization in Peace and Conflict Studies.

HORTENSE MINISHI

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Legal)

Hortense Minishi is a human rights attorney with a background in legal, humanitarian, and protection programs in the areas of migration, forced displacement, refugee resettlement, child protection, peace, and security. She conducts workplace investigations into employee misconduct related to sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and fraud, and has worked in programs to support children, youth, women, survivors of violence and torture, asylum seekers, and refugees to promote their human rights. She reviews domestic labor laws and workplace policies, both local and global, including employee handbooks, codes of conduct, staff contracts, and personnel files, and makes recommendations to strengthen existing systems and organizational culture. She was admitted to the Bar in Kenya and is recognized as a Legal Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. She is fluent in Swahili and Luhya.

CAROLINA REYES

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Safeguarding)

Carolina Reyes has more than 18 years of experience working in the areas of investigations, human rights and protection for different agencies and programs of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. She has extensive field experience, including in Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Palestine (Gaza), Afghanistan and in Central America.  Within the United Nations, she has worked for DPKO, OHCHR, OCHA, UNICEF and the Security Council Sanctions Committees. Carolina has been the humanitarian expert for three United Nations Panels of Experts: Somalia, Central African Republic and Mali, undertaking complex investigations in sensitive contexts. Recently she joined the PAHO/WHO internal investigations team working on a wide range of administrative investigations. Carolina has also been a technical reviewer for the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. Carolina is a historian and has a master’s degree in conflict resolution and peace studies. She is fluent Spanish and French.

JANET IFUNANYA ANAELE

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Safeguarding and Child Protection)

Janet Anaele has experience working as a regional Gender-Based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) and Safeguarding Expert, working extensively on prevention and response to sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH), child harm and other safeguarding violations in the workplace. She facilitates numerous workshops on child protection, sexual and gender-based violence, case management, psycho-social support, protection mainstreaming, code of conduct, complaint and feedback mechanisms, and safeguarding to ensure humanitarian services are provided in line with humanitarian principles and safeguarding standards. She mentored national and international NGOs and CSOs in Nigeria and South Sudan on safeguarding, and provided guidance on policy development, organization culture, leadership, survivor-centered case management, handling referrals and safe programming. She also co-led the National Coalition Against Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Nigeria to ensure the ratification of ILO Convention 190. She is a certified mentor with the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL), certified trainer with UNFPA, a member of the GBV case management pool of trainers in Nigeria with UNFPA/UNICEF, and a trained mentor with the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub. Ms. Anaele has a Master of Science degree in International Relations and Affairs from the University of East London and speaks Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.

RUTH KAMUNTU

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Safeguarding and Human Resources)

Ruth Kamuntu is a senior human resources and humanitarian operations leader with nearly two decades of experience working for large INGOs in the humanitarian and development sector. A highly skilled workplace investigator, she conducts complex employee misconduct investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, code of conduct violations, fraud, and other breaches of organization policies. Ms. Kamuntu also conducts safeguarding audits and risk assessments to help organizations prevent SEAH and other policy violations, and assists organizations in contextualizing and rolling out their safeguarding policies. Ruth has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Masters of Arts in Institutional Management and Leadership. She is fluent in Swahili.

ASHLEY GOLDSTEIN

Associate Consultant (Safeguarding, Sexual Harassment, and Curriculum Development)

Ashley Goldstein possesses over twenty years of training design and delivery experience in the government, corporate, education and nonprofit sectors.  She has worked to combat the scourge of sexual violence in a variety of different capacities throughout her career including designing the worldwide training for Peace Corps’ Safeguarding Focal Points, “Sexual Assault Response Liaisons” (SARLs).  Ms. Goldstein designed the SARL training during her tenure as the Training Administrator for Peace Corps’ Office of Safety and Security. The training programs she developed in this capacity still reach Peace Corps’ staff and Volunteers in over sixty countries. The Peace Corps’ Sexual Assault Risk Reduction and Response (SARRR) program was one of the first initiatives in the federal government to teach Bystander Intervention techniques to prevent sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse (SHEA).  Due to her early role in promoting the value of bystander intervention as an effective means to prevent SHEA, she continues to serve as a subject matter expert on the topic, delivering webinars and speaking at conferences for both national and international audiences. Most recently, in her role as an independent SHEA prevention and response consultant, Ms. Goldstein authored a SHEA prevention and response handbook for Chemonics International which is slated for roll-out in all of their project offices in 2020.   

Adriana G. Palacios S.

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Legal)

Adriana G. Palacios S. is an experienced attorney with 13 years of experience in human rights including experience as an investigator. Currently she has been collecting testimonies and creating an archive to document human rights violations committed by the State of Nicaragua in León, and gives remote advice to Nicaraguan citizens currently living in exile. Ms. Palacios has also worked in curriculum development for women entrepreneurs with a foundation in feminist principles. She advocated for gender mainstreaming in the microfinance sector, and traveled and worked with organizations and community banks in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala Costa Rica, Peru, and Uganda. She is a published author on topics related to women’s empowerment, migration, and race and ethnicity. Ms. Palacios is HumanitarianHR’s associate for the Latin American region.

Allan Martinez Venegas

Researcher (Safeguarding Assessment and Program Design)

Allan Martinez Venegas is a research professional with more than nine years of experience working across four continents. As a researcher and applied social scientist, he combines quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis with design thinking and behavioral theory. He has conducted hundreds of research projects on topics that include child safety, sexual exploitation and abuse, public health, employee satisfaction, community mobilization, education reform, and organizational management. He conducted an investigation on the prevalence and perceptions of child sexual abuse in schools across Liberia. It included surveys with community members in four counties and interviews with school leaders, government leaders, and INGO officials. In 2020, he worked on a survey to collect data regarding the financial impact of COVID-19 on 6,500 families in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and India in order to inform relief opportunities and market risks for education providers in the region. In the past two years, Mr. Martinez Venegas has specialized in assessing organizational capacity for delivering safe and effective programs in various countries in Africa. As part of his consulting work, he also regularly conducts remote and in-person capacity-building for research teams around the world, produces research manuals and tools for organizations, and provides lectures and workshops for universities and training institutions in the United States and Europe. Mr. Martinez Venegas has a Masters in Social Innovation for Sustainable Development.

KAREN RASMUSSEN

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Safeguarding and Child Protection)

Karen Rasmussen has more than 20 years of experience in the development and humanitarian sectors, 16 of those years in organizational child safeguarding and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. She guided the development of child safeguarding and PSEA policies, procedures, and guidelines for numerous NGOs, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, and for international membership federations and alliances. She led the global ACT Alliance in developing its first Child Safeguarding policy and developed a series of online training modules for the Alliance. Ms. Rasmussen has conducted several investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in various countries. She is the founding Director of Child Safe Horizons, a consulting firm that focuses on child safeguarding and protection.  Most recently, she spent two years working with a UNICEF country program to conduct assessments of implementing partner PSEA policies and established an inter-agency PSEA network. Ms. Rasmussen has extensive experience delivering safeguarding training and mentoring for staff, as well as providing safeguarding technical advice to senior management. She applies international safeguarding standards, including Keeping Children Safe, Inter-Agency Standing Committee Minimum Operating Standards for PSEA, and Core Humanitarian Standards Alliance, ensuring that donor requirements are met. Ms. Rasmussen has a Master of Arts Degree in International Studies. 

Irene Raciti

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Legal and Gender-Based Violence in Conflict)

Irene Raciti is an investigator with more than 15 years of professional experience exposing human rights and IHL violations at the international level. Ms. Raciti served as human rights officer in three UN DPKO missions, as delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross and as Humanitarian Expert for the UN Security Council Sanctions’ Committee on Somalia, focusing her investigations on attacks against civilians, violations against children in armed conflict, sexual violence, obstruction of humanitarian assistance and the protection of persons deprived of liberty. Since 2019, Ms. Raciti participates in the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF) Technical Review Group, a panel of independent gender experts supporting the UNTF in the selection of funding proposals. Ms. Raciti has worked extensively in Africa, but also Thailand, Haiti and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. She holds a MA in International Humanitarian Assistance from Deusto University (Spain), and a Bachelor of Arts in Law from Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore (Italy). She is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian and is currently learning Arabic.

CElia  Guilford

Associate Consultant (Protection)

Celia Guilford has worked to support vulnerable populations for more than twenty years, bringing a combination of experience and achievements in both national and international settings to HumanitarianHR. Her work in protective accompaniment in conflict and post-conflict environments exposed her to the dire need for further protection of vulnerable populations from sexual exploitation and abuse. Celia is a skilled trainer and has proven expertise in handling crisis situations and developing safety and security strategies in Timor, Aceh, and Papua in Indonesia, as well as Pakistan, El Salvador and Rwanda. Celia holds a Master’s Degree in Human Security and Peace Building. 

Charity Gribbin

Associate Consultant and Investigator

Charity Gribbin has 15 years of experience coordinating and managing humanitarian and development programs with multicultural and cross-functional teams in the Republic of Congo, Benin, Haiti, the Central African Republic and DR Congo. She has been successful in cultivating relationships with diverse stakeholders for successful partnerships, and has developed humanitarian programs in challenging environments. Through her firm, CruxBridge Global Consulting, Charity supports HumanitarianHR in conducting SEAH investigations. Prior to her work with HumanitarianHR, she was a Safeguarding Technical Advisor for a major US INGO where she conducted safeguarding investigations, including providing advice on conducting internal investigations both internally and with partners and communities. Charity has exceptional administrative investigation technical skills, especially in the areas of risk assessment, survivor support, professionalism, staff duty of care, and technical report writing. She has an MA in International Relations from the University of Kentucky, and advanced language skills in French and Haitian Creole.

CAROLINE PAOLI

Associate Consultant and Investigator

Caroline Paoli is a humanitarian aid professional with extensive experience in safeguarding and protection in global aid and development settings. Her background includes investigation of cases of sexual exploitation, abuse, and workplace harassment; diversity, equity, and inclusion mainstreaming; prevention of gender-based violence; conflict prevention; and nonviolent communication. Ms. Paoli conducts safeguarding audits and develops SEAH policies and tools, including procedures, awareness modules for staff, internal investigation guidelines, and complaints mechanism procedures. She is also an experienced trainer having conducted workshops for humanitarian workers on SEAH, project cycle management, team management, and other humanitarian-related topics. She has a BA in International Business and a certification from CHS Alliance in conducting SEA investigations. She is a native French speaker.

SOC SAM OEUN

Investigator (Legal and Human Trafficking)

Sok Sam Oeun is a Cambodian registered lawyer and has been practicing law for more than 30 years. He was selected to be a member of a working group to draft laws on anti-corruption and has trained staff in the Anti-Corruptions Unit in Cambodia. Mr. Oeun also worked as a legal consultant for a number of national and international NGOs. As Director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, he provided free legal services to more than ten thousand people living in impoverished areas who were at risk of exploitation. He was selected as President of the Human Rights Action Committee in Cambodia, a coalition of human rights organizations, where he served several terms. He is a Legal Professional Diplomat, registered as an Attorney at Law in Cambodian, and has an MBA from Charles Stuat University in Australia. He speaks Khmer (native language), French, and Thai.

MONICA SOC

Investigator (Legal and Human Trafficking)

Monica Soc is a Cambodianlawyer and legal consultant specializing in human rights law. Her work focuses on child protection, anti-human trafficking, international criminal law, and fair trial rights. Her legal background includes conducting investigations in South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has conducted training for South Sudanese attorneys on investigations, International Criminal Law, interviewing victims and witnesses, and report writing. She has also conducted investigations on and provided legal services related to anti-human trafficking work in Cambodia. Ms. Soc has a Master of Private Law from the Royal University of Law and Economics and is a native Khmer speaker.

CAMILA CONTE

Child Protection Advisor

Camila Conte has ten years of professional experience working with children and teenagers in the field of Child Protection.  After completing a Master’s Degree in Needs, Rights and Cooperation for Development in Childhood at the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain, she enrolled in a Master’s Degree in Child Studies at the University of Linköping in Sweden. As a practicing clinical psychologist, Ms. Conte provided mental health treatment to children, adolescents, and women who had experienced sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, by assuming a gender and survivor centered approach. She has experience in developing assessments and writing reports to submit in Civil and Criminal Courts. She also received a postgraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Approach to Family and Institutional Violence from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and developed publications and academic articles based on qualitative research applying a participatory methodology. Ms. Conte is a Child Protection Advisor for HumanitarianHR, and is working with HumanitarianHR in designing and developing training for professionals on PSEAH and Child Safeguarding and Protection with a focus on children’s participation and children’s rights. She is a native Spanish speaker.

Shayan Farhad

Associate Consultant (Legal and Human Trafficking)

Shayan Farhad is a dual-qualified attorney in Switzerland, England, and Wales. She is the founder and owner of FARLEGAL, an international law firm with offices in Geneva and London. The firm specializes in the assistance and legal representation of individuals and entities on a domestic and international level across a broad spectrum of the law in three main practice areas: litigation & dispute resolution, ecocide, and international justice. Prior to founding her own law firm, Ms.Farhad built her career as an international arbitration litigator at top-tier U.S. law firms and as an assistant federal prosecutor in the white-collar crime unit of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland. She was involved in the analysis of anti-human trafficking laws in the framework of a program led by female judges which was designed to increase awareness on the trafficking of humans, mainly minors, and to train judges, prosecutors, and other stakeholders on their legal obligations to identify, report, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate human trafficking cases. Ms.Farhad attended law school at the University of Geneva where she earned her Bachelor of Laws and her Master of Laws in International and European Law. She also completed the Genocide and Human Rights University Program at the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies in Toronto. She is a registered attorney with the Geneva bar (avocate au barreau) and an SRA-regulated solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales. She is fluent in French and Kurdish-Sorani.

SHANNON MEEHAN

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Safeguarding and Fraud)

Shannon Meehan’s humanitarian and development experience spans more than 30 years where she has been a leader in developing safe, confidential, and effective programs to protect women and children from gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse (PSHEA). She has served in several key field executive level management positions where she was responsible for the investigation process regarding sexual harassment by staff members (Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Kosovo, Burkina Faso, Iraq, and Afghanistan); sexual exploitation of beneficiaries (Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia); and rape investigations of staff members in Senegal and Burkina Faso. She led a team to readapt the USAID Doorway Curriculum in Burkina Faso that was later published in the book, Educating Adolescent Girls Around the World: Challenges and Opportunities in the chapter, Doorways; Preventing and Responding to School-Related, Gender-Based Violence in West Africa. She has extensive experience in conducting audits and employee misconduct investigations including sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, and fraud and is a Master Trainer for Anglophone and Francophone audiences and is a frequent presenter on donor compliance rules and regulations, human resources policies and procedures, and financial management.

NATALIA LYSYJ RIELAND

Associate Consultant (Human Resources)

Natalia Lysyj Rieland is a mission-focused human resources leader with global and startup experience. Ms. Rieland has held senior HR positions in nonprofit organizations in the areas of health and higher education and is a trusted advisor who is passionate about progressive HR practices, coaching and developing people, connecting leaders, aligning human resources initiatives with business objectives, understanding organizational impact, and creating meaningful and productive work environments. Ms. Rieland is experienced in conducting workplace investigations, including sexual misconduct, and helping organizations create safe and supportive working environments. She is also a skilled training professional. Ms. Rieland has a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations and is a certified Senior Human Resources Professional with the Society for Human Resources Management. She is fluent in Ukrainian.

PEG ROSS

Associate Consultant and Investigator (Human Resources)

Peg Ross has extensive experience in human resources consulting and corporate leadership roles for for-profit and nonprofit organizations nationally and globally. She is accomplished in establishing and managing a full spectrum of Human Resource functions, from HR policies and procedures to strategies and organizational change. She has developed and led HR strategy development and delivery, including global employee engagement initiatives, performance planning and management, and global people-related risk management. She has HR certifications at the senior level with the Society for Human Resources Management and the Human Resources Certification Institute. She is an experienced workplace investigator of employee misconduct and holds an investigation certification with the Association for Workplace Investigators.

Dorit Heimer

Legal Advisor

Graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Dorit is a skilled lawyer who has devoted many years to working with international NGOs and U.S. organizations. She has considerable experience in investigating sexual misconduct cases, and serves as an impartial fact finder for Yale University’s Committee on Sexual Misconduct. She works with victims of domestic violence and supports an international NGO dedicated to rule of law issues including human trafficking programs. Dorit is an experienced trainer on international issues including human resources, investigations, and fraud.