Leadership
KRISTA DESGRANGES ELKHAMRI - MANAGING DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER - is a proven leader in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and countering violent extremism (CVE), with over 25 years of international development experience in non-permissive environments across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. With a demonstrated mastery in CVE, conflict resolution and prevention, resilience, economic growth, governance, and education, she has designed, led, and managed large and complex CVE, stabilization, and humanitarian assistance programs, including the $20M USAID/Côte d’Ivoire Resilience for Peace program, the $38M USAID/Benin Northern Economic Livelihood Program, and the $15M USAID/Niger Participatory Responsive Governance. She has also led major humanitarian response efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and post-earthquake Haiti. Krista has worked with USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and numerous NGOs and think tanks to design and implement innovative approaches that integrate humanitarian assistance, conflict prevention, and long-term development. She is recognized for strengthening youth economic livelihoods in high-risk areas, bolstering community resilience, and reducing vulnerability to radicalization, while effectively guiding cross-functional teams and influencing policy. Drawing on extensive field and research experience on violent extremism dynamics, she brings lessons learned from the Sahel, Coastal West Africa, and Syria to apply complexity-aware monitoring, evaluation, and learning, as well as flexible, adaptive management. She has deep experience in analysis-driven and innovative programming, including through her collaborations with USAID/OTI in Uganda, Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Benin. Her work emphasizes locally led, conflict-sensitive solutions, including the design of a $30M local award in Syria for the White Helmets, which expanded critical emergency and essential services during protracted crises and post-earthquake recovery. Krista excels in communication, partnership development, and coordination with host-country institutions, private-sector partners, donors, and local organizations. Her cultural fluency—shaped by decades of living and working across Sub-Saharan Africa—allows her to tailor effective, context-specific CVE and resilience programming. Her field experience includes assignments in Syria, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University and an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from American University. She is fluent in English and French, proficient in Spanish, and has beginner-level Arabic.
SIMPLICE KOUASSI - PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT/CVE EXPERT - is a seasoned professional in the field of international development, bringing over 17 years of experience specializing in community stabilization and conflict prevention, and 10+ years working with OTI conflict prevention and stabilization projects. With seventeen years of experience under his belt, Simplice has navigated progressively through various roles within USAID/OTI conflict prevention and stabilization projects across West Africa. His journey has taken him from Program Development Officer in Côte d’Ivoire to Program Manager in Burkina Faso, culminating in four-year as Regional Program Manager covering Benin and Togo on the USAID/Littorals Regional Initiative project, which closed in April 2025. Simplice has managed hundreds of community projects, demonstrating extensive experience in program leadership. His expertise lies in fostering community resilience and social cohesion in areas affected by violent extremism, through innovative engagement with youth, women, and community leaders. His track record speaks volumes, showcasing his ability to lead diverse teams, manage complex operations, and build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels. Mr. Simplice Kouassi's dedication to meaningful development and his deep understanding of peacebuilding and west Africa regional context make him a valuable asset in any context requiring strategic thinking and effective implementation. Mr. Simplice Kouassi is a French speaker with fluent English communication skills
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MANOGODJON BINATE - PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT/CVE EXPERT - is a highly accomplished international development professional with over 23 years of expertise focused on project design and management, financial oversight, and post-conflict stabilization. She is a proven leader in advancing democracy, governance, human rights, and women's empowerment, alongside strategic efforts to strengthen local governance and foster social cohesion. Ms. Binate is a subject matter expert in Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE), leveraging extensive experience to enhance community resilience and to address drivers of radicalization. She has managed complex USAID programs and provided technical guidance on critical research spanning gold mining and refugee issues.
Her technical contributions include leading consultations for Democracy and Governance (DRG) activities, specifically focusing on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership (WPPL) assessments, and providing technical briefings to US Embassy leadership. Furthermore, she is a seasoned financial management expert who has effectively managed multi-year budget allocation, to ensure funding continuity for USAID projects and operations. Ms. Binate is fluent in French, English, and Malinké, making her an invaluable asset in diverse international settings committed to sustainable global development.
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Méré CHABI BOUM - PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT/CVE EXPERT - is an experienced professional in community development, peacebuilding, and the prevention of violent extremism, with fourteen years of operational experience across West Africa. Over the past six years, he has led strategic social cohesion, anti-radicalization and countering violent extremism programs in northern Benin, implemented through USAID/BHA-funded interventions in partnership with local organizations. Trained as a geographer and land-use planner, and also specialized in governance, leadership, and community health systems in crisis contexts, Méré has strong expertise in NGO security management and humanitarian access negotiation. He has coordinated multiple large-scale projects and established community-based early warning systems across several regions in Benin to anticipate and prevent conflicts. With an in-depth understanding of the sociopolitical dynamics of northern Benin, he has proven skills in collecting and analyzing security and humanitarian data. Accustomed to sensitive environments, he regularly conducts negotiation missions with a range of institutional and community stakeholders. As an experienced trainer, he supports local organizations in strengthening their capacities in security management, peacebuilding, conflict-sensitive communication, and peaceful conflict resolution. He is fluent in French and Fulfulde, uses English professionally, and speaks several other local languages, enabling effective direct engagement with communities.
