Team Leadership
CORE TEAM:
KRISTA DESGRANGES ELKHAMRI
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER
“I founded Brokers for Peace to create more sustainable pathways to stability. Our experience working with governments, donors, and local partners revealed a critical gap in conflict and countering violent extremism (CVE) efforts. Lessons-learned in addressing underlying grievances and the root causes of conflict were not doing enough to tackle the economic priorities of populations in conflict-affected areas. Brokers for Peace was created to address this gap and to build upon two decades of lessons-learned on conflict prevention and CVE programming."
Krista is a conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategist with over 25 years of experience designing and leading high-impact programs in fragile and non-permissive environments across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. She has designed and led more than $850 million in stabilization, CVE, and resilience programming, working at the intersection of conflict, governance, and economic growth. Her work focuses on building innovative, economically grounded, and locally driven systems that reduce fragility and create pathways for long-term stability.
Krista is known for building operations from the ground up in some of the world’s most complex environments. She has established U.S. Government offices in crisis contexts, including Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire, and is recognized for leading high-performing teams in fragile settings globally. She has worked extensively with the U.S. Government, international NGOs, and local partners across the Sahel, Coastal West Africa, and other regions. She played a key role in structuring a $30M local award in Syria supporting the White Helmets, strengthening the delivery of emergency and essential services for Syrian communities.
Krista excels in communication, partnership development, and multi-stakeholder coordination, working closely with host-country institutions, private-sector partners, donors, and local organizations. She has built public-private partnerships and spearheaded social entrepreneurship initiatives that have strengthened start-ups across the Middle East and Africa. Her approach combines field-driven analysis with adaptive programming to disrupt instability drivers and strengthen systems. Krista has worked in over 16 countries, including Benin, Niger, Ghana, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Senegal, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt. Her work is grounded in deep regional expertise and long-standing partnerships with local actors.
Krista 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, with working knowledge of Spanish and Arabic.
SIMPLICE KOUASSI
CVE EXPERT
Simplice 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 USAID/OTI conflict prevention and stabilization projects in West Africa. Simplice's 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 USG Littorals Regional Initiative project. Simplice has managed hundreds of community projects and grants, demonstrating extensive experience in regional 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 is a strategic thinker who demonstrates a deep understanding of peacebuilding in West Africa.
Simplice holds a M.A. in Law from the University of Bouake. He is fluent in French and English.
ELI GROENER
CVE EXPERT
Eli is a former diplomat and development practitioner with 15+ years of experience designing and delivering conflict prevention, peacebuilding and countering violent extremism (CVE) programs in fragile, conflict affected settings. He has provided strategic leadership, operational and financial oversight over high-profile democracy, governance and peacebuilding portfolios with annual budgets of $25M (Somalia), $20M (the DRC) and Senegal ($10). Through these experiences he has gained mastery in all aspects of the program cycle (design, implementation and evaluation) and deepened his subject matter expertise. Eli has field experience in Central Africa, the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.
Eli holds a B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University and an M.A. in Internal Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He is fluent in French and English.
EXTENDED TEAM:
MANAGODJON BINATE
CVE EXPERT
Adja 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 USG programs and provided technical guidance on critical research spanning gold mining and refugee issues. Her technical contributions include leading consultations for USAID 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 USG projects and operations.
Adja holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland and M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the George Mason University. Ms. Binate is fluent in French, English, and Malinké.
ADVISORY BOARD:
ALEXANDRA SIMONIANS
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Alexandra is a peacebuilding and stabilization expert who believes that sustainable peace is built through inclusive, locally led solutions. Over the past 20 years, she has designed and led nearly $1 billion in programs across 16 conflict-affected countries, advancing peace, social change, and government reform. Her senior leadership roles include Strategy Director, Country Director, and Chief Operating Officer. Her work has helped reduce violent extremism in Syria, disrupt gang recruitment networks in El Salvador, and prevent electoral violence in Liberia and Ethiopia. She has partnered with communities, governments, businesses, and global thought leaders to create cutting-edge conflict prevention approaches and AI-powered predictive models.
Alexandra holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Economics from the George Washington University. An avid hiker, she has been lucky to see the Icefall near Mount Everest Base Camp, sunrise from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, and the stunning Mediterranean vistas of the Lycian Way.
