We are a collaborative network of experienced professionals with deep expertise across climate, development, infrastructure, policy, and social equity. Rather than a fixed team, we draw from a trusted bench of consultants, advisors, and practitioners, each with a proven track record in their field. This flexible model allows us to build the right team for each engagement, ensuring tailored, high-impact support grounded in local context and global experience.

Our Team

  • Laura Rudert

    Founder & Principal

    Laura is a seasoned leader in strategy, economic policy, infrastructure, public finance, and service delivery. She previously served as a diplomat for the US Millennium Challenge Corporation. She was a Country Director managing the delivery of transformative programs in transportation, education, energy, water and sanitation, and agriculture. Laura helped pioneer impact evaluations in the energy sector as Director of Policy & Evaluation, and played a key role in the US White House's launch of the Power Africa initiative. Laura was also a Deputy Director for Strategy, Planning, and Management at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she managed the advocacy and policy division.

    With over 20 years of experience across more than 30 countries, Laura brings deep expertise in systems change, strategy execution, innovation, and cross-sector partnerships. She is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

  • Peachie Ann Aquino

    Partner

    Peachie is a climate and disaster resilience specialist with over 15 years of experience leading initiatives across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. She has worked with the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations, and national governments to design and implement climate adaptation programs, strengthen emergency preparedness, and promote sustainable urban systems. Her background spans policy development, stakeholder engagement, and cross-border collaboration.

    Peachie is fluent in Tagalog and Spanish, and holds master’s degrees from Columbia University and the Asian Institute of Technology.

  • Farhan Syed

    Finance & Program Management

    Farhan is an expert in financial strategy, risk management, and operations. He has over 15 years of experience working across philanthropy, the private sector, the US government, and international institutions, including managing a $166M portfolio at the Gates Foundation. He excels at aligning financial systems with organizational goals and building strong, responsive teams.

    Farhan is fluent in Bengali and conversational in French, holding a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of California and a Master's degree in Finance from Johns Hopkins University.

Why Work With Us?

Best Practice & Rigor: We use clear milestones, measurable results, and data-informed decision-making.

Cross-Sector Fluency: We speak the languages of philanthropy, government, business, and communities. That means we can align public policies with private capital, bridge grassroots needs with top-level decision-making, and connect field implementation to systems reform.

Tailored Solutions: We never recycle boilerplate frameworks. Every engagement is co-created with clients and stakeholders. Our tools are customized to reflect real-world constraints and local insight. We design strategies that are politically feasible, financially smart, and operationally realistic.

Global Perspective: Our team has worked in over 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific. We understand what it takes to work across diverse contexts.

Human-Centered: We prioritize the people most affected by the systems we aim to improve. That means we build in lived experience, translate complex policies into plain language, and focus on dignity, inclusion, and equity. Our solutions are technically sound but also trusted, usable, and responsive to what communities actually need.

Fractional Strength: We offer senior executive capacity, without requiring full-time overhead. Whether you need interim leadership, a strategy reset, or external validation, we plug in seamlessly.

Joy & Integrity: We love what we do—and it shows. We bring care, curiosity, and commitment to every engagement. We act with honesty and humility, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We build real partnerships that last beyond the contract and deliver value that feels meaningful, not just measurable.