Leah Shea Email & Phone Number

• Co-founded and co-manage firm partnering with organizations to co-design and build capacity to implement organizational design and change management initiatives, including to:
• Successfully negotiate a merger and co-design an adaptive integration roadmap.
• Address clients’ systemic challenges utilizing evidence-based approaches, aligning leadership and fostering equitable systems that promote psychological safety and organizational success.
• Build client capacity to align culture with business goals, driving impactful, sustainable change.

Montana, United States

• Developed and optimized organizational structures and systems aligned with MAAP strategies to facilitate and scale direct services aimed at fostering abortion access in Montana, including to:
• Streamline processes and structures for governance and decision-making, fundraising, financial accountability, onboarding, and service delivery.
• Create a professionalized brand presence, stakeholder-friendly website, and communications and marketing plans.
• Identify and build strategic partnerships with clinics, partner organizations, donors, and other community partners.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

• Led and optimized business development and client management at MMG Earth, a research and change management firm, including to:
• Assess and strengthen company strategic priorities, project management, and business development, resulting in the successful acquisition of multi-million dollar contracts.
• Co-design and implement change management plans including organizational equity audits and roadmaps, building client capacity to align business goals with healthy company culture.

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

• Co-led international development 5000+ person company’s anti-racism change initiative, including to:
• Operationalize $1M flagship Racial and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) into actionable strategies to align DAI’s anti-racist commitment with its purpose, strategies, structures, and systems.
• Co-design and implement equity assessment to identify barriers, leverage opportunities, and craft a change management plan while building buy-in from C-Suite, ERGs, HR, and more.

Bethesda, Maryland

• Co-designed and executed high-impact USAID governance projects including to:
• Lead Iraq Governance and Performance Accountability project's initiative to strengthen Iraq’s anti-domestic violence legislation; building a diverse advocacy coalition, its strategy, and its capacity to build.
• Design social equity and communications strategy for Egypt’s Macro-Economic and Stabilization Reform project to assess COVID-19 impact on marginalized groups in Egypt, with proposed mitigation interventions adopted by.
• Develop communications strategy for Sri Lanka Strengthening Democratic Governance and Accountability Project, build staff communications capacity, and streamline communications products.

Bethesda, MD

• Drafted IGPA’s successful proposal on anti-domestic violence legislation advocacy.
• Conducted recon for the Syria Building Resilient and Inclusive Communities in Conflict proposal.
• Drafted successful communications products for an Afghanistan project.

Baghdad, Iraq

• Led communications efforts for $124M Iraq Governance and Performance Accountability (IGPA) project, fostering transparent governance and effective stakeholder engagement, including to:
• Design and implement a comprehensive communications strategy to ensure effective messaging and enhance project visibility among project beneficiaries and stakeholders.
• Represent the project to high-level stakeholders, including the KRG Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, USAID Mission Director, and Iraqi ministers.
• Design and conduct a quantitative political economy study to evaluate service delivery and public financial management in different provinces resulting in an evidence-based selection process for IGPA's targeted.

Baghdad, Iraq

• Managed project to field and train elections monitors for Iraq’s 2018 national elections to foster transparent and accountable elections.
• Developed and targeted effective messaging to project stakeholders about improved governance initiatives.
• Managed and developed content including publications, social media, and news releases. Liaised with the media to promote project visibility.

Bethesda, MD

• Co-managed operations of a $208M portfolio of USAID projects in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Jordan.
• Led communications and community grant management for USAID Jordan workforce development project.

Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Researched current trends impacting the UAE, Gulf countries, and Middle East region. Analyzed these trends to formulate future projections and policy recommendations to UAE policy makers.

Amman, Jordan

• This pilot program assessed infrastructure damage in Southern Syrian communities, utilizing these assessments to address community-level services issues with quick impact interventions.
• Analyzed South Syria needs assessments to inform community-level infrastructure projects in opposition-held communities.
• Managed assessment on governance impact in recipient communities.

Jordan

• Led outreach resulting in increased international student enrolment. Piloted University’s first online registration site, reducing barriers to enrolment.
• Led marketing and launch of new University research centers, including the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Studies.
• Organized and promoted school seminars, conferences, and symposiums, including establishing the first annual international Youth Scholars conference, promoting underrepresented youth scholarship.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Facilitated projects that connected academic and practical experience in international human rights.
• Managed a student team in the conceptualization, organization, and implementation of an international conference on women in contemporary conflict, gender-based violence, and democratization. The conference, held.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Collaborated on projects that identified existing gender equality gaps and promoted women’s rights in various countries by implementing international human rights standards
• Researched, analyzed, and published human rights reports with a focus on violence against women in conflict for The Advocates’ website that promoted gender equality and empowerment

Master Of Arts (M.A.), Human Rights And Human Development

Bachelor Of Arts, Dual Degrees In Global Studies And Political Science

Activities and Societies: • Honors Program • Varsity letter winner in NCAA Division 1 Women’s Rowing. Four year participant • Co-founder.