Meet Our Leaders
Elise Young, Co-CEO
Dr. Andrea Bertone, Co-CEO
Elise has 25 years of experience working at the nexus of women’s and youth leadership development, economic advancement, education, and locally driven development solutions. She thrives on bringing diverse groups together to build macro change. She has worked in over 25 countries and helped hundreds of organizations, businesses, and governments design, implement, and evaluate global programs to help make them more strategic, efficient, inclusive, and successful in accomplishing their social impact goals.
She is a master trainer and facilitator who excels in building interactive and inspiring learning, strategic planning and leadership development experiences for global teams in both English and French. Well trained in how to integrate high emotional intelligence and multi-cultural communication, she helps teams, coalitions and individuals to strengthen their leadership savvy and toolkits. She is also well versed in using universal design in learning principles and ensuring that trainings, coaching, and programs meet the needs of people living with different kinds of disability, neurodiversion and/or trauma.
Dr. Bertone has 25 years of experience leading and advising programs on inclusive education, maternal and child health, women's political empowerment, leadership and strategic planning. With a doctorate in political science and extensive knowledge in supporting safeguarding and protection from human trafficking, she has worked closely with governments, corporations, nonprofits and universities in 30+ countries to ensure the successful design, implementation and evaluation of groundbreaking development programs.
She has extensive experience as a dynamic educator, serving as an adjunct professor at George Washington University since 2008. She has also delivered hundreds of training sessions worldwide on leadership development, safeguarding, assessment, and global development. She has impact evaluations in a dozen countries, and has been published in several peer-reviewed journals. She is well-versed in how to co-create successful, inclusive, and accessible programs that help advance critical development objectives.
Daniel Tagali, Francophone Lead
Dr. Anna Madziga, Anglophone Lead
Daniel is a development economist with 25 years' experience advancing sustainable programs in women's and youth's economic development throughout Francophone Africa. He excels in political, economic, and market analysis, program co-design, implementation, facilitation, monitoring and evaluation, and mutually respectful partnership development.
Daniel has done extensive work to help bring corporations, governments, and organizations to the same table to co-create effective programming that enables women and youth to build their entrepreneurial and professional skills, and launch and accelerate their businesses and social enterprises. He is an experienced trainer who is committed to access, equity, and inclusion.
Anna has 25+ years experience as a development project leader, with expertise in economic development, child and maternal health, conflict management, and peace building. She has helped design, implement and evaluate girls’ education, women's economic development, and maternal and child healthcare programs throughout Nigeria and other parts of anglophone Africa. She works closely with government agencies, chambers of commerce, state coalitions and other key stakeholders to help teams achieve big results..
Anna joined FHI 360 in 2018 as the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for USAID’s Addressing Education in North East Nigeria activity, overseeing all Education in Emergency (EiE) activities, managing technical staff, subcontractors, and grantees working in four camps.