Natalia is a global programs and operations executive with over a decade of experience designing and managing complex, multicultural initiatives that empower communities, develop individual leaders, and drive sustainable impact worldwide. From launching educational leadership programs in conflict zones to fostering resilience in underserved communities, her work spans Southeast and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and the Middle East — always guided by a deep commitment to cultural awareness, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Having spearheaded trust-based grantmaking in Myanmar during a coup and built partnerships in Ghana to advance climate finance, Natalia thrives at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and human-centered leadership. Most recently, as Deputy Director at the foreign policy think tank, Atlantic Council, in Washington, DC, Natalia led operational management, program design, and business development for the flagship Millennium Fellowship and several other leadership programs aimed at empowering the next generation of global leaders and changemakers through experiential learning, cross-cultural dialogue, and mentorship. Previously, she managed a wide range of global programs such as the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Seeds for the Future and the Muskie Professional Fellowship Program. A Fulbright Scholar, Natalia earned her second master’s degree in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota, where she co-founded the Youth Leadership Engagement and Development Exchange Program between Minnesota and Ukraine. She is also proud to hold a master’s degree in Ukrainian Language and Literature from Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University — the only higher education institution established by Crimea’s indigenous community, the Crimean Tatars.