Our Team
Our team is what makes our organization successful.
Fatima D. Gigante
Program Director, Portugal/Spain
Fátima is passionate about participatory and community-based approaches to biodiversity conservation. She loves connecting people and facilitating the development of meaningful relationships. At CoalitionWILD, she is the person working ‘behind-the-scenes’ of the EXCELerator and Global Mentorship programs, following her keen interest in exploring community engagement and capacity-building strategies in the virtual space. Fátima has a multidisciplinary background, she is a biologist and has completed a Master’s degree in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University and Research. In the past, she has worked with local communities both in urban and rural areas on projects on human-wildlife coexistence, community forestry, and environmental education. At the present, she is looking forward to further developing herself professionally in the fields of facilitation, conflict management, and mediation, and experiential learning for reconnecting ourselves, as humans, to the natural world.
Veronica Dandzo-Adzagudu
Intergenerational Learning Lead, Ghana
Veronica Dandzo-Adzagudu holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management (Conservation) from the University of Stirling, UK and a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. With her budding passion in conservation, she volunteered at A Rocha Ghana during her 4-years undergraduate program in KNUST, and supported the implementation of several projects including the Climate Stewards Program and Collaborative Ecosystem Conservation of the Lake Bosomtwe Catchment. Veronica has been engaging in conservation research and working with conservation NGOs and local communities in implementing community-based natural resources management projects across Ghana. Naturally, she loves to inspire, encourage and mentor her peers and younger people by supporting them with resources for personal and career development. Veronica is an ardent believer that effective mentorship is needed to bridge the generational gap in all sectors as she recognizes that mentorship has had a significant positive impact on her career development. At CoalitionWILD, Veronica leads the Global Mentorship Program and is looking forward to an exciting journey of learning with the program’s mentees and mentors.
Zacharia Mutinda Muteti
Curriculum Lead, Kenya
Zacharia Mutinda Muteti is a Kenyan wildlife ethnoecologist dedicated to community-led conservation that honors cultural heritage and ecological integrity. Founder and programme lead of the Eco-Jipe Program, he works to protect the Lake Jipe ecosystem, a transboundary biodiversity hotspot home to the endangered Jipe tilapia and a refuge for African savannah elephants. His conservation work spans Kenya, including research on human–elephant interactions, predator conflicts, and elephant communication.
Zak is a BeVisioneers Mercedes-Benz Fellow, Keystone Species Alliance Fellow, and grant recipient from the Rufford Foundation and Elephant Crisis Fund. His achievements include reviving Beach Management Units on Lake Jipe, launching sustainable fisheries, and advancing human–elephant coexistence. With a BSc in Wildlife Management (University of Eldoret) and currently pursuing an MSc in Environmental Studies (Karatina University) along with his expertise in project management, GIS, conservation education, and stakeholder engagement, he integrates scientific research with Indigenous knowledge to empower communities. Beyond his professional work, Zak is a passionate peer educator, birder, and photographer of human–wildlife interactions, especially with elephants and birds.
Alyssa Erin Kardos Loera
Peer Learning Lead, Cambodia/United States
Alyssa Erin Kardos Loera is a sustainability and social impact leader who brings together environmental health and artistic expression to strengthen communities. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of ReMade in Cambodia, where she leads strategy, partnerships, and advocacy through upcycled fashion and creative community building. She also runs a kombucha venture that reuses recycled bottles, carrying her passion for circular design into everyday life. Originally from California, Alyssa is a Fulbright Scholar and advisor for the Iris Project. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Global Health with a minor in Theology from Georgetown University. She is passionate about using the arts to make environmental issues more accessible, amplify local voices, and reimagine waste as a resource. Outside of work, Alyssa loves running, kickboxing, and trekking – activities that fuel her creativity and keep her connected to the outdoors. She enjoys sharing her journey of building environmental startups and looks forward to connecting with changemakers worldwide who are working to bridge inequities and create a more just, sustainable future.
Collaborators
Catherine Payne
Catherine is a Certified Conservation Coach, specialising in planning, managing, and evaluating conservation projects using the Conservation Standards. Catherine is passionate about using these adaptive management principles to enable individuals, teams, and organisations to deliver more effective conservation. In 2022, Catherine established Alcedo Conservation to empower individuals and organisations to deliver effective conservation through adaptive management. Alcedo Conservation focuses on strengthening capacity of individuals and organisations through high-quality, accessible, engaging training programmes, and provides Conservation Standards coaching and workshop facilitation. Catherine is proud to be an active member of the Conservation Standards community, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Conservation Measures Partnership.
Nikos Therapos
Nikos Therapos is the Director of DOTANK Plus, an agency that supports organizations working within the whole spectrum of sustainability, providing a wide range of services and focusing on capacity building and impact measurement. Nikos has several years of professional experience in strategy planning, organizational development, stakeholder management and project design both in the public and private sectors. He has worked with numerous startups, NGOs and international organizations for social and climate action projects as a project manager, developer, or advisor across the world.
Steering Committee
Kevin Lunzalu
Kenya
Matías Fuentealba Pooley
Chile