We believe that good collaborators are made, not born. Our team comes from diverse, multidisciplinary backgrounds that allow them to bring unique lenses to every project. Their thought leadership actively improves the work of their colleagues and contributes to the growth of their fields. Our result is an agile, networked team adept at solving wicked problems.

Eli Ackerman

Eli is a creative thinker on matters of modern political communication, media, and social movement theory. Previously, as an organizer and writer in New Orleans, Eli led one of the most important advocacy movements of the post-Katrina era, gaining recognition from a variety of national publications and progressive organizations. A master’s candidate at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, Eli works with Reboot on improving quantitative market research methods and applying creative strategy in urban, sociological, and political contexts. Eli is focused on helping publicly oriented organizations modernize operations to serve a new generation. In his leisure time, Eli stays up on sports and all manner of pop culture.

Follow Eli on Twitter: @EliAckerman

Janessa Goldbeck

With a background in mass atrocity and genocide prevention advocacy, Janessa’s work focuses on the intersection between human rights, national security, and technology. Prior to Reboot, Janessa directed grassroots and online strategy at the Genocide Intervention Network and the Save Darfur Coalition, global human rights advocacy organizations that seek to protect civilians from mass atrocity and genocide. Her uses of emerging technologies and innovative grassroots initiatives to affect political realities — at the state, federal and international level — have been featured in The New York Times, CBS Evening News, The Washington Post, Business Insider, TechPresident and Politico. Janessa is a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Youth Movements, a Truman National Security Project Partner, a New Leaders Council Fellow, a member of the New Leaders Council national board, and a graduate of Northwestern University. Previous clients include the Department of Defense, the Office of Opinion Research at the Department of State, Campaign Consultation, Inc., the Foreign Service Institute, and {think}CUBA.

Follow Janessa on Twitter: @JGoldbeck

Kate Krontiris

Kate is a candidate for a Masters in Public Policy as a Taubman Fellow in State and Local Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She is also pursuing an MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In addition to her studies in statistical and economic policy and business analysis, she is developing a global “connectivity index” that will describe how connected the world’s nations are (along a spectrum of hyper-connected to disconnected) by measuring mobile phone, internet, and tablet market indicators. In 2010, she led a team of State Department and NGO professionals to develop the concept of mobile justice, working under Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Senior Advisor for Innovation and Technology. When implemented, this project will use mobile and satellite technologies to expand access to justice for survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo – linking them to courts, hospitals and doctors, and pro bono legal services. Kate has also worked on problem-solving justice projects with the Center for Court Innovation. She is a contributing writer to the Huffington Post and the Change.org Criminal Justice blog.

Follow Kate on Twitter: @KateKrontiris

Alan Williams

Alan is an urban planner in New Orleans, and has been involved in the city’s recovery process since 2005. Consulting for both the public and private sector, Alan continues to advise various stakeholders on the changing economic, demographic, and policy conditions in the region. In New Orleans, he worked to craft the city’s first-ever Master Plan, contributed to the establishment of a clean-energy financing program, helped inaugurate an urban management district, and advocated for greater funding for the regional community college and workforce training network. In addition to Reboot, Alan also works with Civic Center, a New Orleans urban design studio that champions civic engagement. He also pursues independent projects at the intersection of urbanism, technology and democracy, and leads an after-school art club at a local charter high school.

Follow Alan on Twitter: @outsideagency

CHINA TEAM

Ann Lin (林依韵)

Ann is a Shanghai-based arts producer, with a focus on performance art. Highly actively in the local arts community, she manages Shanghainese arts collective Zu He Niao, is a member of the Red Chamber Project, and has produced the Shanghai Fringe Festival since 2005. Ann began her career with an interest in rural development, and she graduated from the China Agricultural University. Today, she remains dedicated to more effective development and governance in rural China. She has worked on capacity-building for rural village governments in Yunnan, Tibet, and around Beijing for the European Union and the Chinese government. Ann believes that the arts are a critical tool in conducting citizen diplomacy and inspiring transnational dialogue. She has represented China in numerous international arts festivals, including recent years of the Amsterdam Cinedans International Film Festival.

Xianping Xu (徐仙萍)

Xianping’s work focuses on poverty and rural development in China, with a specific focus on rural education and finance. As President of the Alliance of Students Against Poverty. she is currently leading a project on rural education and one on social services for migrant workers with Peking University. Xianping has extensive experience working on development challenges across China, working with groups such as the Chinese Academy of Social Science, the Center for Civil Society Studies, and the Center for Chinese and Global Affairs at Peking University. Her field experience includes. Guizhou, Gansu, Hunan, Shandong, and Yunnan. A National Scholarship student, she is currently a senior at Peking University where she is majoring in social work, and plans to pursue a dual postgraduate degree in social security and human rights.

EGYPT TEAM

Mostafa Kashef

Mostafa Kashef is Cairo-based journalist specializing in civic issues in Egypt. He has worked as an investigative reporter with Al-Dustour, Egypt’s leading opposition newspaper, and he is the former editor for social issues at Ain, an Egyptian youth publication. During the January 25 Revolution, Mostafa also supported the New York Times‘ reporting in Cairo. Fascinated by social trends and movements, he is a firm believer in inclusive progress and equitable resource allocation. His work with Reboot focuses on identifying and reporting on emergent social patterns in post-revolutionary Egypt.

Mahmoud Shamaa

Mahmoud is a Cairo-based photographer, specializing in the impact of architecture and urban landscapes on effective civic ecosystems. Previously, he consulted on design for Shama Marine, a leading Egyptian marine manufacturer. He has also advised the international real estate firm Upswing on management and marketing. His work with Reboot focuses on conducting original design research across Egypt and identifying opportunities for inclusive urban engagement.