Founder, Partner Amsterdam, Netherlands
Co-Founder, Partner The Hague, Netherlands
Principal & Creative Director Dubai, UAE
Principle Leiden, Netherlands
Associate Beirut, Lebanon
Associate Córdoba, Argentina
Associate Berlin, Germany
Associate Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Associate London, United Kingdom
Associate Erbil, Iraq
Associate California, USA
Catalystas is a worldwide network! Check out Lysta: Expert Database to see the profiles of over 50 expert and fully vetted consultants spanning the globe, ready to help support our clients
Established in 2018, our hybrid collective was born out of a need for a gender lens in the field of international development and cooperation. The absence of gender sensitivity in activities and programs across business, development, government, and humanitarian sectors was continuous and detrimental, leading to unintended consequences, unsustainable changes, and insignificant impacts. Since beginning operations, our team has successfully supported numerous governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, and social sustainable enterprises in mainstreaming gender as a means of creating lasting transformation, meticulously evaluating existing programs and activities, and creatively innovating new solutions all over the globe.
We believe in tailor-made solutions that fit each specific context and keep every audience and ambition in mind.
We focus on inclusion through human-centered designs, with localized contexts and issues at the core, and special attention given to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
We utilize our training across various sets of standards and methodologies to ensure high quality and easily adaptable services (Sphere Humanitarian Standards, OECD DAC evaluation criteria, Core Humanitarian Standards, Scrum and agile management).
We actively practice qualifying our qualitative findings and research with quantitative figures, primary sources, and native language analysis.
Catalystas Consulting, Lange Voorhout 43, 2514 EC Den Haag, The Netherlands
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An Iranian-American with more than ten years of experience in international relations, economic development, and political empowerment, Beatrice is heavily invested in making the world a better place. Her work spans multiple regions of the world, often including high-risk environments, and her clients include non-governmental organizations, governmental bodies, and small-to-medium–sized corporations throughout the US, EU, Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Originally focused on the areas of economic development, security, and disarmament, Beatrice turned to the humanitarian field, where she has expanded her expertise to include international security policy, gender equality, and innovation planning. She is a highly skilled grant writer, program designer, auditor, and capacity and impact assessor, as well as an authority on client and donor relations and ethical corporate engagement strategy.
Her personal and professional interests come together in the use of technology and data to provide solutions and insight into human rights, higher education, sexual reproductive rights, and environmental preservation.
Aviva is a development and political stability specialist with over eight years of experience working in and on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, and South & Southeast Asia. She focuses on the intersection of peacebuilding, empowerment, and gender equity, with an emphasis on interweaving growth and sustainability throughout social, political, and economic development. Aviva has experience in program development, implementation, situational analysis, and strategic planning in various contexts, including highly volatile areas.
Holding a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, she has worked with organizations large and small, including Search for Common Ground, SPARK, the Netherlands Entrepreneurship Development Agency (RVO), the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO), and the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
A lover of the written word, Aviva is an expert in writing and communications and embraces the challenge of creating content for a variety of audiences – from grant proposals to awareness raising campaigns.
Rami Touma is a creative consultant and business developer with more than fifteen years of experience in developing key messaging, establishing brands, solving operational problems, creating disruptive marketing strategies, and creative advocacy and awareness campaigns.
He uses a unique data-driven creative process that is a tailor-made fusion of design thinking, behavioral psychology, and project management.
His portfolio includes consultancies for non-governmental organizations, multi-nationals, start-ups, universities, and government entities throughout the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa.
Beyond this range of technical expertise, his real strength lies in his unrivaled passion for humanitarian issues and empowering people, and his skill in marrying content and form when it comes to spreading important messages.
He is passionate about street art, photography, cinematography, pottery, and all forms of art.
Judith is a passionate development and humanitarian professional with more than eight years of experience working for actors ranging from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs to INGOs, where she has worked on program design and development, policy development, and program management. She is an expert in the fields of improved business development, access to the labor market through higher education, humanitarian aid, and justice and security governance.
Holding a MSc in Conflict Resolution and Governance at the University of Amsterdam as well as a BSc in Political Science and a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from Leiden University, her experience focuses on fragile regions in the Middle East, South East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where she has lived and worked over the past decade for various NGOs.
Judith has extensive experience in developing and initiating projects, including scoping potential partners, finding a program’s unique selling point, and grant-writing. When it comes to project implementation, Judith is highly passionate about working with those actors on the ground who can make a real difference.
Noura Amkieh is a Clinical Psychologist from Beirut, Lebanon. In the past five years, she has completed her B.A. in Psychology, M.A in Clinical Psychology and Islamic Psychology diploma from Cambridge Muslim College. She fulfills the role of a clinical psychologist in Beirut, Lebanon and is an advocate for global mental health with an anti-colonial approach. Noura has been actively working within Islamic Psychology, addressing the diverse needs of populations and offering a comprehensive approach to mental health challenges.
She specializes in working on evaluations and needs assessments with emphasis in MHPSS, education and global mental health. Her expertise goes beyond clinical boundaries, incorporating a profound understanding of regional geo-political dynamics, enabling her to utilize psycho-social analysis and trauma-informed training methodologies for effective and culturally sensitive engagement across various contexts.
Paula is a committed gender specialist with extensive experience in reporting, research, training, and project coordination in both Spanish and English. She holds a Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies from the Central European University & the University of Granada, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the Catholic University of Córdoba, Argentina.
As a consultant, she has worked for prominent organizations such as UNDP, Inter-American Development Bank, CAF -development banf of LAC, Start Network, Youth Business International, HelpAge, Catholics for Choice, and FARO Ecuador. There, she has conducted research related to gender equity, combating violence against women, children, and adolescents, strategic fundraising, development of training materials, and program evaluation.
In the public sector, she worked in the first Ministry of Women of Córdoba leading Gender-Sensitive Budgeting trajectories and gender mainstreaming in provincial public policies. She was responsible for coordinating interministerial and intersectoral meetings, designing and monitoring strategic programs, and supporting institutional communication.
Paula is dedicated to creating equitable spaces, challenging hierarchical power dynamics, and promoting ethics of care. With deep insight into Latin American cultural dynamics, she offers a unique perspective. Her commitment to feminism, empathetic leadership, and transparent collaboration drives her mission to advance gender equality and social justice regionally and globally
Roy has over 8 years of experience working in the public and private development sector with major focus on programmatic expansion, data analysis, partnership development. Roy has worked in the Middle East, Europe and West Africa often with multinational teams operating in regional or global contexts. In his personal time Roy is an active linguistics researcher who focuses on intercultural communication, dialogue and exchange. A polyglot- Roy has used his linguistic and communication skills to support teams work more effectively.
A Zimbabwean with over five years of expertise in waste management and recycling, sustainability, eco-entrepreneurship, climate change, economic development, and youth employment.Kuda is deeply dedicated in making the world a better place. Her work spans several sectors, including economic development, and her clientele include non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies, and medium-to-large enterprises from the United States, the European Union, and Africa.
Kuda began her career in waste management, recycling, and environmental management before transitioning to sustainable economic development, where she broadened her knowledge to include youth employment, sustainable technology, and innovation planning. She is a highly experienced program designer, project manager and stakeholder engagement officer. She is also an authority in stakeholder relations management and corporate sustainable strategy development.
Her personal and professional interests intersect as she uses technology and data to bring answers and insights into the growth of the circular and green economies. In her work, she champions adaptable, inventive, and iterative processes, collaborating with donors and clients to incorporate flexibility, responsiveness, and local leadership from project design to implementation and exit.
Isabel holds an MA in Gender Studies with a specialization in Postcolonial and Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as an MA in International Business Management from ESCP Europe. With over 15 years of experience in international development, Isabel began her career in microfinance before transitioning to social entrepreneurship. She created an innovative and award-winning sanitation system in Lima, Peru, to address the Human Right to Sanitation.
This groundbreaking model, the first of its kind in South America, has been globally recognized for its contribution to sustainable and inclusive urban development. After leading the organization as its director, Isabel continued to serve on its board and has since worked in community-led innovation (Humanitarian Innovation Fund) and in consulting projects focused on Gender and Human Rights (Global Initiative for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights & World Economic Forum/South Pole).
Massara is a seasoned mental health professional with extensive experience in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), specializing in therapeutic interventions for high-risk cases and severe trauma. She works closely with partner staff, providing guidance and training to enhance their skills in communication and de-escalation techniques to support individuals facing mental health challenges.
Beyond her core expertise in mental health, Massara has a broad range of experience in protection programming, including child protection, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), and gender-based violence (GBV). She is skilled in project cycle management, encompassing needs assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring & evaluation. Massara is adept at coordinating with government bodies, communities, and protection actors to design and implement effective programs.
Her background also includes monitoring and reporting on protection situations, developing and delivering training programs, and conducting evaluations to improve program quality. She facilitates communication among stakeholders, addresses protection concerns, and supports gender and child protection initiatives through advocacy and community engagement.
Massara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Counseling from Baghdad University and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from Al-Noor University College. She has also completed advanced training in trauma resiliency, high-risk assessment, and psychosocial support for conflict-affected children.
Haley has over ten years experience working as a consultant across international development, management consulting, education, and regenerative agriculture. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Development in Monterey, California, and a Bachelor’s of the Arts with Honors from the University of Oregon, where she studied international relations and French.
In her work, she celebrates adaptive, innovative, and iterative methodologies, working with donors and clients to incorporate flexibility, responsiveness, and local leadership from a project’s design to its implementation and exit. Within the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning framework, she works with her clients to identify and apply learnings derived from positive deviance as opposed to focusing on what isn’t working. She has worked with Search for Common Ground and Mercy Corps in Cambodia, Kenya, Lebanon, and the District of Columbia, for donors such as USAID, UNHCR, and privately-funded philanthropists, and clients include Caritas Austria, Search for Common Ground, Freedom from Hunger, a public transportation company of a global capital, a multi-billion dollar financial services firm, and medical service providers throughout North America, as well as Big Sur Land Trust and Monterey County Rape Crisis Center.
Her commitment to intersectional feminism extends to her personal life, where she farms and homesteads with her family in Northern California, spending the assets of her time and attention on decolonizing and rewilding her self, environmental justice, and dismantling patriarchy and white supremacy.
We built Lysta as an answer to one of our own problems: the need to quickly assemble teams of experts across various subject matter, geographic, linguistic, and thematic areas for projects and proposals as they arise. We quickly realized that we were not the only ones facing this challenge! With the speed that development projects require hiring, turnaround, and technical insights, we see first hand how helpful it is to have a ready-made database of vetted experts to call on.
For existing and potential Clients, you can access all consultant full profiles by signing up here as a client for free.
For consultants, adding your profile to Lysta means jumping to the top of the list for our clients in recruitment processes. We do the heavy lifting: the CV reviews, interviews, vetting, and personnel management; so when our clients come to us, they know they’re hiring someone they can trust to deliver high quality, timely results. Click here to add your profile for review.
We’re proud to be a link in the chain that connects the best of the best – don’t hesitate to reach out and see how you can put Lysta to work for you!