Our Team
Natasha Ezekiel – Founder and Gender Equity & Social Safeguards Specialist
Meet Natasha
I am the Founder and Director of Rise established in November 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya. I founded Rise to build on my passion for creating long-term impact that supports the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to gender and social inclusion, decent work, poverty reduction, health and well-being, and climate resilience & adaptation. Prior to establishing Rise, I worked at Environmental Resources Management (ERM), an international sustainability consultancy, based in the UK and Kenya.
I have over 15 years of broad sector and geographic experience covering gender equality & equity, gender mainstreaming, social safeguard, human rights, community development and environmental risk for development and international finance institutions, private equity and investment funds, and the public sector.
My areas of expertise include gender assessment, gender action planning and implementation support covering the workplace and community, gender and social management systems, gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH)/sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) policies and plans, environmental and social due diligence, resettlement and livelihood restoration support, social impact assessment, community needs assessment, monitoring and learning, and other related services.
My experience covers: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Macedonia, Ghana, Greece, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Montenegro, Nigeria, Rwanda, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Uganda. Sectors include: Agriculture, energy, infrastructure, transportation, mining, oil & gas, water and sanitation (including WASH) and education.