Empowering People and Systems for Lasting Change

At EmBold Foundation, we drive transformation by equipping individuals, organisations, and communities with the skills, confidence, and resources to lead sustainable development and climate resilience across Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Our Focus Areas

Our Purpose

Empowering Change Through Action

We work globally — from Europe to Africa and South Asia — collaborating with local NGOs, universities, research institutions, international and bilateral development agencies and institutions, and philanthropic foundations that share our commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.

Programme Implementation

Designing, securing, and managing international cooperation grants and programmes. We implement EU-funded and multilateral initiatives that promote sustainability, innovation, and education — in line with EU and global development frameworks.

Strategic Advisory and Technical Cooperation

Providing policy advice, institutional strengthening, and technical expertise to governments, NGOs, and international partners — aligning local action with global goals.

Capacity Building and Empowerment

Training and mentoring local actors — especially youth, women, and underrepresented groups — to lead change. We deliver education, workshops, and skills programmes that foster global citizenship, leadership, and resilience.

Research, Data and Insights

Generating applied research, evidence-based tools, and impact evaluations that guide better policy and practice. We translate knowledge into action through knowledge-sharing and peer learning.

Advocacy, Communication and Partnerships

Amplifying local voices in global arenas, communicating bold ideas, and building cross-sector alliances among public institutions, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

Our Distinctive Approaches

Innovative Methods for Sustainable Impact

At EmBold Foundation, we leverage a comprehensive suite of methodologies to drive inclusive growth, strengthen capacity, and foster climate resilience. Our work is grounded in active stakeholder engagement, ESG-driven frameworks, and context-sensitive solutions that maximise positive impact across diverse communities.

Stakeholder Engagement

We foster meaningful participation by collaborating with communities, local organisations, and partners to ensure every voice is heard and valued throughout project design and implementation.

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ESG Integration

By embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in all initiatives, we deliver projects that are responsible, transparent, and aligned with global sustainability standards.

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Inclusive Capacity Building

Our tailored programs strengthen institutions and empower individuals, with a focus on youth, women, and underrepresented groups, to lead and sustain transformative change.

Our Global Impact in Action

Our global team brings deep experience across education, resilience, sustainability, and natural resource stewardship — enabling inclusive and climate-smart development worldwide. Below are some of the assignments of our founding team.

Education, Skills & Human Capital Development

Financial Inclusion for Vulnerable Communities (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation / MSC, India), 2025–Ongoing

Baseline evaluation across eight states to expand financial inclusion for underserved groups.

TVET & Skills Development for Women’s Empowerment (GIZ, Afghanistan), 2024–Ongoing

Third-Party Monitoring for TVET, private sector support, and social security programmes.

Migration Governance & Localisation (Danish Refugee Council, Kenya), 2024

Development of Localization & Partnership SOPs to strengthen equitable partner engagement.

Child Protection & Learning Outcomes (Ministry of Education / USAID / UNFPA, Somalia), 2022–2024

Mixed-methods evaluation of Accelerated Basic Education and Child Protection Programmes.

Accelerated Basic Education (ABE) Evaluation (Ministry of Education / USAID / UNFPA, Somalia), 2022–2024

Evaluation of ABE programme performance, learning retention, and educational access.

Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) KAP Baseline (Save the Children, India), 2019–2021

Survey on knowledge, attitudes, and practices supporting early childhood development.

Strategic Planning & Baseline Surveys for Education Programmes (SCA, Afghanistan), 2018

Baseline survey informing the Strategic Plan 2018–2021.

Civil Security, Civil Protection & Resilience

Civil Society Strengthening for Service Delivery, Chukua Control (Welthungerhilfe, Kenya), 2025

End-line evaluation of a civil society empowerment and accountability programme.

Health Systems Governance & Capacity Assessment (World Bank, Somalia), 2025

Assessment of Ministry of Health governance, financing, and institutional capacity.

Migration Governance & Localisation (Danish Refugee Council, Kenya), 2024

Development of Localization & Partnership SOPs to strengthen equitable partner engagement.

Multisectoral Needs Assessments – WASH, Health, Nutrition (Somali Ministry of Health & WASH Cluster, Somalia), 2024

MSNA conducted across Baidoa, Kismayo, and Jowhar.

Emergency Health, Nutrition & WASH Systems (Medair / UNICEF / ActionAid, South Sudan & Somalia), 2022–2024

Endline evaluations of integrated health, nutrition, WASH, and reintegration programmes.

Disaster Preparedness, Risk Awareness & Climate Resilience (European Commission, Horizon Europe Projects), 2016–2025

Portfolio of disaster and climate resilience projects (CARISMAND, ENGAGE, PARATUS, Empower Citizens, etc.).

Disaster Risk Reduction & Emergency Management Training (RoAid, Africa & Caribbean), Multi-Annual

Disaster risk reduction and post-disaster reconstruction programmes.

National Disaster & Climate Resilience (World Bank, Romania), Multi-Annual

Strengthening disaster risk management and climate resilience capacities under CAT DDO / DRM programmes.

Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change & Circular Economy

Climate-Smart Agriculture & Biodiversity Management (FAO, India), 2023–2024

Mid-Term Review of a national programme (the Green-Ag Project) promoting climate-smart agriculture and conservation of forest and biodiversity landscapes.

Inclusive Green Economy & SDG Integration (UNDP, India), 2021–2022

Green Economy Learning Assessment and action plan for two states.

Urban Resilience & Sustainable Infrastructure (ADB, India), 2016–2019

Mid-term and end-line assessment of the Rajasthan Urban Sector Development Investment Programme (RUSDIP).

National Disaster & Climate Resilience (World Bank, Romania), Multi-Annual

Strengthening disaster risk management and climate resilience capacities under CAT DDO / DRM programmes.

Disaster Preparedness, Risk Awareness & Climate Resilience (European Commission, Horizon Europe Projects), 2016–2025

Portfolio of disaster and climate resilience projects (CARISMAND, ENGAGE, PARATUS, Empower Citizens, etc.).

Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resources

Market Systems & Value Chain Development, (PGI, Kenya), 2024–2025

Market systems analysis across Garissa and Tana River to improve diversification and value addition.

Climate-Smart Agriculture & Biodiversity Management (FAO, India), 2023–2024

Mid-Term Review of a national programme (the Green-Ag Project) promoting climate-smart agriculture and conservation of forest and biodiversity landscapes.

Climate-Resilient Rural Livelihoods, CHIRAAG (World Bank, India), 2021–2025

Monitoring & Evaluation for inclusive rural and agricultural growth in Chhattisgarh.

ESG, Ethical AI & Sustainable Agriculture (European Commission, Horizon Europe), 2018–2025

Projects such as SHERPA, NOVATERRA, ClimAIr advancing ethical AI, environmental health, and sustainable farming.

Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, PRADAN Programme Review (Tata Trust, India), 2016-2017

Mid-term review of rural livelihoods support for indigenous and disadvantaged communities.

Partner With EmBold Foundation

Collaborate with EmBold Foundation to drive inclusive growth, build climate resilience, and empower communities worldwide. Together, we can create lasting, meaningful change through innovative programs and strategic partnerships. Connect with us to explore how your support can amplify our shared mission.

Contact Us to Collaborate

Mateja Bakker

Co-Founder & Chair

Mateja is a development and sustainability professional with extensive experience in international cooperation, organisational strategy, and stakeholder engagement. For over 15 years, she has worked in the development cooperation sector, coordinating and strengthening collaboration across a global network of consulting organisations and NGOs. With a strong background in advising organisations on sustainability transformation, ESG frameworks, and donor-funded projects, she works at the intersection of impact, governance, and long-term value creation. Mateja holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA from the University of Birmingham, and has completed an executive sustainability leadership programme at Imperial College Business School.

Aneesh Vijayan

Co-Founder & Secretary

Aneesh is a management professional with an MBA in Rural Management and over 19 years of experience across social inclusion, livelihoods, climate resilience, rural development, environment, agriculture, forestry, WASH, energy, education, health, and nutrition. He specialises in end-to-end Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), including indicator development, M&E frameworks and strategies, monitoring, evaluations and impact assessments. Aneesh is adept in sampling design, tool development, stakeholder consultations, data quality assurance, and documentation of formative and summative M&E reports. He has extensively worked with multilateral/ bilateral funding agencies, civil society, and private sector organisations across almost all Indian states and union territories, and internationally in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, The Gambia, and Tanzania. He has also worked with private sector companies working in the Fintech, Edtech, Agtech space and with new age technology companies like Google, UBER, Facebook, Amazon etc. on regulatory and competition related aspects.

Himanshu Dube

Co-Founder & Programme Director Asia-Pacific

Himanshu is a management post-graduate with over 30 years of multi-sectoral and multi-country experience as an M&E Specialist, Project Performance Management Specialist, and Institutional Development Specialist. He specialises in end-to-end design and delivery of M&E systems, including evaluation frameworks, M&E strategies and protocols, capacity building, and mixed-method assessments. He has extensive experience in sampling design, data collection tools, stakeholder consultations, data quality assurance, and preparation of high-quality formative and summative evaluation reports. His sectoral experience spans social inclusion, livelihoods, agriculture, climate change, forestry and environment, rural and urban development, and education. Himanshu has worked with major donor agencies including USAID, the World Bank, ADB, UNDP, FAO, KfW, and GIZ across almost all Indian states and union territories, as well as internationally in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Sri Lanka.

George Mihael Manea

Co-Founder & Programme Director EMEA

George Mihael is a development and international cooperation professional committed to advancing the UN SDGs and MCR 2030 agenda. With a strong focus on societal resilience, he combines strategic vision with hands-on experience to design impactful mechanisms, tools, and partnerships that generate measurable results across Europe and beyond. A Certified Professional Business Continuity Practitioner and IVLP Alumnus, he has a proven track record in leading multidisciplinary teams, managing complex projects, and fostering sustainable growth through collaboration with multilateral development banks and donor agencies.

George Mihael has previously worked at the European Commission and within the EU Delegation to Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). He also coordinated civil security programmes and contributed to high-level crisis response efforts, including major global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Dorian, the Beirut port explosion, and humanitarian assistance for Ukrainian refugees.

Academically, George Mihael holds a PhD in Political Science from the West University of Timișoara (Romania) and has further strengthened his expertise through studies at the College of Europe (Poland) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium). His research interests are centered on EU policy, resilience, innovation, and active engagement across Horizon Europe clusters.

Aden Diis

Co-Founder & Treasurer

Aden is a legal and corporate-finance specialist with 13 years’ multi-sector experience across East Africa and Europe. He advises on regulatory and policy matters and specialises in corporate and blended-finance transactions and impact investing, with a focus on transaction structuring, investor engagement and deal documentation. Aden has advised on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulation and regional market-integration frameworks and led legal and governance assignments including consortium and partnership frameworks, regulatory reviews and programme quality-assurance. He also oversees treasury and financial governance—managing cash and banking relationships, budgeting, internal controls and donor reporting—leads long-term financial planning, supports audit readiness, and helps shape business development and blended-finance partnerships with DFIs, foundations and local banks. Aden holds an LL.M. in Law and Business and has worked with multilateral and bilateral agencies, national governments, civil-society organisations and private investors across Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Germany and Luxembourg.

Our Work