Communications, Learning, and Design for Impact
We're an award-winning team of strategists, designers, content producers, and learning experts based in Washington DC, California, and Utah—with a network of specialized consultants around the world.
Meet The Team
In a rapidly evolving digital and sustainability landscape, strategic communication, human-centered design, and learning are essential for lasting impact.
Our team has developed brand identities, user-centered digital experiences, and multimedia content for global brands like Google, Adobe, Marriott, and Deutsche Bank — and created communication and learning solutions in more than 25 countries for organizations like the World Bank, UNICEF, and USAID.
As technology reshapes how people engage and learn, our flexible, interdisciplinary model allows clients to tap into the expertise of a single consultant or assemble a tailored team — delivering solutions that are human-centered, tech-forward, and grounded in real-world context.
Whether working individually or as a team, our consultants help clients inspire action, build trust, and create measurable, meaningful change.
Managing Team
Adam leads brand intelligence at Within Global. He has a background in building brand and digital ecosystems with clientele across 23 countries. His work in both B2B and B2C markets focuses on digital strategy, information architecture, customer experience (CX), user experience (UX), user interface (UI) design, content strategy, interactive design, online video and communication campaigns across a variety of sectors.
Adam began his career in Asia where he provided communications support for international programs funded by USAID, the United Nations and The World Bank. He then led several rebranding, marketing and digital initiatives for Marriott International. Upon his return to the United States, Adam co-founded and later sold an award-winning creative agency with clients that included Google, Adobe, Priceline, KPMG, S&P Dow Jones, Nestle, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sports Illustrated, and others. Adam is also a frequent speaker on the topics of brand and digital strategy.
He has been a keynote speaker at the White House sponsored “Data Jam” at Google as well as several digital and mobile events for Adobe. Industry awards include: International Design Award (IDA), AIGA 100, PRNews CSR Award, GoGreen Award. Adam has lived and worked on four continents, and currently resides in Utah with his four daughters.
Stanford has more than two decades of experience shaping communications for climate action, conservation, and sustainable development — including 15 years living and working in Southeast Asia. He helps organizations turn complex environmental initiatives into compelling narratives and visually engaging products tailored to audiences ranging from students and city leaders to policymakers, investors, and donors.
His work bridges technical depth and public understanding. His recent work includes strengthening storytelling and donor visibility for green infrastructure and climate finance initiatives in the ASEAN region and providing strategic advice to marine conservation efforts in the Pacific. He works closely with subject-matter experts to craft communications strategies, flagship publications, websites, speeches, and multimedia content that build credibility and influence policy development.
Over the years, Stanford has partnered with multilateral development banks, UN agencies, bilateral donors, foundations, and NGOs — including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, USAID, and regional conservation organizations — supporting programs focused on climate mitigation and adaptation, clean energy, sustainable cities, and ocean conservation.
He holds a Master’s degree in International Development from Brigham Young University and was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford. His in-country experience includes Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Cristina Mestre has over 20 years of experience in strategic communications, including 15 years with global environmental nonprofit organizations. Her primary focus is helping clients raise the profile of their work with target audiences, increasing brand recognition and strengthening clients’ reputations. Her areas of expertise include media relations, thought leadership, crisis communications, digital marketing and content development. She has led campaigns focused on corporate sustainability, climate tech, ocean and habitat conservation, climate finance, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture. Cristina has also launched dozens of corporate partnerships and sustainability coalitions such as the Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, the CEO Climate Dialogue, Transform to Net Zero and the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance.
Kelly Pellico is a brand and marketing leader with nearly twenty years of experience developing and directing strategies for iconic brands, including Sundance Institute. Kelly specializes in brand and marketing strategy, campaign development, content marketing, advertising, and promotions. She also has deep experience in marketing research and insights.
Kelly’s work, both domestic and international, spans industries and includes technology, healthcare, entertainment, and CPG. She has an inquiring mind with the ability to conceive and connect influential new ideas and to decisively lead their execution.
Kirby is a learning strategist, facilitator, and instructional designer with 15 years of experience, working with a wide range of governments and global development organizations. He is primarily focused on designing, developing, and delivering effective and impactful learning experiences, whether it’s an in-person knowledge exchange workshop, an interactive scenario-based eLearning course, a microlearning module, a knowledge sharing podcast, or an animated explainer video. He finds joy in the intersection between human connection and technology.
His work focuses on supporting organizations seeking to address global issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and improving sustainable livelihoods.
For the past few years, he has worked closely with the US Forest Service Office of International Programs to develop and implement a knowledge management strategy and to facilitate multi-week in-person learning seminars with participants from across 30 countries on natural resource management topics. He has also worked with USAID, the UN, World Bank Group, small NGOs around the world, and many more.
Expert Consultants
Nga is a public health and behavior change scientist with over 25 years of experience working across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Her areas of expertise include behavioral insights, social marketing, consumer research, strategy development, training and facilitation, and program design. She is adept at developing partnerships, mobilizing resources, and driving collective action. In all her work, she aims to create change and spark joy!
Nicole Bridge is a strategic communications professional with more than fourteen years of experience leading digital communications, content strategy, and global outreach for one of the world’s largest development agencies. At USAID, Nicole advised and trained a global network of more than 200 communicators across 100 countries, providing topline messaging, content toolkits, and strategic guidance to ensure consistency in tone, brand, and impact. She directed social media strategy for an audience of more than 20 million across multiple platforms, driving significant audience growth and engagement over her tenure.
Nicole specializes in translating complex programs into clear, compelling narratives and building communication systems that support alignment across diverse stakeholders. Her work spans strategic messaging, editorial planning, social media, and large-scale event communications, including high-profile international initiatives and crisis response efforts.
Melinda has more than 15 years of experience leading communications for environmental and ocean initiatives across Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America, and the Caribbean, with a focus on bringing greater visibility to the people and systems behind complex environmental challenges.
She spent several years living and working in Southeast Asia, partnering closely with local organizations and communities to understand how environmental challenges impact everyday lives and critical ecosystems—and how to make these stories more visible to global audiences. This has included projects such as working with small-scale fishers in the Philippines and Indonesia to document the journey seafood takes from bait to plate, helping raise awareness among consumers and support more transparent supply chains, as well as developing communications campaigns that highlight the role of informal waste collectors—a workforce of millions that is often overlooked but critical to ocean plastic pollution prevention efforts.
Melinda has supported communications for international development donors, including USAID, as well as private sector companies working on environmental challenges. Her work focuses on strengthening outreach, visibility, and overall program impact.
She holds a BA in Communications from The George Washington University and a Master’s in Communication for Development from Malmö University in Sweden.
Jenell is an environmental social scientist and science communicator with over 10 years of experience. She has had a long-term interest in bridging the gap between science, policy, and the public through improved science communication. This has led her to roles where she has applied communication and environmental decision-making research to complex issues including climate change, the human dimensions of wildlife trafficking, ocean conservation, plastic pollution, decarbonization of the energy system, environmental and climate justice, and conservation of public lands with nonprofits and government agencies. She has gained domestic and international experience at World Wildlife Fund, U.S. Department of State, National Park Service, National Geographic Society, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
She finds it rewarding to develop and implement strategic communication plans and messaging that reach and inspire an array of audiences. Whether projects involve managing all of the logistics and talking points for major events for Climate Week NYC, creating social media toolkits for embassies to leverage for key environmental conferences and other major moments, or writing blogs to extend the reach of case studies and reports, she has consistently focused on enhancing the understanding of environmental protection for the benefit of people as well as natural and cultural resources. Throughout it all, she aims to translate technical information into compelling, relatable narratives that motivate meaningful change.
Jenell holds a PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy as well as a Masters in Earth Systems Science from George Mason University, and completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Environmental Policy at Marist University (formerly Marist College). She was also a 2017 Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and a member of the 2018-2020 cohort of the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program.
Rick Velleu is a creative strategist and brand storyteller with over 20 years of experience translating complex ideas into compelling narratives that drive engagement and measurable impact. His expertise spans brand development, content strategy, multimedia production, and strategic communications—with a particular focus on sustainability, climate, and purpose-driven initiatives.
At Environmental Defense Fund, Rick catalyzed a 53% increase in brand awareness through a data-driven brand refresh and oversaw campaigns that exceeded industry benchmarks by up to 140%. He has guided major brands including Walmart, McDonald’s, and AT&T on aligning business objectives with environmental goals, and co-created the award-winning Degrees podcast. His documentary work includes co-directing Boatlift 9/11, narrated by Tom Hanks, which generated millions of views.
Rick‘s creative background includes character design for Dora the Explorer at Nickelodeon and over a decade directing photoshoots for The Muppets and Jim Henson Productions. He holds an MFA in Film Production from NYU and is based in Ghent, New York.
Drake Mayo is a communications and graphic design specialist based in Washington, DC. He is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan and has work experience in post-soviet countries, including Ukraine and Georgia. Drake spent several years working in Kyrgyzstan developing community radio and leading mass communications campaigns through national TV, radio, and social media building relationships between Peace Corps, the Kyrgyz government, and local communities.
Drake currently leads strategic partnerships and initiatives with Google’s Global Social Impact team, and previously was Creative Director and Visual Content Creator supporting Google’s energy, infrastructure, and economic development initiatives. He is adept at producing infographics, videos, slide decks, and digital assets that translate complex technical information into accessible, compelling narratives. His work emphasizes visual storytelling that builds trust, fosters inclusion, and drives meaningful impact.
Drake has extensive international experience, including work for USAID, Peace Corps, United Nations, GIZ, World Bank Group, and the Institute for Youth Development in Kyrgyzstan. Other clients have included Physicians for Human Rights, the United States Forest Service, Association for Community Media in Kyrgyzstan, The Center for Homeownership and Economic Development, George Washington University, Columbus State University, and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Saengroj blends strategic communications, policy advisory, and leads on-ground efforts to turn climate and biodiversity goals into practical action. With 24 years across Asia, he has led multi-country initiatives and advised governments, development partners, and businesses on climate policy, circular economy, urban resilience, and led the implementation of the climate youth leadership program and biodiversity-based tourism. He designs clear learning experiences, crafts evidence-based narratives, and builds coalitions that unlock finance and deliver measurable results on the ground.
Saengroj has held technical and leadership roles with UNDP, USAID, and a global education-focused non-profit, and works comfortably from boardroom strategy to field implementation. He is based in Bangkok and works regionally in Asia.
Nadia Ilunga is a strategic communications consultant based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. She has worked in Central Africa and Southeast Asia supporting international development projects focused on urban systems, agriculture, and natural resource governance. Using her skills in qualitative data analysis, research, and writing, Nadia is passionate about translating complex information into accessible content.
Yoga is a seasoned professional in international development with over a decade of expertise in forestry and climate change, primarily focused on Indonesia. He brings a strong track record of cultivating strategic partnerships with local institutions, aligning program objectives with national priorities, and delivering support tailored to country-specific needs.
For nearly ten years, Yoga has led coordination of U.S. Forest Service programs in Indonesia, advancing the country’s capacity for sustainable natural resource management. His work spans technical collaboration to promote sustainable forest practices, enhance biodiversity conservation, and strengthen institutional capacity through knowledge exchange and on-the-ground engagement.
A strong advocate for science-based approaches, Yoga is committed to driving impact in complex, multicultural settings. His passion for collaborative problem-solving and evidence-informed decision-making underscores his dedication to resilient and inclusive development.
Mats was born in Sweden, where he spent time on his grandparents’ farm in the High Coast, igniting a passion for nature, geography, and environmental conservation. As a teenager in Fältbiologerna (Youth and Environment Sweden), he embraced biodiversity activism and sustainability—values that still guide his work. He honed his illustration and art direction skills at Schmidt & Magnusson in Stockholm, creating high-end B2B campaigns for global tech and industrial clients.
In 1999, Mats moved to the Galapagos Islands to apply his expertise in design, cartography, and illustration at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Over the past two decades, he’s merged GIS analysis, cartographic visualization, and creative storytelling—collaborating with organizations like USAID, The World Bank, SNV, and DAI Global. To date, he’s worked on 400+ projects for over 150 clients worldwide, developing maps and illustration for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, marine mapping, and strategic urban planning.
Proficient in GIS, design, and 3D software, Mats integrates spatial analysis with visual storytelling. Fluent in Swedish, English, and Spanish, he has worked across multiple continents. In 2012 he settled in Cuenca, Ecuador with his wife and son, where he continues his GIS and cartographic work while enjoying hiking, photography, and the surrounding Andean landscape.
Jane Gotiangco is a strategic communications executive with 25+ years of expertise in elevating brands, shaping narratives, and driving impactful engagement. A natural connector, she excels at bringing people and organizations together to ensure communications are inclusive, authentic, and results-driven.
Her experience spans strategic marketing for business development, content marketing strategy and execution, media and government relations, and crisis communications. She has successfully led high-impact campaigns across global corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies—boosting brand visibility by 25% and improving crisis response efficiency by 50%.
Leveraging two decades of advising executives on personal branding, Jane developed the Brand U approach, a methodology designed to uncover and craft compelling stories that showcase an individual’s unique experiences, values, and strengths. She is a trusted advisor to leaders, helping them refine their voices, amplify their presence, and navigate complex communications landscapes with confidence.
Client Experience
