Five global leaders join the People Powered board

New People Powered board members: (top, from left) Charlie Martial Ngounou, Diana Dajer, (bottom, from left) Katya Petrikevich, Sanjiv Rao and Shreya Basu

Five new members are joining the People Powered Board of Directors! These proven leaders bring to the table expertise in democratic innovation, business development, research, communications and international development. They will help guide our strategic decision-making as we build participatory democracy globally.


Charlie Martial Ngounou

AfroLeadership | Yaounde, Cameroon

Charlie is an activist for democracy, human rights, digital rights, and open data with AfroLeadership, which he founded in 2007. He also works as a public finance expert for the International Association of Francophone Mayors.


Diana Dajer

Fundación Corona | Bogotá, Colombia

Diana is manager of citizen participation with Fundación Corona, working on the intersection between political inclusion and public and social innovation. She previously directed the Institute of Studies of the Public Ministry in Colombia, founded and directed Policéntrico, and worked as an advisor on peace for the Colombian Ministry of Interior.


Katya Petrikevich

Participation Factory | Prague, Czech Republic

Katya is a co-founder and international director of Participation Factory, a social enterprise that helps communities improve governance systems and quality of life through better participation and robust data. She focuses on mainstreaming best practices in public participation and community engagement.


Sanjiv Rao

Race Forward/U.S. Office of Management and Budget | New York, United States

Via his affiliation with Race Forward, Sanjiv is working as a senior equity fellow in the U.S. government’s Office of Management and Budget, where he helps federal agencies deepen their commitment to public participation. Previously, he served as director of the civic engagement and government program at the Ford Foundation, where he led grant-making to strengthen representation, participation and leadership in democracy.


Shreya Basu

Open Government Partnership | Singapore

Shreya is deputy director for country support with the Open Government Partnership (OGP), leading its work in the Asia-Pacific and the EU’s Eastern Partnership regions, and supporting governments and civil society in member countries as they advance open government reforms.