A catalyst for positive change — turning purpose into impact through structured action and collaboration.
Elena blends expertise in project management, business development, and digital product design and implementation to drive meaningful change as Social Impact Enabler. At IDEMS, she contributes to a range of social development initiatives and leads work to improve systems and processes that help the organisation scale its impact.
She holds a Masters of Public Health in Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, along with dual degrees in Science and Business Management from The University of Queensland.
What social problem is nearest and dearest to you?
I care deeply about early childhood development and education, special needs and maternal mental health support, and ensuring open access to the resources that enable them. I’m particularly interested in how digital tools can drive impact — especially those that support parents, teachers, and health workers in low-connectivity settings. Our Early Family Math app is a great example of this — placing simple, powerful tools in caregivers’ hands to turn everyday moments into meaningful learning.
What’s a recent professional success you’re especially proud of?
Being part of a team that has delivered a number of parenting apps and chatbots under the Global Parenting Initiative in partnership with the University of Oxford and Parenting for Lifelong Health, has been deeply rewarding. With growing evidence of positive impact on families, it will equally be exciting to see our OpenApp and OpenChat Builder’s potential in broader contexts.
What’s the most interesting project or problem you’re working on right now?
Most recently, growing our internal knowledge repository and further refining how we work at IDEMS has been a satisfying behind-the-scenes effort. It’s about turning implicit knowledge into shared understanding, which hopefully can make a difference — especially in a fully remote environment.
Why did you choose to work at IDEMS?
I was initially drawn to IDEMS by the opportunity to contribute to the Global Parenting Initiative, which closely align with my personal interests. At IDEMS, I appreciate the organisation’s principled approach, its strong culture of individual empowerment, and the flexibility it offers. The opportunity to contribute to diverse, meaningful projects — and collaborate with an exceptionally multi-disciplinary group of individuals — has made IDEMS a truly special place to work.
Where is home?
Home is London for now – but it has been Mombasa, Kathmandu, Phnom Penh among other pit stops. We chose Lewisham to raise our family as it is incredibly culturally diverse and of course with an abundance of green spaces to fly our kite!
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