Speakers

Ella Wright is an international education and development specialist with over a decade of experience advancing equitable education systems globally. Her work focuses on disability inclusion, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), and systems strengthening across low- and middle-income contexts. Ella has partnered with governments, multilateral agencies, and research institutions to design, implement, and evaluate inclusive education initiatives, with particular expertise in foundational learning, disability data, and outcomes-based financing. She has contributed to global education research, policy dialogue, and sector planning through roles with organizations including UNICEF and international funding partners. Alongside her practice, Ella is a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia, where her research explores the intersections of education, inclusion, and relational pedagogies. Bridging evidence, policy, and implementation, she is committed to ensuring that early learning systems are accessible, equitable, and responsive to the diverse strengths and needs of all children. Ella is a total education nerd, passionate about children above all (and is a mama to 5-year-old twins and a 7-year-old).

Catherine Batamuriza is an education and inclusion specialist with experience advancing disability-inclusive and equity-centered programs, with a particular focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). She has worked with governments and global organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, and Save the Children, supporting disability inclusive program design, research, and stakeholder engagement with local communities. Catherine holds a master’s degree in Disability Studies and is passionate about translating evidence into practice to create learning environments where all children can thrive. She is originally from Rwanda (the land of a thousand hills) whose history, resilience, and landscapes continue to shape and inspire her scholarly and practical commitment to equity and disability inclusion.

Dr. Michelle Neuman is a senior fellow at Results for Development (R4D) and a research affiliate at Yale Inclusion Economics, where works with governments and partners to improve young children’s development and well-being in low-resource contexts. Her recent research has focused on the early childhood workforce and financing of early childhood care and education. From 2023-2025, Michelle was a Federation of American Scientists Impact Fellow embedded with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she supported the design and implementation of play-based early childhood programs, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. Michelle taught and advised graduate students in international educational development at the University of Pennsylvania for more than a decade.

Siree is the Associate Director of the Research Institute for Equitable Education at the Equitable Education Fund (EEF). She oversees management data, knowledge and research that promotes equitable systems and stakeholder engagement. Her areas of interest are specific to resource allocation, partnerships and the use of innovative finance.

Before joining the EEF, Siree worked at the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), Ministry of Finance. She holds a MSc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Arushi Terway manages NORRAG’s work under the theme Private Sector Approaches. Dr Terway has examined innovative financing for education for the last ten years through an evidence-based approach. Her research focuses on the conceptualisation and implementation of complex, innovative financing mechanisms within the education sector that aim to bring equitable quality education to all. Currently, she is the Director of the IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project. She is also the academic director and lead instructor for the IFE Executive Education Course at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

For over 16 years, she has worked on education policy, planning, and development at global organisations like the World Bank, GPE, USAID, SDC, FHI360, OSF and R4D. She holds a Doctorate in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, a Master of Education in International Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Master’s degree in Political Science (Advanced) from the Australian National University.