Keynote Speaker
Dr. Vera Songwe is a globally respected economist, development finance expert, and senior international leader with deep experience across public, private, and multilateral sectors. She is Chair and Founder of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility, a financial mechanism designed to improve liquidity for emerging markets and support sustainable development and climate finance. She also served as a senior advisor to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), focusing on financial stability, credit risk cycles, and regulatory innovation. Dr. Songwe previously held the highest regional leadership position at the United Nations serving as Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In this role she became the first woman to lead the organisation in its 60 year history, driving strategic reforms on macroeconomic stability, private sector growth, development finance, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. Her career includes senior leadership positions at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she managed multi-billion-dollar portfolios and championed fiscal policy, economic governance, and innovative financing for development across Africa and beyond. She also began her professional journey as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the University of Southern California. Dr. Songwe’s thought leadership extends to climate finance and global economic policy. She is Co-Chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Panel on Climate Finance, has served multiple G20 commissions and contributes to key international initiatives at the intersection of sustainability, finance, and economic transformation. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Mathematical Economics from the Center for Operations Research and Econometrics, Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, a Master’s in Law and Economics, and a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan. She has been consistently recognised among Africa’s most influential leaders by the Financial Times, Forbes, Jeune Afrique, and other global outlets.
Panelists
Tom Bui is the Director of Food Systems and Nutrition at Global Affairs Canada. Prior to this, he served as the Director of Environment, the Global Environment Facility Council Member for Canada and the Green Climate Fund Board Member for Canada, Belgium and Poland. With over 27 years of service to the Government of Canada, Tom has held diverse leadership roles, including Country Director for Vietnam, Indonesia and ASEAN development programs at Global Affairs Canada, Director for International Financial Institutions at the Canadian International Development Agency, and Policy Director for Horizontal Policy and International Protection at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Tom holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Business Administration from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. He is also a CFA charterholder.
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Lisa KurbielÌýleads the Joint SDG Fund at the United Nations, managing over $490M in capital - leveraging $19 for every $1 committed - to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries. She oversees the Fund's multilateral engagement and forges innovative partnerships with private sector actors, including asset managers, financial institutions, foundations, and family offices. A passionate human rights advocate, she has built lasting relationships with businesses, civil society, and philanthropies, with a focus on the most vulnerable. With over 22 years of UN experience - including postings in Somalia, South Sudan, Mozambique, and Kenya - Ms. Kurbiel brings expertise in public policy, strategic communications, and innovative financing. She holds a Juris Doctor from Saint John's University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Niagara University. Lisa and her husband live in New York City and are proud parents of two college students.
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Andy Ouédraogo (she/her) is the Government Engagement and Civic Space Lead at Cooperation Canada, where she works at the intersection of policy, sector transformation, and the future of international development. Her work focuses on strengthening the enabling environment for civil society while helping the sector navigate structural change with greater strategic clarity. She has led various initiatives, including the Global Cooperation Futures Initiative aimed at reimagining next generation global cooperation in 2035. Her work has also examined strategic partnerships, organizational integrations, and amalgamations as adaptive responses to sector contraction and changing state–civil society relations. She is currently leading the development of a dashboard to generate a clearer empirical picture of Canada’s international development ecosystem and strengthen collective strategy and advocacy. Andy’s earlier experience includes multilateral work with the United Nations Environment Programme and the UN General Assembly, where she contributed to multilateral policy processes on sustainable development and global governance. She holds degrees in international relations and global political economy, with specialized training in strategic foresight. Her broader research interests include strategic foresight for development, locally led development, feminist leadership, and the evolving political economy of global cooperation.
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Moderators
Christian Novak is an international development professional. He is Professor of Practice at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID), Board member of The Canadian Association of International Development Professionals (), and Managing Partner of , a consulting firm focused on supporting effective investing towards the Sustainable Development Goals. His works are focused on: the operating models and methods of development finance institutions, blended finance, funding needs for the advancement of priority sectors and underserved segments of the population, climate finance, and impact investing.
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Gabriela Flaschberger is a U3 Honours International Development Studies student at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï, with minors in Environment and Urban Studies. Originally from the United States and Colombia, she currently serves as Vice President of Events for the International Development Studies Students’ Association (IDSSA), where she plans and coordinates speaker events and student programming for the IDS community.