Elena Locatelli has 25 years of professional experience in the education sector, with a strong focus on Education in Emergencies and resilience. She is currently an independent consultant, working with various international organizations and local NGOs to support the development of education strategies, capacity building, and emergency response. She firmly believes that a country's development depends on the opportunities given to younger generations to discover, learn, and grow. After nine years working with NGOs, she joined UNICEF in 2009 to influence education policies at the government level. She served as Chief of Education in Mali for over three years, leading the country’s education program and emergency response efforts. Prior to that, she worked for seven years as an Education Specialist in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where she led a team across four provinces and contributed to the development of Cash Transfers within the Rapid Response Mechanism for education. She also co-authored a guide on Disaster Risk Reduction for schools located in volcanic risk areas. Since 2021, she has been collaborating with UNICEF Italy as a consultant on education for migrants and their integration. At the same time, she has been supporting various African NGOs in fundraising and project writing. She is also the founder of Education & Learning, a platform dedicated to consulting and training in the education sector, with a special focus on supporting African NGOs. Currently, in addition to her consultancy work, she is writing a proposal for local African NGOs to help organizations in developing countries improve their management, fundraising, and emergency response capacities. She is also launching a podcast focused on education and protection in emergency and crisis contexts.