Ana Luísa Santos de Almeida Silva. Academic and development practitioner, specializing in innovation and civil society networks, with almost 15 years of experience in the field of international development cooperation, civil society, and innovation. Visiting Assistant Professor at ISEG - Lisbon University and ISCTE, University Institute of Lisbon. Assistant Professor at Forward College - Lisbon Campus. I have a background in Political Science and International Relations (2007), with an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2009) and a PhD in Development Studies (2023) from ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management (Universidade de Lisboa), with a dissertation entitled "Weathering the storm? Non-governmental organisations, innovation, and change in international development cooperation". Between 2009 and 2015 I worked as an NGO Project Manager and Country Representative for British NGO Transaid (specialising in transport and development issues) in Nigeria, Madagascar and Mozambique, implementing innovative solutions to improve transport systems for healthcare access in remote areas. During this period, I developed solid professional experience across the project cycle in development cooperation, from proposal design and project planning to implementation and monitoring and evaluation. I am a committed team player, who puts good communication and collaboration as the centre of project and team management. As an academic researcher, I have strong qualitative research, critical thinking, and analytical skills, and I believe in the power of action-based research. I am the co-founder of a research-to-action initiative called Oficina Global (Global Workshop), which supports civil society organisations with evidence-based decision making.