Dr. Cohen has two decades of experience working innovatively on how the private, public, nonprofit, and security sectors
can work both independently, and in concert, to promote growth and stability in developing economies. She has worked with
numerous country Presidents, CEOs, military Generals and non-profit leaders in Fortune 100 businesses, policy initiatives,
think tanks, and on the implementation of Presidential directives in emerging and fragile economies.
Recently, Dr. Cohen served concurrently as the Director of Research, Director of Learning, and Director of Monitoring and
Evaluation on Countering Violent Extremism for USAID in Bangladesh. Here, Dr. Cohen was the USAID expert and focal
point for information, theory, research, and best practices on CVE. Prior to this, Dr. Cohen was the Principal Investigator for
the New Approaches to Conflict Resolution in East/Central Africa for Tulane University where she identified gaps in conflict
resolution programming among ideological non-state armed groups, identifying technology-based communications
strategies to promote lasting defections. Dr. Cohen also served as the Vice President for Fontheim International, an
international Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Public Policy Firm as well as the Managing Director for
GlobalWorks international, a 501c3. Dr. Cohen has also served as a lead Social Scientist for Transnational Threats and lead
for the Presidential Study Directive on Preventing and Responding to Mass Atrocities for the Defense Sector in Africa, the
Director of Africa Policy and a Sherpa for a leading DC-based trade and investment firm, Director of Special Projects for a
South African business consultancy focused on China-Africa-US trilateral relations, and as Director of the Global Sullivan
Principles, the first code of corporate accountability in Africa.
Dr. Cohen is a regular advisor to executive clients at the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and the U.S. Department of
Defense on subject matters including Security Sector Reform, Conflict Prevention, Response, and Stabilization, Mass
Atrocities Prevention, Violent Extremism, and more. Dr. Cohen has lived and worked in Africa, Central America, South Asia,
Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Dr. Cohen holds Bachelors in History, Pre-Medicine, and Anthropology; a
Master of Science in International Development with a focus on Conflict Studies; and a Doctor of Philosophy in International
Development focused on Conflict Studies.