Our Team

Elisa joined NEF as Civitates’ Fund Director in 2023. Elisa brings more than two decades of experience in fostering open, just and resilient societies through her work in multilateral organisations and civil society. She led the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Liaison Service to strengthen public participation in the UN’s deliberations to advance its international development agenda. She also spearheaded international civil society networks and multi-stakeholder coalitions in the pursuit of sustainable, inclusive and equitable development. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of Publish What You Pay, a global movement of grassroots civil society organisations tackling corruption and promoting transparency and accountability. She holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She has lived in 8 countries and is fluent in English and French. She understands Spanish, Italian, Swedish and Russian.

Eszter Szücs joined Civitates in January 2024, bringing a decade of experience working with civil society and media in Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining Civitates, she served as a senior program officer with the Open Society Foundation’s Europe and Central Asia Program. Eszter began her tenure with OSF in 2012, and in her last position, she worked in the Countering Authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe team. For years, she also served as a gender focal point, supporting work on intersectional gender justice. Trained as a lawyer, Eszter worked for a Budapest-based law office for several years. In addition to her JD, she holds an MA in Women’s and Gender Studies and an MA in Literature and Linguistics. She is currently based in Berlin.

Claudio Cesarano joined Civitates in 2024. Before joining Civitates, Claudio worked at Open Society Foundations for four years, first in the Transparency, Accountability and Participation Unit and then in the Tech & Society team where he has been leading grant-making in the Digital Public Sphere portfolio. Previously, he was the Coordinator of the Alliance for Lobby Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) and the Project Manager of the Italian NGO Diritto Di Sapere where he coordinated the FOIA4Italy coalition that successfully campaigned for the first freedom of information law in the country. Claudio was also a member of the Open Government Partnership Team of the Italian Government in 2016-2018. He holds a degree in international relations and is based in Barcelona.

Samuel Sigere joined Civitates in 2023 as Programme and Grant Officer. Before joining Civitates, he worked for about two years as a project officer for the European Commission’s Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). There, he assisted in the selection, monitoring, and evaluation of projects for the Erasmus + and Creative Europe programmes. Previously, he has also worked for about 3 years as a consultant in EU public affairs advising clients on various subjects such as disinformation and lifelong learning. Samuel holds a bachelor’s in biochemistry from McGill University and a PhD in Ancient Roman History from University College London. He has lived in 6 countries. He speaks fluently French, English and Spanish and understands Italian, Portuguese, and German.

Monika Ramos is a Programme and Grant Officer. Before joining Civitates, she worked for three years as a Project Manager for the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN). There, she organized training sessions for judges, prosecutors, and court staff in collaboration with various national judicial schools across Europe, focusing on the Criminal Justice and Judicial Training Methods portfolios.

She also worked for the Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) for four years, a study-abroad organization offering academic programs in Brussels for American university students. Monika led two exchange programs: one focused on International Relations and Government, and the other, held at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), concentrated on the French language.

Monika holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor’s in Political Science with an emphasis on Regional Integration Studies from the University of Texas at El Paso. She also earned a Master’s in Political Science from the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Monika has Mexican heritage and lived between Mexico and the United States before settling in Brussels, where she has now lived for over 11 years.

Maria Guerra-Arias is a data, evidence, and impact specialist with over a decade of experience working across research, data, and evaluation to support evidence-based decision-making and social change. She specializes in building robust data strategies, translating complex qualitative and quantitative information into actionable insights, and strengthening organizational data literacy.

Most recently, Maria served as Associate Director of Data, Evidence & Impact at Planned Parenthood Global, where she led the organization’s global data strategy and impact measurement work in support of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Prior to this, she held research and data roles at ICS Integrare and UNFPA, contributing to global initiatives in maternal and newborn health, and health systems strengthening. Across her roles, she has championed participatory, feminist, and equity-focused data approaches. 

Maria has contributed to major international reports and peer-reviewed publications and has presented her work at global conferences on technology and development. She holds a Master’s in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. She is currently based in Barcelona.

Elea Cogoluenhes is a Programme and Grant Officer. Before joining Civitates, she worked as Programme Assistant for The Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe. There, she contributed to the operational activities of the collaborative fund by implementing grant-making, capacity strengthening, and communication activities. Previously, she volunteered with several women’s rights organisations in the UK and in Belgium, and worked at Oasis Belgium as an intern. Elea holds a Master of Arts in International Relations with an emphasis on Social Movements from the University of Glasgow. She also earned a Specialised Master’s in European interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Migration and Social Rights from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Born in France, Elea grew up there and lived in Scotland and the Netherlands before moving to Brussels. She speaks French, English and Spanish.