The Diaspora Institute’s team are recognised experts in the design and delivery of diaspora engagement based around the world. The team includes:
Chief Executive Officer
Kingsley, a Trinity College Dublin Economics and Politics graduate, has lived and worked in six countries. He served as IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland’s representative in Sydney for eight years, then spent 17 years as Worldwide CEO of the Ireland Funds, primarily based in Boston. A global voice on diaspora engagement, he is also a co-founder of The Diaspora Institute.
Kingsley has worked in multiple countries, regions, cities, helping them develop strategies to connect with their diasporas. The vision of The Diaspora Institute is to position Ireland as a world leader in this area by sharing the Irish diaspora engagement experience globally. Kingsley has written and spoken widely on the topic, including a TEDx talk, and he, and The Diaspora Institute team, have developed extensive online training courses in diaspora engagement, philanthropy, investment, trade and networking. He recently authored a book entitled “Networking Matters – the Power of Human Connection”.
Co-Founder
Martin is co-founder of The Diaspora Institute and has contributed to diaspora engagement in approximately 60 countries. This work includes authoring several diaspora policies, strategies and action plans with a proven record of impact in driving diaspora engagement at scale across sectors including diplomacy, philanthropy and investment.
He holds a PhD from University College Dublin and was previously a visiting fellow at UNI-MERIT. He is currently a member of the Transition Assistance Practice Group of the Institute for Integrated Transitions, serves on the steering committee of a new 4-year Diaspora Diplomacy Research Project at DCU funded by Research Ireland, and serves on the boards of a select number of diaspora organisations globally. In 2022, he advised on the Global Diaspora Summit hosted by the Government of Ireland and led TDI’s advisory work with the Government of Ireland in support of their new national diaspora strategy launched in 2026.
Chief Innovation Officer
Claire holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and brings more than 25 years of international experience leading design, learning, and companies environmental change initiatives across industries including corporate, manufacturing and aviation – in the UK, Australia and the United States.
She believes aesthetic thinking helps simplify complex ideas — a principle brought to learning product design and the TDI Membership strategy. Claire works closely with clients to create practical, tailored training solutions that support meaningful and lasting change.
Strategic AI Advisor
Loksan is TDI’s Strategic AI Advisor, advising on the organisation’s AI transformation and the responsible use of AI in diaspora engagement. He has 13 years’ experience building an international consulting practice in migration and diaspora engagement, working with UN agencies, governments, think tanks, consulting firms and NGOs across 30+ countries. Loksan has applied AI to improve knowledge-centred business processes and supports organisations to augment and automate workflows effectively. He holds a BA in Economics from McGill University and an MSc in Public Policy and Management from SOAS, University of London.
UX & Instructional Designer
Harpreet is Head of Creative and Communications at The Diaspora Institute . With over 20 years’ experience in UX, graphic design and communications, she has spent the past decade supporting diaspora engagement programmes and initiatives.
Her work focuses on transforming complex academic, policy and strategic content into clear, engaging and accessible experiences, specialising in instructional design, data visualisation and communications for diverse global audiences.
Project & Client Manager
Renske has 20+ years of corporate productivity, project and operations management experience within the education and technology sectors. With TDI, she is responsible for working with the clients, companies and coaches delivering the training programmes.
Diaspora Impact Advisor
Richa is a diaspora policy practitioner with 12+ years of experience working with international organisations, including GIZ and UN Migration (IOM). She has supported governments and diaspora organisations from 20+ countries in designing and implementing diaspora programs for development. She also has expertise in building market-based approaches to facilitate energy access in underserved markets. She is a recipient of the prestigious German Chancellor Fellowship and holds a master’s degree in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics.
Joanne Irvine is an expert in international development with longstanding experience supporting national and local authorities, UN agencies, civil society and community organisations to achieve their sustainable development goals through strategic planning, evidence-based research, knowledge management, learning and evaluation. She achieves this by applying creative and participatory design methods to tap into the tacit knowledge and lived experience of people, teams and organisations in order to better inform policies, strategies and programmes. She is passionate about transformational leadership and thrives in contexts where she is able to bring people together to co-design solutions tailored to each client.
Emira brings 16+ years of programme leadership across economic and private sector development and institutional reform, with a focus on service innovation. She has worked with governments, multilateral organisations, and industry actors across the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, leading complex programmes funded by the World Bank, IOM, USAID, the EC, and the U.S. Department of State. With an MBA, she specialises in turning diaspora engagement into investment, skills, and development outcomes.
Dr. Gagnon is currently collaborating with The Diaspora Institute on advancing evidence and practical tools for diaspora direct investment.
He is an economist specialising in migration, skills and development. He has more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of policy, research and international cooperation, including with the OECD and the UN system. His work focuses on diaspora engagement, remittances, labour mobility, and the role of migration in development planning. He has led and authored numerous policy reports and research outputs, and regularly supports governments and international partners through advisory and analytical work.
Marcos is a digital strategist and web consultant with extensive experience delivering high-performing websites and marketing campaigns for B2B businesses across Ireland, the UK and internationally.
He brings over 10 years of experience and specialises in conversion-focused website design, SEO, email marketing automation, paid advertising, and performance optimisation.