Join the IS Major to hear from award winning IS Major alumni Matthew Conway, and Jessica Lyga, and learn more about their extensive careers in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, and how AI plays a role in supporting these efforts.
Bios:
Matthew Conway, Hala Systems, Inc. & International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Matthew Conway is a senior program consultant for the United Nations, supporting the UN’s migration agency (IOM) in Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while also serving as the Director of Strategy at Hala Systems, a social enterprise using technology to enhance conflict monitoring, civilian protection, and accountability for human rights violations in conflict zones. Matthew has worked on stabilization, development, and emergency response with the UN (IOM, WFP), the World Bank, and the U.S. Department of State, as well as coordinating national security policy at the White House. His international experience includes Senegal, The Gambia, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Ecuador, Mozambique, Ukraine, and DRC.
Matthew graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2013 with a double major in Political Science and International Studies, and from King’s College London in 2015 with a master’s degree in Conflict, Security and Development.
Jessica Lyga, Freedom Fund
Jessica joined the Freedom Fund in May 2024 as Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager, based in London.
Jessica has been based in Ethiopia, Jordan, and Türkiye, and has held roles in institutional partnerships and strategy development with INGOs, UN agencies, and local organizations. She has worked across 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, with a focus on increasing resources and building development partnerships that support locally led initiatives.
Jessica holds a master’s degree in International Development & Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
