Our Team

Danielle brings more than 15 years of experience leading strategy, learning, and organizational change initiatives that strengthen mission-driven organizations and amplify community leadership. At USAID, she directed strategy and learning for the $500 million Local Works program, supporting teams in more than 50 countries, and co-designed regional localization initiatives totaling over $300 million. She has managed multi-disciplinary teams, guided research portfolios exceeding $20 million, and facilitated collaborations among government leaders, grassroots organizations, and philanthropic partners. Drawing on systems thinking and participatory approaches, Danielle helps organizations align vision with operations and lead through complex transitions with integrity and care.

Jen brings more than 15 years of experience helping teams connect evidence, learning, and strategy to drive organizational effectiveness. She has led multi-stakeholder initiatives that supported evidence-based decision making across $1B in social impact projects spanning 30+ countries. At Headwind Partners, Jen supports clients in aligning vision, structure, operations, and digital systems to turn information into actionable insight. Known for her collaborative, pragmatic approach, she helps organizations navigate the challenges of complex change and strategic transformation.

Jen co-directed an $80 million program for a federal client, supporting 100+ client teams in 30 countries to strengthen capabilities for data-informed strategy, design, and learning. She supervised 30 staff supporting USAID teams in process improvement and data collection, management, and use. In addition, she has designed and delivered professional development curricula focusing on advanced data-informed decision-making, such as courses on cost-based analysis. With over 20 years of experience, she guides teams through coaching and mentorship to transform information into insights that support decisions. 

Julie has over 15 years of experience designing adaptive management initiatives, leading collaborative problem solving processes, facilitating community- and people-focused development, and advancing strategic learning in complex contexts. She has led learning initiatives in over 13 countries. Her expertise lies in gathering stakeholder input, synthesizing information, and incorporating contextual understanding into actionable strategic plans. Adept in facilitating inclusive strategic and learning processes, she helps organizations working across sectors including food security, resilience, conflict prevention, civil society strengthening, governance, and health.

Megan has more than 15 years of experience in evaluation, learning, and strategic communications, Megan specializes in participatory research, adaptive learning, and impact storytelling. She’s worked across Africa, Asia, and the U.S., helping organizations align goals with action. Her work spans the full spectrum of key performance indicators and evaluation, designing and implementing robust organizational systems that integrate data-informed insights and operational decisions. She brings a proven ability to translate findings into narratives that resonate with diverse audiences, from grassroots partners to global stakeholders, helping organizations not just measure impact, but amplify it.

Jean Paul offers a full toolbox: rigorous methods to analyze data for causal inference and systems learning; participatory approaches that ensure organizational decisions are evidence-based; and mentoring strategies that equip staff to own the data-to-decision cycle. An economist and educator by training, he has led academic research and international program evaluations, and advised a major international donor’s stakeholders in Asia and Africa with thought leadership and technical expertise.

Sarah Leppert is a business development executive with 17 years of international development experience, securing multimillion-dollar contracts in 30+ countries valued at over $750 million. She has advanced programs in healthcare, climate change, agriculture and food security, and democracy and governance, and is recognized for cultivating high-value partnerships, navigating complex procurement processes, and strengthening organizational capacity. Skilled in proposal development, pipeline management, and market trend analysis, Sarah is adept at leading and mentoring cross-functional teams, engaging C-suite decision-makers, negotiating high-stakes contracts, and executing growth strategies to advance organizational success. 

Todd brings more than 20 years of experience strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems for high-profile U.S. international development initiatives, and presenting reports and syntheses that have directly influenced legislation, billion-dollar strategies, multi-sectoral program implementation, and external communications. With field experience primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, he flourishes in multicultural settings, is deeply committed to using interdisciplinary approaches to address priority evidence needs, and has a knack for hands-on coaching and peer-to-peer learning.

Tonya is a Headwinds founding staff member and part-time lead consultant. A certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), she has more than 20 years of experience leading organizational change initiatives as a master facilitator of strategy development, stakeholder engagement, workshops, and action planning. Over her career she has managed annual operating budgets from $12 to $40 million. She combines the business acumen of an MBA with the analytical skills of a Ph.D. in political science. Tonya has designed and managed programs across sectors, including education programs for at-risk children and youth, public service delivery, and community development. She excels at translating strategy into action with a unique ability to think big-picture and drill into the details. She is proud of the diverse network and community of data- and evidence-enthusiasts she brought together in 2015 who continue to support each other as they all navigate headwinds.