Impact Plus has cultivated a global team of international development experts, entrepreneurs, data analysts and activists. We are driven by our passion for tech for good and maintaining the highest ethical standards for the blockchain ecosystem. Get to know a few of our core members.

Meet
our team

Eduard Peris

Founder & CEO

Eduard Peris Deprez

Eduard holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. He is also the founder of the GeoAnalytics Center, a tech for good organization based in the Sahel. He has worked in Africa for 10+ years with USAID and USIP.

Marcelo (1)

Research Officer

Marcelo Silva

Marcelo holds a PhD in Institutional Analysis and a Master of Theory of Justice. He founded Blockchain Na Escola, a project aimed at onboarding people to Web3 in Brazil. He has a background in legal advising and is a recognized figure in the ReFi ecosystem and the author of the first articles on the subject in Brazilian Portuguese.

Merit

Country Officer

Merit Obeta

Merit holds a bachelor’s degree in political science. She is a seasoned community manager with expertise managing several Blockchain communities. She is pan African and strongly advocates using Blockchain to further SDGs. Her quest to see social impact through Blockchain technology inspired her to participate in SDGs community services where she provides relieve materials to internally displaced persons (IDP) in Nigeria.

Mireia Mesalles

Creative Director

Mireia Mesalles

Mireia holds a degree in Arts from La Massana School of Arts and has 10+ years of international development experience in Africa. She has led tech-for-good projects at the World Bank, Unicef, OIM or Mercy Corps. Mireia was governor of the Africa DAO, founder of the GeoAnalytics Center, and cultural activist promoting access for minority cultures to the tech for good Ecosystem.

Essa Lacher

Logistics Manager

Essa Lacher

Essa holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Wyoming alongside degrees in both accounting and finance. Essa has 10+ years experience in many sectors including non-profit, business and finance. Beginning in homelessness prevention, she has volunteered, held board seats, organized community events, and managed various projects for community outreach throughout Wyoming.

Henrique Aragon

Country Officer

Henrique Aragon

Henrique has 10+ years of experience working as a financial manager in the energy industry, he started investing and studying blockchain in 2018. He co-founded Play4Change in 2021, an organization that brings education to underserved communities in Brazil, leveraging Web3 tools.

Melissa

Country Officer

Melissa Akumu

Melisa has years of experience driving large scale cloud adoption and digital transformation for leading enterprises. She has collaborated with business leaders to articulate ways in which technology can inform business innovation and drive business transformation. While working for the World Food Programme, she coordinated technology for social impact initiatives. She is also a coder

Gareth Anderson

Implementation Manager

Gareth Anderson

Gareth has 10+ years of experience as a political-military analyst and as an intercultural affairs officer from the US Army. He holds a MSc from SOAS where he studied the impact of drug abuse on sexual violence in Sierra Leone during the 1990s. Gareth is responsible for the day-to-day implementation in the countries Impact + operates in.

Shaz Khalid

Communications Officer

Shaz Khalid

Shaz holds an interdisciplinary PhD in Health Systems Management from Monash University. She was introduced to health systems and global health through her research focus on maternal healthcare in Kenya and Global Health PhD Fellowship at the United Nations University – International Institute of Global Health (UNU-IIGH). Shaz has research and program experience from Monash University, the UNU-IIGH, and Bela Risu Foundation. 

Raquel Suarez

MEL Manager

Raquel Suarez

Raquel is an expert in Monitoring and Evaluation. She specializes in gender, inclusion, knowledge transfer, and accountability. She has more than 17 years of work experience with international organizations setting up MEAL systems in different countries worldwide, of which ten years working on the field in Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benín, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti.She is undergoing intensive training in Data Science, Programming, and Python.

JCouto_headshot02 (1)

Communications Manager

Jose Couto

Jose is a journalist with a background in sociology and semiotics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Universidad Monteávila and a master’s degree in Writing for Television and Cinema from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He is a Communications and PR consultant with +15 of experience and has worked for high-profile clients in the public and private sectors in Latam and Europe. He is co-founder of Zuglabs, a software factory based in Silicon Valley, and has worked on several initiatives of social impact in Latam and Spain.

Admin and Finance Manager

Anna Medina

Anna boasts over a decade of experience as an International Business Consultant. A Mexican national, she excels in finance, HR, strategic planning, and business development. In 2021, Anna joined a ReFi company where she has demonstrated exceptional expertise in implementing processes and navigating diverse legal requirements. She holds a B.Sc in Business and Finance from Tec de Monterrey (Mexico) and a Master’s in International Finance from ESC Rennes (France).

What makes
Impact Plus
different

Experience

Experience

Our team is composed of seasoned development professionals committed to working effectively and ethically. With a wealth of experience in the field, we are well-equipped to tackle the challenges that emerge when linking blockchain to impact projects. We are dedicated to using our skills and knowledge to drive positive social and economic change, and we approach our work with integrity and a commitment to excellence.

Proximity

Proximity

A transparent and ethical approach fosters open information sharing, accountability at all levels, and shared trust among stakeholders. We work together to create value and generate results that enable communities to grow and thrive.

Transparency

Transparency

Our representatives work with local actors to identify potential use-cases and determine how they can best serve the community. As a result of its proximity, the project pays particular attention to the contexts of the local area, as well as the exchange of knowledge among communities of common background.

Social commitment

Social commitment

Through a fluid and continuous dialogue with society, we gain insight into the expectations and interests of the communities where we operate, enabling us to become involved in their development and offer the best response for their needs. In each action, we commit to improving the lives of individuals, protecting the planet, and creating value.

Our
principles

Cultural
Sensitivity

Impact Plus works to preserve humanity’s intangible heritage, particularly in the digital realm, to ensure human rights, non-discrimination, and equal access to information. According to UNESCO, a language dies every two weeks, along with its vision of the world and a variety of intangible cultural assets. Despite the trends toward homogeneity in globalized societies and internationalized work processes, we believe in safeguarding the world’s linguistic and cultural variety.

Gender
equality

We believe that achieving gender equality is essential for a just and fair society, and we support initiatives that empower women and promote gender justice. This includes working to eliminate discrimination, advocating for equal rights and opportunities, and promoting the leadership and participation of women at all levels. We recognize that true gender equality can only be achieved through transformative and long-term change, and we are committed to this goal through our programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts.

Human
rights

Impact Plus works to preserve humanity’s intangible heritage, particularly in the digital realm, to ensure human rights, non-discrimination, and equal access to information. According to UNESCO, a language dies every two weeks, along with its vision of the world and a variety of intangible cultural assets. Despite the trends toward homogeneity in globalized societies and internationalized work processes, we believe in safeguarding the world’s linguistic and cultural variety.

Social
responsability

We strive to be a force for good in the world. This includes acting ethically and sustainably, respecting the rights of individuals, and promoting diversity and inclusion. We also recognize the importance of protecting the environment and supporting the well-being of the communities in which we operate. We endeavor to maintain these values in all of our actions and decisions, and to use our resources and influence to make a positive impact on the world.

Environment
responsability

Impact Plus strives to reduce emissions, increase efficiency, and integrate sustainability into every aspect of its operations. In addition to maintaining a commitment to our physical surroundings, sound environmental management implies a respect for and understanding of traditional uses of the land. Our collaboration with community interests allows us to understand and assess the environment holistically, in a way that represents and respects all interests. Our goal is to progressively achieve zero-waste and be carbon-neutral.