Zora Steedly (she/her) is a Project Coordinator at OneWorld. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she moved to Johannesburg at age 10. Zora studied at Smith College in Massachusetts, USA where she received a B.A. in Political Science and History. As part of a joint 5-year B.A. + M.A. program, Zora received a M.A. of International and Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) in Switzerland, specialising in Environment, Resources, and Sustainability.

Throughout her academic journey, Zora has participated in a series of internships within international organisations and multilateral development banks. Most recently Zora was a Net-Zero Policy Analyst Intern at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France. In this role, she focused on the performance evaluation of MDBs to support achieving the Net-Zero climate agenda and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Other notable organisations which Zora has worked with include the World Bank, the Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), and the Womin African Alliance.

In her role as project coordinator, she supports the delivery of sustainable development projects across the African continent through research, data collection and analysis. Currently, she is supporting the Global Climate Fund’s nature-based solutions for smallholder farmers project, the NDC Malawi Gender Action Plan (GAP), and the C40 Cities Climate Finance Mainstreaming project for the City of Johannesburg.

In addition to sustainable climate adaptation and mitigation across the African continent, Zora is passionate about social inclusion and women’s empowerment. She holds over three years of experience in climate policy, project management, analysis, and research within international development organisations.