Rebecca Merrifield is a dedicated international development professional with a deep commitment to sustainable rural development and women’s empowerment. With eight years of experience across East Africa—spanning Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia (five years in Ethiopia)—she has led initiatives funded by USAID, GAC, SIDA, and the Development Fund of Norway. As Head of Strategic Innovation and Initiatives at iDE Ethiopia, Rebecca applies her expertise in Human-Centered Design, leveraging participatory and action-oriented research to create impactful, sustainable solutions. She has extensive experience across diverse sectors, including food security and agriculture, WASH, women’s empowerment, livelihood diversification, pastoralism, and youth entrepreneurship. Beyond project design, she fosters a culture of collaborative innovation, equipping teams with the tools and mindsets to drive meaningful change. Rebecca is particularly passionate about storytelling, co-creation, and thoughtful facilitation, using these approaches to amplify voices, shape solutions, and elevate community-led development. Prior to her current role, she conducted research on women's empowerment and developed strategies to mainstream gender equality and social inclusion within organizations and projects. Seeking to translate research into action, she embraced Human-Centered Design as a means to create solutions that are both customer- driven and results-oriented. She holds an MSc in International Development and Management from Lund University (Sweden) and a BA in Environmental Studies, with a minor in Anthropology, from Davidson College (USA). Beyond her work in design and innovation, Rebecca enjoys exploring the outdoors, and sharing and learning with others over a cup of Ethiopian coffee.
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