JASON PIELEMEIER
Executive Director

As Executive Director, Jason leads a dynamic, multi-stakeholder, human rights collaboration, building consensus for the advancement of freedom of expression and privacy among technology companies, academics, human rights and press freedom groups and investors. Jason previously served as Deputy Director and Policy Director at GNI.

Prior to joining GNI, Jason was a Special Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, where he led the Internet Freedom, Business, and Human Rights section in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In that role, Jason worked with colleagues across the U.S. government, counterparts in other governments, and stakeholders around the world to promote and protect human rights online.

Jason is a graduate of Northwestern University and Yale Law School. Between degrees, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer and later led an innovative land titling and conservation project in rural Guatemala. After law school, he worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Raymond J. Dearie in the U.S. Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and as an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

Elonnai Hickok
Managing Director

As Managing Director, Elonnai works to strengthen and grow a unique and impactful multi-stakeholder organization working for the advancement of freedom of expression and privacy. She has contributed to international policy initiatives and has presented worldwide on issues of digital rights and emerging technology and the counterbalancing of governmental and individual interests and rights. She has developed research and written extensively on issues relating to privacy, cybersecurity, surveillance, intermediary liability, and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence.

She currently serves as a member to a number of multi-stakeholder initiatives including as the co-chair to the Freedom Online Coalition Advisory Network, a member of the GIFCT Independent Advisory Committee, and as a member to the ChristChurch Call Advisory Network. Formerly, Elonnai was a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the chief operating officer of the Centre for Internet & Society, India. Elonnai graduated from the University of Toronto, where she studied international development and political science.

Min Aung
Assessment and Accountability Manager

As the GNI’s Assessment & Accountability Manager, Min is responsible for leading the evolution of the GNI framework as well as facilitating the GNI’s unique company assessment process. Before joining GNI, Min led the Sustainability team of a major telecommunications company in Myanmar, developed a community-led human rights impact assessment methodology for a leading digital rights NGO, and led two microfinance institutions in Myanmar. Min is a graduate of Imperial College, London. After graduation, he worked at several leading management consulting firms in London.

Idan Ben Yakir
Senior Operations and Policy Associate

Idan handles GNI’s day-to-day operations including finance, travel, and membership processes. She also supports GNI policy & learning activities, including by leading GNI’s work on network disruptions and assisting with the company assessment process.

Before joining GNI, Idan worked with communities in Morocco and the Federated States of Micronesia to build sustainable youth development programming and improve school administration. Idan’s experience also includes work in women’s health and transitional democracy.

Idan earned her Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in International Relations and Art History.

Ramsha Jahangir
Senior Policy and Communications Associate

Ramsha is responsible for organizing and spearheading activities and outputs of GNI’s Policy Committee, working in collaboration with GNI policy staff. She also plays a leading role in creating, implementing, and overseeing internal and external communications for the GNI.

As an award-winning journalist from Pakistan, Ramsha has extensively reported and researched on technology and human rights for national and international platforms. She has produced investigative work on an expansive list of topics relating to internet rights; mis/disinformation, platform regulation, digital censorship, surveillance, and tech policy. Ramsha has contributed to policy initiatives on internet governance in South Asia and has been invited to share her insight on related issues at various global conferences such as RightsCon.

Ramsha recently completed a joint Erasmus Mundus M.A. in Journalism, Media and Globalisation on a full scholarship from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in The Netherlands, and Aarhus University in Denmark.

Montserrat Legorreta
Operations and Program Associate

Montserrat (Montse) works on the design and delivery of GNI’s operations and projects. As part of this portfolio, she implements and manages GNI’s grant-funded programs and projects.

Montse was previously a fellow at GNI. She brings her experience as a Co-Founder and former President of the Mexican Debate Association (Asociación Mexicana de Debate – AMD) where she led multidisciplinary teams in the development of programs to foster debate as a tool to promote critical thinking across the different states in Mexico; most notably working with the National Electoral Institute (INE) to address misinformation and convening the 38th Edition of the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) in Mexico City in 2018 with the participation of 1,100 university students from 67 countries.

She has teaching experience in middle and high school as well as the executive levels and holds a B.A. in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Santa Fe, a Master’s in Education from UTEL and is a Master’s of Science in Foreign Service with a Concentration in Science, Technology and International Affairs from Georgetown University.

Setu Bandh Upadhyay
Membership and Learning Associate

Working in collaboration with GNI policy and operations team, Setu is responsible for driving learning initiatives to enhance meaningful stakeholder participation in GNI. Setu is also leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to increase representation and membership of stakeholders while also supporting the organization, communication, and activities of GNI constituencies.

Before joining GNI, Setu had extensive experience researching and conducting legal and policy advocacy on societal impacts of technologies, working with research institutes, civil society, and think tanks across India and Europe.

Setu is a public policy graduate of Central European University, and a law graduate of University of Mumbai.

Hilary Ross
Special Projects Advisor

Hilary Ross serves as a special projects advisor at GNI. She is a program consultant, primarily advising public interest technology policy organizations. She is interested in the governance of emerging technologies, transparency as a tool for accountability, freedom of expression, privacy and security, information integrity, and the future of news. Previously, she worked in industry on data transparency and on staff at the Berkman Klein Center, where she maintains an affiliation. Additionally, she’s been a fellow with the Federation of American Scientists Day One Project, the State of the Net Conference, and the Fulbright teaching program. 

Hilary holds an MA from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, with a specialization in technology policy and international communication.