Sofia Torres is a Data Scientist and Designer based in Bogotá, Colombia, and CEO of Acropolis Labs. She works at the intersection of AI, data, and engineering to deliver solutions across industries ranging from fashion to the public sector. Her professional experience includes hands-on work in fast-moving consumer goods analytics, helping organizations leverage data for better decision-making. At Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, Sofia analyzed biases in AI, particularly within Spanish-language models, and developing dashboards that reveal social inequalities across education, economics, and other areas.

She is a Senior Research Associate at American University’s Institute on Disability and Public Policy, contributing to the development of a Disability Rights Data Dashboard using Python and Streamlit, with a strong emphasis on user-centered design and the practical application of AI.

Juan David Lopez Becerra is a Technology and Product Leader and AI Strategist based in Bogota, Colombia. He is the Co-Founder of ExaByte Company and currently serves as the Product Lead for BrainBox, where he specializes in developing Generative AI (RAG) solutions to automate critical processes, such as contract analysis and financial reporting. Juan is a certified Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect and Associate Cloud Engineer with experience leading digital transformation and high-scale cloud architectures.

Additionally, he serves as a Senior Research Associate at the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP), where he contributes to developing data dashboards using the Python stack.

Sharon Wanyana is a Research Associate at the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) and holds a Master of Science in Analytics from American University's Kogod School of Business.

At IDPP, Sharon explores how the CRPD Disability Rights Data Dashboard can be used as a knowledge translation device to transform complex CRPD reporting knowledge into actionable intelligence for communities and decision-makers. Her work includes integrating quantitative disability data to enhance the dashboard's analytical capabilities.

Opeyemi Mumuni is a Quantitative Researcher at the Center for Faculty Excellence at American University, working at the intersection of public policy and data science. He applies research methods, survey design and text analytics to help decisionmakers extract actionable insights from complex data.

He has contributed to projects that bridge academia, policy and practice, including collaborations on infrastructure and safety regulation, as well as tools that help organizations manage data-intensive workflows. He collaborated on a statewide disability prevalence study in Lagos State, Nigeria that informed policy recommendations on accessible infrastructure and social services. His research applies natural language processing and large language models to UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities alternative reports, tracking global progress, regional variations and implementation factors. He collaborates with civil society and oversight bodies, including prison monitoring organizations in the United Kingdom where he examines institutional conditions, accountability and justice.

Olivia Prezioso is a Research Assistant at the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP). She earned her BS in Criminal Justice and Political Science, with a minor in Law and Public Policy, from Northeastern University.

Her personal experience with chronic illness inspired her to engage directly in disability justice and advocacy. She founded and led Kids for Kids, an organization dedicated to making her local children’s hospital more welcoming and supportive for long-term pediatric patients. Olivia’s interest in disability policy research was sparked during her senior capstone, which examined bureaucratic barriers to accessible public education in Massachusetts. She remains actively involved in the Boston disability community as a peer mentor with Partners for Youth with Disabilities.

Professionally, Olivia works as a compliance associate for Registered Investment Advisers. At IDPP, her research focuses on social entrepreneurship and commercialization, as well as developing user-centered approaches for collecting data for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Dashboard and Mobile App project.

Conrad Linus Muhirwe is a Research Associate at the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) and is completing his Master of Science in Analytics & AI at American University's Kogod School of Business. Conrad is passionate about leveraging data and AI to advance human rights and make complex policy information more accessible.

At IDPP, Conrad contributes to the development of the CRPD Disability Rights Data Dashboard, an interactive platform tracking implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities across more than 143 countries. His work includes building AI-powered research capabilities, designing the platform's user interface, and supporting the data infrastructure that powers the dashboard's analytical tools.

Hope Tatenda Mutema is a data scientist and applied mathematician working at the intersection of AI, computational research, and public policy. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics and AI at American University's Kogod School of Business, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics with Economics (First Class Honors) from the University of Zimbabwe in 2023, where his honors thesis focused on modelling motor insurance claims using probability distributions.

Hope serves as a Qualitative Research Methodology Coordinator at American University's Center for Faculty Excellence, supporting research methodology implementation and academic publications. His current research applies computational text analysis, NLP, and large language models to civil society alternative reports submitted under the CRPD, examining policy priorities, implementation gaps, and reporting patterns that are often obscured in official state reporting.

A hands-on builder, Hope secured 3rd place at the 2025 AI-Driven Sustainability Competition as the lead developer, constructing the MVP using agentic AI workflows with n8n and front-end design. He brings technical depth in R, Python, SQL, Tableau, and agentic AI frameworks including FlowiseAI and Pydantic AI, complemented by professional experience in data analytics and risk modelling at ZB Financial Holdings and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.

Juliana Woods is a Research Associate at the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP). She is currently a Master’s Candidate in the American University School of International Service International Affairs Policy and Analysis Program. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in International Development and Conflict Management from University of Maryland College Park in 2022.

Her research and work within IDPP centers around examining state parties’ implementation of the CRPD in the past and present, promoting the research of IDPP online, and overseeing the center’s website and social media presence.

Rachi Adhikari is a Research Associate at the American University Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP). She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at the Kogod School of Business. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the West of England, Bristol, in 2022.

Her work focuses on evaluating the global implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). She supports updating and preparing datasets of CRPD state and shadow reports, applying NLP, machine learning, and large language models (LLMs) for analysis. She also contributes to research outputs through data visualization and dashboard development.

Nathan Banks is a Research Associate at the AU Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP). He is a graduate student in the School of International Service studying global government, politics, and security.

His previous academic experience is in global affairs, with a particular interest in government-sponsored social development projects. He worked for three years in International Student Affairs at Northwest Missouri State University where he assisted in expanding and increasing inclusion in the university's study abroad program.

Antonina Yelistratova is a Research Associate at the AU Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP). Antonina is a graduate student in the International Development program at School of International Service (SIS) at AU.

Prior to joining IDPP, Antonina worked with international organizations and NGOs providing consultancy services and managing international projects. Antonina worked in the UNDP country office in Belarus as a Social Inclusion Coordinator establishing partnerships with disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs) and proving expert support for the country projects portfolio.