Team | Embrace Global

At Embrace Global, our culture is built on six core values: warmth, collaboration, accountability, optimism, resilience, and empathy. We approach every interaction with kindness and respect, work across teams and borders to achieve more than we could alone, and hold ourselves to our commitments while continuously learning and growing. We believe our work is a marathon, not a sprint, which means we prioritize people alongside mission. We are optimistic about what's possible, honest about the challenges ahead, and grounded in the belief that lasting change comes from listening to, and learning from, the communities we serve.

Amy Cotter, Global Strategy Director

Amy Cotter is a global health strategist and organizational leader with extensive experience helping mission-driven organizations translate ambitious visions into clear strategies, sustainable growth, and high-impact programs across low- and middle-income countries. She spent nearly a decade at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) working on global maternal, child, and newborn health, and later held a senior leadership role at a technology nonprofit overseeing a global vaccine cold chain program during COVID-19. As an independent advisor, she partners with governments, multilaterals, and NGOs on strategy, growth, and partnerships, and advises Embrace on long-term strategy and program direction. She holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA from Duke University.

Lauren Gilliss, Senior Program Manager

Lauren Gilliss is a global health program manager and monitoring and evaluation specialist with a decade of experience helping mission-driven organizations strengthen impact measurement, translate data into strategy, and scale evidence-based programs across low- and middle-income countries. She has supported nonprofits and government agencies to manage multi-country health system strengthening portfolios, design evaluation frameworks, and build trusted partnerships with stakeholders across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Her commitment to health equity was shaped early in her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, where she worked alongside community health workers and district health officials to support maternal and child health services.

She holds an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BA from the College of Wooster. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, watercolor painting, knitting and crocheting, and playing tennis.

Yvonne Mukenda, Technical Advisor

Yvonne Mukenda is a registered nurse and midwife with nearly a decade of clinical experience across Zambia's leading teaching hospitals. She began her nursing career in 2017 at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, where she worked in the Women and Newborn Hospital's Hormonal and Gynecological Department, before moving to Ndola Teaching Hospital in Internal Medicine. Drawn to pursue a deeper specialization, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery at the University of Zambia in 2025, where she discovered her passion for neonatal care and recognized the critical gap in neonatal nursing within Zambia's healthcare system.

She is currently advancing that mission through a Master's in Neonatal Nursing and Neonatology, also at the University of Zambia. Yvonne joined the Embrace Global team in 2026 as a Technical Advisor and Trainer. Outside of work, she enjoys playing volleyball, running marathons, and seeking out new adventures.

Kerry Wells, Operations and Communications Officer

Kerry Wells joined Embrace Global as Operations & Communications Manager in 2024, bringing a cross-sector background in finance, communications, and operations. Prior to joining Embrace, she worked in Prudential’s risk management group, where she built tools to streamline investment strategy, enhance reporting, and support data-driven decision-making. There, she developed a passion for solving complex strategic problems and helping teams operate more efficiently.

Kerry holds a degree in political science and economics from Wellesley College. Outside of work, she loves to travel, read as many books as she can, and explore new restaurants around New York City.

Melody Westen, CEO

Melody Westen joined Embrace Global as CEO in January 2025, bringing more than two decades of nonprofit leadership across global health, conservation, and social services. She previously served as Executive Director of Akashinga, an INGO driving female-led conservation across Africa, and held senior roles at the International Rescue Committee and Back on My Feet. Across these organizations, she has built sustainable infrastructure, diversified funding, and led teams through rapid shifts in context, funding, and strategy.

At Embrace Global, she is navigating a pivotal moment in the organization's growth, advancing national-scale partnerships with ministries of health, expanding support to conflict-affected regions, and steering the organization toward its goal of reaching 5 million babies by 2035. Her leadership is grounded in the belief that a proven model, deployed at scale, can close the gap between where a baby is born and whether that baby survives.

Outside of Embrace, Melody is a long-distance runner, a certified Rescue Diver, and avid snowboarder. She believes that embracing adventure and personal growth are inseparable from good leadership.