Issabella is a government relations professional focused on trade, energy, and technology, and a policy researcher on topics related to human rights, gender issues, and climate. Her work centers communities in policymaking to develop innovative, effective solutions to cross-sector challenges.

With 5 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, Issabella has scaled youth-led organizations & refined change-making strategies within long-standing institutions. She has worked across all levels of government, led initiatives to increase young people’s civic participation, and designed strategies for NGOs in Latin America and the Caribbean to refine their theories of change and impact evaluation based on local contexts.

Having led independent research studies on femicide in Mexico and global policies addressing violence against women, Issabella has applied qualitative and quantitative research strategies to shape nuanced policy approaches and drive awareness of complex, systemic issues. She previously conducted open-source investigations for the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center, and research projects for Climate Cardinals and the UC Berkeley Institute for International Studies.

Issabella holds a Master of Public Policy and a Certificate in Gender, Peace, and Security from Georgetown University. A California native, she earned bachelor’s degrees in political economy and legal studies and a minor in human rights from the University of California, Berkeley. She served as an elected Senator and Director of Federal Government Relations for the UC Berkeley student government, where she spearheaded menstrual equity and mental health initiatives and managed congressional advocacy for the student body.