Meet the Team

TALYN RAHMAN-FIGUEROA is a passionate and dedicated leader of foreign policy who established Grassroot Diplomat in 2011. As the “Grassroot Diplomat”, Rahman-Figueroa has been empowering women and young people on the world stage from the age of 22. Her efforts were recognised when she was awarded the Diplomatic Academy of London scholarship in 2010 to pursue a postgraduate degree in Diplomatic Studies at the University of Westminster, where she gained a Distinction award.

During her postgraduate study, Rahman-Figueroa raised funds for supplementary training in Morocco, the European Union Commission, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York where she attained two further certificates in International Relations and Diplomacy. Before her diplomatic training, Rahman-Figueroa was nominated onto the executive board of several NGOs and has extensive knowledge of grassroots activities and their struggles they face in communicating with their political representatives. As a former language and business student, Talyn is a proficient learner of languages with Japanese, Hindi, Urdu and basic Spanish under her belt.

Talyn Rahman-Figueroa runs all operations of Grassroot Diplomat and will be working directly on client projects. For a full biography, click here.

Former British diplomat, CHARLES CRAWFORD is a founding partner of ADRg Ambassadors LLP, a consulting, mediation and training panel set up in 2010 which specialises in corporate diplomacy and strategic advice.

During his FCO career Crawford contributed to speeches by members of the Royal Family, Prime Ministers and different Ministers. He was known for an unconventional style; his work was praised at high levels in London, NATO and the European Union. Two-thirds of his FCO career was spent on overseas bilateral postings. Crawford was appointed HM Ambassador in Sarajevo after the Bosnian conflict and was awarded the CMG in 1998 for his work in post-conflict reconciliation. Crawford was HM Ambassador in Belgrade after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic (2001-03) and in Warsaw when Poland joined the European Union (2003-07).

Crawford left the FCO in 2007 and is now a consultant, writer, speechwriter and qualified mediator. His writings have appeared in the Independent, Guardian, National Review Online, Radio Free Europe, and DIPLOMAT. His website www.charlescrawford.biz was voted TOP 12 UK Non-Aligned Blog in the 2011 Total Politics political blogs survey. Charles Crawford will be serving Grassroot Diplomat as the Senior Adviser.

Former Armenian diplomat, HAYK BERIKYAN is a foreign policy expert with over 13 years experience in diplomacy, global development and strategic cooperation. Berikyan served as Second Secretary to the International Economic Cooperation Department before being promoted to First Secretary at the Armenian Embassy in Argentina.

His expertise extends into researching and formulating foreign policies and advising executives and decision-makers on issues of international democratic governance. Berikyan has great knowledge of geo-political situation and security issues in Eastern Europe, Former Soviet Union and the Near East and was involved in conducting Armenia’s military political affairs. Berikyan has provided diplomatic advice to official delegations and facilitated trade and investment negotiations between Armenia, South American States and Canada.

Hayk Berikyan will be serving Grassroot Diplomat as the diplomatic adviser.

ELLEE SEYMOUR is an experienced journalist and PR consultant. She has worked with leading Conservative politicians in her role as the Conservative's Eastern Region Press Officer during a Euro Election and General Election and was Press Officer to Euro MP Robert Sturdy for nine years, and has promoted prospective parliamentary candidates.

Seymour is currently promoting a campaign for a fairer adoption system in the UK, as well as the launch of a new foundation for special educational needs provision. She has worked closely with leading scientists to highlight their discoveries for non-science audiences, and is Press Consultant to a molecular diagnostics company which has exclusive IP commercialisation rights to a biobank at University College London.

Additionally, Seymour is Chair of Trustees for Headway Cambridgeshire, a charity which provides rehabilitation for adults with an acquired brain injury, and she leads a highly skilled board as the charity develops its unique services throughout the county. Seymour writes a blog which is archived by the British Library and is a contributory blogger for the UK Huffington Post. She project manages new websites and manages content for clients. Ellee Seymour will be serving Grassroot Diplomat as the PR and Media Consultant.

CHRISTINA MITCHELL is an independent international consultant, social justice advocate and alternative dispute resolution professional. Her specialties encompass rights for vulnerable populations, conflict recovery, and grassroots participation in peace-building processes. Her experience includes consensus building, public policy facilitation, capacity building, community mediation, and restorative justice programs and interventions in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mitchell completed her M.S. with the University of Oregon School of Law, Conflict and Dispute Resolution Program. This trains students in the best practices of mediation, negotiation, facilitation and arbitration. This graduate-level education builds upon a BA in Women and Gender studies. Using her education, training and interests, Mitchell has adapted her ADR skill to serve under-represented, susceptible populations with concentration towards women’s development and women’s rights. As such, she structures mediation, facilitation, and negotiation projects to incorporate components that build political awareness and activism of constituents. Mitchell continues to research and improve this innovative adaptation of ADR, formulating her findings for publication.

Christina Mitchell will be serving Grassroot Diplomat as the International Development Consultant.

SYED EJAZ KABIR is owner and head of Kabir’s Law Chamber in Bangladesh. He is highly regarded for his versatility as a corporate and commercial trial and appellate lawyer, and his experience in all areas of administrative law, dealing with corporate and intellectual property right issues. He is an activist in the human rights sector and is reputed for his diplomatic skills in awareness development and litigation issues. Kabir appears regularly before all courts as well as numerous regulatory boards including Bangladesh Bank and Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission.

In his company and corporate litigation practice, Kabir has handled a variety of cases ranging from class actions, corporate contractual liability, debt recovery and formulated policies. As Public Prosecutor of Anti-Corruption Commission Kabir has worked in parallel with the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute and defend cases brought under the special laws in relation to good governance and corruption. He also has experience in handling arbitrations and negotiations at national level.

Kabir is a member of the Hon’ble Society of Lincoln’s Inn, Supreme Court Bar Association, Bangladesh Bar Council and Dhaka Bar Association, executive member of Human Rights Advocacy Council, Secretary Legal Affairs, and a charitable organisation called Bangladesh Arafah Society.

Syed Ejaz Kabir will be serving Grassroot Diplomat as the International Legal Consultant.

EMILY BISHOP is a digital advocacy consultant, who specialises in helping aid organisations disseminate tools and resources to promote best practice in the field. She also has an extensive background in youth participation and leadership in a variety of contexts, and is keen to promote ways for digital innovation in communications to drive greater youth engagement in decision-making.

Emily received a Bachelors degree in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford. She subsequently spent 3 years in New York completing a Masters of Science, specialising in human rights and humanitarian assistance, at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. During this time she held internships at UNICEF and with a grassroots girls’ leadership charity.

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans the day she moved to the US and this sparked a commitment to disaster relief volunteering, assisting affected communities all over the US. Emily also volunteers for political and advocacy campaigns here in the UK, and will be putting one of her favourite hobbies (dancing) to good use in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

Emily Bishop will be serving Grassroot Diplomat as the Digital Communication Consultant.

Having enjoyed an international upbringing, JENNIFER FALKENHORST began to gain awareness of diplomacy. Jennifer has lived in Germany, France, United States, Hong Kong, Malta and the UK. Her interest in diplomacy and contribution to positive change was furthered by completing a B.A. (Hons) in International Relations and an MSc in International Politics. Jennifer will be serving as Researcher namely of Grassroot Diplomat's events and CSR initiatives.