Laura Sanders is a seasoned peacebuilder and business development professional with two decades of global experience navigating the challenging landscapes of food security, climate crises, natural disasters, and violent conflict. Her work has extended across five continents, beginning at the frontline of global crises, from earthquake-affected El Salvador to war-torn Darfur and the 2021 evacuation of Afghanistan. Her most defining work has unfolded in the Sahel, where she has been tackling the complex interplay of climate change, extremism, and resource scarcity in peacebuilding efforts since 2015, developing key expertise in pastoralism.

In 2020, Laura founded Cetus Global to expand her capacity advising development actors, peacebuilders, and donor policymakers on peacebuilding and humanitarian activities. Her team engages in academic and policy forums and publishes policy op-eds on West African conflict issues. Laura’s unique ability to bridge the gap between Washington's foreign policy processes and conflict zones fosters deeper understandings of regional challenges among academics, journalists, and policymakers. Above all, her extensive network around the world gives her critical local insight and invaluable partnerships to make sustainable change in complex environments. Today, Cetus leverages our connections across sectors to provide cutting-edge intelligence and business development services to public and private sector clients.