A specialist in deliberative democracy, civic participation and conflict transformation, Emma has extensive experience designing and delivering programmes that bring together citizens, policymakers, practitioners and institutions to address complex political and social challenges. Her work focuses on democratic innovation, public participation, leadership development and peacebuilding, with experience spanning Northern Ireland and international contexts.

Emma has played a leading role in establishing new forums for dialogue and cooperation, including launching the first All-island Women's Forum for peacebuilding and reconciliation, founding Northern Ireland's Civic Initiative - a deliberative democracy institute, and leading the Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders Program at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Through her work, she has sought to bridge the gap between institutions and communities, creating opportunities for more inclusive and participatory approaches to policymaking and democratic decision-making. An award-winning campaigner widely recognized for her successful challenge to UK nationality law through a landmark human rights case, which led to significant policy and legislative changes relating to citizenship rights in Northern Ireland, Emma has provided expertise to several international contexts including Cyprus and Turkey through both the United Nations, and local government and civic agencies.

An established journalist, podcast host and public speaker, Emma contributes to national and international discussions on democracy, civic participation, peacebuilding and political reform. Through Ceannas House, she is committed to fostering dialogue, supporting emerging leaders and developing practical responses to the democratic challenges facing societies today.

Jane McCooey is Executive Director and Chief of Staff to the Chief Information Officer of Enterprise Technology & Services at Morgan Stanley. Prior, she was COO for Global Technology & Data Legal at Morgan Stanley. She is Co-Chair of the Community & Giving Back Pillar of Morgan Stanley’s Women’s Business Alliance. Jane was a Senior Associate at law firm, Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Jane is Founder & CEO of Women with Ambition (“WWA”), a professional network for Irish and Irish-American women. WWA provides a space for women across industries to form a meaningful network, with aspirations to grow across the US. WWA’s offerings include peer mentorship, large networking events, and opportunities to learn from expert guest speakers. It has pioneered the WWA Female Founder Expo and a Golf Society.

Jane is a Fellow for the Centre of Democracy & Peace Building Leadership Fellowship, which brings together political, business, and civic leaders in support of the peace process and to enhance the prosperity of Northern Ireland.

Jane is the Global Ambassador for AwakenAngels, the first and only all-island of Ireland women-led investment syndicate with the aim of democratizing angel investing for women. Jane serves as Co-Chair of the Young Partners Board of The Irish American Partnership and is the Founder of Liberty Gaels Camogie Club. She recently joined the Cooperation Ireland and CMRF USA Boards.

An Armagh native, Jane studied Law with French Law at University College Dublin and Université Toulouse Capitole, a Master of Law at Cambridge University, and an Executive MBA with Quantic School of Business, and worked in Brussels, at the European Commission and Freshfields.

Honors: Irish Echo Community Champion Award 2022; Irish America Business 100 2023 and 2024; Irish America Wall Street 50 2023, 2024 and 2025 (Keynote Speaker); Irish America Legal 100 2023; “Women of Ireland” 2025 Community Leadership Award by New York Irish Center; Second place as 2025 International Irish Businesswoman of the Year in the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

Erin is an international affairs and development professional focusing on U.S. foreign policy, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East. She is the former Speechwriter at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations where she worked on policy communications for the mission's key leadership. Prior to this, she was the Director of Program Development and Special Projects at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), where she managed the organization's development strategy and initiatives on transatlantic cooperation and peacebuilding. 

Dr. Christine A. Ryan is Director of the Reproductive Freedom Project and the Prevention of Crimes Against Humanity Project at the Human Rights Institute, where she leads legal and policy strategies to advance gender justice and accountability for serious rights violations.

Before joining Columbia, Christine served as Legal Director at the Global Justice Center, and as Senior Legal Advisor and Director of Programs to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. In that role, she developed mandate strategy and authored major reports on human rights protections globally. She also previously led the Impact Iran coalition, advised the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and worked with government officials on integrating human rights frameworks into foreign assistance.

Christine began her career as a Human Rights Advisor to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. She holds a doctorate in human rights law from Duke University School of Law, where she was a Fulbright Scholar; an LLM from University College London; and a Bachelor of Laws and Irish from University College Cork. She is a Senior Fellow for Religion and Reproductive Rights at Union Theological Seminary and a consultant expert with the University of Essex Religion and Equality Project.

Professor Flaherty is Leitner Family Professor of International Human Rights Law and Founding Co-Director of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice. He is also a longtime Visiting Professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where he was Fellow in the Program in Law and Public Affairs and also currently teaches at Columbia Law School and Barnard College.

Professor Flaherty earlier served as a law clerk for Justice Byron R. White of the U.S. Supreme Court and Chief Judge John Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. For more on his background see https://plaw.law.princeton.edu/people/martin-flaherty