In an insightful conversation with Edna Massay Kallon, the visionary behind Kalena Global LLC, we delve into the mission, innovative approach, and unique experiences that shape her work in the global development space. As the Founder and CEO, Edna’s commitment to empowering changemakers through the design of innovative solutions and her ‘small but mighty’ philosophy sets her firm apart in a crowded field of global development advisory services. Here is a peek into what Kalena Global is about, and how Edna plans on using her professional as well as personal experiences for framing this successful endeavor:

Palak Sharma: Kalena Global’s mission is to empower the design of innovative solutions. Can you tell us how this mission sets your firm apart from other global development advisory services?

Kallon: Kalena Global is a boutique advisory firm that aims to optimize the design of innovative solutions for global development challenges. We are a group of expert designers who bring an interdisciplinary set of skills- with expertise in economics, development, arts, psychology, sustainability, education, and beyond. Not many boutique advisory firms can claim this comprehensiveness in their specificity.

We specialize in designing innovative solutions. Within that, our focus is not only on innovation that advises novel solutions but also on improving what is already available. In addition, we concentrate on innovation in the development space because it has unique challenges different from commercial innovation. Our aim is to identify and solve those real-world challenges by understanding the needs of end-users.

Our process starts small, engaging directly with end-users to listen to their problems without making assumptions. We will collaborate with clients and stakeholders to innovate for the problem we hear about. We will test ideas, gather feedback, and refine solutions based on what works and doesn’t—echoing end-users’ opinions throughout the process. This process removes the top-down approach to designing solutions.

Lastly, the iterative design process we promote efficiently manages risks given that funding in the development space is finite. Hence, we must direct funds to solutions that address end-users’ problems, avoiding the risk of misaligned initiatives that do not reflect their true voice.

At the end of the day, our uniqueness is also in our end goal- we wish to empower end-users to own the projects, ensuring the solutions are comprehensive and tailored to their needs.

What personal experiences and insights from your diverse background inspired you to start Kalena Global? How do these experiences influence your approach today?

My journey began in a small village called Yonibana in Sierra Leone, West Africa. My father went on to study Agricultural Economics in the Netherlands on international development aid. My mother, left behind, worked on a farm and sold cold water miles away from our village to have enough money for the family. Three decades later, I distinctly remember how life was.

My global journey started when my father joined the UN office based in Afghanistan. Since 1993, I’ve lived in various countries like Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, the USA, Bangladesh, and Jordan. These cultural experiences have instilled a deep love for different cultures and the need to understand their unique challenges.

Lastly, throughout my career, it has always been about innovation- whether it was when I was the Head of Residential advisor at a college in the United States during the design and implementation of new student housing policies, working in a best practices research firm to develop a new business line for the company, or when I joined the independent evaluation group at the World Bank to assess the World Bank Group’s support to innovation and entrepreneurship projects. At the World Bank, I realized the importance of design in development and the need to simplify complex and unrealistic innovative initiatives.

I have also led a team that developed the first global diagnostic tool to assess the challenges faced in entering the market with agricultural production inputs. We built a benchmarking tool from scratch with the intention of influencing legal and policy reforms. My professional experience thus far has underscored the need for well-designed, beneficiary-centric, innovative solutions.

In summary, innovation has been a key topic in all my professional roles. Underlying these experiences is the understanding that innovation is not about us, but the end-users. Thus, the lived experiences of end-users are foundational to Kalena Global. We are committed to always ensuring that the solutions we co-create with clients are humble, simple, innovative, culturally sensitive, and impactful.

How do you measure the success of your solutions at Kalena Global? How do you test the prospective solutions and reach that one perfect problem-solving design?

We measure success through three key indicators:

  1. Behavioral change: have the end-users changed their behavior by adapting to the solutions? Our measure of behavior change will be specific to projects and solutions and their cultural nuances.
  2. Ownership: We view ownership as a two-step process. First, after we have helped our clients design, test, and launch innovative solutions, we step back to let our clients manage things independently. Second, we aim for our clients to eventually transfer control to the end-users, allowing them to fully own and sustain the innovative solution. This is success for us!
  3. Further innovation: Once the clients (and eventually the end-users) adopt a solution, it is a success for us if they can adapt this solution to changing world trends and local situations.

A success story for Kalena Global involves a project in which end-users understand the solutions and take full ownership. We want end-users to adopt a solution and innovate on it themselves, creating a ripple effect that extends the impact far beyond our initial expectations.

Collaboration is one of your core values. How do you identify and nurture strategic partnerships, and what role do these partnerships play in your success?

Collaboration is crucial for us- it is even part of our logo! We act as allies for changemakers in the development space by bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to support them in tackling complex challenges. We are not the beneficiaries of these efforts, so we do not claim to have lived experiences of the problems we innovate for. However, we have the knowledge, experience, and network to tap into what will amplify the impact of innovative solutions, and that is what we are best at!

In my opinion, collaboration is particularly challenging, yet critical, in the global development space due to the multidimensional nature and complexity of the issues (like poverty, for instance) and the various incentives and motivations of stakeholders, which sometimes do not align. Kalena Global thus takes a strategic and sensitive approach to partnerships, focusing on collaborating with those who can genuinely contribute to solving the problem. We are not supportive of collaborating to tick a box. Instead, we identify partners who share purpose-driven goals and can complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s crucial for us that our collaborations are well-matched and driven by a shared commitment to impactful solutions. Managing diverse pressures and fostering harmonious cooperation among all entities is crucial to our success.

What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced with Kalena Global, and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges I have faced thus far was establishing Kalena Global as a distinctive entity in the development space. When the seed of this idea germinated, I questioned whether my frustration with the status quo was enough to justify creating this advisory firm. So, I spent hours reading reports and research papers, having tough conversations with professionals in the development space, and reviewing the challenges highlighted in these reports and conversations. At the end of this process, I felt confident in the need for a firm primarily focusing on designing innovative solutions. Overcoming this challenge involved clearly defining our values and the unique contributions we could make.

What opportunities do you see for Kalena Global to expand its impact in the global development sector?

We see tremendous opportunities in developing and gathering knowledge products that are accessible online. Kalena Global will eventually evolve into also being a knowledge hub in the development space for everything related to the design of innovative solutions. Furthermore, we aim to become a global thought leader in this area. We’re also excited about developing technological tools that support the design of impactful solutions, providing a robust support system for our clients and others.

As a leader, what drives you personally in your work at Kalena Global? How do you stay motivated when dealing with the complexities of the global development sector?

My passion for the development sector highly motivates me. In addition, I thrive on hearing different opinions and insights, which fuel my curiosity and drive for self-improvement. This innate curiosity keeps my mind full of ideas, and I firmly believe that all amazing things start from an idea.

Moreover, I am a traveler at heart. Traveling and exploring new places inspire me- and I often share those bits of inspiration on my blog, Edna Explores. These adventures remind me that there’s always more to learn and understand beyond my current knowledge and awareness of the world. This quest for new knowledge keeps me energized and engaged in my work.

What upcoming projects or initiatives are you most excited about that align with this vision?

We are working on several exciting projects, but two of our primary focus areas are- establishing a strong company infrastructure and simultaneously building our client base. We’re also developing thought leadership and, as mentioned previously, practical and innovative knowledge products.

These initiatives align with our vision of empowering changemakers through design, whether through our advisory offerings or through the products we will provide.

What emerging trends in the global development sector excite you the most, and how is Kalena Global positioning itself to take advantage of these trends?

These are indeed exciting times of growth. With so much progress and innovation around, several trends excite me, including but not limited to the rise of AI and its potential to revolutionize the development sector, for instance. Sustainability is another crucial area, especially with younger generations like GenZ demanding more significant impact and accountability.

Another trend that is catching up is increasing openness around mental health. I am very excited about this, given my background in psychology and the difference mental wellness makes in individuals’ lives, and the consequent impact on other aspects such as public health and the economy.

While the development space is not the quickest responder to these trends, at Kalena Global, we aspire to stay open and ready to adapt to these trends, ensuring we can incorporate them effectively into the projects we take on.

Based on your experiences and insights, what advice would you offer aspiring changemakers who want to make a difference in the global development space?

In my life, active listening has been the first and most vital stage in taking the first step towards any change. The ability to listen helps build trust and accelerates understanding the fundamental problems and acknowledging the suggestions of those you aim to help. Genuinely valuing end-users input is essential for creating meaningful and impactful solutions- and it starts with being an active listener. This is how I plan to approach every project at Kalena Global- ensuring that the solutions we collaboratively design with clients are deeply rooted in the needs and insights of the communities we serve, ultimately empowering them to drive their development and innovation.

Edna Massay Kallon’s journey and the mission of Kalena Global is not an everyday phenomenon. It embodies the transformative power of innovative, beneficiary-centric solutions in the global development sector. Her commitment to empathy, collaboration, and continuous learning, coupled with her belief that “innovation should be directly in the hands of end-users,” drives the firm’s unique approach. By listening actively and valuing the input of those who face the challenges, Kalena Global ensures that their solutions are practical and genuinely owned by end-users.

As this ‘small but mighty’ firm looks to the future, it will make significant strides in empowering impactful projects worldwide through innovation and the unique ‘Kalena Global Experience.’  The seamless integration of design thinking, strategic planning, global insights, and collective action is bound to create ripples of positive impact. In these exciting times, it will be a spectacle to look forward to the sustainable and meaningful change that Kalena Global will make for generations to come.