Sara Lisa Ørstavik

Supporting Trainer
SDG Impact Specialist
UNDP

Sara Lisa is the SDG Impact Specialist for UNDP SDG Impact in New York HQ. Sara Lisa brings over nine years of systems change, strategy development, and programme management experience from international humanitarian, development, and private sector organizations. In her current role at SDG Impact, Sara Lisa works with a global team of experts on SDG Impact Standards and SDG Investor Maps to catalyze more sustainable decision-making – with the aim of directing investments authentically towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Prior to her assignment at UNDP, Sara Lisa worked as food systems and gender specialist at the World Food Programme supporting country offices conduct Systems Analysis for Nutrition (previously Fill the Nutrient Gap) processes. She was responsible for providing strategic policy advice, technical analysis, and for facilitating multi-stakeholder engagements to inform social protection, food systems, and health policies and programmes in Bangladesh (national and Cox’s Bazar refugee operation), Burundi (national and refugee operation), Ecuador, Mauritania and Rwanda.

Between 2015 and 2018, Sara Lisa founded a thriving start-up focused on grassroots peacebuilding through sustainable food production and consumption in Bogota, Colombia. Previously, she held a variety of programme management and advisory roles focused rural agricultural development and human rights at WFP in Colombia; UNDP in Cuba; the regional government in Medellin, Colombia; the Norwegian Embassy in Bangladesh; Yara International in Ghana, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome.

Sara Lisa is a Fulbright Fellow, holds a MPA in Political and Economic Development specialized in Gender Policy from Columbia University, a MA in Sustainable Food Culture and Communications from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, and a BA in Economics and Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Norwegian and Italian.