Shorena Megrelishvili

Shorena Megrelishvili is the Associate Director of Development at WEConnect International. In this role, Shorena supports the Chief Development Officer and the development team in planning, implementing, and evaluating the organization’s fundraising strategies. She works closely with the management team, the program staff, and external partners to ensure that the organization has the resources and visibility to achieve its mission and fundraising goals. Shorena has a particular focus on “Fee-for-Service” projects funded by corporate, government, and multilateral development agencies to promote women’s economic empowerment and gender-inclusive sourcing around the world.

Shorena is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has extensive experience in implementing and fundraising for development programs. Prior to joining WEConnect International, Shorena worked for the UN Global Compact’s local representation in Georgia, in Eastern Europe. In her role, Shorena led a diverse portfolio of projects and programs focused on corporate sustainability, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and social and economic inclusion, empowering underrepresented groups, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and civil society organizations. Shorena spearheaded fundraising efforts to acquire new funding from government and multilateral organizations, including the European Union, the World Bank Group, UNDP, and development cooperation agencies such as Sida and GIZ, while also facilitating award-winning multistakeholder partnership projects connecting local businesses and nonprofits for impact.

Shorena has received various fellowships and scholarships from the John Smith Trust in the United Kingdom, the Open Society Think Tank Fund, the European Commission (Erasmus Mundus), and the U.S. Department of State (Future Leaders Exchange Program). She holds a joint MA in Public Policy from Central European University (Hungary) and the University of York (UK) and a BA in International Relations from Tbilisi State University.

Shorena cares deeply about diversity and inclusion and currently serves as a Co-Chair of the D.C. Leadership Council at Upwardly Global with a mission to help highly-skilled immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers to the United States rebuild their careers. In her free time, Shorena volunteers to support various causes, and most notably, empowers aspiring professional women in international affairs and development through mentorship.