Istar Ahmed is a Social Development Specialist with a commitment to advance inclusion and gender equality, accountability, governance, education, and empowerment for social transformation and peacebuilding in Africa.  Currently, Istar serves as senior advisor on Gender and Policy- Horn of Africa Program to the Humanitarian-HR.  She holds a Masters in International relations, with a specific focus on peace and development-United States International University-Africa and Bachelor degree in Social Work and Community Development Diploma from Cambrian University College, Sudbury, Canada

Istar is an active volunteer engaged in social change and the empowerment of young people and women towards sustainable transformation.  She is the founder/Chair of Change Solutions Somalia-CSS, a solution-based organization that promotes local homegrown ideas through policy advocacy, civic, peace education, and empowerment in a manner that creates sustainable changes to tackle present challenges in Somalia.