Daniela Lerda is Senior Director of Nia Tero’s Amazonia program, supporting Indigenous peoples’ self-determination and stewardship of their territories. With more than 25 years of experience working across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, she began her career as an environmental educator in the Amazon and has since worked globally at the intersection of conservation, human rights, climate justice, business and philanthropy.

Daniela currently advises the Bezos Earth Fund, is a Senior Fellow at the Brazilian Center for International Relations and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Podaali Indigenous Fund and Rainforest Trust. She held leadership roles with the Climate and Land Use Alliance, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund, the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds, and Conservation International. She also served as a consultant advisor for private foundations and as a sustainability business consultant for major private sector companies and different industry groups.

She has a Bsc. degree from the University of London and a MA degree in International Education and Environment from the George Washington University.