about valens global
Valens Global provides governments, non-governmental organizations, and corporations with clear, in-depth, and innovative services. Our risk assessments, situational forecasting, training, research, and strategic action plans provide our clients with all the tools necessary to safeguard their interests, assets, and personnel against the evolving threats prevalent in today’s world.
Our team of experts have years of experience advising governments and multinational organizations on terrorism, insurgencies, civil wars, and infectious disease outbreaks. Valens team members have served as subject-matter consultants on live hostage negotiations in the Middle East; provided the analysis necessary to empower border security innovations in Europe; designed and delivered training and lectures for the U.S. Departments of Defense and State; advised major media companies on story and series development; and performed risk assessments of sub-state threats in diverse locations such as Iraq, Kashmir, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and the United States. Valens experts have testified about violent non-state actors and American national security before U.S. House and Senate committees as well as state legislatures.
Valens Global approaches each and every mission with the utmost dedication and resolve. We understand that our clients often put their trust in us when lives and well-being are at stake, and we are very serious about the responsibilities with which we are charged.
Our team of seasoned experts have years of experience advising governments and multinational organizations on ways to confront growing threats such as [terrorism, violent conflicts, homegrown extremism, and future security challenges.] We provide clients with the rapid analysis and strategic action plans necessary to safeguard critical personnel and infrastructure in the world’s most volatile areas.
Our team, headquartered in Washington, DC, is comprised of experts with diverse professional experiences. Valens team members have worked on live hostage negotiations in the Middle East, risk assessment of potential terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, analysis of alternative futures for terrorist and smuggling networks, and European border security. Our experts have testified before U.S. Congressional and Senatorial committees, advising lawmakers on how to confront the threats posed by al-Qaeda and other sub-state militant groups. Valens personnel have also lectured for the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. State Department’s Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance. Our analysts have tracked a wide variety of threats, including the risk posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) to the Kurdish region of Iraq, as well the threat posed by Ebola in West Africa to companies operating in the area.
Valens Global approaches each mission with the overall goal of managing the security challenges faced by international corporations and governments while addressing the emerging and ever-changing threats of today’s world
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DR. DAVEED GARTENSTEIN-ROSS
Chief Executive Officer
Washington, D.C. |
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross is the Chief Executive Officer of Valens Global. He is also a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, an adjunct assistant professor in Georgetown University’s security studies program, and a lecturer at the Catholic University of America. His professional work is focused on the challenges posed by violent non-state actors, with a concentration on al-Qaeda and other jihadist organizations.
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Daveed couples academic credentials across multiple disciplines with extensive experience working for governmental and non-governmental clients dealing with the challenges posed by violent non-state actors and twenty-first century conflict. Daveed’s consulting work has involved live hostage negotiations in the Middle East, border security work for European states, risk assessments for multinational oil and gas companies, and story and series development for major media companies. He also regularly lectures for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Leader Development and Education for Sustained Peace (LDESP) program, and has designed and led training for the U.S. State Department’s Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance.
The author or volume editor of fifteen books and monographs, Daveed has also published widely in the popular and academic press, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. He has presented his research throughout the globe, including at events sponsored by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Uppsala University (Sweden), the Combating Terrorism Working Group (Belgium), O.P. Jindal Global University (India), the National Defense College (Abu Dhabi), and the Defense Intelligence Agency, among others.
Daveed has taught classes or been on faculty at a number of major institutions, including the Catholic University of America, the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California, and the Takshashila Institution (India). He holds a Ph.D. in world politics from the Catholic University of America and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law. He can conduct research in five languages.
THOMAS JOSCELYN
senior consultant
Washington, D.C. |
Thomas Joscelyn is a senior consultant at Valens Global. He is also a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and senior editor of The Long War Journal, a widely read publication dealing with counterterrorism and related issues. Much of his research focuses on how al-Qaeda and its affiliates operate around the globe.
Thomas has constructed dossiers on hundreds of non-state militants during the course of his work. The Daily Beast has described him as one “the most trusted authorities on the al-Qaeda network because of his encyclopedic knowledge of terrorist biographies.” He was the senior counterterrorism adviser to Mayor Giuliani during the 2008 presidential campaign, and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions, including before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Homeland Security Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and House Judiciary Committee.
Thomas’s writings have been widely published, and his work has been cited by the Associated Press, Reuters, The Washington Post, USA Today, TIME, Foreign Policy, and many others.
BRIDGET MORENG
threat analyst
Washington, D.C. |
Bridget Moreng is a threat analyst at Valens Global, focusing on militant organizations in the Middle East and North Africa. She has worked on a wide variety of issues concerning political violence in the MENA region, and has done work exploring insurgency and counterinsurgency.
Bridget is currently monitoring developments in Iraq, and tracking the threat posed by the Islamic State to personnel in the region. Her past work has focused on al-Qaeda’s strategy in the wake of the Arab Spring, and on al-Qaeda affiliates such as Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia. Bridget has co-authored several pieces, including a monograph published at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism at The Hague. Her research on al-Qaeda has been cited in U.S. Congressional testimony, and has been used in briefings for government officials. Bridget graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with dual degrees in international affairs and psychology.
NATHANIEL BARR
threat analyst
Washington, D.C.
Nathaniel Barr is a threat analyst at Valens Global focusing on violent non-state actors and political violence in North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. He has worked extensively on a wide array of issues concerning political insurgent movements and terrorist organizations, including domestic radicalization pathways for homegrown jihadist terrorists in the West, the Taliban’s military campaign in southern Afghanistan, Islamist and jihadist activity in Libya, and the effectiveness of the U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan.
Nathaniel recently published a monograph on China’s post-2014 role in Afghanistan. He is a graduate of Brandeis, holding a degree in political science and a minor in journalism.
MARIELLE COSTANZA
Senior Vice President
Washington, D.C.
Marielle Costanza is the Senior Vice President of Valens Global. At Valens, Marielle leads business development and supports company-wide research and analysis. Before joining Valens, Marielle led business development at several national non-profits including Young Invincibles and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Additionally, she was a researcher at both the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, focusing on counter-terrorism, radicalization, sectarianism, political instability and democracy in the Middle East. Marielle worked as a consultant for V1 Analytical Solutions, providing in-depth analysis for country-specific economic and political threats. She has a Masters degree from Harvard University in Middle Eastern Studies, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah with degrees in History, International Studies, Middle Eastern Studies and a minor in Arabic. Marielle is fluent Arabic and skilled in Farsi.
Cassandra McClellan
Research Consultant
Washington, D.C. |
Cassandra McClellan is a research consultant at Valens Global. Her areas of focus include foreign fighter migrations to Syria, the persistence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and counterinsurgency in Iraq. Cassandra has lived in Amman, Jordan, and traveled throughout the region. She is conversationally fluent in Spanish and conversant in Arabic.
A cum laude graduate of Elon University, Cassandra holds dual degrees in political science and international studies, with concentrations in Middle East studies and peace and conflict studies.
Nadia Tawfiq
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
Washington, D.C.
Nadia Tawfiq is a business development associate at Valens Global. Prior to joining the Valens team, Nadia served as development coordinator for Young Invincibles, an advocacy organization focused on expanding economic opportunities for young adults. At Young Invincibles, Nadia focused on managing foundation outreach and securing funds through foundation grants.
A graduate of Austin College, Nadia holds dual degrees in political science and sociology. She speaks Arabic.