Elena Sapelyuk

Elena Sapelyuk is an M.A. candidate in International Policy at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Her research examines the global shift from donor-led aid to private investment and market-based approaches in displacement-affected economies.

Before joining Stanford, Elena led multi-country programs for the Refugee Investment Network (RIN), advancing initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of State in Kenya and Zambia and collaborating with partners including the World Bank and Acumen to design refugee-inclusive investment strategies across East and Southern Africa. She has also contributed to the International Rescue Committee, HIAS, and Oxford’s Refugee-Led Research Hub.

Elena holds a B.S.F.S. in International Politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she was named a Pelosi Scholar and a Projects for Peace awardee.