Elton Smole (he/him) is a Working Student at SEEK Development. He brings skills in proposal writing, policy analysis, and project implementation gained over years of professional experience in international development and think tank research. At SEEK, he contributes to the Donor Tracker team and provides expert consultants with editorial support.
With his experience on development projects funded by donors, including USAID and the State Department, Elton provides expertise in reviewing proposals and deliverables. He also contributes to political reports and policy analysis. Elton is currently a Fulbright Scholar, focusing his research on migration from the Western Balkans to Germany.
Previously, he worked at the Bertelsmann Foundation North America in Washington, DC, researching transatlantic trends in foreign direct investment. As a Program Associate at the National Democratic Institute, Elton worked closely with civil society partners across Latin America to implement democracy and governance programming. He began his career at the World Bank’s Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability Secretariat.
Elton holds a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Public Affairs from Claremont McKenna College. He is currently completing a dual degree Masters of Arts in Political Science at Humboldt University of Berlin and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill