Research
Team
Dr. Stephanie Dolrenry
Stephanie is the Director and Co-founder of LINC. She has studied human-wildlife conflict throughout North America and East Africa and has spent the last 10 years leading a team of lion researchers and Maasai warriors. It was during her time working with the ever-growing lion population in Amboseli that she and co-founder Justin Downs came up with the concept of LINC – a way to speed up lion identification with an automated AI tool which allows users to capture data on lions in a consistent way and facilitates collaboration between researchers and conservationists.
She now plays a key role as a science adviser, using her vast experience in lion monitoring and research to guide the development concepts. She also leads the fundraising for LINC.
Nadia de Souza
Nadia is an ecologist who holds a Masters in conservation biology, with extensive experience in lion research in Kenya. She is passionate about bridging the gap between research and technology in order to develop and implement effective conservation solutions that provide a more wholistic understanding of lion populations in Africa.
She has worked on the LINC project since its early inception. She spearheads the management of LINC on-the-ground, which includes leading collaborations with partner organizations, data management and trainings, the design aspects of LINC, as well as software testing.
Salisha Chandra
Salisha has over 15+ years of experience in finance, corporate strategy, marketing and communications and turnaround management as well as 7 dedicated years in the conservation space in Kenya working specifically on human-wildlife coexistence. She strongly believes that effective collaboration across practitioners, technologists and academics is key to the long-term survival of lions and other wildlife.
She has been involved with LINC since its inception, including the development of the initial concept note, fundraising strategy and prototype testing. Salisha now plays a key strategic advisory role to ensure long term aims and goals are aligned with short-term development and funding needs.
Neev Shah
Neev is a zoologist with experience in wildlife management. His love for conservation drives his unwavering dedication to preserve and protect lions.
Neev joined the LINC team in July 2022 and is committed to using LINC’s rapidly expanding lion database and innovative lion recognition software to strengthen knowledge and understanding of lion populations. He is involved in training and integrating organizations into LINC, maintaining data integrity and software testing.