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About Me

Meet Renuka Naj

Most communications professionals come from one world: a newsroom, an agency, a government office, or a marketing team.

I come from three.

Over 20 years, I have worked as a journalist, a U.S. diplomat, and an international development practitioner across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. I have counseled U.S. Ambassadors and UN Directors in rooms where words carried real consequences. I have built national communications frameworks from scratch in countries with no infrastructure. I have managed public health campaigns that reached millions of people, and I have done it while navigating the institutional complexity that most consultants never see from the inside.

That combination, a journalist's discipline for evidence, a diplomat's instinct for what's unsaid, and a development practitioner's understanding of what actually works in the field, is what I bring to every engagement.

It means my counsel comes from having been in the room, carried the responsibility, and delivered under pressure.

What that means for you

When you work with Krosskeys, you are getting a strategist who has spent years working in some of the world's most demanding environments, building trust, gaining credibility, and writing narratives that were positioned precisely for the desired outcomes.

That experience is now available to leaders, institutions, and organizations who need more than good writing. Who need judgment.

Strategic Global Counsel

Ethics & Responsible Tech: With a master’s in media ethics and law, I help you navigate AI and emerging tech without losing trust.

Journalism at the Core: Experience in reporting and editing, I bring a newsroom mindset that tests assumptions and surfaces blind spots.

Crisis-Tested Leadership: From conflict zones to corporate boardrooms, I’ve led communications when every word and decision mattered.

Cross-Border Fluency: Years in global diplomacy and development mean I know how messages land across cultures and institutions.

Professional Credentials

Academic Foundation

Master's in Journalism, Reporting, Editing, Media Law, Ethics

AI Essentials
  • Anthropic: Claude 101

  • Claude Cowork

  • Claude for Nonprofits

  • Claude for Educators

  • Google AI Essentials

Strategy & Leadership
  • PRINCE2 Practitioner

  • Google Agile Project Management (UK) certified leadership standards

  • Wharton Specialization in Strategies for a Better World.

  • Stanford School of Engineering: Energy Innovation & Emerging Technology

  • Stanford Program on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Innovation Systems
Global Resilience

Oxford University: Climate Emergency Program

University of Geneva: Water Law, Water Resource Management and Policy.

INDUSTRIES AND PRACTICE AREAS

Expertise in sectors where strategic narrative, policy, and public trust intersect.

Health & Nutrition
Public Emergencies

Leading communications during public health emergencies and complex humanitarian situations, translating scientific data into acted-on messaging under pressure.

Food Security

Advising on global supply chains and humanitarian response, communicating complex challenges to build donor confidence.

EDUCATION

I help people use modern communication and AI tools so they can read more clearly, write with confidence, and get better results from every message they share.

Sustainability & ENVIRONMENT
Circular Economy & Energy

Helping organizations communicate environmental and social commitments with substance, connecting policy and public trust.

Climate Resilience

Working on clean energy and water security in emerging regions, framing climate action as a human and economic reality.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

I coach people to build the skills they need to change careers and to show up with clarity, presence, and confidence in their professional roles.

Global Impact ACROSS 30+ COUNTRIES

Select Achievements

25M

Contributed to lives saved globally through President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

 

USG Communications Lead, Zambia.

AWARDS & HONORS

Recognized by the U.S. Government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

U.S. Government:

  1. Benjamin Franklin Award

  2. Superior Service Award

  3. Public Affairs and Diplomacy Award

44%

Contributed to maternal mortality reduction achieved in Uganda through 'Saving Mothers, Giving Life'.

USG Communications Lead, Uganda



UNOPS:

  1. Executive Director's Award

  2. Innovation and Practical Solutions Award

  3. Leadership Modeling Award

  4. Merit Award

€50M+

Contributed to EU grant for COVID-19 response across seven countries.

 

 

UNOPS Communications Lead. Co-led proposal development, Djibouti

UN ENDORSED

Bangladesh's first National SDG Strategy authored in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office.

UNOPS Communications Lead, Bangladesh

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