Something New is On the Horizon
We are currently upgrading our digital home to better serve our global community. Our full website is temporarily offline, but our mission doesn't stop. You can still engage with us using the quick links below.
Thank you for your patience, we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been building!
The YPFP website is currently only fully optimized for standard desktop and mobile devices. Our website currently has limited functionality on tablet screens. Our team is actively working on full tablet accessibility, and we hope to have it fully live soon! In the meantime, you can try switching your tablet browser to "Desktop" mode to view the full interface or join us on mobile.
To prevent any disruption to your YPFP experience however, you can still use the quick links below to become a member, log in to your member profile, view upcoming events, donate, or check out our socials.
Thank you for your patience while we upgrade your network!
Elaine Montes
Programming Officer
Elaine works as the programme officer in Tokyo
I joined YPFP to contribute to meaningful policy discussions, expand my understanding of global security and governance, and collaborate with internationally minded professionals across diverse sectors.
Bio
Elaine is an international operations and program management professional whose career has spanned government, consulting, and the private sector across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the United States.
She joined YPFP through its Tokyo chapter, where she contributes to Security and Defense programming. With a background spanning international operations and public policy, she focuses on how institutions and organizations build adaptive strategies, systems, and frameworks to navigate complex environments.
Outside her professional career, Elaine has conducted research, developed strategic recommendations, and supported stakeholder engagement efforts across international and domestic affairs. She co-authored the 2019 EcoDistrict BelRed plan sponsored by the City of Bellevue's Department of Community Development to inform the City Council's long-term 2035 vision priorities, contributed research and policy recommendations to the Eastside Transportation Association, and worked with Basel Action Network and its e-Stewards initiative on environmental justice and responsible electronics waste management. She has also conducted international policy research, including a study on North Korean defectors at Seoul National University that she later presented at a Human Rights symposium in Seattle, Washington.
She holds a Master's degree in Policy Studies from the University of Washington and a triple major undergraduate degree in law, economics and public policy; global studies; and community psychology, with minors in human rights and business administration. She is fluent in English and Spanish, with conversational Japanese.
Fun Fact:
I’m oddly obsessed with birds and somehow turned that into a 20k+ online community.