Nonette is a lawyer, and a specialist in Indigenous Peoples, land rights, environment, and natural resources management. Most of her work has been in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, especially in Indonesia, Philippines, Mekong region and Melanesia. Her experience spans for over 30 years and includes nearly a decade advising the Global Greengrants Fund, several USAID and DFID-UK Natural Resource and Community Forestry Portfolios and the Norwegian Climate and Forest funds, dedicated to Indigenous Peoples and local communities in forest and climate programmes.

She co-founded and led the Samdhana Institute and set up several non-governmental organizations focusing on advancing Indigenous Peoples and women’s legal rights. Over the years, she has consistently helped design and implement funding portfolios for local communities and Indigenous Peoples in the global south. Nonette is the Executive Director of the Tenure Facility, and her work today expands to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. When not working, Nonette enjoys spending time in nature and with her family.