About Me
I'm a business and human rights professional, specializing in human rights risks associated with global supply chains, particularly the apparel, luxury, and agricultural sectors.
​
I founded Natasja Wells Consulting to help companies strengthen their understanding of the people and communities behind their products — and to support them in managing human rights risks with empathy and integrity. I provide tailored research, advisory, and training services that help brands move from compliance to connection, building the insight and skills needed for responsible sourcing and meaningful engagement. I collaborate closely with my clients to deliver tailored, high-quality services that drive impact and change. ​​
My approach blends rigorous research with participatory practice. I draw on more than two decades of research experience spanning fieldwork in Southeast Asia, investigative journalism, and open-source intelligence. Most recently, my work has focused on how purchasing and sourcing practices influence human rights outcomes in the apparel sector.
​
Before founding my consultancy, I worked with NYU’s Center for Business and Human Rights and the investigative non-profit Transparentem, where I deepened my expertise in human rights due diligence and the social impacts of supply chains.
​
Earlier in my career, I spent over a decade specializing in fisheries and aquaculture research in Southeast Asia. As Regional Coordinator and Research Scientist at the WorldFish Center in Malaysia, I led participatory research on community-based fish culture and local monitoring — experience that continues to shape my belief in inclusive, ground-level approaches to human rights and development.
My path has been unconventional but has a strong through-line: the belief that everyone has the right to live with dignity, to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and to provide for themselves and their families without fear of sickness or injury, violence or coercion, and to be compensated fairly for their labor.
​​
Contact me today to learn more about how we can work together.
Vision and Approach
​
I believe that the private sector and non-profit organizations can do more to protect people and communities from human rights abuses and environmental degradation when they have a clear understanding of the relationship between business practices, human rights, and the environment. My work helps organizations build that understanding — through rigorous research, open dialogue, and practical learning experiences that connect global operations to human realities. Every engagement is collaborative and context-sensitive, shaped by the needs of clients and the voices of rightsholders and stakeholders.
​
I'm committed to decolonizing research, to critically examining my own practices, and to continuing to learn how I can support change.
Qualifications
PhD, Aquaculture and Sustainable Livelihoods, University of Stirling, Scotland.
MA, Journalism, New York University, USA.
MPhil, Environment and Development, Cambridge University, UK.
BSc Aquatic Bioscience (Hon. First Class), Glasgow University, UK.
Countries of Work Experience
Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, France (resident 1 year), Germany (resident 3 years), Indonesia, Malaysia (resident 4 years), Mali, Thailand (resident 2 years), Vietnam.
Languages
English (mother tongue); German (advanced intermediate); French (intermediate).
​