Tigist has a total of 10 years of experience in research and development programs on issues related to Livelihood, livestock, climate change, gender, food security, and resilience. She holds a master’s degree in Development economics from Addis Ababa University and BA degree in Economics from Haramaya University Before joining ILRI, she has been working in various private and non-governmental consulting firms and international organizations, as a researcher and project evaluation team leader.