Ioanna Paraskevopoulos (she/her) co-founded Action Tank to provide free policy research and technical assistance to residents, especially community and neighborhood groups, advocating on behalf of their neighbors. She observed the need for an organization like Action Tank while serving as Chief of Staff to a Cincinnati Vice Mayor and City Council Member for three and a half years. Under her leadership, the Council Member's office introduced and passed signature legislation to help reframe conversations surrounding development in Cincinnati.

From 2010 - 2016, she worked at the U.S. Department of State, where she was the Senior Human Rights and Congressional Affairs Officer for the Middle East Bureau. She also served as bureau coordinator for the UN General Assembly.

She has a B.A. in Philosophy from Columbia University and a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her son, Hugo.