Sophie defines herself as an African feminist, teacher, and storyteller who has worked within the human rights space for a number of years revolutionising the ways in which survivors are supported, protected, and involved within movements. She has been widely acknowledged for her work and was named a Trafficking in Persons Hero by the US State Department in 2020. While work takes up a lot of Sophie’s time, she also loves to spend time with her family and friends. Her friends know that she sucks at board games even though she hasn’t quite recognised that herself, she still never shies away from a challenge. Sophie is also passionate about fashion, art, African literature and loves to argue about current affairs with her partner. Sophie dreams about retiring in a vineyard or beachhouse reading books, writing and dancing.
Chris Ash is an anti-violence educator and movement strategist with over 25 years of experience in community-based engagement, including roles as a suicide crisis responder, minister, doula, mentor, and sexual violence hotline and hospital support person. They are recognised for their work to advance lived experience leadership, inclusive storytelling, and participatory strategy, and have served as the Chair of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. Chris has produced, hosted, and performed in live storytelling events, and enjoys dancing, bad karaoke, and worse puns. When not working, they can be found listening to podcasts, working on jigsaw puzzles, or spending time with their family.
Elizabeth Maina is a development and cultural practitioner with extensive experience in project management as well as programme and grant administration. She specialises in culture for development with a focus on collaboration and sustainability, as she believes in creative expression as a means to imagine and create visions of the world we want to inhabit. She is also passionate about sound policy, strategy development, and implementation of interventions that ensure positive socio-economic transformation. On a perfect day, Elizabeth can be found looking at the water, enjoying a gin and tonic!
Aggie makes sure all our financial needs are met with care, precision, and purpose. From keeping us on budget to ensuring every cent is accounted for, she handles our finances with the kind of diligence and focus that makes everything run smoothly behind the scenes. As a Certified Public Accountant with a degree in Political Science and Public Administration, Aggie brings both technical expertise and a deep understanding of systems and people. She’s incredibly detail-oriented, calm under pressure, and someone the whole team knows they can count on—always reliable, always thoughtful, and always delivering high-quality work. Grounded in her values, she brings a steady presence and quiet strength to everything she does. Her favourite quote is: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” And she lives by those words every day.
