Human Resources & Operations

Alba Giol is from Catalonia. She studied Social Work at the University of Girona. She did her final project about how this profession can contribute to fighting the climate crisis, according to how it affects vulnerable groups. That research helped her focus her professional training on sustainable development. That is how she decide to study for a Master’s degree in Environment, Sustainability and SDGs, which is focused on the UN 2030 Agenda and brings a whole view of sustainability on its three edges. Right now, Alba is doing her Master’s internship with UN Etxea, participating in some projects about environmental education, the climate crisis, and human rights. She has a particular interest in the relationship between the climate crisis, social exclusion, and inequalities. She had not particularly studied the link between these sectors in the university degree and she feels that nowadays it has become part of the base of social change. She also shares the idea that we are now facing a very complex problem, which means we need multidisciplinary solutions. This will lead everyone to be involved and contribute as much as we can, working together as a society and empowering community work, to ensure a better future for the next generations and even for ourselves.

Frank Sarria is a native of Managua, Nicaragua. He is a lawyer by profession, with a Master’s degree in Corporate Law and almost a decade of experience at the management level in the areas of marketing and sales in transnational companies such as Pepsi and Colgate-Palmolive among others. He has been responsible for the planning and execution of distribution channel development plans as well as commercial investment projects. Since March 2022, he assumed the challenge as Country General Manager with the Swiss organization Buy Food with Plastic, responsible for cementing the operational foundations of the organization for Nicaragua and providing support to the global management team in the elaboration of its development plans for India and Ghana towards 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-ivan-sarria-palacios/ https://www.facebook.com/frank.i.sarria

Megan McKinley hails from Ohio, United States of America, and has been living internationally since 2013. For her Undergraduate studies, she attended Long Island University’s Global College where her education took her out of the classroom and into the field of ten countries across five continents. Additionally, she holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the world-leading Project Management Institute. Megan believes that the best education is through experience and thus has made it her mission to work in organizations which break down barriers and provide alternative education opportunities to marginalized communities. Professionally, she has worked at Global Leadership Adventures, Guild Education, and is currently serving as a Banyan Impact Fellow in Chennai, India where she partners with Playquity, an early-phase NGO which focuses on providing gender equity programming in rural areas. Throughout her professional career, Megan has worked as a Program Manager, Education Coach, Advisor, and Project Lead. Through these experiences, she has realized she works best in diverse environments where she has the opportunity to collaborate with others and contribute her adaptability and organization. Megan is a firm believer that through daily choices, individuals hold the power to change the world.

Zainab Farooq is a HR professional with 8 years of working in a key position at UN WHO. She has also worked in one of the most prestigious universities in Pakistan and writes articles for a well-known Pakistani newspaper. She’s an active social worker and has worked as a volunteer for UNESCO World Heritage in Turkey. Zainab has led many mental health campaigns and runs a website on social issues. She believes that all people have a role to play in this world and we should try to bring positivity to the community.

Tahir Kamran, from Chiniot, Pakistan, is currently working as a lead trainer at Quaid E Azam Educational Academy Lahore. He holds a Ph.D. degree with a specialization in (numerical solutions of PDEs, computational fluid mechanics, numerical methods, mathematical fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer) from Government College University Faisalabad. He has nine published research articles in international journals while 20 research articles are in the process of publication in different journals. He has more than 10 years of experience in Fluid Mechanics as he has been teaching it for 12 years. He is the author of four books. He is a 22-time award recipient for being Best Teacher and Best Master Trainer. He has two years of management experience at Ranjha Hostel and Academy. His hobby of reading books makes him a critical thinker and keen observer. As a professional, he has a combination of valuable skills in project coordination, analytics, and research, which makes him more efficient. In addition, he has recognized expertise in critical thinking and is a communicative colleague with keen attention to detail and accuracy. During his studies at university, he has worked as a research assistant and has polished his talents. He has also developed good skills in science communication, which can facilitate him to disseminate research findings scientifically in journals, workshops, and conferences as well as in public.

Nayyar Abbas has participated in foreign academic programs, online leadership courses, internships, and community development activities. He participated in community service with the Rotary Club and arranged events while working as a research associate for the Lucas Economic Society during his junior year of college. He began his professional career as a financial executive for a financial firm, where he offered clients market research and financial understanding. In his second job as a research officer, he developed research procedures and handled data collection. During his Master’s internship, he worked in the Parliamentary Sustainable Development Goals Secretariat in the National Assembly of Pakistan. He assisted with research on Pakistan Vision 2025 (a comprehensive road map to achieve SDGs). He has started volunteering for Students for Liberty. Through this opportunity, he was able to take courses and attend seminars and conferences. At Students for Liberty, he oversees and helps with marketing, research, and communication. By applying for different programs around the world, he successfully secured an opportunity to study the Fund for American Study’s Prague program at Charles University. He was given the Prometheus Fellowship, where he worked with professionals who taught and coached him in professional and leadership abilities. He is the district coordinator at Interactive Research and Development and supervises the implementation and execution of the school-based deworming program in Islamabad. Nayyar loves to travel, read, and meet new people. He is planning to start his Ph.D. in political science in 2023.

Azam Makda has more than 10 years of experience in different parts of the supply chain. Starting from an engineering background, Azam spent seven years of his professional experience in the oil and gas sector, ranging from core upstream extraction to the retailing of finished goods. Azam recently completed his coursework for an MBA from the University of IBA and has now been working in the logistics industry for the last four years. Azam has been able to bring significant changes in the logistics industry while working with different government bodies. Back in 2020, Azam was able to amend OGRA regulations in the ordinance to improve the safety standards of the logistics industry of Pakistan. Apart from that, Azam has put a lot of effort into collaboration with the National Highway Motorway Police in the field of training and development of truck drivers to reduce road accidents. While working in the e-commerce set-up during the last two years, Azam has been able to build an ecosystem where new entrepreneurs in the logistics industry can work with technology giants like Alibaba to become part of this booming sector in Pakistan. He belongs to the Memon community in Pakistan, which is famous for having solid business acumen but the community, at large, does not pay attention to the educational aspects of the youth. He has been mentoring and guiding the youth from the platform of his community to ensure that the right level of education needs to be built before starting any business.

Muhammad Bilal is a seasoned professional with a passion for making a positive impact in the world. With seven successful years of practical experience in the nonprofit sector, he has a deep understanding of the inner workings of organizations that aim to make a difference. As a founder, Muhammad has a strong belief in the power of love and empathy to connect with people and make a real difference in their lives. In addition to his experience in the nonprofit sector, Muhammad also brings a wealth of professional experience to the table. He has spent the last 12 years working in multinational companies, gaining valuable insights into the inner workings of large organizations and honing his skills in areas such as project management and team leadership. With his combination of nonprofit and corporate experience, Muhammad is a valuable asset to any organization looking to make a positive impact in the world.

Awaisha Inayat is a professional psychologist who has a diverse working experience in the fields of counseling, academia, and human resources. She is currently working as People Partner at Arbisoft in People Operations and Development. She has previously led a sports franchise – Bagh Stallions – as their Brand & Communications Manager in the first season of Kashmir Premier League becoming the first female Team Manager of Men’s cricket in Pakistan. After graduating as a psychology major in 2015 from the University of Karachi, she got affiliated with renowned schools as Student Counselor and has also been involved in academia where she served as visiting faculty in 3 universities in Karachi: University of Karachi, Institute of Business Management, and Iqra University. During this time, she successfully published two papers in HEC-recognized journals of Pakistan on the portrayal of mental disability and classroom engagement. Awaisha’s main interest in the social change sector is mental health and well-being. She is inspired by the idea of building healthier communities and has a passion for making a difference in people’s lives. For this end, she founded ‘Rahnuma’ which is a digital platform for counseling, therapy, mentoring, and coaching. It is Rahnuma’s vision to facilitate people in finding their paths and reimagining community mental well-being and support. Awaisha is always looking forward to learning new techniques to empower people and takes pleasure in perpetual growth. She is also working actively to de-stigmatize mental health support in Pakistan.

Aitzaz Ali pursues law degree at University of the Punjab in Pakistan. He is the founder of a welfare organization called Qadar Bashar. Throughout his career, he has worked at the national and international levels as a Global Youth Ambassador at Theirworld and as the Country Director of IYAP. He’s an education and climate activist, a speaker, and an advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals. His vision is the “deference of mankind.”

Taylor Jackson is pursuing a master’s degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences. She is committed to helping develop a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Russia that is rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Her desire is to promote cross-cultural communication and assist, in any way that she can, in fostering an environment for open discourse and problem resolution between the United States and Russia. In addition to being a full-time student, she is also working at the Diversity Org as the Executive Assistant to the President of Global Partnerships. She handles research and outreach to Title 1 high schools, and she plays an active role in providing underserved students of color with professional development opportunities.

Kate Hibbert brings five years of experience in the nonprofit sector to her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy program at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She previously held various roles at Global Village Project (GVP) in Decatur, GA, U.S., the only tuition-free middle school dedicated to serving newcomer refugee girls in the United States. As Development and Data Projects Specialist, she managed major campaigns and events for the development team and data projects across departments. As Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Circle co-facilitator, she convened a team to drive forward workplace and communications projects to achieve organizational goals. At the Coalition for Refugee Serving Agencies, she represented GVP at monthly meetings, supported World Refugee Day event planning, and coordinated data collection on the Annual Report committee. In a volunteering capacity, Kate serves on the board of directors for International Education Peace Volunteers, in addition to facilitating intercultural discussions and events and serving as the budding organization’s LinkedIn community manager. Her language skills in French, Spanish, and Arabic were gained through her B.A. in World Languages from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. Through her nonprofit experience, she has developed strengths in project management, organizational and peer leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. Kate hopes to strengthen DEI, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution efforts in her career in international relations and public service.