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Yasemin is the Virtual Content Manager, Social Emotional Health at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. She is based in Los Angeles and received her MA in International Educational Development with a specialization in Peace and Human Rights Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Yasemin is passionate about developing and implementing educational programs around the world that foster empathy, creativity, and kindness for humans of all ages.

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Alexandre is a French volunteer specialized in digital marketing. He majored in entrepreneurship and since has been actively working in both business and non-profit project management across Europe, Africa, and Asia. His creativity, knowledge of cross-cultural team management, and dedication to using his marketing knowledge to support non-profit organisation's work is now directed to help the Global Center grow and build great digital assets.

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Nahid is an aspiring changemaker based in Bangladesh. He has been a part of a few feminist organizations as well. He is a literature student and specializes in communications. Nahid wishes to see a better peaceful world to live in where everyone would be accepted regardless of their age, color, religion, or sexuality. He believes everyone has a purpose for their existence and Nahid always tries to contribute to the social movements to be a part of the positive changes. Apart from that, he is passionate about a lot of things (i.e. singing, dancing, cooking, etc).

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Gino is a flight attendant based in Singapore and has travelled to more than 43 countries across the globe, exchanging cultures, lifestyles and different practices, and realised that change needs to take place for a more inclusive world. He graduated with a double major degree in Graphics Design and Multimedia and has 10 years of experience in hospitality and management. He makes custom made costumes designs on the sideline as a way to express his passion for arts and design. He believes that spreading love, pride, resilience and kindness to the world is the key to everyone’s freedom to love.

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Neel is a writer, author, entrepreneur and a human rights activist. He is currently studying at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan with Hospitality and Tourism as major. He has been working for the LGBTQ+ community through his research, writing, poetry and activism. He currently lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh but will soon move to Japan. Neel has great interest in arts, music, blogging and books. He has a small online bookstore and is a skincare and beauty blogger. He has also performed as an actor in a short film on rape culture, bullying and homophobia.

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Pramod is from beautiful landlocked Nepal. He is 26 years old and is currently pursuing a masters degree in business administration at Lincoln University. He is a dance theatre artist who loves to dance as it can be a friend and a powerful means of expressing oneself. In addition to this, Pramod loves modelling and communicating with diverse people from diverse backgrounds. He also believes that the learning process is endless in that we will grow and succeed when we learn.

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Brenna is a "bureaucratic activist" with a career in Human Resources and a focus on organizational equity and inclusion. This includes time with public higher education, Mercy Corps, USAID, and volunteering for various organizations advocating for LGBTIQ, gender, and social justice. They also hold a Masters in Public Administration in HR Management from Portland State University.

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Yiyao is a mental health therapist specializing in work with LGBTQIA+ populations, trauma-focused treatment, and cultural adjustment issues. They graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Science in Social Work, and from Middlebury College with a BA in Psychology. In their spare time, you can find Yiyao shopping at vintage stores, attending fashion shows around the world, practicing different languages while traveling, and writing articles about mental health and LGBTQIA+ rights. Now, you can also see them working at the Global Center to increase diversity and protection of LGBTQIA+ employees’ rights in the corporate world.

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Tonya Gardner is the Director of Admissions at Fusion Academy, where she is dedicated to bringing the community of Columbia, MD, together to best serve students and families. As a new mom, Tonya balances her professional responsibilities while pursuing her Master of Public Administration at the University of Baltimore. In addition to her role at Fusion Academy, Tonya serves as the Director of Education for the Global Center for LGBTI+ Freedom and Education. In this role, she collaborates with Education Associates and Senior Leadership to develop and implement diversified and transformative toolkits, trainings, courses, and dialogues with schools and educators. She crafts inclusive curriculum focused on LGBTI+ topics to provide high-quality resources for educators. Before stepping into her current role, Tonya served as the National Curriculum and Instruction Lead for Electives and Visual & Performing Arts across Fusion’s 80+ schools, where she was instrumental in developing programs that emphasize diversity and inclusion. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in oil painting and mixed media art from Radford University. After graduating, she began her teaching career in Bangladesh, where she developed her passion for innovative and inclusive educational practices. In her free time, Tonya enjoys attending concerts, creating art, and traveling with her family. She is deeply motivated to create a world where all students feel safe, included, and represented in their curriculum, ensuring they have the opportunity to thrive both academically and personally.

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Bijan Moore is a program coordinator, facilitator, education associate, and social impact advocate. He works to support leaders in creating communities that foster innovation and inspiration. He currently works as a Program Coordinator at Vital Voices Global Partnership on the Leadership & Social Impact team, engaging with women leaders across the globe who are taking on the world's greatest challenges. His professional experiences have ranged from supporting and mentoring young leaders with grassroots initiatives in both the United States and Latin America, to managing exchange programs for social impact entrepreneurs across the globe. Bijan also serves as an Education Associate at The Global Center for LGBTI+ Freedom and Education, where he supports the team in curriculum development, volunteer onboarding, and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth through resource creation for educators. Prior to joining Vital Voices, Bijan worked at IREX as a Partnerships Intern for the US State Department YLAI Fellowship program. Bijan holds a BA in International Studies with a minor in Music Performance from American University. Outside of work Bijan likes to play the violin, going to museums, and reading. He is passionate about empowering young people to be leaders within their communities.

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Shay is a writer, researcher, educator, and museum professional interested in Black and queer narratives. She serves as an Education Associate with The Global Center for LGBTI+ Freedom and Education, and is responsible for curating the Knowledge Hub and Queer Book Club. Outside of this, she is also currently a Program Support Specialist with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). In this role, Shay is responsible for delivering and developing community-centered educational programming - both digital & in-person - as well as creating robust & accessible resources for all ages (publications, digital platforms, lesson plans etc.) that are meant to encourage connectivity & foster empathy. This role, amongst others, speaks to her passions: accessibility to quality education for all, restorative justice (particularly within museums & cultural heritage sites), & the documentation of diverse lived experiences. Prior to her time with the NMAAHC, Shay served as the 2022-2024 Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies with the National Women’s History Museum and has worked at a variety of culturally specific institutions. Shay holds a B.A. in African American and African Diaspora studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies from American University. She also earned her MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University where she focused on Museum Education and Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion. Outside of work and academics, Shay enjoys reading, collaging, listening to music, and spending time with her cat, Melee.

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Felipe works in Customer Experience in the travel and telecoms sectors, and is also a Spanish language tutor. Originally from Chile, he has been based in Asia for the past five years, first in Hong Kong and now in Thailand. Felipe has a passion for helping people to understand LGBT issues around the world, and is excited to help drive equality and visibility through volunteer translation work at the Global Center.

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Kerri is a new graduate with a B.A. in International Relations and Women and Gender Studies from Canisius College. She is New York based, and currently works as a Resettlement Case Manager at the International Institute of Buffalo. She is also a proudly open queer woman, and young activist who advocates for women's reproductive rights, justice for sexual assault survivors, and international equality for the LGBTQIA+ community. Throughout her career thus far she has worked to help refugees attain their United States Citizenship, and has been a staff member at Saint Mary’s School for the Deaf. In her free time she enjoys writing, ice skating, and spending quality time with family and friends.

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Initially majored in law and with a master’s in diplomacy and Strategic Negotiations, Joseph managed Bardo, a socio-cultural resto-bar that served as a platform for the LGBTI+ community in Beirut. He started his activism independently as a blogger and online activist, then engaged with LGBTI+ NGOs on awareness and advocacy campaigns as well as fundraisers. He later joined Helem to re-establish their safe space and managed it before pursuing another master’s in Human Rights, Gender and Conflict studies in the Hague. Selected as a Sakharov fellow in 2018, he attended seminars and workshops in the European Parliament in Brussels and the Global Campus for Human Rights in Venice. He also attended the International Summit for Human Rights Defenders in Paris (2018) to help finalize the draft, presented to the UN and adopted later, to protect Human Rights Defenders. He recently moved to France and aims to work within the international legal system to ensure that SOGIESC rights are at the heart of any International Human Rights Law developments, all while helping the community in Lebanon to advance on its rights.

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Dolly holds a BA in Sociology from the Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, Egypt. During their studies, their research focused on community sustainability and women's rights. After graduation, they interned in journalism, where their research focused on human rights in the Middle East and the causes of violence in the region. They also wrote about art and community development. In 2018, they researched and published articles about female genital mutilation. In addition, they have advocated for the LGBT+ community in Arabic broadcast by hosting individuals to highlight the main issues, and challenges regarding LGBT+ in Egypt and the Middle East.

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Lei is a student at Tallinn University, studying Liberal Arts in Social Sciences. Currently, she is working as an Editor Assistant to IVolunteer International, Storytelling Intern for Miracle Messages, Contributing Writer for Earth.org, and Journalism Intern for propL. She is an aspiring writer/journalist with an interest in mental health and climate change issues, learning musical theater, and playing ukulele in her free time.

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Erin is the grants compliance administrator at the International Institute of Buffalo in Buffalo, NY where she manages compliance for federal, state, and local grants relating to domestic violence and human trafficking. She has experience working in nonprofit, government, and banking sectors bringing an understanding of how funders interact on all levels. Erin has a MA in International Affairs from George Washington University and BA in Political Science, International Relations, German and European Studies from Canisius College. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, talking about food, and playing with her cat, Bagheera.