Huma Abedin Soros is an author, speaker, producer and activist. She is currently an MSNOW contributor, a consulting producer for HiddenLight Productions and advisor to the Hillary Rodham Clinton Leadership Institute. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Know Your Value platform which includes the Forbes 30/50 Mentorship Summit in Abu Dhabi. She sits on the board of Vital Voices Global Partnership.  

Huma began her three-decade career in public service as a White House intern in 1996. After four years in the White House as Special Assistant to the First Lady and Trip Director, she worked in the U.S. Senate as Senior Advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton and then went on to be Traveling Chief of Staff for the Clinton 2008 presidential campaign. In 2009, she was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of State under President Obama, where she oversaw long-term strategic planning and operations for the Secretary of State. She then served as Vice Chair of Hillary for America in 2016, a historic campaign that resulted in the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party.  

In addition to her long career in public service, Huma’s passion for storytelling led her to write her New York Times bestselling memoir, Both/And, in 2021. The memoir has been optioned by Freida Pinto for a scripted series currently in development at Netflix. She also contributed a chapter to the book Listening in the Dark: Women Listening to Their Intuition, edited by Amber Tamblyn and published in 2022. As a consulting producer for HiddenLight Productions, Huma helps bring untold stories from diverse voices to a global audience.  

Huma’s role as a weekly MSNOW contributor and recent co-host of Morning Mika has allowed her to draw on her expertise in government, politics and women’s leadership to provide unique insights into current domestic and global developments. As Vice Chair of the annual Forbes 30/50 Summit, for five consecutive years, she has helped convene influential female voices across industries to share their experiences with rooms filled with icons from Forbes’ 50 Over 50 List and barrier-breakers from the 30 Under 30 List, providing an important framework for long-term mentoring and networking partnerships. 

Through Huma’s work on the board of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an NGO that has invested in women leaders for 25 years, she continues to support women addressing the world’s greatest challenges. Huma’s public service led to her being named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and to her inclusion on TIME’s 40 Under 40 list. She has also served on the Host Committee of the Met Gala, most recently in 2020, helping support and celebrate one of New York’s foremost cultural and historic institutions. In 2022, Huma received the Golden Heart Award for Outstanding Leadership from God’s Love We Deliver, an organization dedicated to fighting hunger and malnutrition. In 2023, she was awarded the Celebrating Women Award from the New York Women’s Foundation. In 2024, Huma also received the Pro-Choice Champion Award from Eleanor’s Legacy, an organization that recruits, trains, and supports pro-choice Democratic women to run for state and local office throughout New York.  

Huma graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Huma lives in New York with her husband Alex and son Jordan. 

Jenny Abramson is the Founder & Managing Partner of Rethink Impact, the largest VC fund in the country dedicated to investing in female leaders. She currently sits on the boards of Bold, Candidly, Seven Starling, Wellthy, Parallel Learning, Ellevest, and Winnie, and as a board observer for Nectir. Previously Jenny served as CEO of LiveSafe, a tech security company focused on preventing school shootings and sexual assaults. She also held leadership roles at The Washington Post, Personal (a data tech company), BCG, D.C. Public Schools, and Teach for America. 

Jenny is also a board member of the National Venture Capital Association, NFL Players, Inc. and the Jacobs Foundation. Jenny was named a Forbes’ Impact 50 in 2020, Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Powerful Women and a DC Tech Titan. She has been covered in The New York Times, in Forbes, in The Washington Post, and on CNN, interviewed on Squawk Box, featured at the Code Conference, at the United Nations, at the G7, and on Capitol Hill. 

She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors from Stanford University, an MBA with honors and the Dean’s Award from Harvard Business School and was a Fulbright Scholar at The London School of Economics. 

Hanin Ahmed initiated the Old Omdurman Emergency Response Room, which helps Sudanese with food supplies, medication, GBV, and evacuation centers. Additionally, she founded a youth network in Sudan to serve civilians’ various needs and is a member of Peace for Sudan, a women’s group advocating for peace. She has served as General Secretary for the African Union Youth Assembly. She is a member of Engaging Women in Post-Conflict Economic and Political Decision-Making by UNDP and the North African youth group for peace and security by the African Union. She also belongs to Women Advance Security in Sudan (WASS) and presented research on women and youth political participation in Sudan at Oxford University in 2019.

Margarita Alonzo Argueta is a women’s leadership advocate from Guatemala. She supports women’s political participation through training on human rights, prevention of violence against women in politics (VAWP), and cross-sector collaboration. As part of Vital Voices’ Crisis Readiness Regional Communities of Practice, she will facilitate regional conversations and support women leaders in strengthening preparedness, resilience, and peer networks. She is one of three Regional Crisis Readiness Leads at Vital Voices, where she guides a peer-led community of women leaders across Latin America. 

Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning author and activist. As a cultural critic, she writes and speaks frequently about gender norms, social justice, free speech, sexualized violence, politics, and technology. The former Executive Director of The Representation Project and Director and co-founder of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, she has long been committed to expanding women’s civic and political participation.

Soraya’s most recently released book, All We Want is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy, has been called “a potent rallying cry for a beleaguered feminist movement.” In it, she challenges dearly held beliefs about gender and equality today, drawing clear lines between the dynamics of intimate inequality and global anti-feminist, anti-democratic backlash and machofascism.

Her first book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, was recognized as a Best Book of 2018 by the Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and NPR and has been translated into multiple languages. She is a contributor to several anthologies, most recently Free Speech in the Digital Age and Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change The World.  Soraya is also a co-producer of a WMC #NameItChangeIt PSA highlighting the effects of online harassment on women in politics in America.  Her work is featured widely in media, documentaries, books, and academic research.

As an activist, Ms. Chemaly also spearheaded several successful global campaigns challenging corporations to address online hate and harassment, restrictive content moderation and censorship, and institutional biases that undermine equity and negatively affect free speech.

Prior to 2010, Ms. Chemaly spent more than fifteen years as an executive and consultant in the media and data technology industries.

Sali Christeson is the CEO and founder of Argent, a brand revolutionizing women’s workwear. 

Sali always had aspirations of entrepreneurship but chose to gain more experience before pursuing her own venture. Beginning her career in finance and banking, she later transitioned to the tech industry at CISCO. Frustrated by the lack of functional workwear options for women, she toyed with the idea of starting her own company. However, it wasn’t until a few years later when she came across a study highlighting the judgment women face based on their appearance that she decided to take action. With everything aligning, Sali finally leaped and founded Argent.  

Since 2016, Sali and Argent have been leading the workwear revolution, offering functional, high-quality, and unique pieces designed to empower women in the workplace. Their mission is to arm working women with confidence through their clothing. 

Arielle Elliott is CEO of The Washington Sun. 

Elliott previously worked for Bloomberg where she served in many roles, including working on the launch of Bloomberg Government and serving as its president for six years. She also held senior advertising and subscription roles at National Journal. 

Elliott lives in Washington with her family. She is a longtime volunteer for and board member of N Street Village. 

Hon. Laura Golakeh is the Deputy Minister for Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, a position she has held since February 2024. She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion in Liberia. In her role, she provides strategic leadership and technical oversight for national programs and policies that advance the rights and well-being of women, girls and vulnerable populations.  

With extensive experience in gender programming, policy development and stakeholder engagement, Laura has represented Liberia at national, regional and international forums, including the Commission on the Status of Women and high-level discussions on Women, Peace and Security. She is committed to promoting inclusive development, strengthening protection systems and advancing women’s leadership in peace building and governance. 

Also a lawyer and faith leader, Laura continues to champion initiatives that foster equity, empowerment and sustainable social transformation across Liberia.

Fatima Goss Graves is a nationally recognized leader in the fight for gender justice and an expert in law, policy, and culture change. She is President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, President of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, and a co-founder of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. 

Ms. Goss Graves has a distinguished track record working across a broad set of issues central to the lives of women and girls – including income security, child care, equal pay, ending sexual harassment and violence, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace justice – with a particular focus on outcomes for women and girls of color. She is widely sought after for her effectiveness in the complex public policy arena at both the state and federal levels and regularly testifies before Congress and federal agencies. 

Ms. Goss Graves has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership, including the Visionary Women Prize for Women’s Economic Empowerment, D.C. Office of Human Rights Cornelius R. “Neil” Alexander Humanitarian Award, Ms. Foundation for Women Woman of Vision Award, and the American Constitution Society Lifetime Achievement Award.  She currently serves as a member of several boards – in both advisory and governance capacities – including Indivisible and Equal Justice Works. She has appeared as a legal and social commentator on international, network and cable news programs, and has been published and quoted in numerous outlets. She is a graduate of UCLA and Yale Law School, and resides with her family in Washington, D.C.     

Follow Ms. Goss Graves on Bluesky Social: @fatimagossgraves.bsky.social and on Instagram at @fatimagossgraves. 

Dalia Grybauskaitė served as President of Lithuania from 2009 to 2019, becoming the country’s first female president and the only one in post-Soviet Lithuania to serve two consecutive terms. 

 In 2000, Grybauskaitė was appointed Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister and took a leadership role within the delegation responsible for negotiating Lithuania’s accession to the European Union. She then served as Finance Minister (2001–2004), advocating for privatization and liberalization reforms. From 2004 to 2009, she was the European Union Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budgets, earning the title of “Commissioner of the Year” in 2005.  

She also served as Minister Plenipotentiary in Lithuania’s missions to both the EU and the United States, as well as leading economic diplomacy efforts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also played a crucial role as Chief Negotiator for Lithuania’s Free Trade Agreement with the EU.  

In 2009, following the global economic crisis, Grybauskaitė left her EU post to run as an independent candidate in Lithuania’s presidential election. During her presidency, she prioritized economic recovery, military readiness, and Lithuania’s security, notably supporting NATO’s enhanced forward presence in the country. 

Oksana Horbunova is a pioneering human rights activist in Ukraine. In the 1990s, she was working for the government when she discovered that an alarming number of women were disappearing. Oksana demanded that officials take notice and investigate. Her efforts ended up exposing human trafficking and she went on to create Ukraine’s first counter-trafficking NGO. 

Today, Oksana leads her country’s counter-trafficking efforts with the International Organization for Migration. She opened a hotline that gives voice to silenced women and facilitates their rescue. In 2014, Oksana was on the frontlines when pro-democracy protests broke out in Kiev. She says she was proud to risk her life to demonstrate for human rights, justice and peace. 

Danita Johnson is President of Business Operations for D.C. United, leading the club, DC Power FC and Audi Field as one enterprise. In more than 20 years across the WNBA, NBA and MLS, she has helped launch franchises and served as president and COO of the Los Angeles Sparks, the 2019 WNBA Franchise of the Year. She is a member of SBJ’s Forty Under 40 and the ESSENCE Power 40, and a three time Washingtonian Most Powerful Women honoree.  

Tina Keshani is co-founder and CEO of Seven Starling, a women’s mental health company she has led for nearly six years with a mission to ensure every woman has access to specialized and affordable mental health care. Under her leadership, Seven Starling has developed a specialized clinical model to drive best-in-class outcomes for its patients, expanded its services across 16 states, and partnered with the country’s largest health plans to make care more affordable. The company has treated thousands of patients to date, addressing the maternal mental health crisis that affects 1 in 5 new mothers. 

Keshani is passionate about leveraging business as a force for doing good in the world, with deep expertise in scaling digital health companies and building patient-centered care experiences. Before founding Seven Starling, she led strategic growth initiatives at Warby Parker for six years, including international expansion, in-network partnerships, and new service offerings. 

Keshani holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Denison University. She lives in the Washington, DC, area with her husband Arman and their 1-year-old daughter Daria. 

Nika Kovač is the founding director of The Research Institute of 8th March, a movement-building organization that uses storytelling and advocacy to confront gender and economic inequalities across Slovenia. Kovač and her team initiated the Slovenian #metoo campaign (#jaztudi) and have gone beyond raising awareness by articulating positive demands for concrete change.  Under her leadership, the Institute’s advocacy successfully initiated the legal redefinition of rape and sexual violence in Slovenia, enforcing a new legal definition in line with the affirmative consent model, “Yes means yes.”  Kovač coordinated two winning national referendum campaigns: one against the privatization of water in 2021 and the other against political influence on public media in 2022. She also led the most extensive “Get-Out-The-Vote” campaign in Slovenian history ahead of the 2022 Parliamentary election, which contributed to a 71 percent voter turnout. She is currently coordinating the “My Voice, My Choice” campaign across Europe.

Alexia Leclercq is an environmental justice organizer, scholar and artist. As the founder and Executive Director of Land Justice Community School, her climate education curriculum has reached over 120,000 students. In 2021, she launched the first climate organizing fellowship designed by and for Gen Z youth of color. She has also led campaigns securing clean water protections, regulating aggregate mining, stopping petrochemical projects, and strengthening international climate mechanisms.  

Her leadership has been recognized by Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. Honors include Forbes 30 Under 30, the Brower Youth Award, Jericho Activism Prize, WE ACT Environmental Justice Award, Harvard AOCC Award, and WWF Conservation Award. She served as a 2022 UN Youth Assembly Ambassador and graduated summa cum laude from New York University and Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Social entrepreneur and CEO of 412 Food Rescue, a food recovery organization that uses technology to link retailers with excess food to distribution volunteers.

Sally Maforchi Mboumien is a transformational leader and scholar dedicated to removing systemic barriers to women’s leadership. As Executive Director of Common Action for Gender Development (COMAGEND), she bridges grassroots activism with international policy. 

Sally serves as the West Africa Hub Leader for the Crisis Readiness Community—a role building on her Vital Voices trainer certification to equip women leaders with essential crisis response and resilience strategies across the region. She is one of three Regional Crisis Readiness Leads at Vital Voices, where she guides a peer-led community of women leaders across West Africa. 

MILCK is a Billboard #1, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle UK-honored singer-songwriter whose viral anthems — from “Quiet” to “Sisters of Winter” featured on ACLU— have made her one of the most powerful voices in music today, with her debut musical The Family Album premiering this summer at La Jolla Playhouse.

Alyse Nelson is a cofounder, president, and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. Under her leadership, Vital Voices has expanded its reach to serve over 20,000 women leaders across 184 countries and territories. Previously, she served as deputy director of the State Department’s Vital Voices Global Democracy Initiative and worked with the President’s Interagency Council on Women at the White House. Nelson is a regular speaker on leadership and global women’s issues. She has spoken before the United Nations General Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative, Fortune Most Powerful Women, Oxford Student Union, Women in the World, among others.

Fatoumatta  Njai is a Gambian parliamentarian, Pan African leader and champion of women’s political leadership, democratic governance and inclusive development. She is serving her second term as an elected Member of the National Assembly in the Gambia, having first been elected in 2017 and re-elected as an Independent candidate in 2022.  

For more than two decades, Hon. Njai has worked across politics, governance, banking, public relations and institutional leadership. In The Gambia’s National Assembly, she serves as Chairperson of the Select Committee on Gender, Children and Social Welfare and has served on several other  key committees. She has been a strong advocate for reforms to increase women’s representation and participation in political decision making.  

Her leadership extends across Africa. She is a Member of the Pan-African Parliament, where she serves as Second Vice President of the PAP Women’s Caucus. Previously, she served in the ECOWAS Parliament, including as Secretary General of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentary Association, advancing regional cooperation, women’s leadership, peacebuilding and democratic governance across West Africa.     

Hon Njai is deeply committed to creating pathways for women and girls to move from participation to leadership. She founded the Yayi Denton Programme for Youth, Women and Vulnerable People, which focuses on leadership development, economic empowerment and civic participation. She is an Amujae Initiative  leader of  the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center and has received continental recognition for her leadership and social impact, including recognition among Africa’s 100 Most Impactful Voices.  

Fatoumatta  holds a Ba Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Politics and International Relations and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).  

  Through her national, regional and continental leadership, Hon Njai continues to champion a future in which women and girls are not simply represented, but are empowered to lead, shape institutions and influence the decisions that affect their communities and societies.  

Chineze “Chinny” Nwagbo is an American former professional basketball player whose 11-year international career included representing Nigeria at the 2006 World Championship Games. A native of Iowa, she began her basketball journey in Maryland at DuVal Senior High School and went on to play at Syracuse University, where she earned a B.S. in Biology.  

After retiring in 2016, Chinny worked with the NBA and Jr. NBA programs worldwide, advancing youth development and basketball diplomacy initiatives. As a U.S. Department of State Sports Envoy, she uses the power of sports to bridge cultural divides, promote gender equity, and empower communities.  

She has also led youth programs with PeacePlayers International and, most recently, served as Director of Player Programs and Engagement at the NFL Players Association, where she supported athletes in preparing for success beyond their playing careers. Chinny remains 2 deeply passionate about using the transformative power of sports to inspire and uplift the next generation. 

Agita Pasaribu is a lawyer and AI ethics advocate working in technology, gender justice, and online safety. She founded Bullyid App – NMA Foundation, a tech-charity offering confidential psychological and legal support for victims of online harassment and technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence (TFGBV). 

Her advocacy helped inspire the inclusion of non‑consensual intimate image protections in Indonesia’s 2022 Sexual Violence Law. The organisation has benefitted over 2Million+ Indonesians and earned recognition from the UNFPA TFGBV Safety Showcase. 

Across the past decade, Agita has shaped global conversations on digital safety and AI-generated sexual content prevention. She has supported G20 and G7 efforts in Indonesia, India, Italy, and Canada. As part of the steering committee, she also helped shape UNESCO’s first global Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, which is now adopted by 194 countries. 

Certified in AI Ethics by CISI, Agita brings trusted expertise to global safety and governance work. She participates in the AI for Human Reasoning Fellowship by FLF and works with partners like UN Women, UNICEF, Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, National Cybercrime Agency, Meta, TikTok and the ITU.  

Her achievements include the ITU Innovation Challenge Award, EU Social Award, Global Strategic Leadership Award, and recognition by Tatler’s Gen.T. She is also a Vital Voices Fellow, AsiaGlobal Fellow, IRI McCain Fellow, and alumna of multiple leadership programs. 

Alex Prout is a national leader and advocate against gender-based violence and a victims rights advocate. Following the assault of his daughter at her high school, he has spent the past four years speaking out on behalf of women and girls, encouraging victims to shatter the silence surrounding sexual abuse and holding complicit institutions accountable.  

Alex, based in New York, is Executive Vice President and Head of International Advisory Services for Nuveen, a leading global asset management firm, and is responsible for developing Nuveen’ s business growth outside of the United States. Alex joined Nuveen in 2019 with more than 30 years of financial industry experience and has spent over 20 years living overseas building and running asset management businesses. 

Before his appointment, Alex was most recently Head of Asia Pacific for DWS, a branch of Deutsche Bank, responsible for the development and growth of Asia Pacific. Prior to that, he worked at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Invesco and Merrill Lynch. Alex is a well-respected asset management veteran in the industry with strong global experience. 

Alex is also the founding chair of the Vital Voices Solidarity Council. 

Amy Richards (she/her)​ is a producer, writer and activist. Production credits include the Emmy nominated VICELAND series WOMAN, MAKERS: Women Making America, and for HBO Dear Ms. and Gloria Steinem: In Her Own Words. Amy’s first book Manifesta: Young Women Feminism & the Future (co-authored with Jennifer Baumgardner) was published over 25 years ago and is still widely taught today.  Other books include Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself, Grassroots: A Field Guide to Activism and I Still Believe Anita Hill.  The President of Soapbox, Inc. and co-founder of Feminist Camp, Amy’s work at the epicenter of feminist activism began after she co-founded the Third Wave Fund in 1992.  A graduate of Barnard College, Amy is also a seven-time marathoner. 

Linda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where she writes about women’s political and economic leadership, the relationship between gender equality and democracy, technology-facilitated violence, and current international affairs. Her latest book, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism, spotlights the current cohort of women political leaders and tells the powerful stories of the women on the frontlines of the battle between democracy and authoritarianism. 

Sarah Jones Simmer is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Women’s Soccer League, where she oversees business strategy and league operations, including finance, technology, people and culture, and club business performance. She joined the NWSL in 2024 after serving as CEO of Found and previously as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Bumble, where she helped lead the company through its IPO and global growth. A frequent speaker on leadership, innovation, and business growth, Jones Simmer has appeared at SXSW, Dreamforce, TechCrunch Disrupt, and UN events. Outside of her day job and family life, she serves on several boards and is an avid lover of the outdoors and extreme sports. 

Dr. Vonda Wright, MD is a pioneering orthopedic sports surgeon, researcher, an expert in human performance, longevity, and an authority in women’s health. The creator of the Skeletal Longevity paradigm and the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, she is widely recognized for her innovative thought leadership and is committed to redefining aging globally. Dr Wright is a frequent media and conference expert, and her science-based approach is changing the lives of millions in mid-life. Dr Wright’s compelling messages and no-nonsense delivery not only informs but inspires action, encouraging athletes and active people of all ages and skill levels to reclaim their health and thrive at every stage of life. Over the next two years, she is using her digital platform and 79  mile mountain endurance races, to raise awareness of the overwhelming lack of research and funds for women’s health research, with a goal of raising $79 million stimulate ovarian aging, musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and female sexual health research for women’s in partnership with the Buck Aging Institute. This campaign “Move the Mountain,” calls upon women in her digital community, female founders and philanthropists to step forward and fill this research gap. Dr Wright was trained at the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, served as an academic surgeon, team doctor and Medical Director of the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex at the University of Pittsburgh for 20 years and currently practices in Lake Nona Florida where she is the founder and CEO of Skeletal Longevity. She is the author of NYT bestseller- UNBREAKABLE: A Women’s Guide to Aging with Power and will release her next book, PEAK in August of 2027.  

Amy Ziering is a two-time Emmy award-winning and Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker known for hard-hitting, truth-to-power exposés that have catalyzed sweeping legal and cultural changes – helping, in part, to usher in the #MeToo movement. 
 
Her projects include ALLEN v. FARROW (HBO), THE INVISIBLE WAR (PBS), THE HUNTING GROUND (CNN), THE BLEEDING EDGE (Netflix), NOT SO PRETTY (HBO Max), and ON THE RECORD (HBO Max). Her work has led to congressional hearings and reforms, corporate policy changes, and national conversations around sexual assault, patient safety, and consumer protection. 
 
Ziering’s accolades span two Oscar nominations, two Emmy wins, twelve Emmy nominations, a Peabody, an Independent Spirit Award, the Producers Guild’s Stanley Kramer Award, a duPont-Columbia Silver Baton, and a George Polk Award, among others. She has collaborated with Oscar winning composers Ryuichi Sakamoto and Diane Warren and artists including Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, and Keke Palmer. 

Margarita Alonzo Argueta is a women’s leadership advocate from Guatemala. She supports women’s political participation through training on human rights, prevention of violence against women in politics (VAWP), and cross-sector collaboration. As part of Vital Voices’ Crisis Readiness Regional Communities of Practice, she will facilitate regional conversations and support women leaders in strengthening preparedness, resilience, and peer networks. She is one of three Regional Crisis Readiness Leads at Vital Voices, where she guides a peer-led community of women leaders across Latin America. 

Mursalina Amin is a nonprofit leader and advocate committed to advancing education, leadership, and civic participation for women and girls in conflict-affected and displaced communities. She is the Founder and President of Girls Toward Leadership (G2L), a youth-led initiative that has empowered more than 2,000 Afghan girls since 2020 through education access, leadership development, digital literacy, and mentorship programs. 
 
Grounded in her lived experience as an Afghan woman who has navigated displacement and resettlement, Mursalina centers community-driven solutions and works to amplify voices often excluded from decision-making spaces. Under her leadership, G2L has developed cross-border, volunteer-powered programs that create safe learning environments and pathways for young women to build skills, confidence, and agency amid ongoing political and social restrictions. 
 
In addition to her grassroots work, Mursalina has contributed to refugee advocacy, international development, and community engagement through roles and collaborations with organizations including UNHCR, IRAP, Refugee Congress, CSW NGO, Girl Up, Counterpart International, and Dar Al‑Hijrah. She has represented Afghan women and youth at international platforms, including the UN Commission on the Status of Women, where she has spoken on education, digital safety, and inclusive leadership. 
 
Mursalina holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and continues to work at the intersection of grassroots organizing, global advocacy, and women’s leadership. 

Paola Andrade Arellano is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Ecuador Dice No Más, a survivor-led civil society organization dedicated to preventing sexual violence against children and women and transforming victims into agents of systemic change. She leads the organization’s vision, advocacy, alliances, survivor-centered methodologies and prevention campaigns.

Ecuador Dice No Más works at the intersection of child protection, gender equality, survivor leadership, strategic communications, advocacy and media for social impact. Its work advances SDGs 3, 4, 5, 10 and 16 by turning silence, stigma and institutional gaps into prevention tools, awareness, survivor-led leadership and policy-oriented action.

A Communications Specialist, Audiovisual Producer, documentary filmmaker, speaker and social innovator with 29 years of experience, Paola uses storytelling for mobilization and cultural transformation. Her work has reached millions, including 22 million downloads of prevention resources and contributed to Ecuador’s constitutional reform eliminating the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children.

Paola was recognized by the United Nations as a Heroes of Tomorrow winner, received UNICEF’s Champions for Childhood Medal and was a Voice in Action at Triennale Milano. She became the first Latin American facilitator and mentor of the UN SDG Action Campaign’s Global Changemaker program in Rome, supporting Heroes of Tomorrow from 190 countries. She was nominated for the Global Arts Prize for Innovation for using audiovisual storytelling as an engine of social transformation.

Paola is passionate about rewriting the narrative around victims and survivors, proving that their collective strength can move the world toward one shared horizon: zero victims.

Jasmine L. Blanks Jones is the Founder of B4 Youth Theatre, a nonprofit that provides arts education programming for young people in Liberia, West Africa and cultural exchange programs in the United States. Burning Barriers Building Bridges (B4) Youth Theatre empowers young people to become educated citizens through the arts. Having received her Masters degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, Jasmine is currently pursuing a dual PhD in Education, Culture and Society and in Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

She has been awarded as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar, Dr. William Fontaine Fellow in Africana Studies, and a George and Alice S. Hill Fellow in education. More recently, she has been awarded a grant through the Health Policy Research Scholars program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She earned a BS in Music Education from Florida A&M University and taught public school music for nearly seven years in Maryland, with a focus on world music, American music history and performance. She is driven by her passion for performance ethnography and the aspirations of her students in Liberia and the United States.

Devio Arts Centre • Ghana

Lily Kudzro is an extraordinarily passionate social entrepreneur with over five years’ experience in advocacy and human rights law. As a young Executive Producer, Presenter, Writer and Founder of a leading non-profit organization in Ghana, Devio Arts Centre, she empowers children, young people and teachers through various creative programs she offers at both the community and national level in Ghana. In November 2016, she received a letter of endorsement from the Government of Ghana’s Ministry of Creative Arts, Culture and Tourism, as a recognition of her efforts to provide creative arts education in the nation. Her vision is to become not just a powerful voice, but a change agent in addressing major problems in global education, with a special focus on problems affecting the learning abilities of children and young people from marginalized communities. She has been a strong voice for children’s creative participation in Ghana. Lily believes in a world of creative children, who can achieve their full potential.

Sally Maforchi Mboumien is a transformational leader and scholar dedicated to removing systemic barriers to women’s leadership. As Executive Director of Common Action for Gender Development (COMAGEND), she bridges grassroots activism with international policy. 

Sally serves as the West Africa Hub Leader for the Crisis Readiness Community—a role building on her Vital Voices trainer certification to equip women leaders with essential crisis response and resilience strategies across the region. She is one of three Regional Crisis Readiness Leads at Vital Voices, where she guides a peer-led community of women leaders across West Africa. 

Vaisnavi Nemala is the Founder of AI with Purpose, a social enterprise advancing AI for social impact. She is dedicated to developing AI systems that are ethical and inclusive, especially for historically marginalized communities. Her current work explores AI-driven solutions to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes in rural communities.

She is pursuing a graduate degree in AI Engineering and Cybersecurity at Carnegie Mellon University, working at the intersection of technology and policy to shape a more just, trustworthy AI future. As a researcher, she has contributed to global AI governance frameworks focused on gender equity and responsible adoption. Beyond academia, Nemala has served as a Youth Delegate at the World Bank and a youth advocate at the United Nations, championing digital inclusion and ethical deployment of emerging technologies.

“As a visionary leader, I am committed to building an equitable future where AI empowers communities and creates lasting social change.”

“I’m not a big talker. I’d rather do. My purpose in life is to leave something behind, to encourage others to find their inner strength to make others’ lives better.”

Rosana Schaack rehabilitates Liberia’ s forgotten girl soldiers. When war broke out in the 1990s, she was separated from her family and fled to Ivory Coast, where she began documenting the stories of young women who were forced into combat and turned into ‘war wives’ or slaves. After the war ended, Rosana opened a nonprofit – Touching Humanity In Need of Kindness (THINK) – to offer former girl soldiers counseling, shelter and vocational training.

As Liberia continues to heal and rebuild, Rosana is pursuing systemic change and rallies for increased protections for women. She’ s expanded her mandate and now offers support to survivors of gender-based violence. Rosana helps women seek justice and has become an advocate for women’s rights in Liberia and around the world.

Faith Siele is planning to launch Sifa to Birika Women (SBW), an initiative dedicated to empowering women in the Maa community of Namanga in Southern Kenya. The organization’s mission is to provide these women with dragon fruit, aloe vera seedlings, and the essential tools and knowledge to sustainably cultivate these valuable crops.

Siele is an African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative alumna and has successfully managed an award-winning cake studio for the past five years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants affiliate with more than five years of experience in finance and auditing. Siele is a Moth Storyteller and Tea Vale Imara School board member.

“As a visionary leader, I aspire to empower women in the marginalized Maa community of Namanga to achieve financial independence and self-reliance through entrepreneurship.”

Mujeres Lideres • Peru

Jessica Soto is a graphic designer and interior designer with 20 years’ experience, from creating her own design advertising agency in 2002 to working for international and local brands in design, corporate image and web development. Jessica was accepted into the 10,000 Women program in 2012 and that was the start of a journey. In 2013, she was selected for the Vital Voices GROW Fellowship, and in 2014 was selected by The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women into a mentoring program. After improving her business skills and, not only self-confidence, but the mission to pay it forward when she got back to her country, she started doing the Vital Voices Mentoring Walks in Peru, and noticed that one day alone was not enough for all the women that came to the walk needed. Merging her advertising experience, commitment to women’s development and the will to pay it forward, Jessica created, after listening to different stories of Peruvian women, a women’s network called Mujeres Lideres that provides counseling, coaching, capacity-building in weak areas for business women. The organization also provides networking and exhibition sales events for them to promote their brands and network, as well as empowering them by giving them tools and knowledge to make their businesses grow and plant in their hearts the pay it forward mission so they will become mentors one day.

Ariane Turner, CEO/Founder of Look Good Live Well, is a serial entrepreneur and 20 year beauty industry veteran. After spending over a decade working as a makeup artist for film and television she experienced the impacts of burnout, and committed to learning about the damaging effects of stress on the body. This journey exposed the inequitable marketing of toxic ingredients to Black and Brown communities, the toxic messaging used within the beauty industry to describe melanin rich skin, and the explicit need to amplify the voices of Black andBrown practitioners within the wellness community. Look Good Live Well provides topical skincare solutions for common concerns amongst melanin rich humans and reintroduces the community to the healing power of adaptogens-ingredients used by ancestors for centuries.Turner also prioritizes educating humans on the multiple manifestations of stress on the body and helps guide individuals towards the resources that will help them make the connection between health, wellness and beauty.Turner holds a Bachelor of Arts from Florida A&M University. Her passion for amplifying melanin rich humans in the wellness and beauty space has garnered the attention of Beyonce, EssenceMagazine, Atlanta Magazine, Upscale Magazine, and countless other media outlets. Her knack for impactful storytelling, and commitment to collaboration, have put her in position to excel in various accelerator programs, and to secure over $150k in grants and mentorship from TargetForward Founders, Credo for Change, Brown Girl Jane, SheaMoisture, Essence, Aveeno, Johnson & Johnson, Tower28, BASF and StitchCrew.