Meet the Team

Throughout her career as a nonprofit executive, award-winning executive producer and producer/director, broadcast programmer, curator, teacher, and writer, Cara has championed the leadership role of artists in society, and worked to harness the power of cultural...

As Operations Manager, Adeola propels IRIS forward from the ground up. Adeola has built a career creating impact using a well-rounded set of skills across the operations realm, including expertise in strategic communications, marketing, member recruitment,...

Brett, a narrative strategist with deep experience in health equity, is particularly interested in the role of storytelling, popular culture, and arts activism in bringing about social change. Before joining IRIS as Narrative Lead, Brett was director of Media and...

Carol is a facilitator, researcher and entrepreneur committed to social impact. She has a deep belief in listening, dialogue and collective knowledge construction. She has been a facilitator for over 20 years, having contributed to the development of strategic...

Graciela is a journalist who has been exploring multiple ways to tell stories to foster social justice. She believes women can heal the planet and stories can alleviate suffering, beliefs that led to her specialization in gender and local development and a master’s...

Laila Hourani is a cultural leader and novelist with twenty-five years’ experience in art, culture and media development, intercultural relations and partnership building for social development. Laila recently moved to Norway to join Mimeta as Director of their...

Laura is a Research & Program Consultant for IRIS’ Latin America work. She is a Venezuelan researcher and communicator based in France. Laura is a big believer in people’s power to fight back and organize and is passionate about the many ways people from different...

Dr. Mehret Mandefro, MD, PhD, Msc, is IRIS’ Executive Producer in Residence. Mehret is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, serial entrepreneur, and thought leader that champions the creative arts as a path to developing a more just society. Dr. Mehret Mandefro’s credits...

With long roots in international development and research, Mia has spent a career starting up innovative initiatives around the world. From a background in literature, public policy and data visualization has emerged her passion to leverage data storytelling for...

Zuhé is a coordinator and communicator for the IRIS community of donors, grantees, content creators and a broader set of stakeholders. Zuhé brings experience implementing many events, both nationally and internationally, in different sectors that have helped her...

Rejané is a journalist-turned-technologist based in Toronto, Canada. Adept in copywriting, content producing, web strategy, and development, they come alive when leveraging their passion, power, and purpose to build and enhance platforms where community advocates can...

Multisectoral consultant and managing partner at the Venio Group, Dr. Njoki Ngumi is central to creative and cultural sector public engagements, including related sector education, industry future-proofing, policy work, SME strategic resourcing, youth and women...

Miso builds elegant systems, strong relationships, and generative work cultures to maximize organizational capacity for creating the liberatory futures we most need and desire. Prior to joining IRIS as Systems & Project Manager, Miso was Operations Manager at the...