Peggy Nyahera is a dedicated advocate for social justice, with over five years of experience in the non-profit sector, where she has been involved in championing the advancement of girls and women’s rights and advocating for penal reforms. With a strong belief in the power of collective action, Peggy leverages effective communications and strategic advocacy to uplift marginalized communities and amplify their stories. In her current role as Program Assistant at Ford Foundation, she coordinates grantmaking initiatives, fosters inclusive engagement among diverse audiences, and supports capacity-strengthening programs. Peggy is also an active participant in the Ford Foundation’s Good Neighbors Committee, which cultivates solidarity between the Foundation and local organizations that are steadfast in their commitment to social justice. A proud advocate for young feminists, she collaborates with the East Africa Young Feminist Fund initiative – a donor collaborative dedicated to establishing robust infrastructures that empower and amplify the voices of young feminists and adolescent girls.

Rophiat is a women’s rights and feminist advocate with over seven years of experience working with various international development organizations, and national and international nonprofits designing and implementing gender justice program. Rophiat worked at The Asherah Foundation designing projects to improve educational opportunities for women survivors of violence, war, and discrimination. Rophiat has worked at Women Deliver, Doctors Without Borders, and Jatan Sansthan.  Rophiat is currently the Global Program Associate at Foundation for a Just Society where she supports grantmaking and a cohort of intersectional feminist organizations working on gender and racial justice. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Rophiat holds a bachelor’s degree in history and international studies and a master’s degree in international affairs.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Breechaye brings over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and a passion for advancing racial, economic, and gender justice. As a Program Officer with the Racial Justice Program at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, she works to resource and strengthen the capacity of grassroots organizations, movements, and Black leaders promoting economic justice for Black communities and Black workers. Her grant-making has also supported policy and practice changes for Black girls and women impacted by the U.S.’s punitive criminal legal system. Prior to Wellspring, she worked in various roles, ranging from direct service to education and advocacy at local nonprofits and agencies in the D.C. Metro area. She’s a leader, strategic thinker, and partnership-builder who values learning, collaboration, and amplifying the voices and perspectives of the most marginalized to achieve true systemic change. Breechaye holds a Master of Social Work, Macro Practice, a B.A. in Psychology and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management.

Moram is a young Sudanese feminist navigating the intricate intersections of philanthropy, social justice and international development. She brings over half a decade of experience working around the vulnerabilities of women and girls in WESCA and SWANA. Moram is a practitioner and academic, currently working as the Lead Programme Officer, for Africa and MENA at Fondation CHANEL, and having previously worked at CARE international and with grassroot organisations focused on ending harmful practices towards women and girls. She holds a BA in International Relations and Politics and an MSc in Development studies with reference to Gender from SOAS, University of London. Moram is passionate about narrative change, whilst looking at holistic and transformative approaches to resourcing women, girls and grassroot feminist organisations. 

Zoë Mercedes Teague may be small in stature and but she’s unapologetically taking up space. She is a Queeribbean (Queer + Caribbean) multi-faceted being wearing multiple crowns and a certified “Jane of Many Trades” from the twin-island State of Antigua & Barbuda. Zoë is rethinking philanthropy at Nebula Fund as a Program Associate moving money to grantees working to shift harmful narratives while also working on Nebula’s own narrative and accompaniment work to support their grantees in their journeys. Additionally, she is a lawyer, activist, creative artist and storyteller. Her creative work manifests itself through written and audiovisual projects. Zoë uses her creative and analytical mind to champion work and causes she believes in. Her activism is dynamic and she has partnered with CIWiL, Outright International and FRIDA Fund to advocate at the local, regional and international level for systemic change for the rights of all people. 

Tássia Mendonça firmly believes in the ancestral and transformative power of Matripotency—the indispensable quality for creation that emanates from Blackness and womanhood. She was initiated into Candomblé Ketu, an ancestral Afro-Brazilian religion, by Iyalorixá Nitinha d’Oxum, and she is an Omo-Orixá at Ilê Axé Omorodé. She holds a degree in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in Anthropology. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate in the Multidisciplinary Graduate Program in Ethnic and African Studies at UFBA (Federal University of Bahia), where she researches the relationship between gender and coloniality in African-derived religions. With over fifteen years of experience in civil society organizations, she actively contributes to empowering collectives and organizations led by Black women. Currently, Tássia serves as a Program Manager at the Ibirapitanga Institute, a Brazilian family foundation dedicated to grant-making for Racial Justice and Sustainable Food Systems.