Our People


 

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Founder of AHA Foundation



Ayaan’s journey began in Somalia in 1969 where, as a young girl, she was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). From very early on, she questioned the subjugation of women she saw all around her; while listening to a sermon on the many ways women should be obedient to their husbands, she couldn't resist asking, "Must our husbands obey us too?" Ayaan has shown great courage, risking her life to expose the violence she sees around her. But she has done more than speak out. Ayaan has connected her life experiences, and the attention she garnered, to the AHA Foundation. She took action to protect women and girls from the violence she - and so many others - faced.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is currently a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University and founder of the AHA Foundation. Prior to joining the Hoover Institution, she was a Fellow at the Belfer Center’s Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard University, and a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Read more



Our Team

 

Amanda Parker

Interim Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer



Amanda Parker is the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Director of AHA Foundation. Ms. Parker oversees AHA’s women’s rights programs. She develops federal and state policy proposals to protect women and girls from harmful cultural practices, recently working with Michigan to put in place the most comprehensive anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) legislation in the country. She has facilitated trainings on honor violence, FGM, forced marriage, and child marriage for more than 3,000 professionals likely to encounter cases, and has supported survivors of these abuses to help them find protection and the services they need.


Oluwadamilola Alabi

WE STOP FGM/C Chicago North Side Program Coordinator


Oluwadamilola has a master’s degree in public health from Northern Illinois University and a background in health administration. As a student intern in Nigeria, she facilitated health talks on female genital mutilation, nutrition, and hygiene to pregnant and nursing mothers at a community health clinic. In Chicago, Oluwadamilola worked as the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service Coordinator at Southview Care before joining the AHA team in 2020 as the Program Coordinator of AHA’s federally funded WE STOP FGM/C Chicago North Side program. Since joining the team, Oluwadamilola has also become one of AHA’s leads on FGM training nationally.

Natalie Arroyo

Marketing and Data Manager


Natalie is a passionate human rights and gender equality advocate with a Business Administration degree from Texas State University. She joined the AHA Foundation in 2018, working in various roles that showcased her creativity, passion, and dedication towards ending gender-based violence. Her focus has been on raising awareness of human rights abuses in the United States, and she is committed to educating people and empowering them to take action.

Michele Hanash

Director of Policy and Women's Programs


Michele is an experienced attorney and women’s and children’s rights advocate. As the Director of Policy and Women’s Programs, Michele leads the foundation’s advocacy efforts and women’s rights programs. Michele is passionate about ending gender-based violence.

Susanna McIntyre

Development Associate


Susanna is a passionate advocate for free expression and critical thinking, with a focus on eradicating harmful traditional practices. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of San Francisco and later worked within UCSF's Radiology Department. Over the past three years, Susanna has been a prominent volunteer for a non-profit aiding individuals leaving their religions, particularly ex-Muslims. At AHA, she is not only inspired by the foundation's impactful policy work and professional training endeavors but is also actively involved in building relationships with donors and supporters who share AHA's vision.

Jasmine Xiao

Program Coordinator


Jasmine joined AHA Foundation as a Program Coordinator in 2023. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in Public Policy and has experience in nonprofit programming and marketing. As Program Coordinator, Jasmine helps facilitate AHA's Campus Fellowship Program and works to encourage student leaders to become agents of change in their communities.

Lisa Brett

Senior Consultant


Lisa helped found the UK’s National FGM Centre and chaired their advisory board before moving to Washington DC in 2017. Having initially studied Electronics, Lisa worked in manufacturing before joining Voluntary Service Overseas in 1989 to become a teacher in a Nigeria. Lisa first became familiar with the practice of FGM teaching girls in Nigeria. Returning to England, Lisa worked for the national charity Victim Support, where she sat on several international project steering groups and worked with the European Commission on projects to support victims of violence and abuse. Lisa also became involved in local politics, which resulted in her being elected to the UK’s Local Government Association, a powerful cross-party Westminster lobby group. Here she became Deputy Chair of the Safer, Stronger Communities Board where she helped found the National FGM Centre. Lisa currently supports the AHA Foundation’s activities in tackling FGM, forced marriage and honor based violence.


George Zarubin

Senior Advisor


George Zarubin is an attorney and a seasoned, senior executive with 20 years of philanthropic and non-profit experience in Washington, DC, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. He built the organizational capacity of foundations and non-profits by overseeing their transformation, sustainability and ensuring targeted and measurable impacts. With an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and law degrees from Tulane University Law School and McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, Mr. Zarubin practiced law for 10 years in California and Russia before transitioning to work with non-profits and international development. As the former Executive Director of the Soros Foundation Kazakhstan, Vice President of the Eurasia Foundation, and President of Eurasia Partnership Foundation, he worked as a change agent and implemented new programs to promote liberal western values, supporting civil society organizations to engage in policy dialogues with national and local governments.

Joy Okhuevbie

Policy Intern


Joy joined AHA Foundation as an intern in 2023. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Physiology and Neurobiology and she is currently working towards her Master's in Public Health degree at Morgan State University. Joy is committed to the fight against gender-based violence, especially female genital mutilation.

Sophie Patten-Ostergard

Policy Intern


Sophie joined AHA Foundation as an intern in September 2023. She is a student at the University of Denver majoring in public policy and socio-legal studies with a minor in international studies. Sophie is committed to women's rights and ending gender-based violence and is excited to contribute to AHA's work creating change through policy advocacy and education.