Meet our Team!
Send us an email at info@girlforward.org
Johanna Hosking-Pulido
Executive Director - Austin, TX
Johanna is from the mountains of Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. She joins GirlForward with over 20 years of mission-driven and people-centered leadership experience working with youth in the non-profit education sector in Mexico and the United States. She is also a graduate of Leadership Austin’s Essential Class 45 of 2024.
Johanna believes that all youth deserve access to safe learning spaces and meaningful relationships where they can strengthen their sense of identity and belonging as they expand their future possibilities. She is a proud mother of two bilingual girls and is part of the Campus Advisory Council at their dual-language Austin ISD School. In her free time she enjoys growing fruits and vegetables in their backyard.
Adriana Gracia
Director of Programs - Chicago, IL
Adriana is a native of Chicago. She attended DePaul University earning an undergraduate degree in Psychology and received a Masters in Marital and Family Therapy from the Family Institute at Northwestern University. Adriana has an extensive work history in the social service sector providing administrative oversight and direct service support. She has worked with a myriad of populations including but not limited to: survivors of trauma, young parents, first-generation students (high school and college), and marginalized communities. She currently volunteers as a rape crisis counselor and mentors community college students. In her spare time, Adriana enjoys spending time with her family and friends, checking out cultural events, and baking.
Becky Alemán
Senior Program Manager - Austin, TX
is an educator and youth worker originally from Austin, Texas. Having studied Africana Studies and Art History at Vassar College, Becky builds and strengthens programs that support young people in developing their leadership and passions while exploring ideas of identity, justice, and community. She has created and run youth programs in art museums, city parks, cultural institutions, public schools, and at community based organizations in Austin and New York City. In her free time, she loves hanging with her family, baking treats, experiencing art, and spending time in nature!
Cindy Nguyen
Program Coordinator - Austin, TX
Cindy is a 2nd generation Vietnamese American, educator, and artist from Houston, Texas. She holds a Master of Education from University of Washington and brings experience in environmental education, youth mentorship, and community engagement. Cindy works to create safe and creative learning spaces for youth to grow as leaders. She’s excited about growing Austin’s GirlForward community and building new school partnerships. Outside of work, she enjoys making art, watching Korean dramas, reading, backpacking, and hiking with her dog.
Zahra Muhsin
Education Program Manager - Chicago, IL
Zahra’s love for education has spanned her whole career from teaching best practices for learning as a Scholastic Manager to supporting scholars in the Upward Bound Program in their pursuit of a secondary education. She’s passionate about sparking curiosity and exploring new ideas, which she lives out fully as a lifelong learner and avid reader. When talking about her role, Zahra shared that she’s excited to be with the GirlForward community at the intersection of education, curriculum-building, and mentoring.
Iradukunda Jeanne
Mentoring Program Manager - Chicago, IL
Iradukunda graduated from GirlForward as a participant! She is now our amazing Mentoring Program Manager, bringing girls and our community together. She is a first generation college graduate with a degree in mathematics. When she’s not leading mentoring circles, dance practices, or workshops, Iradukunda enjoys being at the gym and dining on her favorite home-cooked meal of rice and cassava leaves!
Kathy Tun
Communications Manager - Chicago, IL
Kathy is a writer, editor, and photographer with a love for the visual arts. She holds a Masters in English from the University of Illinois Chicago and has spent her career in editorial work, publishing, and communications. Kathy was a former tutor with GirlForward in 2018 and 2022.
Contractors
Samera Hadi, Curriculum Consultant
Raghad Alhussein, Girls Group Assistant
Fatima Mirzkhail
Girls Group Assistant - Austin, TX
This year's recipient of the GirlForward Founder’s Award. Fatima joined GirlForward in 2017 when she enrolled in summer camp after that she jumped into every community aspect, including mentoring, safe spaces, and leadership programs. She served as a junior intern and on the inaugural Girl Leadership Board. Over the years, Fatima has shared her story on panels, press conferences, rallies, and in the news. During Spring 2023, she served as an interpreter and co-facilitator during GirlForward’s McCallum High School program AND will be co-teaching Camp GirlForward this summer. Fatima isn’t just GirlForward famous she is Austin famous everyone in the immigrant community here knows Fatima. She works and volunteers with a handful of organizations serving new-arrival Afghan families. She does all of this so that no one else has to walk alone as they create their home in Austin.
Blair De Haan
GirlForward Founder
In 2010, Blair moved to Chicago. Soon after starting a position in development at a refugee resettlement agency, Blair began tutoring a girl whose story, challenges, and determination inspired what would become GirlForward.
Blair has a B.S. in Communication from the University of Miami and a Professional Certificate in Nonprofit Management from North Park University’s Axelson Center. Blair has been featured on CNN Heroes, named as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Education and Crain's Chicago Business 20 in their 20s, and honored by the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Awards and YWomen Leadership Awards. Blair can be found at the spin class with the loudest music, in the park with her dog, or checking out Chicago's newest food offerings.
Ashley Marine
Former Executive Director / Consultant
Ashley received her undergraduate degree from Xavier University, where she concentrated on social work and peace studies, before receiving her master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, Ashley studied abroad in Ghana, where she collaboratively provided street education with girls engaged in migrant labor work. Ashley’s work and studies have primarily been focused on inequalities based on gender and sexuality, empowering women and girls and advocating for their rights. In her free time, Ashley enjoys singing show tunes, dancing, and exploring all that Chicago has to offer.
Youth Advisory Board
Click the photos to learn more about our Youth Advisory Board members
Board of Directors
Kutu Baker
Board Chair
Kutu Baker's story isn't unlike many of the girls served at GirlForward. After her family fled Liberia during the civil war in 1990, they lived in Ivory Coast as refugees before being granted the opportunity to immigrate to the U.S in 1993. That experience and the challenges of navigating new countries, languages, and cultures forever shaped Kutu and the issues that she cares about. Her commitment to helping others thrive led her into community service work as a teen, HR as a profession and coaching & mentoring as a calling. She has held HR leadership roles in community development, healthcare, and now food ingredients manufacturing for Ingredion Inc.
Sarayu Adeni
Vice-Chair
Sarayu Adeni is a former GirlForward mentor in Austin, joining the board in 2017 and bringing years of prior experience with youth-centered education and health initiatives. A writer and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in the Dominican Republic, she holds an MPA in Development Practice from Columbia University SIPA and a print journalism degree from UT Austin. Sarayu is a daughter of Indian immigrants and currently works in global health education at Dell Medical School and Texas Global, supporting partnerships in Kenya and Mexico.
Deqa Aden
Deqa is a Senior Project Officer at Heartland Alliance International, where she oversees the organization's MENA and SSA grant portfolio. She is an international development practitioner and researcher with rich field experience, encompassing roles at multilateral institutions, non-profits, and research labs. Deqa has authored papers on behavioral science for development to contextualize research methods and inclusive practices. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring young girls and being involved in her community, both in Somaliland and in Chicago.
Sepora Makabeh Badower
Hala Daher
Hala is a User Experience Researcher. In her words, Hala shared that "Displacement has followed my family for at least three generations, which is why I'm so passionate about the role of GirlForward in the lives of our girls."
Joanna Evans
Joanna has lived, worked, and volunteered on five continents but has loved to call Chicago home for almost twenty years.
Rachel Hermes
Rachel Hermes works at Rotary International as the Programs of Scale Manager. Prior to joining Rotary, Rachel worked in the International Relief and Development sector for nearly 15 years, living in Sudan, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. She now lives with her husband and three children in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Dr. Sadya Khan
Dr. Sadya Khan works as the Executive Director of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness at Moraine Valley Community College. Over the course of her career, she has been committed to advancing access, success and opportunities to various diverse populations. Dr. Khan holds a doctorate in Adult and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University and a Masters in Education from Northwestern University. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two sons and enjoys nature, traveling, reading, playing sports, and hiking.
Elizabeth Levey
Elizabeth is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She studies interventions to address intergenerational trauma. She has also worked in Peru for 5 months as a Fulbright scholar.
Salama Nizeyimana
Salama is case manager for Refugees, passionate about helping others thrive and creating empowering space. She's excited to bring her experiences to the GirlForward board and support young women in making a positive impact
Wajiha Rizvi
Wajiha Rizvi is an attorney and writer based in Austin, Texas. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she started mentoring with GirlForward in 2017 and joined the board in 2020. She is assistant city attorney at the City of Austin focusing on ethics and open government issues. Her writing focuses on identity, social justice, and the struggle for immigrant and displaced families to find a sense of home.
Kate Rohald
Kate began mentoring with Girlforward in 2017, and is excited to be serving the organization as a board member. She holds a BA in Physics from Emory University and a Master's in Engineering Management from Duke University, and currently works for Whole Foods Market. Kate lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two daughters.
Sadaf Usmani
Veenu Verma
Veenu is proud to call Chicago home. She is a Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, a non-profit social impact consulting firm. She joined Civic Consulting Alliance in 2017 and currently leads the Education and Human Services platform. Prior to joining Civic Consulting Alliance, Veenu spent eleven years at Chicago Public Schools, where she held a variety of district leadership roles, spanning both the education and operations functions. Veenu began her career in management consulting at Arthur Andersen and Protiviti Consulting.