Biography

• Dr. Eugen Baldas is current President of the European University for Volunteering; he was European Representative of IAVE Board and Vice President of IAVE. As head of the German Caritas Association’s Volunteer Sector, Eugen set up Volunteer Centers and coordinated activities in the International Year for Volunteers (2001) and in the European Year of Volunteering 2011. A focus within the German Caritas is faith based volunteering. Together with Universities he did various research in volunteering and voluntary activity in the community and published a number of books related to the Voluntary Sector. Eugen is retired and still active in volunteering

Biography

• Casper Bo Danø, CEO of FriSe (Volunteer Centers and Peer Groups Denmark) since 2011, specializes in social entrepreneurship and leadership. He promotes civil society and community engagement in Denmark, leading a network supporting 70 local volunteer centers. His role includes strategic direction, policy development, and innovative tech solutions. Casper holds a Master's Degree in Social Entrepreneurship from Roskilde University and a Master's in History and French from Aarhus University. He is involved in various professional affiliations and board positions. Casper’s work effectively bridges policy, research, and practical application within the nonprofit sector, driving meaningful community impact and fostering volunteerism.

Biography

• Lejla Šehić Relić has been a dedicated social activist since 1993, the founder and CEO of the organization for social development DKolektiv and leads the National Volunteer Development Centre. Since 2019, she has served as the President of the Center for European Volunteering (CEV), a network of over 60 organizations across Europe. Holding a degree in public administration, specializing in social innovation Lejla has shaped policies and practices in Croatian and European civil society for over two decades. She has co-authored several publications on volunteering and community development and was a laureate of an award for promoting peace making, nonviolence and human rights in Croatia in 2020.

Biography

• Elsie Yuen-Yee WAN is a Director of Empowering Life Network, Volunteer Officer of the Agency for Volunteer Service, as well as Member of a number of NGOs and Volunteer Institutions in Hong Kong, and also an Affiliate Member of the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches. She has been a Volunteer Mentor / Mentor-Supervisor of several volunteer
  mentorship/leadership programs, and a professional Volunteer Trainer and Life/Personal Coach. Elsie has received considerable volunteer service awards since 2005. She has been actively involved in promotion of volunteerism, coordination/organization of volunteer events and enhancement / development programs, with more effort on education and nurture programs for the underprivileged, in particular the youth and parents of SEN children.

Biography

• Joanna Tan is a Manager at the Singapore International Foundation. She leads capacity- building projects that serve as catalysts for fostering positive and sustainable development across Asia. These collaborative efforts result in the creation of enduring relationships that drive not only transformative social change but also leave an imprint on the communities in the region. Joanna has always held a passion for youth empowerment and education. Her recent volunteering endeavours took her to the United States, where she engaged with children and contributed to holistic development programmes. Her aspiration is to expand her outreach and advocacy work in the realm of education, focusing on those with special needs.

Biography

• Katy Lazo, National Coordinator for Volunteering, Glasswing International, El Salvador. I am 35 years old and from El Salvador. Volunteering has shaped my life since childhood, inspired by my parents' dedication to transforming the lives of children in rural areas. At 16, I embraced volunteer work, and by 18, I was managing volunteers and funds. My mission is to address poverty in El Salvador through the power of community service. Today, I lead a passionate team of seven, and together we mobilize 800 volunteers annually. Our collective efforts create over 300 extracurricular clubs in public schools, fostering quality education and hope for a brighter future.

Biography

• Christian Porras Lobo is a Costa Rican passionate about building a more sustainable future. Currently based in Barcelona, Spain, he leads a global team as Project Manager for SDG Communities, dedicated to promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Over the past five years, he has worked on responsible business projects across nine countries, including his home country of Costa Rica, the Philippines, Malaysia, Portugal, India, Poland, and China, gaining invaluable international experience. He is also a graphic designer, driving global communications around responsible business practices within Fujitsu. His commitment to creating a positive impact on the world fuels his dedication to fostering sustainable business models that benefit both people and the planet.

Biography

• Angelo Menezes is the driving force behind the Community Pillar for Global Delivery at Fujitsu. Over his 14-year journey with the company, he has embraced diverse roles, all leading to his current position. Besides steering the Community Pillar, he is also the Employee Experience Manager for the Fujitsu delivery center in Portugal. His passion is for enhancing workplace culture and fostering a strong sense of community and this fuels his dedication in these roles. Trained as a teacher, he has had the opportunity to teach in Sweden and Japan, witnessing firsthand the transformative power of Education. This global perspective continues to shape his approach to leadership and community building at Fujitsu.

Biography

• Hyejin Yoo is working as the head of the digital division of Seum, a child welfare action group. Seum is the only child welfare organization in Korea that specializes in supporting children of incarcerated parents. And Seum is pursuing a wide range of rights advocacy activities to improve awareness of prisoner's children. Children have the right to grow up equally and healthily regardless of their origin, gender, or parental status. Although the world's sensitivity to human rights has improved compared to the past, children of prisoners are still discriminated against due to dichotomous thinking between good and evil and the emotional guilt-by-association system that projects the parents' sins onto the children. Hyejin would like to talk about how Seum has been calling out for equal rights as children of incarcerated parents.

Biography

• Eunja Lee works with Daegu Metropolitan City Volunteer Center as a social worker and Volunteer Manager. She is also the Disaster Integrated Volunteer Support Team Executive Manager. Her Disaster response-related work includes the following – 2003 Daegu subway fire, volunteer situation room operation; 2007 Daegu SOS Volunteer Support System construction; 2013 Heat wave preparation volunteer activities; 2017 Psychological First Aid (PFA) Training; and 2020 COVID-19 Emergency Support Activities.

Biography

• Jin-Kyung Jung, a professor at Kwangwoon University, is president of the Korean Academy of Volunteerism. Professor Jung is also now a member of the Presidential Committee on Regulatory Reform and the Volunteer Promotion Committee. And she served as a board member of the Korea National Volunteer Center and director of operations of the Korean University Council for Social Service.
  Her recent major research projects include National Survey on Volunteering (2023), Study on the New Normal of Volunteerism (2022), Research on Policy Measures for the Protection of Volunteers in Korea (2021), Study on the Effects of KOICA Overseas Volunteering of the Returnee Volunteers (2018), and the 3rd National Plan for Volunteer Promotion (2017).
  Professor Jung has considered it her mission as a scholar to bridge volunteer policy and practice for over 25 years.

Biography

• Wolfgang Krell has spent the last 40 years working to advance volunteer engagement both from paid and volunteer leadership positions in nonprofit associations. As the Executive Director of the Volunteer Centre Augsburg since its beginning in 1997, he has had the opportunity to promote and develop volunteering at the local, regional and national level in Germany. At the European level he is active with partners from different countries to create innovative developments around volunteering. Under his leadership the Augsburg Volunteer Centre was the host organization for IAVE World Volunteer Conference 2018. Since 2021 he is an IAVE board member, elected as the European representative.

Biography

• Deirdre Araujo has been the head of volunteer engagement for San Francisco’s Exploratorium for nearly 30 years, and serves on the national boards of the American Association for Museum Volunteerism and the National Association of Volunteer Program Leaders in Government, in the latter role as the liaison to the National Association of Counties. Volunteer service is both a personal passion and professional practice; besides helping in her local library and animal shelter, she’s served on various boards, including two terms as president of the American Association of University Women in San Francisco. She has recently joined the national board of SERVAS US.

Biography

• Soo-jin Yoon leads new volunteer program initiatives at Taean County Volunteer Center, managing projects such as the Safe Village Development project and the Immigrant Connection Platform. Since 2019, she has spearheaded volunteer education and campaigns, covering a wide range of issues from foundational training to human rights advocacy. Her work promotes community engagement and empowerment through inclusive initiatives and skills development.

Biography

• Willem-Jan de Gast , after a 12-year career in international higher education, started working in the field of volunteer policy and management in 2005 at the national institute for social development. In 2019, he established his own company and works as consultant, trainer, researcher and writer for individual volunteer involving organisations, educational institutes, volunteer centres and national programmes targeted at enhancing volunteering in the Netherlands. Throughout his career, his drive has been to support and guide civil society organisations, volunteer managers and volunteers so they can flourish.

Biography

• Petra van Loon started working in the field of politics, policy making and management early on in 1995. In various roles and in different branches of government and for organizations that are part of civil society. She has lived and worked in Indonesia and in several small villages in Spain doing anthropological research for her thesis. Throughout her career and life, she has committed herself to issues such as active citizenship, equal opportunities and empowerment, encouraging volunteer initiatives and enhancing policies to make volunteering an easygoing and meaningful experience. Currently, she acts as program manager of Growing older together (beteroud.nl).

Biography

• Megha Aggarwal anchors the #EveryIndianVolunteering initiative at the India Welfare Trust, dedicated to expanding volunteer engagement across diverse causes. Her work focuses on community and capacity building and strategic funding to enhance volunteer initiatives in India. Megha is passionate about fostering community connections and driving impactful volunteer management. She lives in Delhi, India, and holds a Master’s in Environment and Development. Megha is an active #DaanUtsav Volunteer and has also coordinated volunteering campaigns for V-Force, the online volunteering platform by UNV India in 2021.

Biography

• Ramalingam Natarajan is the Co-founder of Volunteer for India (VFI). An Aeronautical Engineer turned Social Entrepreneur, he leverages his expertise as an International Happiness Coach and Theatre Artist to drive social impact. Under his leadership, VFI has empowered over 12,000 volunteers, contributing 160,000 hours of service across diverse causes, including Environment, Education, Animal Welfare, Rural Development, Youth Empowerment, Women Wellness, and Mental Health. Through the Volship Fellowship, VFI is creating volunteer leaders in every city, aiming to make volunteerism a national value in India. A finalist of the IAVE Ideathon 2024, his innovative approaches and international collaborations with organizations like IAVE, Good Deeds Day, and GivingTuesday underscore his commitment to fostering a culture of volunteerism globally.

Biography

• Jestyn Koh is a Senior Manager at the Singapore International Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a better world through shared ideas, skills, and experiences. With a focus on healthcare, education, and digital programmes across Asia, Jestyn plays a pivotal role in shaping market strategy, forging impactful partnerships, and spearheading projects that promote sustainable development and international cooperation. His responsibilities include managing volunteer programmes, ensuring alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and cultivating relationships with international partners and stakeholders. Jestyn's innovative programmes have garnered notable accolades, including the World Bank Digital Skills Innovation Award (Lifelong Learning) and the e- Learning Forum Asia Award (Community Outreach).

Biography

• Joseph Kolapudi is a young professional who currently serves as the Creative Director for SolveSquad, an Australian social enterprise dedicated to assisting young professionals from refugee and migrant backgrounds via virtual volunteering. He also is part of the advisory board for the Australian Refugee and Migrant Care Services (ARMCare) nonprofit, assisting those from trauma and disability backgrounds. In his spare time, he volunteers as part of the Humans for Good Australia community.

Biography

• Uchenna Livingston Ibebunjo is an experienced administrator with a passion for volunteering and community development. He is the Project Director of the Hannah May Foundation, Nigeria, and serves as the Regional Representative for Africa on the Board of Directors of the International Association for Volunteer Effort. With an academic background that includes a major in sociology, Uchenna combines his senior management role at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria, with meaningful initiatives in promoting climate action and combating pollution and deforestation with technical solutions, along with an understanding of the social structures and cultural norms of communities in Nigeria.

Biography

• Mrs Mary Mlambo, is the Founder and Executive Director of Lungelo Youth Development, South Africa. Mary is a Christian with a great desire for community development, promotes volunteerism internationally and very big in contributing towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), resilient in goal 4, (Quality Education) 10 (reduced inequalities) and goal 17 (partnering for the goals). A Financial advisor by profession registered with the South African Financial Services Board (FSB), worked for over 20 years in the Insurance Industry, left the industry to put a vision of Lungelo Youth Development into action. A vision of creating a resource Centre for children development and a platform to address societal issues affecting the youth by Building Capabilities & Exploring Opportunities Lungelo Youth Development strives to ensure that the youth understand their role and responsibilities as catalyst for change shifting mindsets from Youth being the future to Youth being the present.

Biography

• Hyunsoo Gweon is a professor in the Department of Social Work at Kyungnam University and her main research interests are role identity and professionalism of volunteer managers. She is the principal investigator of the research on the development of the National Occupational Standards (NCS) for Volunteer Management in 2024, and has been involved in research on the job analysis, qualification system, and education and training system of volunteer managers from 2020 to 2023. Hyunsoo Gweon holds a PhD in social work from Kyungpook National University Graduate School of Social Work in Korea and worked as a volunteer manager at Daegu Volunteer Center for 10 years.

Biography

• Phoebe Carrera has 15+ years of experience in Corporate Social Responsibility program implementation and strategy, sustainability, volunteer engagement, and CR management system consultancy. She is the CSR Senior Manager of TELUS International in Asia Pacific. In this role she mobilizes thousands of team members annually through community volunteering and manages corporate grants to support NGOs in the Philippines and India. She is a board of trustee of Philippine Coalition on Volunteerism and Association of Foundations Philippines. She earned her master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in international business and sustainable development from Maastricht School of Management, The Netherlands.

Biography

• Shuwan Zhang, Assistant Professor at the National Academy of Chinese Modernization, China Research Center of Volunteering of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). She holds a Ph.D. in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London, a Master's degree from the University of Manchester, and a Bachelor's degree from the Renmin University of China. Her research interests are in the field of Development Studies. Social Governance, Volunteering Research and Social Issues in Development Countries. She has published a series of Journal Papers in China Review, Beijing Cultural Review, etc. She also edited a series of Blue Books on Volunteering Development in China.

Biography

• Gabriel de Faro is a psychologist and a postgraduate in marketing, who has dedicated the last 9 years to social engagement and volunteering in Brazil. Is now responsible for the Atados website, the biggest volunteering platform in the country where 4.5 thousand NGOs connect with 280 thousand volunteers through all sorts of opportunities that tackle the SDGs. A specialist in corporate volunteering has coordinated projects with companies such as Coca-Cola, Shell, L’Oréal and UHG to create activities, programs and technology engaging the corporate in a more just and sustainable world.

Biography

• Michaela Rýgrová is a volunteering and sustainability expert with over 15 years of experience. She focuses on creating lively volunteering ecosystems and efficient and fruitful connections between organizations and volunteers. Her endeavour to change how people volunteer is connected to Vlna pomoci (i.e. Wave of Help) - a nation-wide platform and marketplace for volunteering in the Czech Republic. As an answer to today's busy world, she puts emphasis on short term volunteering, which can spark more interest, engagement and in her eyes is a gateway to long term volunteering. She believes volunteering is substantial in dealing with current world challenges.

Biography

• Alexandra Infante Perales is an economist with a Master's Degree in Organizational Governance, and more than 15 years of experience in designing and implementing volunteering programs within the corporate sector, government, academia and civil society. She is the Executive Director and cofounder of Perú Voluntario, a community of networks within Peru dedicated to fostering and strengthening the nation's volunteering ecosystem. She is CEO and cofounder of IKIGAI Social Lab, a Bcorp that designs and implements high-impact sustainability strategies and projects.

Biography

• Eui-soo Cho, Professor, Department of Social Welfare, Silla University, Republic of Korea. A member of the Research Committee of National Research Council for Economics, Humanities And Social Sciences and a member of the Presidential Committee(Planning and Evaluation Committee) on Balanced National Development. Currently Chairperson of Volunteer Development Committee of Busan Metropolitan City and a Board Member of Korea Association of Community Welfare. Publications include Blockchain-based volunteer bank implementation plan; Research Methods for Social Welfare; and Data Analysis Using SPSS.

Biography

• Dr.Tapiwa Kamuruko is the Chief of the Voluntary Advisory Services Section at the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), based at its Headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Prior to this role, he held several key positions within UNV, including Policy Specialist and Team Lead on Evidence and Knowledge Brokering, and Regional Manager for East and Southern Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Kamuruko is instrumental in the creation and dissemination of key knowledge products at UNV, notably leading the preparation of the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report. He works with diverse partners to ensure that volunteerism is effectively integrated into both global and regional development frameworks.

Biography

• Sonia Fernandes is a Social Entrepreneur, consultant, teacher, and trainer. She is the Founder and CEO of Pista Mágica – Volunteering & Innovation. The author of several books and manuals on volunteering and the creator of the CADEI volunteer management training methodology (Training, Diagnosis, Experimentation, Impact). She has a Degree in Anthropology and a master's degree in Humanitarian Action. She has developed her international volunteer work and skills in countries such as the USA, Mozambique, East Timor, and Togo, in addition to volunteer work carried out nationally in Portugal for over 30 years. She has also worked with humanitarian organizations, the United Nations, and the European Union. She has reached thousands of volunteers, students, and professionals as a trainer, teacher, and consultant.

Biography

• Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová is an associate professor at the Faculty of Education, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. She focuses primarily on volunteering, service-learning, the nonprofit sector in Slovak conditions, and participatory approaches in social work. She has been actively working in advocacy and development of volunteering since 2002. She was involved in preparing several strategic documents on volunteering in Slovakia. Since 2011, she has been the vice president of the Platform of Volunteer Centers and Organizations and is currently president. She is a graduate of the Fulbright program, a member of the Government Council for Nongovernmental Organizations, a member of the Board of the Directors of the European Association on Service-learning in Higher Education, and a member of the Service-Learning Network for Central and Eastern Europe.

Biography

• Dr Jurgen Grotz is a published author and academic. He has over 30 years' experience of applied research across the academic, public, private and voluntary sectors. His largely interdisciplinary work about volunteer involvement has a strong focus on participative approaches and public engagement. He has co-edited 'Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation, and Nonprofit Associations' (2016), ‘Volunteering, research and the test of experience' (2022), 'Mobilising Voluntary Action' (2022), co-authored 'Patient and Public Involvement in Health and Social Care Research' (2020), 'Volunteer Involvement: An Introduction to Theory and Practice' (2022), and his latest book ‘Volunteer Involvement in UK Universities’ became available this year.

Biography

• Dr Mark Stanford is Deputy Director of research at Singapore’s National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). A cognitive anthropologist by training, he has conducted social and psychological research in China, Myanmar and Singapore. His research focuses on cross-cultural variations in mechanisms underlying cooperation and prosocial behaviour. At NVPC, he manages a portfolio of studies tracking changes in the non-profit sector in Singapore.

Biography

• Ms Mya The Pwint is an Associate with the research team at Singapore’s National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). With a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, her research focuses on the non-profit sector, volunteering, and migration. Mya has conducted research with non-profit organisations in Singapore, examining the strength of community- based initiatives and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income families. Outside of work, Mya volunteers with an organisation that supports and advocates for the rights of female migrant domestic workers in Singapore.

Biography

• Seon Kyeong Ahn Ph.D Candidate is in the Department of Social Welfare at Ewha Womans University. She worked as a social worker in South Korea for 12 years and currently serves on the Communications Subcommittee of the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Doctoral Student Committee (DSC). Her research focuses on child and youth welfare, children's rights and reclusive youth, nonprofits and volunteering. In particular, she is conducting in-depth research on volunteering, focusing on citizens and youth as potential volunteers, drawing on her expertise and knowledge gained from several years working for NGOs in South Korea.

Biography

• Ick-Joong Chung, Ph.D. received a doctoral degree in child and adolescent welfare from University of Washington. He is a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Ewha Womans University and serves as the President of the National Center for the Rights of the Child, a public institution under the Ministry of Health and Welfare in South Korea. His research focuses on child and youth welfare, and he is currently researching child abuse, children in poverty, donations and volunteering, etc. Based on his research experience, he has expertise in cooperative volunteering and active participation in civil society. Recently, he is studying a dynamic volunteer system in which youth take the lead.

Biography

• Debbie S.F. Huang has been the Secretary General to Volunteering Taiwan since 2001. For her long-term engagement in civil society, she builds up the collaboration with governments, academics, voluntary organizations, and business sector based on the context of volunteering 2.0. She promotes the innovative module in training the youth volunteers to improve the conditions in remote areas. The concept of “From Volunteering to Social Enterprising” is designed as a solution which appeals to maximize the performance of volunteering to help the self-sustaining of the communities. For the recognition of her volunteer effort, Debbie was invited to join in the faculty of Social Enterprise Management Institute at Chinese Culture University, and serve regularly as the trainer for volunteer managers at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Biography

• Ming-Feng Lee, has devoted himself to environmental education and volunteering for 22 years. He founded Youth Volunteer Service for Eco-Friendship (Taiwan) and International Youth Influence Promotion Association (IYIPA), which has 5,000+ youth engaged and influenced 60,000+ people. He has received recognition from the Taiwanese President 7 times and won EE 30 Under 30 Class of 2022, Taiwan Environmental Protection Professional Medal, etc. To realize the philosophy of ‘‘Caring for the Earth, Starting from the Heart; Protecting Nature, Starting from the Small’’, he aims to make environmental protection a natural thing through volunteering.

Biography

• Sarang Hanyou has served as CEO of ITASEOUL since 2016. ITASEOUL is a nation-wide, technology-based, volunteer service that collects data and trash associated with marine pollution and is an organization that seeks ‘to inspire humanity’s collective mind for good’. In 2022 a commendation from the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea, was awarded to ITASEOUL for its contribution to reducing marine waste.

Biography

• Nina Arwitz is the CEO of Volunteer Ireland, a role she has been in for about ten years. Her background is in the environmental non-profit sector, where she started her career as Volunteer Manager with London Wildlife Trust. Originally from Sweden, she has lived and worked around the world including Nicaragua, Mexico, Egypt, Syria and Palestine. She has an MSc in Environmental Economics from the London School of Economics, from which she developed an interest in valuing non-market goods such as nature and volunteering. In Busan she is looking forward to learning from others and is particularly interested in methodologies for measuring the value and long-term impact of volunteering; and how Volunteer Centres can remain relevant in an ever-changing world.

Biography

• Joyce has been a Medical Social Worker for more than 30 year. During her career, she has seen all kinds of life stories in the hospital. Thus she concerns about the social problems of aging group that also motivates her to have an advanced study for her Master Degree after her retirement. From her research co-worked with Debbie Huang, they found that through volunteering the elderly people can be the main human resource to help community development and financial sustainability. She is now serving in social work agencies to help the seniors to fulfill their dreams and create an active aging environment.

Biography

• Chia-Hsin Chien has actively served as an international volunteer and participated in various activities, focusing on Taiwanese culture and sustainability issues like sustainable agriculture, rural education, and net-zero carbon emissions. He led the International Student Ambassador Group at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and held roles in IAAS Taiwan and the India International Volunteer Team. He shares sustainability topics through social media to inspire action. His efforts have earned awards including the 2023 National University Outstanding Youth Representative and the 2022 National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Outstanding Contribution Award.

Biography

• Haecheon Ha, a retired civil servant, has been doing various volunteer activities since 2013, including providing moral education(called Hyo, 孝) for students, conducting forest interpretation programs for students and residents, and magic performance for patient in nursing homes and hospitals, as well as for the the elderly and other vulnerable individuals. In particular, from January 2012 to the present, he was elected as the Chief of Director of the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam Volunteer Groups serving as the overall manger of the volunteer activities of retired civil officials living in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam. As a result of his diligent efforts in this role he was selected as the Volunteer Group of the Year at an event hosted by the National Pension Service Headquarters in April 2024, a prestigious honor that has established him as a model of exemplary service.

Biography

• Sarah Wilson has expertise in volunteer involvement and not-for-profit strategy and governance. Sarah is the Strategic Partnerships Director at Volunteering Australia and previously let the develop of Australia’s first National Strategy for Volunteering in a decade.
  She holds degrees in Arts, Psychology, and Law and is currently completing her Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Psychology at the University of Western Australia. Sarah is also a passionate volunteer in animal welfare and mental health.

Biography

• Matt Clausen joined the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) in 2021, a nimble and transformative U.S. government agency that invests in community-led development across Latin America and the Caribbean. He is responsible for leading efforts to identify, develop, implement and manage partnerships to bring greater technical and financial resources to bear to achieve IAF’s grassroots development goals. Prior, in addition to numerous strategic advisory roles, Matt was President of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), fighting for human rights in Latin America and at the U.S. border. Previously, he spent fifteen years in the senior leadership of Partners of the Americas, a non-profit organization that brings together people, governments, and local organizations to address challenges in the hemisphere, including building resilient civil societies and by promoting citizen engagement and transparency. Matt was part of the Brookings Initiative on International Volunteering and Service, working with global and cross-border volunteering advocates to form the Building Bridges Coalition (BBC), and then to serve as its chair. He also led President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund. Matt is currently Vice Chairperson of the IAVE Board of Directors.

Biography

• Hyuncheol Kim has worked as a volunteer manager for 17 years. Currently he works at the Seoul Volunteer Center, which includes 25 autonomous districts. His role there is involved with youth and young people to support them grow together through volunteer work.

Biography

• Sebastian Chavez Navarro is a political scientist involved with the Chilean Network of Volunteer Organizations, Youth Office, Municipality of Maipu, Chile. He has been involved as a volunteer with the Association of Guides and Scouts of Chile since 2012, participating locally, and since 2021 has been a member of its Board of Directors. Throughout his professional development, since 2019 he has been in different jobs related to volunteering, youth development, strengthening networks and alliances, and education. He is currently coordinating the creation of the Latin American Volunteer Network (RELAVOL) and participating in the updating of volunteering in the Citizen Participation Law of Chile.

Biography

• Lindsay Armstrong has worked in the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland over the last 25 years and has built up a vast range of experience in managing volunteer led projects. This includes engaging and managing projects that support young people to volunteer as well as working with the wider voluntary/community organisations on best practice volunteer management and the development of volunteer roles. Currently Lindsay is part of the senior management team within Volunteer Now, helping to shape and steer the organisation, she has responsibility for managing staff and overseeing a range of volunteer led projects for older people. Lindsay has extensive experience in managing event volunteering and has led this area of work in Volunteer Now for the last 12 years. This has involved working alongside external partners to deliver volunteer involvement on some of the biggest events to come to Northern Ireland. Lindsay is passionate about volunteering and knows the impact that volunteering can and does make to the community in Northern Ireland.

Biography

• Alfredo Abreu was born in Africa and lived in Europe and North America. He studied Sociology (Lisbon, Portugal) and Spiritual Theology (Vancouver, BC, Canada) and has dedicated most of his life to civic action in fields like youth, university students, environment, intercultural dialogue, culture, communication, spirituality, and social support and inclusion. He currently works as a city chaplain (non-confessional) and is on the Board of the Portuguese Confederation for Volunteering. He is currently working on new legislation for volunteering in Portugal, a strategic vision/ planning for volunteering for the country until 2030, and an agenda for municipal volunteering nationally.

Biography

• Michelle Kitney joined Volunteering New Zealand in 2017 and has been Chief Executive since 2019. Michelle is an enabling and inclusive sector leader who has demonstrated her commitment to amplifying the voices of volunteers and advocating for greater recognition of volunteers and volunteering. She has worked in a range of sectors including social enterprise, within the public sector and the publishing industry. She has a range of experience including regulatory and compliance, mar-coms and social marketing, engagement, and research. She has also volunteered extensively in community organisations that offer extra support and services to families and children.

Biography

• James O’Brien is the Executive Director of the International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum). Prior to joining Forum, he served in various roles with VSO, most recently as Global Leadership Manager at VSO International and Country Representative for VSO Ireland. He has worked as Coordinator of the Volunteer Groups Alliance and Chair of the Post-2015 Volunteering Working Group, and as a consultant on child protection and responsible volunteering. He is the Chair of University College Dublin Volunteers Overseas and serves on the Board of the Volunteer Groups Alliance.

Biography

• Bhola Bhattarai is a social worker promoting Indigenous education, environmental education, and the livelihood of marginalized communities through community volunteerism in Nepal. Mr. Bhattarai focuses on organizing and mobilizing indigenous people and local communities to protect their bio-cultural capitals. Mr. Bhattarai represents the National Forum for Advocacy, Nepal (NAFAN) which is a national network of civil society organizations and individuals who believe in community volunteerism for change. Mr. Bhattarai is also a national coordinator of Good Deeds Day Nepal.

Biography

• Fanny Fanou-Ako is a social entrepreneur, with more than 15 years of working in business, finance and development. She has an extensive background in gender equality and women empowerment. A specialist of the Financial Inclusion, Fanny is currently the President of Women Empowered (WE), a national NGO that provides social and economic empowerment programs to women and girls in BENIN. Prior to her role with Women Empowered, Fanny held various leadership positions in non-profits organizations in Benin and in the United-States. She holds an MBA from the United States, a graduate certificate in Inclusive Finance from the University of Luxemburg.

Biography

• Mauricio Fuentes coordinates projects in the Volunteering and Citizen Participation Unit at the National Youth Institute of Chile. Although he is a lawyer by profession, his true passion lies in the social sector, where he works to promote the Volunteer Ecosystem and youth participation from the State through volunteering, aiming to foster new leadership and drive social change among young people. For the past 18 years, Mauricio has been deeply involved in volunteering and youth issues, participating in various volunteer organizations and events. He is also a member of the Global Network of Volunteering Leadership (GNVL) of Latin America.

Biography

• Daniel Adugna is Acting Head Youth Division – Youth Policy & Inclusion Portfolio, The African Union Commission. Previously, he served a Program Manager of the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps (AU-YVC), a continental youth leadership program which works with young African professionals through volunteerism and exchange across Africa. He brings over ten years’ experience in continental program management and policy development working with the African Union Commission and other International Organizations, including board program development, implementation and monitoring skills, policy development, international relations and youth development expertise combined with continental level perspectives. Daniel holds a B.Sc. in Management Information Systems from the Munich University of Technology, Germany; a Master’s in business administration (MBA) from Lincoln University, USA (Extension, Ethiopia); and a second Master’s in Development Finance from the Frankfurt Business School.

Biography

• Mubashir Ahmed has worked in the non-profit sector for over 25 years focusing on community development and humanitarian response. Prior to formal employment, he volunteered with community organizations for 8 years within local socio-economic development. He started his career with SUNGI, a renowned grassroots development and advocacy NGO. He also worked with Save the Children. Currently, he is Country Director for Concern Worldwide in Pakistan and has held this post since 2013, focusing on building community and institutional resilience against climate change. Mubashir holds a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University, Australia and has completed the British Government’s Chevening Fellowship from the University of Glasgow, UK.

Biography

• Lisa Mort-Putland, MPA, CVA is the Executive Director of Volunteer Victoria and serves as the Board Chair for Volunteer Canada. Lisa has worked as a volunteer management specialist for more than 20 years helping individuals and organizations better understand their volunteering strategies and goals. Lisa grew up in Wales and has made Canada home for more than 4 decades. She lives as an uninvited guest in the traditional territories of the Lekwungen speaking nations on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Lisa is often invited to speak at conferences about volunteerism and the power of volunteers and volunteer-led organizations.

Biography

• Soonhwa Yun majored in social welfare, which is a field of study that practices humanism, and focused on counseling and welfare of low-income residents while working as a social worker for seven years at a social welfare center. With an interest in solving various social issues, she accumulated experience at volunteer centers in Daegu and Ulsan and has been working at the Korea Volunteer Center, which supports volunteer centers across Korea, for 14 years. She volunteered at the west coast oil spill incident site for the ‘miracle of Taean’ and supported volunteers at the Sewol ferry incident site. She also publishes manuals for various disaster sites, including typhoon, storm, and flood damages, and serves as a lecturer for leader-fostering education. As a working-level manager for the 2016-2018 Korea Year of Volunteering Campaign and the Hello Campaign, for which the Korea Volunteer Center performs backbone organization roles, she has experience collaborating with various organizations and researching indexes that measure influence. She is considerably interested in recording and archiving volunteer activities.

Biography

• Hye-sun Choi is secretary-general of the Geoje Volunteer Center, she strives to connect neighbours with neighbours through volunteering in Geoje City, and to establish a volunteer network and culture through voluntary participation.

Biography

• Sze Zen Wong is the Asia Pacific and Latin America Corporate Responsibility Regional Coordinator at S&P Global. At S&P Global, Sze Zen drives employee engagement to create community impact through volunteerism and philanthropic giving in Asia-Pacific (excluding India) and Latin America. She has over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector managing corporate partnerships and philanthropy at Conservation International and World Vision. She was also a sustainability project manager at ESG consultancy, ELEVATE (formerly CRS Asia). Sze Zen also held previous roles in marketing communications and international client management. Originally from Malaysia, Sze Zen is based in Singapore and holds a BA in Business and Information Technology from Monash University.

Biography

• Sanda Rakocevic is the Executive Director of the Community Impact Accelerator - Zid (ADP-Zid) in Montenegro. She has been involved in volunteering practice, along with volunteer management, since 1998 when she was trained as a trainer. With over thirty years of experience in volunteering policy and management, she has set up and developed various voluntary services for more than 120 volunteer-based organizations. These services are designed to meet recognized community needs, and their sustainability is ensured through cooperation with local authorities and companies. Sanda participated in the adaptation of the Manual on the Measurement of Volunteer Work for Montenegro in cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Johns Hopkins University. Over the past twenty years, she has focused on capacity building for volunteer management, and strengthening partnerships and cooperation between CSOs, local governments, and companies for civil society organizations in Montenegro and beyond.

Biography

• Kuule Yona is the Executive Director at Yes Empowerment Services, Uganda. Kuule is highly experienced at mobilizing and publicizing volunteer work, creating partnerships and collaborations, enhancing volunteering strategies, leadership and governance. For the last 7 years he has been at the forefront in disaster response and preparedness especially during the floods and landslides around Mountain Rwenzori in Uganda. Kuule has recruited and organized many volunteers in Uganda for increased employability. His volunteering journey has inspired generation of youth volunteers in Uganda.

Biography

• Muzdalifah Binti Mohd Nasir is Head of Strategy & Corporate Affairs and a key leader at the Sime Darby Foundation, the oldest corporate foundation and philanthropic arm of three Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) in Malaysia. She oversees strategy development, government relations, stakeholder engagement, and the impact of CSR initiatives. With 20 years at Sime Darby, she has held various HR and CSR roles, leading teams in Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Liberia, and Papua New Guinea. Her upbringing in poverty instilled in her a deep respect for cultural differences and a commitment to promoting community resilience. She is dedicated to fostering meaningful collaborations in climate action, volunteerism, and inclusivity.

Biography

• Sarah Kadie Ahmed is the Partnership and Mobilization Officer for United Nations Volunteer (UNV) in Sierra Leone and an active member of the Volunteer Involving Organizations Network (VIONET) in Sierra Leone. With a master’s degree in project management and over 7 years of professional experience in education, Gender, youth engagement, and the volunteerism sector to promote national and international volunteer initiatives. Notably, Sarah led the roll-out of Youth-led Global campaign for climate action funded by ActionAid International – Global Platform in Sierra Leone.

Biography

• Denise Hayward has been Chief Executive with Volunteer Now since August 2017 and prior to that Director of Engagement since 2010. She has extensive experience in supporting volunteer involvement. She has wide ranging expertise in public and organisational volunteering policy development, volunteering research and supporting good practice in volunteering. She is experienced in third sector governance issues through many years working at a senior level in the voluntary and community sector. Denise is an active volunteer for Portadown YMCA.

Biography

• Jinwon Lee is the head of the Future Activities Department, the youth volunteer division of the Korea Youth Work Agency. The Korea Youth Work Agency is a public institution responsible for youth volunteer policies and promotion in South Korea, collaborating with youth service centers across the nation. Drawing on his own experience as a volunteer, Jinwon Lee has long achieved results in the areas of youth volunteer policy development, manager training, national campaigns, and international cooperation. Now, he supports young people to proactively build their competencies for the future society through volunteering in local communities and schools. In this way, he helps them live as happy democratic citizens.

Biography

• Deedar Guerra is the Executive Chairperson of the National Volunteering Council of Mozambique (CNV) and President/Chairperson of the Association for the Defense and Development of Society (ADDESSO). He is also the Country Leader and Coordinator of Good Deeds Day in Mozambique and Technical Advisor to the Volunteering Department at the State Secretariat for Youth and Employment (SEJE).

Biography

• Mark Moravits began his volunteering at a young age. At university, he ran the largest student organization which engaged 5,000 students in volunteering and service. He later began his career as a teacher through the US public service program Teach for America. Currently Mark leads global social impact at Viasat, a space technology company, including an award-winning skills-based volunteering program that provides employees with the opportunity to bring critical capacity to rural NGOS while increasing digital equity. Mark has spent several years in corporate CSR roles and global nonprofit/NGO roles including six years at the Points of Light Foundation leading youth and corporate volunteer programs. Mark holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and Master of Public Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Biography

• Paul Chishimba Is a seasoned Public Relations practitioner and currently holds the position of Volunteer Engagement officer at Habitat for Humanity Zambia. Mr. Chishimba comes with over 10 years experienced and technical expertise in Resource Mobilization, Donor Management and Volunteer Engagement. His skills, knowledge and expertise have brought a significant contribution to Habitat for Humanity Zambia’s local resource mobilization through corporate and youth engagement. Mr. Chishimba’s passion for community Development and working with young people has enabled him to start a community-based football Academy which focuses on sport for development and is focussing HIV/AIDS prevention, child labour and ending child marriages.

Biography

• Giselle Mendez is Founder and Managing Director of the Volunteer Center of Trinidad & Tobago (VCTT) and is working to eliminate wasted human capital. Giselle inspires the best minds to volunteer their time to tackle the most pressing development challenges and mobilizes international networks and resources to escalate Caribbean volunteering. Through online volunteering, organisations like VCTT have been able to convene and manage large numbers of volunteers to reach those most at risk of being left behind. The VCTT team is unveiling the emerging role technology and artificial intelligence can play in scaling the reach and impact of volunteers. The joint issues of climate change and climate action are increasing the need and demand for volunteers to be involved in tackling crisis and building community resilience across the Caribbean.

Biography

• Ye-eun Seo is a social worker at the Busanjin-gu Volunteer Center, helping volunteers easily participate in volunteer activities in their daily lives.
  In particular, we have been developing and leading various local problem-solving volunteer programs such as the creation of a Hello Village Center, a village community construction project, and a single-person household support project since 2020.
  It also plays a leading role in revitalizing volunteers by sharing business experiences through education to volunteer center managers.

Professional Experience:

• Jan. 2024 – Present President, Governors Association of the Republic of Korea
• Jul. 2022 – Present The 39th Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City
• Apr. 2021 – Jun. 2022 The 38th Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City
• 2014 – 2016 Secretary General, National Assembly Secretariat
• 2011 Special Advisor to the President for Social Affairs
• 2009 – 2010 Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs
• 2004 – 2008 Member of the 17th National Assembly
  (Suyeong-gu District, Busan / Grand National Party)
• 2002 – 2021 Professor, Sociology Department, Dong-A University
• 1999 – 2005 Chair of Devolution Movement Busan Headquarter
• 1994 – 1999 Member of Presidential Commission on Policy Planning
• 1995 – 1996 Chairman of the Planning Committee, Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice Busan Office
• 1984 – 1985 Journalist, JoongAng Ilbo

Biography

• Author, board member and keynote speaker Noreena Hertz is acclaimed as "one of the world's leading thinkers" by The Observer and hailed by Vogue as "one of the world's most inspiring women.“ A pioneering economist whose work intersects the nexus of economics, technology, politics and society, Noreena has written five bestselling books including "The Lonely Century," "Eyes Wide Open" and “The Silent Takeover” and has spoken at prestigious events including TED, the World Economic Forum, and Google Zeitgeist. She advises some of the most senior leaders in the world on strategy, ESG, the post-millennials and transformation; has served on Citigroup’s Politics and Economics Global Advisory Board and the Inclusive Capitalism Taskforce’s Advisory Group; and sits on the boards of Mattel, Warner Music Group and Workhuman. Her thinking served as the inspiration for Bono’s Product ‘Red’. With a PhD from Cambridge University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Noreena is based at the Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London, where she is Honorary Professor.

Main Career

• Nonoshop, representative, 2023~
• Wave Entertainment, Co-founder, 2023~
• Volunteerkorea, Co-founder, 2022~
• JTBC talkpawon, regular panel, 2022~
• Ministry of Justice 1st and 2nd Social Integration Immigrant Mentor Group, 2020~
• Member of the Ministry of Justice's Social Integration Advisory Committee, 2019~
• EU Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Action
• Honorary Ambassador of Liege, Belgium, 2016~
• CupGuardians Activists
• 2024 - 3rd Herald Eco Awards Grand Prize
• 2023 - Outstanding Citizen Award, Korea Green Climate Prize
• 2022 - Korea Innovation Celebrity Awards, Greeners Innovation Category

Biography

• Lella Violet Halloum is a Digital Changemaker and Power of Youth Champion. She connects thousands of learners globally to industry leaders and policymakers, galvanizing underrepresented communities, including early professional, women and youth inclusion through learner-led, cross-sector collaborations in the STEAM industry. Leading global student outreach at IBM, Lella uses technology as a catalyst to boost employability readiness and drive the UN Sustainable Development Goals & ensure young people are at the fore of the ongoing digital transformation. Lella is a frequent global United Nations & IBM speaker, thought leader, and advocate for lifelong learners. She strives to diversify the industry by creating unique opportunities for young people, particularly underserved & underrepresented groups and those with non-traditional academic backgrounds, highlighting young people’s important role in industry and wider society. She does so across sectors, notably, with industry leaders, global government, UN entities and grassroots digital inclusion charities. Her efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work & Economic Growth & Reduced Inequalities—have been recognised as a US State Department IVLP alumni and as a recipient of the Princess Diana Award, Harvard Society Prize, a finalist in the Women of the Future Young Star category & Northern Power Women ‘One to Watch’ and Future Lister. Lella is a member of the IAVE Board of Directors and serves as a youth representative.

Biography

• Blessing Ewa is a passionate climate advocate, a youth and community empowerment expert dedicated to inspiring a new generation of change-makers! As the West Africa Coordinator for Net Zero As Soon As Possible (NZASAP), Blessing works with businesses across Africa to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility. As the founder of Young Advocates for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future (YASIF) Nigeria, Blessing has empowered over 500 youths and 1000 women to take action against climate change, resulting in the evacuation of over 15,000 kilograms of plastic waste! YASIF's commitment to addressing plastic pollution through volunteer leadership has earned membership status with the World Economic Forum National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) task force, the Global Plastic Action Coalition and the Global Network of Volunteer Leaders (GNVL). #Blessing's commitment to climate advocacy extends to various leadership roles, including serving as a Climate Champion with the British High Commission, former FCT State Lead with the Nigerian Youth SDGs, and African Lead Ambassador with Climate Linkup. She currently serves on the board of CIVICUS, an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society across 180 countries. As a certified public health professional and behavioural change expert, Blessing is dedicated to mobilizing youths and communities to take action against climate change.

Biography

• Ye Eun Park, pioneering youth member representing the young volunteers in South Korea studies Global Citizenship and Sustainable development as part of the integrated master's program at Yonsei University's Graduate School of International Studies. She is the co-founder of GLV (Global Leaders Volunteer), the first volunteer club at Yonsei University's Global Leaders College. With the aim of creating a volunteer group where diverse global talents could gather, she initiated regular activities thereby growing the club. In the summer of 2023, GLV joined forces with the VOLUNTEEUM organization to participate in volunteer activities aimed at alleviating loneliness and providing economic support to youth, as well as emotional support through camping volunteer activities. GLV creates a new trend in the 21st-century of volunteering, embodying the spirit of the club.

Professional Experience:

• 01.09.2020 – Present EU Ambassador
  Head of Delegation of the EU, Republic of Korea
• 01.09.2016 – 31.08.2020 EU Ambassador
  Head of Delegation of the EU, Malaysia
• 01.09.2012 – 31.08.2016 Head of Division for India, Nepal, Bhutan & Bangladesh, EEAS, Brussels, Belgium
• 01.09.2008 – 31.08.2012 EU Head of Delegation, Office of the EU Hong Kong & Macao SARs
• 01.09.2005 – 31.08.2008 Deputy Head of Mission, EU Delegation, Republic of Korea
• 01.09.2000 – 31.08.2005 Desk Officer for Korean Peninsula (ROK/DPRK) European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
• 01.09.1996 – 31.08.2000 Desk Officer for relations with Russia, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
• 16.02.1990 – 31.08.1996 Legal advisor/Administrator – Research programmes, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium

Biography

• Mike Cheung is Deputy Director, The Youth and Aged Association of Hong Kong. Mike is a dedicated advocate for volunteerism and has been actively involved in promoting and supporting volunteer efforts in Hong Kong. With a background in community development, Mike has worked with a variety of organizations to develop and implement volunteer programs that make a positive impact on communities. Mike is committed to building strong partnerships with organizations and individuals in Hong Kong to create a culture of volunteerism that is sustainable, impactful, and innovative. They believe that volunteering is a powerful tool for social change and are dedicated to ensuring that everyone in Hong Kong has the opportunity to make a difference in their communities. Mike is a member of the IAVE Board of Directors and serves as the Asia Pacific Representative. He is also currently the Asia Pacific Representative for IAVE’s Youth Advisory Board.

Biography

• Ana Paula Albin is an experienced volunteerism leader with over 8 years in ESG and development projects, working with NGOs and the private sector. Co-Founder and CEO of Proa, a platform that fosters collaboration between NGOs, volunteers, and companies, and Co-Founder and Director of Strategic Alliances at Peru Voluntario, advocating for volunteerism within the Peruvian government. Selected as a 2024 Young Leaders of the Americas Fellow by the US State Department.

Biography

• Dong-Beom Ju, Ph.D., is a Professor of the Major of Lifelong Education & Counselling at Pukyong National University. Professor Ju received his Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from the Pennsylvania State University, USA, and his research focuses on sociology of education and lifelong education.

Biography

• Jin Ho Yoo is a climate scientist at the APEC Climate Center (APCC), Busan, Republic of Korea. He has over 20 years of experiences in the field of climate prediction and has held various positions, including Director of climate services and research division, where he led overall research and services activities. He focuses to bridge the gap between climate research to practical applications to help communities adapt to climate variability and change. He also contributed to various capacity building initiatives since his time at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) before joining APCC.

Biography

• Dr. Ki Young Lee is the Director of the Institute of Future and Civil Education and a Full Professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Pusan National University (PNU), Busan, South Korea. He earned his Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Yonsei University and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. His career includes roles as Dean and Vice Dean of PNU’s College of Social Sciences, and Director of the Center for Human Resources Development at PNU and the Research Center for Social Welfare Human Resources at KASW(Korean Association of Social Workers). He has also served as a Welfare Policy Advisor for Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. His research focuses on retirement, volunteerism, and work opportunities for the middle-aged.

Biography

• Estelle Roth has been Global Head Giving & Volunteering (G&V) since 2014, based in Switzerland at Novartis Headquarters. She is a member of the Learning Leadership team and serves as the People & Organization strategic advisor to the Executive Committee of Novartis and operating countries corporate global or local emergency management response to humanitarian crisis, natural disasters and geopolitical situations. Estelle leads the global G&V team, recognized personally with the 2024 Buffy Award for groundbreaking approaches in individual leadership, innovation and social impact and as a program with the 2023 Corporate Social Impact Team Award as part of ACCP’s (Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals) annual Purpose Awards for exceptional leaders and corporate social impact professionals serving as beacons of excellence in their field. Estelle regularly gives university lectures on social impact program strategies, multi-lateral partnerships of civil society with the corporate sector, as well as their impact measurement and valuation framework and applied methodology.

Biography

• Ms Pui Ki (Likie) Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS), an NGO in Hong Kong dedicated to the promotion and development of sustainable volunteerism in partnership with different sectors of the community for building a caring society. Ms Lee is also a registered social worker, has been actively engaging in the development and promotion of volunteer service for several decades, particularly in volunteer service management, volunteer service training, youth development, public education, etc. Ms Lee has extensive experience in partnering with different stakeholders, including business corporations, government departments, professional groups, non-profit and education sectors, for volunteer service development.

Biography

• Ms Sui Heung (Genie) Li is the Manager of Hong Kong Institute of Volunteers (HKIoV) of Agency for Volunteer Service. As a pioneer in Hong Kong, HKIoV develops volunteer training programmes for enhancing quality volunteer service. Ms Li is an experienced training practitioner with a demonstrated history in the social service, aviation and retail industries. She holds a Master of Science in Strategic Human Resources Management from Hong Kong Baptist University, graduating with distinction. Additionally, she is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has been recognised with the Graduate Excellence Award (Scholarship) and the Most Feasible Project Award.

Work Experience

• 2024.01 – Present Chief Sustainability Officer, Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance
  Overseeing ESG management, Digital transformation, and Branding & Communication
• 2012.07 – 2020.06 Founder & CEO, Root Impact
  Non-profit organization, focusing on building social impact eco-system for non-profits and social enterprises in Korea

Extra-Curricular Activities

• Board Member, Resilient Cities Network
• Chair, Communitas America

Biography

• Felicitie Walls is Volunteering Manager at WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action), enabling organisations to deliver high quality volunteering opportunities in Wales and trustee of WCIA (Welsh Council of International Affairs), a charity inspiring people in Wales to learn and act on global issues.
  Felicitie, a passionate advocate of youth volunteering and leadership, campaigns for the Power of Youth, recognizing the value young people bring to society and the voluntary sector. She previously built a network of future leaders in Wales, enabling young people to access leadership opportunities.

Biography

• Seung-A Han is the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance Based Investing Framework) strategy professional administrator from Shinhan Life. In recognition of her contributions to ESG activities, she was awarded a commendation by Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service in 2024. She also had been working on PR and ICFR (Internal Controls over Financial Reporting) for the company. She holds a BA in Economics from Sogang University.

Biography

• Areum Kang began her career in the social welfare field, then moved to a corporate foundation, and now plans and manages employee volunteer programs at the Volunteering Culture Korea. In 2024, she successfully operated a program with a mobility company, using a service app to engage citizen volunteers in addressing five social issues.

Biography

• Begona Barbera is Head of Diversity and Social Projects at Iberdrola. She is passionate about human development and social innovation, she leads the strategic development and execution of the Company's Global Corporate Volunteering Programme, which offers Iberdrola's 40,000 employees the opportunity to be agents of change, participate in improving the social scenario, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Begoña has more than 30 years of experience in the field of Human Resources, and is also responsible for the area of diversity, equity and inclusion of the Company.

Biography

• Yasmeen Shaheen-McConnell serves as the senior advisor for the American Climate Corps. The American Climate Corps is a Biden-Harris administration national service and workforce development initiative to train the next generation of clean energy and climate resilience workers while addressing the climate crisis today in communities across the country. Shaheen-McConnell joined the Biden-Harris administration in January 2021 as senior advisor for strategic partnerships at AmeriCorps, developing interagency and public-private partnerships on key administration priorities, such as climate, workforce development, education, and democracy. She also served as the acting strategic advisor for Native American affairs from 2021-2023. Before joining the administration, Shaheen-McConnell served as managing director of strategic partnerships at Service Year Alliance, and she helped start the Franklin Project at the Aspen Institute, where she designed and ran a fellowship program for rising leaders across the country. Shaheen-McConnell is a proud AmeriCorps alumna, and served in 2008 with the Arab American Resource Corps. She earned a bachelor's degree from George Washington University and a master's degree from Harvard Divinity School.

Biography

• Andronica Mabuya currently serves as the Head of Corporate Social Investment at Discovery Limited, where she oversees multiple high-impact initiatives. With a deep commitment to improving socio-economic delivery, Andronica has been instrumental in leading significant social change programmes through strategic partnerships with corporates, government departments, non-profits, healthcare institutions, academic institutions and global organisations. Her work has led to the successful investment in developing and implementing sustainable models that align with both business and national and global imperatives. Andronica is committed to advocating for employee social engagement, having successfully launched and driven employee volunteerism in businesses where she worked. Her role has been recognized in programmes she co-led with the team at Discovery that achieved awards, including twice receiving the Mail & Guardian Award for best corporate employee social engagement. In addition to her corporate achievements, Andronica engages diverse stakeholders on topics related to social impact. Her insights are rooted in her academic background, which includes an MBA, with her thesis focused on the integration of sustainable development in business practices. Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Andronica is an active member serving on the board BUSKAID, a trust registered in both South Africa and United Kingdom. She also mentors young girls in Soweto township where she was born.

Biography

• Chang-woo Park is the representative of Youth Direct Action and focuses on developing youth social participation programs and club incubation. While working as a planning team leader for a volunteer organization, he came to the empirical conclusion that “young people’s participation in volunteer work is related to their volunteer experience and sense of efficacy during adolescence. The low volunteer and social participation rate among youth is not due to a lack of interest and will. ‘It’s because they lack good programs, friends to work with, and their own leadership.”, and created Youth Direct Action in 2021. Youth Direct Action is striving to become a broad platform, a strong network, and a competent incubator organization for youth social participation.

Biography

• Shrirang Dhavale joined Tata Sustainability Group (TSG) in 2015 and currently heads the Social Services Cluster at TSG, which focuses on Disaster Response, Volunteering, CSR, Business and Human Rights among other social aspects. Shrirang and his team anchor the ONE Tata response to disasters and build group capability on disaster risk reduction and disaster response. The Tata group volunteering programme, one of the largest in the corporate world, is driven by him and his volunteering team. His key responsibilities also include providing CSR advisory and knowledge services to Tata companies and working with them to help develop and deploy a ‘business and human rights’ (BHR) framework. He was the Member Secretary of the Working Group that authored the ‘Tata BHR Guidelines’. At TSG, Shrirang also oversees the administration and accounts functions. Shrirang has over two and half decades of professional experience with two employers. He joined the Tata group through Tata Motors, Pune (2008) where along with coordinating CSR and Tata Motors Grihini, he was the Secretary for the Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation and Tata Motors Employees' Education Trust. He was a Lead Assessor for Tata Affirmative Action Programme and as a Tata representative, and has held many positions at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Shrirang holds an MA (Urban and Rural Community Development) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and has participated in the Leadership Development Programme by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).

Biography

• Aarathi Krishnan is the founder of RAKSHA Intelligence Futures. She is an experienced international aid expert, with almost two decades working directly in fragile, crisis contexts, as well as working with senior decision makers across governments, the UN system and international organizations on all aspects of risk intelligence, foresight, strategy, and governance. Her work has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and her published work is known to be standard setting - and incorporated in the pedagogy of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), International Committee of the Red Cross Red Crescent (ICRC), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Brandeis University and Cornell Tech. Aarathi is widely known, and trusted in the multilateral, humanitarian and academic space. She has been published widely and is a sought after expert public speaker. Her TED talk has been viewed more than 1.6 million times by TED viewers and translated into five different languages beyond English. She has been featured by Fast Company, The Saturday Paper Australia, ABC Radio Australia, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies amongst many others. Aarathi has advised governments from Bhutan, Maldives, Cambodia, Botswana, and many more. She is a trusted advisor for philanthropic organizations and think tanks, including the World Economic Forum. In addition, she is currently an Affiliate with the Cambridge Centre of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge and has previously been a dual Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard University as well as a 2020-21 and 2021-22 Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Carr Centre for Technology and Human Rights.

Biography

• WIPERTH stands for "People Who Wipe the Earth". Hwang Seung-yong, the founder of WIPERTH, is leading the way in activities to create a sustainable Earth by gathering the power of ordinary citizens.
  
  WIPERTH started its gathering in 2020 and is now an official environmental NGO. They are working to improve civic awareness and create changes in policies and systems.
  
  Main Action of WIPERTH is plogging, but we are working to create changes beyond it. For example, we collected over 100,000 cigarette butts and sent them to the manufacturer to receive an answer on 'developing a biodegradable filter', and introduced 'reusable cup water fountains' on the marathon course for the first time in Korea, providing an opportunity for runners to think about sustainable running culture.
  
  So far, the number of citizens who have participated in WIPERTH has exceeded 10,000. We plan to move forward with the vision of 'The World Everyone Wipes the Earth'.

Biography

• Il-wook Sim joined the Hwasung Group PR Department in 2013 and has been in charge of social contribution work to this day. During his tenure, he planned a social contribution program called the ‘Hwaseung Dream Project’ in 2014, to simultaneously solve social problems and engage in genuine employee volunteer activities, and it has been successfully carried out to this day.

Biography

• Kiryong currently serves as the CEO of two companies, PlanM and KSVA (Korea Social Impact Valuation), based in Seoul. PlanM, a consulting firm, has focused on social impact work since 2010 and, since 2015, has specialized in social impact measurement in collaboration with renowned Korean corporations such as SK and POSCO. Experts across the industry recognize Kiryong as the most experienced professional in CSR consulting in Korea. He envisions a society where non-profit values are fully recognized and describes himself as a "Socialtant" (Social Consultant).

Biography

• Young-Baek Kim has worked for the Korean Red Cross since 2004. He has worked in the areas of youth activities, fundraising, relief, and volunteer work, and is currently serving as a team leader of the relief and volunteer work team for the Korean Red Cross in Busan Metropolitan City chapter. In the past, when earthquakes occurred in Pakistan in 2005 and Indonesia in 2006, he was dispatched to the local area for a month each to perform relief activities

Biography

• Taeeun Kim is a dedicated undergraduate student at Busan National University of Education. She believes that volunteering sparks a wave of a positive chain reaction, fostering talents capable of addressing climate change. When she was in high school, she spearheaded volunteer initiatives focused on environmental education and actively promoted a culture of volunteering as a school president. It drew out collaboration with six primary schools, engaging over 1400 students. In recognition of contributions, she was honoured with an award from the secretary of the Ministry of Education. She aspires to become a leading expert in education for a sustainable future.

Biography

• Catalina Garcia is the Global Director of Corporate Affairs at Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), Board Director of the AB InBev Foundation, a member of the ABI Women’s Leadership Program, and a member of the ABI Global Communities and D&I Committee, an experience she shares by mentoring other women in the company and volunteering across different countries. Born and raised in Colombia, she graduated from the Javeriana University in Bogota’s Industrial Engineering program and has worked with several multinational companies across different industries (SABMiller, BHP Billiton, IBM, and LLYC). For over 20 years, she has combined her strong people skills and ability to lead multifunctional teams in complex sociopolitical environments with her engineering mindset to build strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, social marketing associations, NGOs, universities, and many others. These include the United Nations, Inter-American Development Bank, International Road Federation, Georgetown University, Harvard, Rockefeller Foundation, ABI Marketing, and Business Fights Poverty. Catalina currently leads the AB InBev Global Corporate Affairs team, with most of her work centered on expanding and improving AB InBev’s reputation and ESG strategy. This includes a special focus on responsible drinking, social impact, community affairs, social norms marketing, brands with purpose, global volunteering programs, entrepreneurship with various groups within the value chain, and partnerships across six zones in collaboration with ABI’s sustainability and commercial functions. AB InBev’s largest partnership is with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Together, the two organizations have been improving road safety globally since 2018. As part of this work, Cata led the partnership’s renewal and expanded its scope beyond Road Safety to cover Entrepreneurship, Responsible Consumption, and Water management as well.

Biography

• Sophia Nthuku is the Youth and Volunteer Programs Specialist at Habitat for Humanity International’s Africa Area Office. She is passionate about empowering youth to be proactive and effective players in steering sustainable development outcomes. She also believes that volunteering positions the Global South with agency to actively participate and be accountable to a more sustainable future. She has experience and that spans across program coordination, project management and stakeholder engagement within the built environment and volunteers with Women In Real Estate (WIRE) in Kenya. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Nairobi, Sophia combines her academic and professional expertise in sustainable development with her commitment to social impact, playing a key role in advancing Habitat for Humanity’s mission across Africa.

Biography

• Krishna Jennifer Sonza currently serves as the Volunteer Programs Manager for Habitat for Humanity International, Asia-Pacific area office. Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local communities, working with local and international volunteers, in around 70 countries globally, and across 50 states in the US. As Habitat for Humanity Asia-Pacific Volunteer Programs Manager, Krishna works with sixteen (16) national organizations in the running and strengthening of their volunteer programs and activities. Her work with the country volunteer managers aims to strengthen approach to volunteering with a development lens and emphasizes volunteer duty of care. Not a stranger to volunteer work, Krishna, a Filipino, was once a Habitat for Humanity youth volunteer when she was in secondary school, a volunteer for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), and also worked as a Jesuit Volunteer in the Philippines for 1 year. Her work for development prior to Habitat for Humanity also included communications and youth mobilization for the Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change – highlighting the role of Indigenous youth in forest management, and ecological sustainability and care.

Biography

• Joshua Lustig is a Public Diplomacy Officer at Embassy Seoul, where he manages the Embassy's cultural center network and implements public programs to encourage youth to actively participate in international affairs and the democratic process. Previously, Josh served as an Economic Officer at U.S. Embassy Jakarta covering science, technology, disaster preparedness, and the Fulbright program. Before Jakarta, Josh was the Cultural Affairs Officer in Shanghai, where he developed a civic education curriculum and worked with civil society organizations to promote more equitable treatment of East China’s historically disadvantaged minority groups. Josh was also a Consular Officer in Rio de Janeiro.

Biography

• Lacey Gaitan serves as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Programs at Points of Light, where she crafts and executes impactful corporate programs that mobilize volunteers and inspire people- powered change in communities around the globe.
  With more than 15 years in CSR, her experience spans across previous roles at the Taco Bell Foundation, Cox Communications and Disneyland Resort. Prior to joining Points of Light, Lacey worked at the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) where she designed programs to help corporate social impact professionals gain new insights, grow their professional skills and advance the effectiveness of their company’s social impact efforts.
  Hailing from Southern California, Lacey holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from UC Irvine, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Brandman University, along with certificates focused on corporate community involvement, sustainable capitalism, and environmental, social and governance (ESG), from Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship (BCCCC) and UC Berkeley.

Experience matters 

• Hanwha Aerospace Meister appoint, name (2012.03)
• A repair job the Aviation Engineering production Group (2008 ~ 2012)
• Aircraft Engine Repair Welding (1987 ~ 2008)

Career Highlights

• July 2023 – Present: Director of Municipal Administration Division
• August 2022 – July 2023: Deputy Director, Local Autonomy Division
• July 2021 – August 2022: Deputy Director, Resident Autonomy Division
• January 2019 – July 2021: Deputy Director, Message Planning, Public Communication Headquarters
• August 2018 – January 2019: Deputy Director, Press Planning, Public Relations Division
• February 2018 – July 2018: Deputy Director, Strategic Project Coordination, Vision Promotion Team, Government Innovation Headquarters

Biography

• Nichole Cirillo joined IAVE as Executive Director in October 2019. Nichole has significant executive experience across environmental and social justice sectors and has led the engagement of a large network of global volunteers. Her roles have included Mission Director/Head of PR at Stonyfield Organics, International Director of Learning at Earthwatch, Senior Manager, Outreach and Mobilization at Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and Executive Director at Friends of the Public Garden and Boston Common. At Earthwatch Nichole led the implementation of a citizen-science volunteering program related to fresh water across 36 cities globally, developed and managed a sustainability leadership volunteering program that built a climate leadership network of 1400 finance executives across five continents. Nichole’s role at UUSC saw her lead the design and implementation of a capacity building strategy for global social justice grantees, and train and mobilise volunteers for disaster relief in Africa and Haiti. Nichole has extensive leadership, management, fundraising and communications experience, gained working with teams of staff and volunteers in different parts of the world. Importantly Nichole herself has been a volunteer for much of her life and partnerships building has been a common theme throughout her career.

Biography

• Do-Hoon Kim has served as the CTO of ITASEOUL since 2020, where he leads a range of technology-driven volunteer initiatives aimed at addressing societal challenges. As a committed non-profit programmer, Kim has contributed to impactful projects such as the construction of the volunteer data center for "Adopt A Beach Korea" and the "Data Plogging" tech volunteer system. He also directed the BabyBox IoT Tech Volunteer Project, a life-saving initiative designed to protect infants through innovative IoT technology.
  
  Kim’s work includes building a prototyping lab at Seoul National University and managing the Protolab at Yonsei University, focusing on applying technology to solve real-world issues in urban and environmental contexts.
  
  ITASEOUL, a movement that stands for Altruism in Seoul, represents a commitment to technology-based volunteerism for the greater good. The organization's mission is to "infuse goodwill into the collective intelligence of humanity," reflecting its focus on collective responsibility and environmental action. Through data collection and waste reduction efforts, particularly in urban and marine pollution, ITASEOUL embodies altruistic values, encouraging people to work together for a cleaner and more sustainable future.
  
  In 2022, ITASEOUL received a commendation from the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of Korea for its significant contributions to reducing marine debris.

Biography

• Hanchol Choi has worked at CJ Group for over 25 years and is currently overseeing the philanthropic projects in CJ’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) division. He has continuously led the development and evolution of customized cultural social contribution programs tailored to the growth stages of children and adolescents from vulnerable groups. He played a key role in deriving the Impact Framework for the CJ Welfare Foundation and acted as the Project Manager for the Social Impact Measurement project, yielding successful outcomes. With 18 years of overseas experience and diverse roles across the value chain, including HR, Marketing, Sales, Location development, and Design, he possesses both global business capabilities and a mindset to match.

Biography

• Lori-Ann Pollard has over a decade of impactful experience in the volunteer and tourism sectors, Lori-Ann has demonstrated leadership across various roles, including her current position as the Good Deeds Day Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago at the Volunteer Center of Trinidad and Tobago (VCTT). Her expertise spans project coordination, regional volunteer management, and service excellence. Her work in coordinating volunteer efforts both locally and across the Caribbean showcases her dedication to community development and social progress. Through her roles at VCTT and as an entrepreneur and tourism professional, she continues to bridge the gap between volunteer enthusiasm and impactful community service. Lori-Ann strives to inspire individuals to contribute their skills toward addressing pressing community needs.

Biography

• Nolan Barkhouse began his assignment as Consul / Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Busan on August 1, 2022. Prior to completing two years of Korean language studies in Seoul, Nolan led Public Diplomacy outreach at the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, served as Eagleburger Fellow at Procter & Gamble’s Washington office, and served as Spokesman and Press Secretary at U.S. Embassy Beijing. In the past, he has also served at U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Consulate General Guangzhou, and as Staff Assistant in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in Washington, DC. Nolan is a two-time recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award and has been recognized numerous times with individual and group Meritorious Honor Awards.
  
  Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Nolan graduated with a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Texas A&M University and worked for a small technology consulting company in North Texas. Nolan is married with one daughter, and he speaks Korean and Mandarin.

Biography

• Guillermo Correa is the founder and Executive Director of the Argentine Network for International Cooperation (RACI), the Argentine National platform of NGOs. He has over 20 years of experience working for local and international civil society. He is a Kettering Foundation fellow and was Co-Chair of the Argentine C20 in 2018 and a member of the Board of Directors of CIVICUS – The World Alliance for Citizen Participation (2016-22). In 2014, he was elected to join the Steering Committee of AGNA – Affinity Group of National Associations- CIVICUS, representing Latin America. Guillermo also founded and is a member of the Regional Executive Committee of Innovation for Change (I4C), Latin America.He teaches in various universities in Argentina and around the world, focusing on the situation of democracy, citizen participation, and Civil Society. He is the Latin America Regional Representative on the IAVE Board of Directors.

Biography

• Peris Mwangi has over five years of experience in development work, engaging vulnerable groups especially youth. She is the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity Kenya, where she leads local and international volunteer activities. Peris volunteered and worked as a team leader on the International Citizen Service (ICS) Program with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) Kenya, promoting and facilitating inclusive employment of youth through volunteerism. She was key to building disability inclusion capacity of diverse cohorts of volunteers. Peris is passionate about placing the most vulnerable in marginalized societies at the centre of humanitarian and development interventions.