About - Team

Executive Director
Ahmed Gatnash is the co-founder and Executive Director at Kawaakibi Foundation. He is also a Strategy Advisor at the Albert Einstein Institution, and is the co-author of Middle East Crisis Factory, a primer on systemic crises and a vision for a positive future for the MENA region.

Chairman
Iyad is co-founder and Chairman at Kawaakibi Foundation. A prominent Norwegian-Palestinian intellectual, he is a board member at Munathara, the Arab debate NGO, and is currently building PAACT, a new grantmaking organisation for MENA human rights work. He lives in Oslo, Norway, where he was granted political asylum.

Head of Content & Communications
Razan Saffour is a British Syrian activist with over 10 years of experience in research, advocacy, communications, emergency response and project management. She holds a master's degree in history from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

Co-Director of Arts
Ramy is an Egyptian rock musician famed for his performances in Tahrir square during the 2011 revolution. He lives in exile in Finland after being tortured for his art, and his songs are illegal in Egypt. 

Co-Director of Arts
Khalid is an award-winning Sudanese political cartoonist, curator and activist. He is the author of the acclaimed Khartoon! series, and his work has been exhibited worldwide.

Project Manager
A is the team's project manager, bringing over 2 decades of start-up experience in running lean and efficient teams across multiple projects.

Shefa Program Associate
Isabelle is a social anthropologist. She previously worked in humanitarian relief with the Red Cross, Norwegian Refugee Council, and Médecins Sans Frontières. She has led youth centers and worked as an environmental therapist, empowering vulnerable individuals to achieve independence.

Wellbeing Coordinator
Leyla is a Somali-born British psychotherapist specialising in supporting survivors of PTSD and sexual abuse. She is also an award-winning international campaigner against all forms of violence against women and girls, and is a leading expert in female genital mutilation.

Bitcoin Educator
Marco is a Bitcoin educator based in Lebanon, where he founded Bitcoin du Liban, the country's largest Bitcoin education initiative.

Media Editor
Yousuf is the team's media editor, overseeing podcast and video production.