Our Team
Ahmed Gatnash
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.
Iyad El-Baghdadi
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.
Alavi
Head of Operations
Alavi is the team's head of operations, bringing over 2 decades of start-up experience in running lean and efficient teams across multiple projects.
Ramy Essam
Shefa Program Director
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.
Khalid Albaih
Senior Creative
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.
Leyla Hussein
Wellbeing Coordiantor
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.
Isabelle Davodi
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.
Mohammad Saad
Media Editor
Saad is the team's media strategist, overseeing podcast and video production.
Kristine Erstad Vegard
Creative Lead, KULNA
Kristine is responsible for KULNA's design, visual identity, and narrative strategy across media. She also works on knowledge production, including research and writing. She has a background in economics, as well as in art and culture.
