Awareness | Action | Service
Advisors and Ambassadors
Meet our Advisory Board
Dr. John Robert Clammer
Prof. (Dr.) John Clammer is Professor of Sociology in Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities at OP Jindal Global University, India.
Prior to that he was Professor of Comparative Sociology and Asian Studies at Sophia University, Tokyo and then professor and advisor to the Rector at the United Nations University.
He has taught and researched all around the world and has held regular or visiting posts at Oxford, Weimar, Australian National University, Buenos Aires, Pondicherry, Singapore and Warwick, and probably somewhere else that "I have forgotten".
He currently works mainly on the interface of culture and development, the sociology of the arts, and issues of sustainability, but in the course of his career has roamed through just about every area of sociology and anthropology.
Ms. Yoriko Yasukawa
Ms. Yoriko Yasukawa has worked for over 35 years in efforts to advance inclusive and sustainable development, human rights and cultures of peace, within and outside the United Nations system. In the UN, she has served as Regional Director of the UN Population Fund for Asia and the Pacific, UN Resident Coordinator in Bolivia and Costa Rica, UNICEF Associate Director for Policy, Advocacy and Knowledge Management and UNICEF Representative in Mexico and Ecuador. She is currently a member of the roster of mediation experts for the Inter-American Development Bank Independent Investigation and Consultation Mechanism. Yoriko is also serving as the Vice-President at FOGGS, Brussels.
She is a part-time lecturer at the Meiji Gakuin University in Yokohama & works as an independent journalist and consultant based in Costa Rica.
Dr. Kenneth Holland
Dr. Kenneth Holland has been a leader in higher education for 29 years and a faculty member for 13 years before moving into administration. He has managed higher education, technical education and rule of law development projects in several countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Myanmar, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development, US State Department, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Eurasia Foundation.
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Ms. JJ Conway
JJ Conway is an author , speaker, former U.S. Air Force Physicist and a financial planner who empowers individuals to dump debt and build lasting wealth through financial and business education and coaching. She's served in the U.S. Air Force for over 23 years, having studied B.A. in Physics at U.S. Air Force Academy & M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, She is also a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Trainer and Coach. She has a special place in my heart for helping women veterans and military single parents through other organizations she supports.
JJ is passionate about helping people change their lives through time-tested financial principles, personal growth, and leadership enhancement.
Dr. Georgios Kostakos
Dr. Georgios Kostakos has worked with the UN for fourteen years, towards promoting UN strategic planning and reform as First Officer in the UN Secretary-General’s Strategic Planning Unit (most of 2003-2006), organising the first ever high-level event on climate change in New York (2007), advancing the UN system delivering as one on climate change from the Secretariat of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB, 2008-2009), laying the ground for the Sustainable Development Goals as Senior Adviser and Acting Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Global Sustainability Panel, supporting the negotiations that resulted in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP21, 2015). Georgios Kostakos is co-founder of FOGGS with almost thirty years of work experience in international affairs, both as a practitioner and as a researcher. Georgios holds MA and PhD degrees in International Relations.
Mr. Mark Polane
Mark Polane is a Business Relationship Manager, currently serving as the President of The United Nations International Civil Servants’ Federation (UNISERV) & United Nations Fields Staff Union. His United Nations career started in 1992 when he joined the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Jerusalem as a Field Service Officer, (Radio Operator). From 1992 to 2000 he worked in UNTSO, MINURSO, UNPF and UNIKOM, returning to UNTSO, Jerusalem to assume the Presidency of the then called “Field Service Staff Union”, which became the Field Staff Union. After completing two terms in office he returned to work within the ICT sector and subsequently worked in UNTSO, Jerusalem, UN-Headquarters, New York, UNGSC, Brindisi and finally UN-Entebbe, Uganda. He has served in various capacities championing staff causes throughout his 27-year career in the UN. Mark is a citizen of the Netherlands, born in Belgium and grew up in the rural Netherlands. As a young man of 16 years, he joined the Royal Netherlands Navy, which charted his International adventure.
Mr. Robert Timmer
Currently working with Caradano Development, The Netherlands, Robert comes with global experience in the financial sector with a focus on financial inclusion and resilience projects. He has been developing products and organisations that offer innovative financial opportunities. Digitisation, high data quality and low cost are essential when realising the aforementioned.
By being curious, knowledgeable and result driven he has been on the foreground of the changes needed in the financial sector to make financial products available and affordable for all. He is also passionate about empowering youth and education.
Robert has worked on projects in the Netherlands, Guatemala, Vietnam, Ghana, South Africa, India, Solomon Islands and Fiji.
Mr. Scott Marshall Brandon
Scott is known internationally as a speaker and systems designer on the role of imagination, creativity and innovation in commerce, culture and education. He is an outcome-based leader with 30+ years of experience, combined with well-honed presentation and communication skills, results-oriented drive and pragmatic entrepreneurial attitude. Serving as the executive director of Lincoln Center Institute (NYC) from 1987 - 2012, he created the Imagination Conversations – civic dialogues that explored the role of imagination – that reached more than nine million people worldwide through live streaming and social media. Activities and Societies: Scott attended Ohio State University and has undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, cognition and information processing. He completed Ph.D. coursework and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air National Guard. He is the creator of the Imagination, Creativity and Innovation (ICI) Index™, an algorithm for measuring and improving business' imaginative capital, output and product innovation.
Mr. Augustine Veliath
Augustine Veliath is a start-up evangelist. He advocates for start-up hotspots in every district. Every aspirational young person must occupy his or her own future. He or she should do so now. He would also like to work with you on creating the world's biggest online community of those who respect children. This community is called Her Name is Today. He is a former advisor to Government of India and a long serving communication strategist with UNICEF. A former journalist (the Indian Express, The Century, Manas Publication,) he has been an experienced communication strategist (UNICEF, VHAI and CHAI), and a seasoned campaigner ( National Mission on Immunization, Polio Eradication Campaign and National Alliance for Nutrition of Infants). As a UNICEF advocacy officer in undivided UP (Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and undivided Bihar (Bihar and Jharkhand) he established 14 platforms for child participation and would like to revive each one of them through the new online community Her name is Today. Because to her you cannot say tomorrow.
Mr. Nixon Joseph
Nixon Joseph, formerly, President & Chief Operating Officer, SBI Foundation, is a post graduate in English Language and Literature, joined State Bank of India in 1985 as probationary officer. As a career Banker, he has extensive experience in various facets of Banking like Corporate Credit, Retail Operations, International Banking etc., has worked all across India.He was also Manager (Operations), SBI Bahrain and Chief Executive Officer, SBI Tokyo Branch (2008-2012). He is a Certified Credit Professional, Certified Banking Compliance Professional and Certified Information Systems Banker. He was President of the Sakura Toastmasters Club, Tokyo and also started the Tokyo debating society. He is the recipient of Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam award 2018 for excellence in public service. His forte includes CSR, Sustainability, Mentorship of Youth and Social Entrepreneurs. As President of SBI Foundation, the CSR arm of State Bank of India he has supported strong impact projects to help the underprivileged and needy.
Mr. Rameshwar Das
Rameshwar Das is a writer and photographer who met Ram Dass in 1968. Ramesh has collaborated with Ram Dass on many projects, most recently as co-author of Being Ram Dass, Be Love Now and Polishing the Mirror.
Mrs. Rupa Chakravarty
Mrs. Rupa Chakravarty is an educationist & currently the Director - Education at Suncity Schools, Gurugram, India. Mrs. Chakravarty holds a strong educational background with a Master of Arts (M.A.) from Loreto Convent, St. Joseph's Convent and Calcutta University. She is trained in several educational programs at prestigious institutions including IIM-Ahmedabad, Harvard Business School & Harvard School of Education. Mrs. Chakravarty has also served in numerous important committees for education, including the review and implementation of the New Education Policy in India. Mrs. Rupa Chakravarty has also presented Papers in international fora in Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Turkey, USA, Japan, Australia, UK, Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Thailand and India.
Leaders who inspire us
Meet our Ambassadors
Ms. Angel Pai
Education & Youth Empowerment Ambassador
Angel Pai is an actress, TV host, jewelry designer, artist, entrepreneur, model and speaker. Having appeared in movies and TV shows in the last decade, Angel has channeled her humanitarian drive through all aspects of her life, including media works such as her current NYC VIBE segments on PBS All Arts- where she specializes in events coverage of humanitarian efforts in the fields of art, fashion, and entertainment. She most recently co-founded Keep Breathing, Inc., a nonprofit created in evolving response to provide COVID-19 relief. Keep Breathing. Inc is a fully volunteer-based organization provides open-source designs & manufactures and donates 3D-printed ventilator splitters, intubation boxes, ear savers and PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) for medical staff on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms. Noha Hefny
Gender Empowerment Ambassador
Founder & CEO, People of Impact, a social impact innovation platform and network helping people and organizations deliver social impact and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Noha is an award-winning humanitarian, corporate leader, and serial social entrepreneur with two decades of global experience in Social Impact, Communications and Strategic Partnerships. She worked for leading organizations including the UN at UNHCR, UNESCO and UN Women, and then in the private sector as Regional Director at PepsiCo and McKinsey & Company, heading departments including communications and corporate social responsibility.
She previously, co-founded “She is Arab”, a platform for Arab women addressing their under-representation in leadership and in speaking roles. She was Selected as one of the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise by the European Euclid Network supported by the European Commission in 2021.
Mr. Hudson Matter
Youth Ambassador
Hudson Matter is a fifteen years old and began to educate himself on the oppression and discrimination Black people have experienced for centuries in America and around the globe. He has decided to devote himself to the fight for equal rights for all humanity, using nonviolent, powerful strategies. Inspired by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, he voiced his opinion on social and political issues that affect us either directly or indirectly. He spoke at a local school board meeting in support of teaching The Critical Race Theory in our schools. He gave a speech at a voting rights march in Sacramento, California in support of eradicating Dr. King’s triple evils in our society: racism, economic exploitation, and militarism. He hopes to inspire the youngest generation to promote the everlasting foundation of Love as a means of achieving Justice.