WOMENLIFT HEALTH - Key Persons
Aarti Kumar is from Bhopal. She pursued a bachelor's degree in engineering from Singapore and started her corporate career. She soon realized her passion towards steering societal impact. She then pursued a masters in bioinformatics, and subsequently went to rural Uttar Pradesh in 2006 after a 10-year stint in Singapore. She joined her husband, Dr. Vishwajeet Kumar and built a stellar team in conducting immersive community-based research, integrating scientific methods with cultural wisdom to shape sustainable solutions for improving newborn and maternal survival and early child development. Together, they founded the Community Empowerment Lab to institutionalize their common mission. She has done a remarkable job especially in forging deep relationships spanning from mothers and families in community settings to the global scientific and policy-making community, with a powerful goal and duty to bring community voices and perspectives onto the global table.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founding Member
- Founding Member of Communication for Development Foundation Uganda
Ms. Nankunda is a founding member of Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU), currently the Executive Director, Technical Assistance. She is an experienced Development Communications Specialist and trainer.
Job Titles:
- Doctoral Student, University of Alabama Birmingham
Allison Spensley is a highly experienced, dynamic global health leader with over two decades of professional experience centered around improving the health and wellbeing of girls, adolescents, and women. Ms. Spensley's areas of expertise include strategy development, including strategic and business planning, and execution of organizational vision; relationship and partnership cultivation; capacity building; policy, advocacy and program development in maternal and child health and HIV prevention and care. She has worked directly with national governments to develop strategy, adapt policy, and support program planning and implementation. Ms. Spensley has worked with USG, local and international NGOs, multilaterals, and private philanthropy, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNICEF, Family Health International, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Ms. Spensley has lived and worked in Zambia, Malawi, Peru, and Nicaragua, with work experience in over 18 countries focusing primarily on east and southern Africa.
Ms. Spensley holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Rhodes College, a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Alabama Birmingham, and a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Alabama. Ms. Spensley returned to the US in 2018, where she is pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Alabama Birmingham, focusing on agency, empowerment and leadership in girls, adolescents, and women.
Job Titles:
- VMMC Sustainability Project Director and Evaluation Specialist
Amanda Marr Chung has over 15 years of experience in global health, working in academia and the non-profit and private sectors. In her roles, she has led strategy and business development and built strategic alliances, with a focus on capacity strengthening, program management, and monitoring and evaluation. Amanda is currently leading a project to support the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care in transforming its Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision program into an integrated, sustainable program that is government-led and owned. Amanda's experience spans the areas of immunizations, maternal and child health, HIV, eye health, and malaria in ten countries. Amanda received her Master's degree in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice from the University of Washington and her AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University. She is a 3rd year DrPH candidate at UC Berkeley.
Job Titles:
- President
- President of Women
Amie Batson is President of WomenLift Health, an organization dedicated to expanding the power and influence of talented women leaders in global health and catalyzing systemic change to achieve gender equality in leadership. Throughout her 30-year career, Ms. Batson has provided strategic leadership, with a focus on innovation and partnerships, for a wide range of global health organizations.
Most recently, Ms. Batson was Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President of Applied Analytics and Learning for PATH, where she led the organization's Strategy, Monitoring & Evaluation and Market Dynamics teams. Prior to PATH, Ms. Batson served a three-year appointment in the Global Health Bureau of USAID, as senior deputy assistant administrator, leading the agency's engagement in the President's Global Health Initiative, serving on the GAVI Board, and leading the Child Survival Call to Action.
Ms. Batson spent more than a decade at the World Bank where she led the development and implementation of innovative financing mechanisms in health. Her work in immunization and vaccine financing unlocked billions of dollars in new funding for global health and led to the establishment of GAVI and the Global Financing Facility. Among her accomplishments, Ms. Batson co-led the World Bank's support of Advanced Market Commitments (AMCs) and led the development of the "IDA buy-down" financing mechanism to increase flexibility of lending terms for World Bank credits, for which she received the World Bank's Presidential Award for Excellence.
Ms. Batson held a joint appointment to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, where she designed and implemented the Vaccine Independence Initiative (VII) at UNICEF, a revolving fund mechanism to support the procurement of vaccines.
Ms. Batson received a Master of Public and Private Management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Virginia. She is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development, a frequent speaker, an author of numerous articles.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder
- Board Member for SIASA PLACE
Amisa Rashid is a passionate and dedicated leader in the field of mental health and community resilience. As the Founder and Executive Director of Nivishe Foundation, a women-led and youth-led organization based in Nairobi, Kenya. With a focus on community based mental health interventions, innovations and approaches, Amisa has made a significant impact on thousands of women, girls, youth, and people with disabilities through her innovative programs. With a strong background in counseling psychology and trauma healing, she has successfully integrated technology and community-based approaches to provide accessible mental health services.
In addition to her role at Nivishe Foundation, Amisa serves as a board member for SIASA PLACE, YWLI-Young Women Leadership Institute and Raising Futures Kenya. She also holds Global board positions at RHIZE, Restless Development, and Irise International, where she actively contributes to advancing equality, inclusion, and justice globally.
Her expertise lies in developing trauma-informed programs for peaceful social cohesion, building safe spaces, and offering psychosocial support to victims of violence. She has pioneered the use of sign language in mental health services, ensuring inclusivity and reaching individuals with hearing aid challenges.
Amisa is passionate about women's leadership in global public health. She believes that when women are empowered and given the opportunity to lead, they bring unique perspectives, skills, and experiences to the table. ‘Women have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by women and girls, and their leadership can drive meaningful change in addressing issues such as gender inequality, reproductive health, and access to healthcare.'
Fun Fact: Amisa Rashid enjoys reading, sleeping, and travelling. She wants to start horse riding sessions.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Officer
- Senior Program Officer at the Digital
Amrita Sekhar is a Senior Program Officer at the Digital&Health Innovation cluster at the India Country office of the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation. In her role, she supports the local diagnostic and device innovation ecosystem in line with public health priorities. Prior to this she worked as a Consultant at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute and the Christian Medical College in Vellore. In this role she worked on issues pertaining to vaccines and infectious disease policy. Her primary was to strengthen the clinical research ecosystem in India. She has published papers related to science, public health and policy issues. Amrita has a PhD in Biology from the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore and is passionate about public health, science and technology.
Job Titles:
- Program Lead, Immunization Technical Support Unit ( ITSU )
Job Titles:
- Events Manager - Cross Regional.
Job Titles:
- Operations Coordinator, Cross Regional
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager, India
Avantika has over 14 years of experience, most of which has been focused on human capital development.
Before joining WomenLift Health, Avantika was a Senior Manager at J-PAL where she worked on a national programme to build capacity and support career journeys of public officials using a competency-driven approach. Prior to that, she led the classroom instruction & practice team at Central Square Foundation, where she worked with private foundations, nonprofits and government institutions, to improve foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes for students.
Avantika holds a MA in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS.
Job Titles:
- Operations Coordinator, Cross Regional
Edith Cadena is a spanish-bilingual professional with a strong background in community outreach, program coordination, and collaborative work. With over ten years of experience in the non-profit sector, Edith consistently demonstrates dedication to promoting inclusivity, equity, and sustainability in all aspects of her work
Prior to joining WomenLift Health, Edith made significant contributions at the San Francisco Marin Food Bank. She successfully developed and launched pivotal interventions, expanding food access points through strategic partnerships with public schools, community clinics, and the establishment of the first rural Mobile Pantry program.
She holds a BA in Feminist Studies, with a concentration in Science, Technology, and Medicine from the University of California Santa Cruz.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Coordinator, East Africa
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
- Communications Manager, East Africa
Job Titles:
- Communications and Engagement Director
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- Program Coordinator, North America
Job Titles:
- Health Integration & East Africa Director
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager, East Africa
Racheal OUKO has over 10 years bilingual English and French professional experience with various International and regional NGOs (Stichting Aflatoun International, PALU, Equality Now, KENWOG , AFDB)in gender, leadership and governance. She has managed programs and projects in Africa, MENA, Asia and the Americas. She also has experience in movement building and solidarity for advocacy with women's rights organizations in the region and globally. Prior to joining WomenLift Health, Racheal worked at the African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) as Bilingual Membership liaison lead, engaging with over 800 individual and organizational women's rights organizations from 50 African countries and the diaspora. Racheal is passionate on women's transformative leadership to create change within and without. Racheal was the program lead for the Women in Political Participation (WPP) Project implementing in 8 African countries. Ms Ouko is a script writer and an expert in using drama and theatre Arts as a tool for advocacy and development and a national adjudicator at the Kenya National Schools and Colleges Drama and Film Festival. Racheal holds a BED Arts French, a DALF C1 and a Post Graduate Diploma -Pro FLE from CNED - France. She is finalizing her MA in Diplomacy, Development, and International Security. Racheal is passionate on the gender agenda, solidarity and sisterhood.
Job Titles:
- Instructional Design Lead, Cross Regional
Job Titles:
- Operations Coordinator, Cross Regional
Rupinder is an experienced administrative professional with over two decades of Operations experience, including organising and coordinating corporate events. Rupinder has had an impressive career working with several Fortune 500 companies and International Organizations, where she not only provided operational support but also executed several end-to-end corporate events ranging from large scale international exhibitions to coordinating high-level visits to India by board members and dignitaries.
Rupinder is a voracious learner who is constantly striving to improve her abilities in a variety of areas. She enjoys contributing to people's well-being by inspiring and motivating them and spreading positive energy. She enjoys travelling, listening to music, and reading books.
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Coordinator, India
Sanaya is a strategic communications professional, specialising in content creation, editorial planning, and social media. She has over four years of experience working in public relations, journalism, and development communications.
Prior to joining WomenLift Health, Sanaya worked as a Senior Communications Associate at J-PAL South Asia, where she helped formulate and execute the organisation's communications strategy. Sanaya has worked as a reporter at Quartz India, covering the intersection of renewable energy and mobility in India as well as popular technology and new media trends in the region. She has also worked with Antenna Group in New York City, a public relations firm specialising in communications for cleantech, advanced mobility, and other smart technology startups in North America.Sanaya holds a double Master's in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Southern California. She also holds a BSc in Economics from the Symbiosis School of Economics.
Job Titles:
- Leadership Development & North America Director
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager, Cross - Regional
Job Titles:
- Lead Facilitator, East Africa
Terry Kigundu oversees the instructional design cycle from training needs assessment, design, contextualization, implementation of WomenLift's Leadership Journey and other leadership modules for mid-career women in Health in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. She is an enthusiastic professional with over 15 years' experience in coordinating development programs in both local and international liaisons in Kenya and Africa at large. She is a versatile trainer, with broad-based experience putting together needs based training packages, particularly targeting women in Africa. Terry is passionate about women leadership and decision making, mentorship and coaching and women economic empowerment, all aimed at advancing Gender Equality.
Terry was formerly the Course Leader at the Africa Centre for transformative and Inclusive Leadership (ACTIL), an establishment between UN Women East and Southern Africa Region and Kenyatta University, Nairobi- Kenya. During her time at ACTIL she also led the design and implementation of Transformational Leadership journey for over 3,500 women and youth in over 60% of the countries in Africa in both Anglophone and Francophone.
Terry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies, Masters in Project Planning and Management, ongoing PhD in Gender and Development Studies. She is also a Certified Facilitator and Executive Coach.
Job Titles:
- Social Media Manager, Cross Regional
Whitney is a creative Communications professional with an impressive career spanning over 6 years. She brings a diverse background and experience in designing and implementing digital communications strategies.