Michela Manna is a passionate international development professional dedicated to advancing gender equality and its critical role in shaping the right to health. With over a decade of experience in public health, gender, and education, Michela has worked with UN agencies, governments, international organizations, and NGOs across North and Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. For the past five years, she has been with the World Health Organization, specializing in gender and health with a particular focus on immunization. Holding a Master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Michela is committed to addressing the ways in which gender dynamics influence access to healthcare and drive health outcomes. 

Kala Madhav has a Masters in Computer Applications from India. She is a part of the communications team at GENDRO and works mainly with the website and related issues. In Geneva she has been working with NGOs involved in a variety of sectors. Some of the NGOs she has been working/worked with include World Federation for Mental Health, SAHFA – Smart Access to Health For All, Action for Development (previously Bhaktar Development Network – Suisse). She is also associated with NGO committees in Genava namely the NGO Committee on Ageing (NGOCOA) and the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGOCSW).

With 11+  years of experience in social research, project coordination, and the arts, Sara Achik’s passion lies in exploring the intersection of arts, social science, and community impact. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations (University of the Americas Puebla), she specialized in Middle Eastern studies (El Colegio de México). Her academic journey led to two Master’s degrees: one in Anthropology and Sociology (Graduate Institute of Geneva) and another in Gender Studies (Central European University). Combining her expertise in research, visual arts, and social projects, Sara has co-founded organizations, managed impactful initiatives, and recently joined Gendro to further amplify its mission through her multidisciplinary approach.

Victoria Jhong Chung is a global health professional with nearly 10 years of experience supporting the design, management and oversight of large-scale health programs across Latin America, Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific. As a Program Officer at the Global Fund, Victoria works closely with governments, technical partners and communities to strengthen health programs and systems.

Victoria is passionate about community health and prevention approaches that address long-term health risks in women. Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations and a master’s degree in development studies.

Chetna Krishna Becker is a science writer and digital storyteller, with education from the UK, Germany, and India.

She has worked as a journalist at Deutsche Welle reporting on environmental issues, and as the social media manager and a creative producer for CERN. She has facilitated high-impact communication projects such as the globally trending campaign #LHCRun3 for the record-energy collisions at the Large Hadron Collider.

At present, Chetna leads marketing at an industry leader in cutting-edge Silicon Carbide power electronics providing solutions for the electric transition in the marine, mining, and e-mobility industries. When she is not writing for work, she enjoys writing for her blog, Little Things That Matter.

Bernard Kadasia is a senior level professional who brings together close to forty years of experience in technical, managerial and leadership positions in government, civil society, private sector, and international non-governmental organizations.

Until March 2015 Kadasia was employed by the International AIDS Society (IAS) Geneva as Deputy Executive Director and Director of Policy and Advocacy, Research Promotion and Communications. Prior to joining the IAS, he worked for 17 years for the International Co-operative Alliance as Director of the Regional Office for East, Central and Southern Africa, in Moshi, Tanzania and in Nairobi, Kenya.Since 2012 he is the President of the Geneva-based Alliance for Health Promotion, an international NGO in Official Relations with the World Health Organization. The Alliance has official UN ECOSOC Status. Kadasia is also a member of the Supervisory Board of North Star Alliance. North Star Alliance provides quality healthcare across Africa to mobile populations and the communities they interact with.

Swiss national born in 1975, Ms. Olivia Mettler studied International Hospitality Management at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and graduated in 1999.

With more than 18 years of financial experience in multi-nationals and international non-profit companies, she is the Finance & Administration executive, member of the board of directors of the International AIDS Society (IAS). More recently, Ms. Mettler graduated in Enterprise Risk Management at the University of Geneva.

Georgina Yidanpoa Caswell has spent the last 20 years supporting efforts to advance the human rights and leadership of communities affected by HIV and health inequalities. She is currently Technical Advisor for Communities, Rights, and Gender at the Global Fund. She provides thought-leadership and strategic guidance and support to the Grant Management Division and high impact community-led, human rights and gender-related portfolios in West and Central Africa.

Previously, she led on efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination among people living with HIV and key populations as Head of Programmes at the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+). As Program Lead for the Resilient and Empowered Adolescents and Young People (READY) portfolio at Frontline AIDS (formerly International HIV/AIDS Alliance), she managed large-scale youth sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes. Georgina has supported the emergence and growth of several youth-led organisations and continues to mentor youth leaders in the SRHR and HIV space. She is a gender advocate and serves on the Board of Population Council.

Born in Ghana and currently residing in Switzerland, Georgina has a bachelor’s degree in Politics and French from the University of Warwick, UK and a master’s degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Development and Policy Management, University of Manchester, UK.

With a background in research and training in engineering, Gonzalo Peñacoba currently works at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, as sustainability specialist. He brings expertise in project management, negotiation and political acumen as well as effective communication skills to tackle global health and health financing challenges. Dependable, rigorous and team-oriented with a solid track record delivering innovative solutions to unstructured problems. He has worked for a decade at CERN and other research centers before following a degree at the Graduate Institute and shifting to the development sector. He is decidedly at ease in multi-disciplinary and international work environments. Spanish and Swiss citizen, he lives in Geneva with his family.

Buky is the SRHR Lead at Akina Mama wa Afrika and former Executive Director of Education As A Vaccine, an organization that works with young people to advance their right to health and protection from all forms of violence. Previously she worked as the Program Coordinator for Nigerian Women in Agricultural Research for Development, NiWARD. And prior to moving back to Nigeria to work at NiWARD, she was the Darfur Dream Team Sister Schools Program Manager at the Enough Project, a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. She worked with young people in the United States and young Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad to increase their access to basic education. Buky is feminist who is committed to dismantling patriarchal structures that reinforce and contribute to discrimination and violence against women and girls and vulnerable persons in all their diversities. She realized her deep commitment to global issues, economic development and gender equality while receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Global Policy Studies at Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA. She also holds a Master’s in International Peace Studies with a focus in Development and Peace from the University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. She was named a Malala Education Champion in 2020 and worked with girl advocates and community leaders to conduct campaigns to push for the implementation of the Children Rights Acts and the free education policy to ensure girls’ education is truly free and accessible.