Biola Odunewu is a multi-channel communications specialist and entrepreneur with 15 years of experience in strategy, operations, marketing, and product development. For more than a decade and prior to joining Astraea, she owned and managed a successful and popular neighborhood cafe in Brooklyn providing a haven for food, a safe space for ideas or the solitary cup of coffee. Before that, she worked as a writer and executive producer for a wide range of traditional and new media platforms (both national and international), including CNN, ABC and HyperTV Networks, creating featured stories and content, interactive programming for live weekly broadcasts and more.  Biola received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism (with a concentration in International News and Politics) from Georgia State University. She is originally from Nigeria and has lived in New York for 25 years. In addition to English, Biola speaks Yoruba.

Raviva Hanser is a human rights advocate committed to supporting communities to realize their own visions of justice. Most recently, she worked with American Jewish World Service overseeing the strategy implementation to advance the rights of adolescent girls and young women in Kenya, as well as coordinated donors through a Sex Worker Donor Collaborative and a fund to advance sexual rights and gender justice in East Africa. She brings programmatic and resource mobilization experience from her time working with international NGOs, such as the World Science Festival and Save the Children. After graduating from The New School in New York with a BA in Global Studies, she moved to New Delhi to work with Save the Children India where she monitored the implementation of national-level campaigns at the local level. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University.

Katherine Acey served as the Executive Director of Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice for twenty-three years (1987 – 2010). Under her stewardship Astraea established the nation’s first Lesbian Writers Fund in 1990, created the International Fund for Sexual Minorities in 1996 and in 2006 launched the U.S. Movement Building Initiative to support people of color LGBTQ organizations to collectively build their power and voice. From 1982 – 1987 Katherine was the Associate Director of the North Star Fund in New York City, overseeing its grants programs and participating in donor engagement and fundraising. She was involved in the Women’s Funding Network since its inception, serving as a founding board member and chair. She is also a founding member and past chair of the Funders for LGBT Issues and has served as a board or advisory member to countless organizations. Current affiliations include: Board Member and Treasurer for both the International Network of Women’s Funds and Political Research Associates; Steering Committee, Public Foundations Project; Advisory Committee, Pipeline Project; and Advisory Committee, OSF LGBT Initiative. Until her departure from Astraea she served on the Steering Committee of the Global Philanthropy Project: Expanding Resources for LGBT People. The Women’s Funding Network honored Katherine for her leadership in building a multi-cultural women’s funding movement. Other honors include the Cross Cultural Black Women’s Studies Institute for International Women’s Leadership Award, the NYC National Organization for Women Susan B. Anthony Award, the Women & Philanthropy LEAD Award, the FEX Vision Award for achievements in social justice, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Liberty Award and the Women e-news 21 Leaders for the 21stCentury Award.

Robin Wilby is an award-winning NYC based filmmaker who is deeply committed to social activism through storytelling. They graduated cum laude with a BA in Visual Media from American University and received their MFA with honors from Columbia University. Robin’s thesis film, Loop Planes, won numerous awards, including a production grant from Killer Films (known for challenging, thought-provoking movies, such as Boys Don’t Cry) and was an official selection at over fifty festivals, worldwide. Previously, they were a mentor for LGBTQI youth, as well as a documentary filmmaking teacher at a NYC middle school, emphasizing the importance of using documentaries as platforms for social change. In addition to working at Astraea, Robin is currently in post-production on an independent feature-length documentary surrounding the intentional communities begun by several trans* identified teenagers.