Who We Are

310-363-0382  |  hjalon@amaniproject.org

Hedi Jalon joined Children in Harmony (CIH) as Executive Director in October 2022.  A community leader for more than a decade, Hedi has been responsible for driving wide-scale expansion and growth within the non-profit arts and public safety sectors.  Buoyed by her well-established background in both the non-profit and private industries, Hedi’s leadership and management experience serves her well in the youth development field and understanding how to demonstrate the critical need to provide equitable arts education access, staunchly believing communities only thrive when all are invited to participate and flourish through the arts. As a longtime arts and music enthusiast, Hedi is eager to create a world where young people will realize their futures through the power of music.

An East Coast native, Hedi began her career in Hollywood at Creative Artists Agency and went on to assist industry leaders in talent representation and film development, including a period of time at New Regency Productions. Ms. Jalon most recently served as Executive Director at the California Fire Safe Council, a non-profit organization providing vital resources and funding for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts in California.  Ms. Jalon has also served in the capacity of Director of Development and Communications for The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, a theatre-arts non-profit. During her tenure at The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, she helped usher in their Alumni program providing program participants access to industry careers and post-secondary opportunities and established their virtual peer to peer fundraiser that challenges supporters to raise funds while creating art.  While at the California Fire Safe Council, Hedi doubled its staff, and brought in an eight-figure multi-million-dollar grant, while establishing its ArcGIS and geospatial data framework, and furthering its capacity building and communications efforts.  Hedi’s early non-profit days included her role as Executive Director at the California Fire Foundation where she assisted families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they serve. There, she established and grew their individual and corporate giving programs bringing the organization to national prominence and spearheaded the SAVE program to assist families and individuals with immediate financial assistance in the face of disaster, raising close to $1M in support and pledges during the early stages of the program.

Hedi holds both her BA and MPA degrees from the University of Southern California and resides in New York City.  When she is not working, she enjoys going to the theatre, specifically musicals, as well as spending time outdoors, and with family and her rescue dog Stewy.

Agness is a holder of a certificate in education level 3A.  She is interested in working with girls and young women on protecting their rights and making their dreams come into reality.  Over the past three years, she has earned several certificates for supporting children and women through programs including African child day, women and girls’ world day for educating women. She serves as Msichana Initiative’s coordinator for Amani clubs in primary and secondary schools.

Alba is a dancer, actress, theater and circus enthusiast. At 25 years old, the artist and educator believes in “learning by doing”. She grew up among puppet castles, theaters, classrooms and rehearsals and credits her grandparents and parents as her first teachers. She began giving workshops in theater at 12 years old and joined Amani Project so she could serve as a guide for future mentors and community leaders. Her passion is the arts and specifically Bomba music and dance. This is her first project as a part of Taller Salud.

Aluta is the trainer and coordinator for the Creative Arts project at MIET Africa, supporting the Amani Project. She has a decade of experience as a musician, art director, photographer, writer, and arts and media practitioner/performer.

Amber has been working in education for the past ten years. She is trained in Social Emotional Learning techniques and has teaching credentials, which includes Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development authorisation. She also has experience teaching with an NGO in Vietnam. After teaching primary school in the United States for five years, Amber pursued a career shift and gained an MA in Education and International Development from the Institute of Education at University College London. As Director of Education, Amber has guided curricular and pedagogical developments at Think Equal.

Andy realized at a very young age that music was the best way to channel his energy and emotions – especially because he couldn’t sit still (he still can’t). He’s been a drummer for multiple touring bands, and graduated from the conservatory program at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. He lives in New Orleans with his wife and daughter.

Andy has a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University focused on Forced Migration and Family Health. Prior to joining Amani Project, he led the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force. He has also worked with UNICEF, Pearson Foundation, Save the Children, University of Washington, and Columbia University in 14 different countries to develop programming to support children and youth. Throughout his career and personal life, Andy has learned that communities hold their truths in their stories; they also hold the solutions. His goal is to come alongside and first quietly listen to their stories, and through that listening, learn how to support their truths.

Chris is a senior manager at MIET AFRICA responsible for overseeing the management and implementation of school support programmes and projects, which includes Amani, Creative Arts, and care and support programmes.

For 14 years she has worked at Fundación Escuela Nueva (FEN). She is currently Chief Operating Officer, ensuring planning and strategy definition, the smooth running and strategic alignment of national and international programming, and leading strategies for institutional and managerial strengthening. Clarita also provides strategic oversight to FEN´s project management office, which centralizes project design, planning and execution, as well as the Community Connections, Research and Development and Administration teams. She holds a BA in Business from Los Andes University in Colombia; MA in International Education from New York University´s Steinhardt School of Education, Culture and Human Development; Specialization program in Nonprofit Management at NYU´s Wagner School of Public Policy.

Gargi is a seasoned development professional and has worked in the area of education, disaster management, and community mobilization. Along with strategic planning, Gargi steers the operational aspects and implementation for Amani Project at Smile Foundation. She has an academic background in Social Work and Human Rights.

Giomar has devoted his life to using art and culture as a social change tool for low-income communities. He lives in the town of Loiza, in Puerto Rico, and at 25 years old he teaches music, dance, theater and Physical Education, paying special attention to those with physical, cognitive or behavioral limitations. He’s on the coordination committee, in charge of logistics, coordination and supervision, among other tasks for Amani Project in Puerto Rico.

Jenifer is the manager of Taller Salud’s Community and Leadership program. The theater teacher has spent her last 20 years as an educational experience facilitator, specializing in cultural management and community projects management that integrate the arts, a peace culture, emotion management and non-violent communication. At Taller Salud, Jeni’s implemented different projects geared towards youth, mothers, grandmothers, fathers and the general community.

Leslee was voted by the NY Times the No 2 Most Impactful Woman of 2015 (second to Hillary Clinton), and has been awarded the prestigious Swedish Anna Lindh Human Rights Prize (previously won by Madeleine Albright). In 2019, she received the Activism in Arts and Education award from the UN Women for Peace Association. She has also been named Safe’s Global Hero of 2015, Global Thinker by Foreign Policy. A BAFTA and multi-award winning filmmaker and Human Rights Campaigner, Leslee’s documentary “India’s Daughter”, has been critically acclaimed around the globe, won 32 awards (including the Peabody Award and the Amnesty International Media Award for Best Documentary 2016) and sparked a global movement to end violence against women and girls. The searing insights yielded by the 2 and a half year journey making “India’s Daughter”, led Leslee to turn her back on filmmaking and devote herself to Think Equal.

Lightness is a National Club Coordinator of Msichana Initiative. She holds a Diploma in Counselling Psychology from Community Concerning Training Institute, Kenya. She is interested in working on protecting the rights and empowering “the girl child” because she believes that investing in girls is investing in the community.  She supervises Msichana Amani Clubs in primary and secondary schools to provide lifelong learning on gender equity, emotional intelligence and empathy through music.

Lineth is a Field Work Coordinator at Msichana Initiative, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from Catholic University in Nairobi, Kenya. Lineth has more than 6 years working experiences on Civil Society Organizations and government institution. She is equipped with field work experience, which she accrued from working with young girls on issues of Child Marriage, teen pregnancy, child abuse, FGM, child exploitation and Menstrual Hygiene. She has been involved in different campaigns such as One Billion Rising and she leads fundraising of One girl one bike.

Professional in Finance and International Affairs. Five years of experience in project designing and execution. Ability to manage teams  that interact with diverse interest groups on a goal-oriented focus. Proactive application of knowledge in corporate finance to social and entrepreneurial contexts. Interested in rural development and contributing to improve the quality of education in Colombia. Luz is a Development Analyst at Fundacion Escuela Nueva (FEN) and a member of the Amani Project Colombia.

Rebecca is a Founder & Executive Director at Msichana Initiative, a local NGO which aims to empower a girl child through education, and address key challenges which limit girl’s right to education. A lawyer by profession, Rebeca pursued and won a landmark case on child marriages, through the petition she filed at the High Court to challenge the Tanzania Marriage Act which allowed girls as young as 14 to get married. She was named 2016 UNICEF global goals award winner for her work in advancing girls’ rights in Tanzania. She was named among 2016 African Women of the Year by New Africa Women magazine. She has worked for over 8 years with Femina as a TV personality and youth advocate.

Rebeca is involved in different campaigns and social charities as a volunteer and ambassador, advocating for safe schools and quality education to Tanzanian students. She is passionate about girls and women empowerment. She has paneled and facilitated different national and international forums with a focus on youth and girl empowerment. In Nov, 2013, she was selected by the US embassy in Tanzania to attend the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) for youth with leadership potential. She won 2017 inaugural IVLP alumni award for social innovation and change for her landmark win at the High Court. Rebeca is a Global Shaper, University of Cape Town Young Leaders Fellow,member of the advisory group for UNICEF and UNFPA Global Programme on Child Marriage and sits on the Advisory Board of SNV-Netherlands OYE project.

Sally is an experienced educator/principal with more than 40 years’ experience in various sectors in the education field. Sally coordinates the logistics for the Creative Arts projects and programmes at MIET AFRICA – this includes the South African Amani Project.

Seema, driven by purpose and a calling to contribute towards the social sector, has extensive experience with children, adolescents, and women. With the Amani Project, Seema has been actively contributing towards strategic planning and designing for the India chapter, which has been successfully progressing, under her able guidance. With an academic qualification in clinical psychology, she has been contributing to the socio-emotional aspects of all her interactions with the community.

Shashank is a versatile and sensitive artist with an exceptional level of patience and humility. As the Music Teaching Artist at the Amani Project, India, he plays the role of catalyst, inspiring children to explore, learn and use music at Amani club activities. Shashank has studied Rock and Pop Guitar along with Drums from Trinity College, London, and trained in Indian Classical Vocals from Gandharva Mahavidhyalaya, Delhi.

Shauna is an Assistant Professor of Practice and Parenting Education Specialist at Oregon State University. Previously, Dr. Tominey served as the Director of Early Childhood Programming and Teacher Education at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Tominey also has a degree in music from the University of Washington and finds ways to creatively blend music with social and emotional learning

Shéla is the communications manager at MIET AFRICA and ensures the smooth production of all materials required for the Amani Project South Africa rollout.

Shweta works as a project coordinator and is responsible for ensuring that Amani Project implementation moves seamlessly. With a post-graduation in social work, Shweta has worked with less privileged communities, especially with youth and women. She believes in empathy being one of the driving forces for bringing the world together.

Tania has more than 15 years of experience leading community organization and mobilization efforts in Loíza and other municipalities in Puerto Rico. Rosario-Mendez has a high school degree in theater, a master’s degree in public health, and has a solid track record in the use of community theater and popular education as a means of self-knowledge, healing and social transformation.

Laureate of the first edition of the Yidan Prize for Education Development (2017) and 2013 WISE Prize for Education Laureate, Vicky Colbert is founder and director of Fundación Escuela Nueva.

Colbert is a Sociologist from Javeriana University in Colombia and pursued her graduate studies in Sociology of Education at Stanford University in the United States. In 2015, the American University of Nigeria distinguished her with an Honoris Causa Doctorate in Philosophy.

She is co-author of the worldwide renowned Escuela Nueva model and was its first National Coordinator. Colbert has pioneered, expanded and sustained this educational innovation from many organizational spheres: as Viceminister of Education of Colombia, UNICEF´s Education Adviser for LAC and now from Fundación Escuela Nueva (FEN), an NGO she founded to ensure its quality, sustainability and innovation.

She has been recognized with several awards and distinctions in the fields of leadership and social entrepreneurship, such as the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Clinton Global Citizenship Award and the Kravis Prize. She has also been recognized as Outstanding Social Entrepreneur by the Schwab Foundation, Ashoka and the World Technology Network.

Dena is a renowned educator and activist. She writes and speaks nationally about social justice and culturally sustaining pedagogy as well as creating emotionally intelligent and safe classrooms within the context of equity. Dr. Simmons is also the director of education at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Jessica is an associate research scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She serves as project director for RULER for high schools, which helps bring social-emotional learning to high school students and educators to promote safe, nurturing environments where students and educators can reach their full potential.

Roy is General Partner at Knighted Ventures, an investment firm focused on entertainment and gaming. He also serves as President of KCM Agency, a multicultural marketing agency. In his nonprofit work, Roy is Executive Producer and CEO of Kollaboration, a nationwide nonprofit 501(c)(3) showcasing emerging Asian Pacific artists and performers. Kollaboration began in Los Angeles and is now in 15 cities across North America. Roy graduated with honors from USC with a BA in Cinema from the School of Cinematic Arts.

Fathima has worked in education all her adult life. She is currently Managing Director of Oxford Education and Chair the board of OxfordAQA qualifications. She serves on the board of Oasis Asset Management, and has been an active board member to affordable school chains, Omega (Ghana) and Spark (South Africa), Bridge (Kenya) and a tech start-up in India, Zaya.  Fathima also is Chairman of Africa Ignite, a not for profit, working with rural community development, and a trustee of MIET, an NGO working with vulnerable children in Africa. She enjoys working with people, particularly committed, talented, innovative thinkers who want to change the world! She loves the idea of working in an education business, bringing together education and efficacy with the edge of business.

Joe is a turntablist and director best known as the DJ and sampler for the American rock band Linkin Park, one of the most successful rock bands in music history. Joe is also a founder and board member of the nonprofit Music for Relief, bringing the music community together to create awareness and raise funds for those in need.

Jieho is Managing Partner at Knighted Ventures and leads operations and investment strategies. Previous to Knighted, he was head of International Business Development at POM Wonderful where he oversaw business development, sales and marketing for the Asia Territories. Lee also served as GP at Blue Horizon Capital, where he co-led an investment strategy team focusing on acquisitions in the business information sector. Jieho began his career in the entertainment field: writing, producing and directing commercial productions for clients such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret and Tommy Hilfiger. He also wrote and directed the feature film “The Air I Breathe” and oversaw development and production of several other projects for Lionsgate Films, Circle of Confusion, IO Interactive, HS Films and Samsung Entertainment.

Lisa, an award-winning journalist, goes on a gritty, breathtaking journey to the far corners of America, on her CNN Original Series, “This is Life.” Before CNN, Ling was a field correspondent for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and contributor to ABC News’ “Nightline” and National Geographic’s “Explorer.” She has reported from dozens of countries, covering stories about gang rape in the Congo, bride burning in India and the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, among other issues that are too often ignored. Ling got her start in journalism as a correspondent for Channel One News where she covered the civil war in Afghanistan at 21 years of age. She later went on to become a co-host of ABC Daytime’s hit show “The View,” which won its first daytime Emmy during her time at the show. Ling has also served as a special correspondent for CNN’s “Planet in Peril” series and is a contributing editor for USA Today’s USA Weekend magazine. In 2011, her acclaimed documentary journalism series, “Our America” with Lisa Ling, was created and began airing on OWN. Ling is the co-author of “Mother, Daughter, Sister, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood” and “Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home,” which she penned with her sister, Laura. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the California Museum.