Clare is the founding Executive Director of Creative Action Institute. With over 20 years of international experience that straddles the private and non-profit sectors, Clare brings a unique background that blends an entrepreneurial business mind with strong non-profit management skills. She has worked with hundreds of international and grassroots partners across Central America and Africa to design powerful programs that leverage creative methodologies to advance women's and girls' equality and build resiliency in the face of climate change. Clare holds a BA in English Literature from Saint Michael’s College and an MBA in International Business from the University of San Francisco. When not trotting across the globe to remote locations, Clare loves being in her garden, at the beach or in the woods, preferably with her husband, grown boys and devoted dog.

As Deputy Executive Director, Louisa manages and leads Creative Action Institute’s global teams, strategic priorities, and consulting work. Louisa has 15 years of non-profit experience in US and international contexts, including 10 years with Creative Action Institute. Louisa has expertise in gender and climate justice and has led the development and implementation of numerous climate education and climate justice focused courses, toolkits, and workshops, globally. She holds a Master’s in Development Economics and Human Security from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a BA in Political Science and Human Rights Studies from Barnard College. When not dreaming about her next international adventure, Louisa enjoys reading novels, listening to climate action-focused podcasts, and spending time outside – especially on her mountain bike.

Hannah El-Silimy joined Creative Action Institute as the Director of Education and Training in 2024. Hannah has almost two decades of experience in gender and environmental justice education as a nonprofit trainer, facilitator, and university lecturer. She is the co-founder of Weaving Bonds Across Borders, a Global South network of women working for peace and gender equality and is passionate about intersectional feminism and community empowerment. Hannah has a Master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics as well as a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, where she specialized in feminist and Indigenous politics. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling the world, and spending time in nature with her family. 

Doris began her career as a journalist in Kenya where she used her skills and passion in storytelling to produce documentaries and films that highlighted challenges facing communities across the country. After 2 years of practicing journalism, she has spent the last 8 years in the development sector directly contributing to the disruption of inequality-ridden status quo. Doris joins us from Akili Dada, where she has been spearheading the implementation of different gender-focused projects in Kenya and East Africa. She brings a wealth of experience in strategy and programs development, and she is a firm believer that if afforded the space, skills and knowledge, women and girls have the ability to bring meaningful change in all levels.

Isabel is a Project Manager, Creative Facilitator, and Community Artist for the Creative Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) and Creative Advocacy Practicums (CAPS) in the Latin America and Africa regions. After many years of working in the field and learning from it, she now applies her artistic experience by co-facilitating participatory process activities and community art projects to generate community-driven solutions to contemporary challenges. She is passionate about leveraging art as an advocacy tool to promote community actions for positive environmental and social change. Isabel holds a Master's Degree in Visual Arts from Argentina and The Art Students League of New York. In addition, she graduated from the Mural program at the National Academy of New York.

Luis Quino has worked for more than 15 years in community development promoting community mobilization, educational reading programs, community libraries, youth development, leadership, creativity, art, and popular education. He has dedicated many years to the design, facilitation, monitoring and evaluation of training and leadership programs for organizations, Boards of Directors, volunteers, youth, and both women and men at the community, municipal and regional levels. In recent years, his work has focused on developing socio-emotional skills and STEM in young people from rural communities in Guatemala. Luis has managed programs and strategies at a national and regional level, promoting their preparation, implementation, evaluation and documentation. He has also created and maintained a network of institutional contacts with whom he has made project presentations and established close relationships for collaborations. Luis enjoys art, music, playing the guitar, the marimba and accompanying children and young people to develop their talent for community service.

Wanjiru is our Program Officer for East Africa. She joins the team from Akili Dada and brings four years of experience in the humanitarian sector. In various capacities, Wanjiru has worked to promote youth development, access to quality education, and economic empowerment. She is passionate about gender equality and supporting the next generation of girl leaders. She says she is her happiest when working directly in the field with youth and adolescent girls! ​Wanjiru holds a B.A. in Gender and Development Studies from Kenyatta University.

Denise Shannon is an independent consultant to foundations and nonprofits. She has decades of experience working toward a more just and equitable world, with a special emphasis in the sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice field and more than 20 years in foundation philanthropy. Denise has been a proficient nonprofit executive director with experience fundraising, managing, budgeting, and working with boards of directors. She is an accomplished communicator, and has published pieces in the New York Times, Inside Philanthropy, and other outlets. She currently serves on the board of directors of Impact Austin, a women’s collective giving nonprofit. She lives in Austin, TX, with her wife, Shannon. Their daughter, Josie, attends Texas A&M University.

Alyssa is an award-winning artist, strategic philanthropic advisor, and creative social impact strategist. Alyssa is a featured contributor to Feminist Wednesday, Levo League, Global Giving and Women @ Forbes, where she writes to offer communications, fundraising and leadership tips to all those working in the fields of philanthropy & social change. She is a recent Tedx speaker who debuted her talk, "Claim Your Philanthropy" in Portsmouth, NH and she is a sought after national nonprofit facilitator who can be found around the country discussing how one instills a successful "Culture of Philanthropy" at their organization. In her free time, Alyssa can be found volunteering at the York Art Association in York, Maine where she resides with her husband William, her beautiful daughter Piper and their big orange cat, Izzie.

Rose joined Creative Action Institute as a Development and Operations Associate in 2024, after completing an internship with the organization. With extensive volunteer experience in Latin America, Rose is passionate about using her technical and language skills to promote gender equality and climate justice, helping communities create sustainable futures. When she’s not planning her next international trip, Rose enjoys hiking, painting, and finding new ways to connect with nature. She holds a B.A. in History and a minor in Computer Science from the University of Rochester.