POWERED BY WOMEN
We are proud to be a women-led organization, providing compassion-led solutions which break the cycle of trauma and establish a new cycle of trust, well-being, choice and independence.
Sarah
Symons
Founder & CEO
Sarah started HFC in 2005 with her husband John Berger. Formerly, she was a composer of music for TV and film, and before that, a counselor and art teacher at Creative Arts Workshops in New York City. Sarah is the uthor of THIS IS NO ORDINARY JOY and co-author of STANDING IN THE WAY. You can view Sarah’s TED Talk about Living Heroically on YouTube. Sarah is passionate about empowering survivors to be changemakers in their families and communities.
Home base: St. Augustine, FL
Learn more about Sarah’s story HERE >
Nafiza
Khatun
Country director
Nafiza oversees all HFC programs and partnerships in India. She has a degree in Business from Chandra Chowdury College and is passionate about commerce and education as the means for uplifting vulnerable women. Before coming to HFC, she worked as a community liaison, computer skills tutor, and counselor at Apne Aap and Uddami.
Home base: Kolkata, India
Soma
Seal
Program Director
Soma provides counseling, life skills training, and social work support to women and girls in all our Kolkata programs. She also serves on the Executive Team, and as a translator for our English speaking volunteers and interns. Soma is also a gifted goldsmith and jewelry designer.
In her spare time, she runs House of Hope, a sewing project providing income to vulnerable women in her community. Soma is passionate about her newest role at HFC: training women jewelers in our red light area Resource Center.
Home base: Kolkata, India
Amanda Cunningham
Chief Operating officer
Amanda is responsible for keeping all of HFC operations running like clockwork. She manages our campaigns, organizes our everyday, designs our brand, facilitates our group trips to India and, she makes sure WE make the biggest impact possible!
Amanda has a Business degree and Masters in Teaching. She is a 500 E-RYT yoga instructor with Yoga Medicine® and serves on their executive team managing the Seva Foundation, a partner of HFC. Amanda has been connected to anti-trafficking work since 2015 and is passionate about empowering women around the globe.
Home base: Charleston, SC
Caroline Hughes
Social media & comms
Caroline’s B.A. in Political Science and extensive creative writing experience give her an edge in content creation for Her Future Coalition social media. In addition, she owns and manages her digital marketing firm, Caroline Hughes Marketing helping nonprofits and businesses all across the United States make their mark with branding, design and communication services.
Home base: Franklin, TN
Sonali Biswas
Training Manager
Sonali first joined the HFC family as a program participant, growing up in a shelter home in Kolkata. After graduating high school, she joined our jewelry program and became an expert goldsmith while also working her way through college. She recently graduated from Netaji Open University with a degree in Liberal Arts with Bengali Honors. “I like to work at HFC because it is like a family to me. Most importantly this is a roof under which I feel safe to be a woman and I can be independent and I can offer good work to everyone who has given me opportunities in every possible way!”
Home base: Kolkata, India
Kulsum Hamid
Vocational Director
Kulsum holds a post graduate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and Management from Sikkim University. She’s extremely vocal about women and child rights and has worked in the slums of Kolkata in various vocational, educational and community mobilization projects.
Home base: Kolkata, India
Maura
Hurley
Education director
Maura has been living and working in Kolkata for the past 20 years, as an art teacher, language teacher and translator. She is passionate about helping provide top quality education to all children, regardless of their background or economic circumstances.
Home base: Kolkata, India
Tish Roy
MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR
Tish looks after HFC mind-body health with a cool head + a warm heart. She spearheads Mental Health Programming through a trauma sensitive lens, builds collaborative relationships with mental health practitioners, provides Wellness Coaching for staff, facilitates processing on HFC service trips + actively leads Trauma Sensitive Programs on the ground in Kolkata, India.
Home base: Brooklyn, NY
Toby
Banks
Institutional Giving
Toby Banks has over 20 years experience raising millions of dollars for a wide range of nonprofit organizations around the globe. As a fundraising and nonprofit management consultant, she forged partnerships that resulted in significant organizational growth for clients such as Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Asia Society, and the Malave Leadership Academy. Toby has supported organizations on five continents, allowing them to expand their work in areas ranging from women’s rights to environmental conservation, education to health, and the performing and visual arts among many others. She received her BA from Cornell University.
Home base: New York City, NY
In loving memory of
Minu chetri, Community Organizer
Part-Time, Advisory & Volunteer Staff
Sarah Annay – Photography & Media
Aslyn Baringer – Videographer
Felicity Denby – Jewelry Trainer
Heather Deyo – Business Strategy Advisor
Nancy Edwards – Jewelry Trainer/Designer
Angela Walter – Marketing Advisor
Paul Suit – Asia Program Advisor
Her Future Board of Directors
Home base: Denver, CO
Home base: Denver, CO
As an arts program manager for multiple nonprofits, and a New York City public school teacher, Shira has dedicated much of her life to art education and community development through the arts. She has been passionate about the power of arts to heal and transform lives, including her own, since childhood as the daughter of an artist. She has been working in the field since she was 16.
Home base: Brooklyn, NY
Co-Founder of Her Future Coalition, Impact Solutions Architect at Toniic, an impact investment advisory firm. After 18 years on Wall Street, John left his job as an institutional sales investment banker to join his wife Sarah in starting this charity. HIs expertise in social impact business, technology and international development continue to be integral to the success of the organization.
Home base: St. Augustine, FL
Home base: Redwood City, CA
Danielle traveled with Her Future Coalition on a service trip to India and has been dedicated to the work ever since. She comes to HFC with over 20 years of experience working with non-profits and community organizations. She is a realtor by profession and also offers interior design.
Home base: Charleston, SC
Jenny has worked in nonprofits for 30 years, in program planning, development and executive leadership. She is currently President of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council in Pittsfield, MA, and prior to that she led the North East Community Center in Millerton NY for 17 years. Jenny earned her BA from Yale, and her Masters in Public Administration from the Univ. of Connecticut She writes about film and dance, studies improv theater, and has been friends with HFC founder Sarah Symons since the sixth grade.
Home base: Northampton, MA
Farah is a Partner at L Catterton, where she focuses on consumer and retail-focused private equity investing in fast growing businesses including beverage, food, retail, restaurants, personal care products. Farah is a Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude graduate of Mount Holyoke College and received her M.B.A from Stanford University. Providing opportunities for women and girls in her native India is a family affair for Farah, whose brother, sister, and sister-in-law have all been integrally involved with Her Future over the past 15 years.
Home base: New York, NY
Founder and Executive Director.
Home base: St. Augustine, FL