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. Author of THIS IS NO ORDINARY JOY. View Sarah’s TED Talk about Living Heroically. 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 >
Amanda Cunningham
Development Director
Amanda crossed paths with Her Future Coalition in 2015 on a service trip to India and has been deeply connected to our work ever since. She has a B.A. in marketing, is a 500 E-RYT yoga instructor & offers retreats/immersions domestically and in India. You can learn more on her site: amandabyoga.com.
Home base: Charleston, SC
Touch base: amanda@herfuturecoalition.org
Nafiza Khatun
Country Director
Home base: Kolkata, India
Soma Seal
Program Director
In addition to her counseling, training, translation and management roles, Soma is 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
Maura Hurley
Education Director
Home base: Kolkata, India
Touch base: maura@herfuturecoalition.org
Dianna Badalament
Vocational training program director
Dianna has been working with HFC for ten years -training, managing and designing for HFC’s multiple jewelry programs. With a background in political science and social issues and her own jewelry business, Dianna has a passion for empowering women and solidifying their economic solvency through the ancient art of goldsmithing, and lots of love.
Home base: Healdsburg, CA
Touch base:dianna@herfuturecoalition.org
Caroline Hughes
Social Media & Communications
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
Touch base: caroline@herfuturecoalition.org
Minu Chetri
Community organizer
Minu has been working as an advocate and community liaison in some of Kolkata slum communities and red light areas for the past 15 years. She is overjoyed to join the HFC team in an official capacity, and to begin outreach to women and children in the Kidderpore red light area, so that they can access services at our newest Education and Drop-in Center.
Home base: Kolkata, India
Sonali Kahtoon
training & production 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
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
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
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
Home base: Redwood City, CA
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
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
Home base: Denver, CO
Founder and Executive Director.
Home base: St. Augustine, FL