Our Core Team.
Tina Ajuonuma - Founder and CEO
Tina Ajuonuma is a practitioner and academic researcher in organisational development and behaviour with a focus on justice in organisational settings. Tina is also a certified Psychological Safety practitioner. Tina has extensive experience working within organisations to interrogate and challenge oppressive cultures and systems, and to reimagine liberatory and care centred ways of existing.
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Perpetually Curious."
What are your areas of interest?
"Behaviour in organisations, specifically the role of culture, learning, and impact. Strengthening individual and institutional capability and competency around equity, inclusion, and justice. Social Change and Eudamonia."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that has care at its core. An organisation that is ready to do the hard work of transformation"
What are your learning recommendations?
"Strategies for Building An Organisation With A Soul by Hope Chigudu and Rudo Chigudu – this is essential reading for any leader who is committed to building a robust, authentic, and care-filled culture."
Tina's pronouns are she/her/they/them
Mai Khidir - Consultant
Mai Khidir is a social change specialist with 10 years experience in women's empowerment, project management, and organisational growth and development in Sudan and the UK.
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Relentlessly Optimistic"
What are your areas of interest?
"Social impact, organisational and capacity development, public health, women’s empowerment, DEI and ensuring those from marginalised groups and communities are represented and heard in order to bring about positive change"
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that truly centres the needs of their employees, and the communities they serve at the heart of everything they do and ensures they are in a constant process of learning and growth."
What are your learning recommendations?
"The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. This is an incredible resource to understand the negative impact of inequality, and how it affects health, wellbeing and development."
Mai’s pronouns are she/her/hers.
Sola Akomolafe - Consultant
Sola Akomolafe is an inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) researcher and practitioner with experience in researching and helping historically exclusive spaces create cultural and behavioural changes required to accomplish their IDEA goals. Sola combines consulting with studying for a PhD and therefore brings a blend of intellectual curiosity, professionalism and pragmatic expertise to her work.
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Resilient and Humane"
What are your areas of interest?
"I specialise in gendered and racial experiences; migrants' access and inclusion; organisational culture and issues of inclusion, diversity, equity and access in historically exclusive sectors."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that adopts a proactive and introspective approach towards accomplishing and advancing cultural competence."
What are your learning recommendations?
Sherifat Adeniyi - Research and Projects Associate
Sherifat Adeniyi is a recent graduate in MSc International Development with Economics and holds experience in the UK civil service and non-government organisations. Outside of work Sherifat actively participates in activism and advocacy work and is currently a Youth Ambassador for End FGM European Network.
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Compassionately Critical"
What are your areas of interest?
"International Development, Gender Equality, advocating against Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), the African diaspora, Decolonisation and Economics"
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"A better org to me looks like a workplace that is able to foster positivity, growth and creativity both internally and externally. I believe that an organisation’s ability to produce positive social outcomes is entirely determined by its ability to serve its employees. A ‘better org’ is also one that remains reflective, even in the face of success, to grow from its shortcomings and remain open to change. Through being open to criticism and reflection, organisations should constantly strive so that they are better workplaces and better in producing results for their clients and the local community they operate in. These attributes also enable organisations to be transparent about their operations and accountable when they make mistakes."
What are your learning recommendations?
"‘De-centring the White Gaze’ of Development by Robtel Neajai Pailey and All About Love by bell hooks"
Yasmin Nestor - Operations Manager
Yasmin is an Operations Manager, who brings a wealth of experience in project, program, and event management to the TBO team. Previously, she served as an operations and program manager within the refugee sector, where she played a key role in supporting refugee and asylum-seeking communities across the UK.
If you could describe yourself in 2 words, what would they be?
"Spirited & Conscientious"
What are your areas of interest?
"I’m specifically interested in building community, strategic execution, process improvement and redesign. My background is in organisational and business support, with a focus on day-to-day operations, enabling teams to focus on their mission."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation dedicated to prioritising its people, recognising that genuine service to the external community begins by caring for and supporting its internal team."
What are your learning recommendations?
Busy Being Black Podcast Episode with Farzana Khan – Extending Ourselves to Each Other’s Aliveness.
Not for all, but further learning Unworlding: An Aesthetics of Collapse by Jack Halberstam.
Dr. Lateesha Osbourne - Senior Consultant
Lateesha is an experienced Equality, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant and trainer, working across public, private, and third sectors. She delivers evidence-based solutions, drawing on her academic background. Lateesha has developed bespoke courses on Unconscious Bias, Diversity in Practice, Decolonising the Curriculum, and Micro-Inequities for clients like HiTech GP Formula 2, University of Oxford, Meta, and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
If you could describe yourself in 2 words, what would they be?
"Audaciously Authentic"
What are your areas of interest?
"Self and organisational development, conflict resolution and effective challenging, building and nurturing inclusive environments, using psychometric assessments to gain insight into how we are perceived by others, inclusive leadership, transformation, facilitating difficult conversations, authentic and safe learning environments."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that is truly self-reflective and continues to strive for improvement. One that sincerely values, recognises, and respects its staff, and is invested in creating an environment where people can be their authentic selves"
What are your learning recommendations?
Dr. Laura Batatota - Senior Consultant
Laura is a social researcher and evaluator with an extensive portfolio. She is deeply interested in understanding the role that contexts and ecosystems play in how we understand the world, and in turn, how we use these insights to shift systems, so these are equitable and grounded in lived experiences. Laura has extensive experience in designing and delivering research and impact projects across the social and not-for-profit sectors and grounds her practice in social justice.
If you could describe yourself in 2 words, what would they be?
"Critically minded"
What are your areas of interest?
"Social research and decoloniality, participatory approaches and innovation, community development and engagement, systems change, including reimagining systems, spaces and places."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that centres care in all forms, and is committed and accountable through self-reflection and learning. "
What are your learning recommendations?
Our Associates.
Rebeca Ortiz
Carol Tavernier
Carol Tavernier
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Forever searching"
What are your areas of interest?
"Nurturing cross-cultural relationships by leading with curiosity and empathy, an advocate for ethical travel and continued connection to heritage and cultural identity of forcibly displaced people. Working toward creating greater accountability and racial equity in the global development sector."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that is ready and willing to face itself - one that embraces radical change to better its ways of working and leads with grace."
What are your learning recommendations?
"1) Beyond Guilt Trips is a deep and wise look at travel - a tool to aid us in our attempt to ethically explore this world with all its contradictions and varieties of fairness. 2) The Ungrateful Refugee is a must for anyone wanting to go beyond the political narrative of immigration and seeking asylum. An at-times uncomfortable look at what it's like for those who've been forced to flee and the internal turmoil that plagues the forcibly displaced once they're resettled."
Carol Tavernier
Carol Tavernier
Carol Tavernier
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Thoughtfully reflective"
What are your areas of interest?
"I would scoop all of my interests under the term 'culture'; the human relationships, behaviours, structures, power and how the lens of EDIJ can be applied to broaden thinking and notice areas for improvement."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that truly recognises, cares and values what everyone brings. An organisation that hears without judgment & acts with integrity."
What are your learning recommendations?
"Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown - Not for all, however if your gut has been telling you that there has to be another way, that does not throw away the old but combines thinking to create new ways forward this is for you."
Carol's pronouns are she/hers
Shana O'Brien
Carol Tavernier
Shana O'Brien
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Empathetic and analytical"
What are your areas of interest?
"Staff well-being, team dynamics, and organizational culture. I have a background in human resources, so I like to help organizations to embody their values in their HR and ways of working. Outside of work, I have a passion for boardgames and petting dogs!"
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organization that knows what its values are and lives by them – not only in how it does its work, but how it treats its staff and how staff treat each other. An ideal organization for me would embody the values of empathy, authenticity, and justice. It would be an organization where all staff felt comfortable to be themselves. And where staff can have fun! We so often forget to bring joy into our work.."
What are your learning recommendations?
“The Vulnerable Humanitarian: Ending Burnout Culture in the Aid Sector by Dr. Gemma Houdley. I would recommend this book for anyone working in a purpose-driven organization – it brings to light a lot of those things many people feel intuitively but don’t have words for. It combines academic research with practical recommendations for exploring a feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial organization."
Damian Hebron
Wynn Aung Myint
Shana O'Brien
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Instinctively collaborative"
What are your areas of interest?
"How organisations can foster creativity within their teams and in their partnerships. I'm particularly interested in ways of meaningfully involving people whose perspectives are normally excluded to build powerful (and often unlikely) alliances for justice."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that knows and genuinely lives its values."
What are your learning recommendations?
"The Narrative Initiative we need to tell (and hear) new stories."
Wynn Aung Myint
Wynn Aung Myint
Wynn Aung Myint
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Constantly reflecting"
What are your areas of interest?
"Creating spaces for people from marginalized or under-represented backgrounds to navigate environments that are historically (and presently) hostile to them. Striving for peace and justice, even when we think it isn’t possible."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"One that will always prioritize its mission and ethics, even at the cost of power and prestige."
What are your learning recommendations?
"he New Humanitarian’s Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast and Toward a Worldwide Culture of Love by bell hooks."
Wynn's pronouns are He/him/his
Our Delivery Partners.
Sammarah Hanin
Sammarah Hanin
Sammarah Hanin
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Kind and brave."
What are your areas of interest?
"Facilitating dialogue and training on processes of unlearning inequality; cultivating empathy and care as central parts of any work which prioritises anti-oppression; Re-imagining community and redefining safety through solidarity building, communication and collaboration; education as a tool for liberation and growth both in the personal sphere and in community and/or professional settings. Student of law; lover of music, dance and sunshine."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"A space where shifting culture through a process of coalition building and dialogue is achievable and enjoyable, even where potentially challenging."
What are your learning recommendations?
"Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown, an incredible tool for reimagining the world and shaping a future where we can all thrive."
Sammarah Hanin
Sammarah Hanin
Mervin Taylor
Sammarah Hanin
Mervin Taylor
If you could describe yourself in two words, what would they be?
"Curious Fluidity"
What are your areas of interest?
"Personal & Organisational Growth & Awareness. Anti Racism and All Other forms of Allyship. Accountability, Education, and moving beyond the performative."
What does a Better Org look like to you?
"An organisation that has respect, love, honesty, and learning as its foundations. An organisation that is in a constant state of flux."
What are your learning recommendations?
"Rebel Ideas- Matthew Syed: This showcases how diversity goes well beyond the surface level and how it is nothing without inclusion & equity."