our
team
who we are.
advisory board.
volunteers.
We are advocates
for community-led NGOs
Sanya
Founder & CEO
Sanya
Sanya holds a master’s degree in International Development Studies and Global Studies.
She gained experience in the development aid sector in Latin America and has worked in Public Relations in an agency for socio-political communication for the public sector.
Listen to Sanya's motivation!
Erem
Co-Founder
Erem
Erem is an engineer and senior-official for urban planning and architecture and has worked in different cities in Germany in management positions.
She has applied her knowledge to the sustainable development of cities, for example to realize large-scale renewable energy projects.
Listen to Erem's motivation!
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board supports with their expertise, critical thinking, strategic input and advise
Derya
International Relations Professional
Derya
Derya holds a degree in International Relations & Global Studies and has extensive experience working on projects that promote women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and digital trade across South Asia and West Africa.
Having lived for several years in both India and Ghana, she has gained insights into these regions. Consequently, she is now advising the avinjo team on project implementation and campaign strategies.
Marie
Public Policy Professional
Marie
Marie is a graduate in Public Policy and has several years of experience, primarily in the education sector. Notably, she has worked on comparative education analysis at the OECD in Paris and on labor migration at various institutions.
Additionally, she has lived for several years in Paris and speaks French fluently. Therefore, her volunteer contribution to Avinjo focuses on project design and implementation.
Katharina
Political Science Professional
Katharina
Katharina currently works as a Project Director at the German organisation for International Development Cooperation called sequa, where she coordinates and implements projects in private sector development in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.
She speaks English, Ukrainian, Russian and Spanish fluently and has lived in Mexico before.
Dana
Policy Manager
Dana
Dana is a graduate in International Development Studies and currently works as a Policy Manager at the German Chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Moreover, she has lived in Argentina, India, South Africa, and Mexico, and she speaks Spanish fluently.
For the avinjo team, Dana advises on network management, public relations, and project management.
Volunteers
Our volunteers come from various parts of the world, collaborating remotely and bringing together a wide range of academic background and work experience.
Deniz
Student in Political Sciences
Deniz
Deniz is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Politics, Economics, and Philosophy at the University of Hamburg. With a background in NGOs, she is particularly driven by research interests in political violence, migration, and gender studies. Additionaly, her native language is Turkish and she speaks English fluently.
She supports the avinjo team with articles and blog posts.
Gayathri
Development Policy Professional
Gayathri
Gayathri holds a Master's degree in Development Policy. She brings several years of experience in international relations, having worked with government agencies and international NGOs.
Her expertise spans diplomatic relations, education, migration, and sustainable agriculture, gained through her work in both Sri Lanka and South Korea.
At avinjo, she contributes to social media content creation.