Our Core Team
We are a young and diverse team with combined experience across both the social and private sectors, united by our commitment to making reading and culture accessible to all children. Most of us have a migrant background, which enriches our understanding of the challenges faced by our community. From 2017 to 2022, we operated solely through the efforts of dedicated volunteers. Today, we are supported by a dynamic blend of paid staff, freelancers, and core volunteers.
Our Staff
Sara Arsalane
Founder & Managing Director
Sara is Lilipad’s founder and a social change advocate with 15+ experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors as an operations specialist and nonprofit leader. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Innovation from the University of Cambridge with impact areas around education, intersectionality and refugee and migrants rights.
Chifae has a background in program management, fundraising, and advocacy, gained through her work with Politics4Her and youth empowerment initiatives. At Lilipad, she leads community libraries and storytelling workshops in Morocco with focus on expanding access to learning and advancing gender equity.
Jana Gebhard
Project Lead, Germany
Jana is a writer, filmmaker, and educational facilitator whose work explores how storytelling supports emotional well-being. At Lilipad, she leads all educational programs in Germany, including the coordination of our libraries and workshops. Her particular focus lies in using creative writing and art to help children process experience and build confidence.
Chifae Laazouzi
Project Coordinator, Morocco
Our Executive Board
Paul Fowler
Chair
Paul is an education tech leader and co-founder of Lilipad. With over a decade of experience in strategy and communications and a deep understanding of the education sector, he guides Lilipad’s organizational direction, communications, and partnerships.
Aadi is a C-suite executive and angel investor with expertise in scaling and fundraising tech companies. He runs a consulting practice in Berlin advising startups in scaling and org design. At Lilipad, he supports fundraising and growth while advising on our long-term strategy.
Nicky Böhm
Vice Chair
Aadi Vaidya
Project Coordinator, Morocco
Nicky is a cultural organizer and storyteller based in Berlin with two decades in music and film, including leading community social arts projects at Refuge Worldwide and hosting a radio show that explores diasporic storytelling. She guides Lilipad’s community arts projects and brings a strong commitment to access, diversity, and cultural advocacy.
Our Core Volunteers
Jennifer Seidel
Community & Research
Nuria Rocabert
Community
Ben Pemberton
Finance
Heide Rogers
Fundraising
Seyed Ajayebi
Impact
Selma Chachia
Events
Talanja Noyjing
Design
Iva Parvanova
Events & Crowdfunding
