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Bilal, from Syria, has a bachelors' degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Masters' degree in NGO management. Bilal worked in the private sector for six years before becoming a humanitarian worker in 2018. While responding to the needs of his own people, Bilal worked in project management, compliance, grants, MEAL and quality management with local and international NGOs. Bilal aspires to capitalize on this fellowship to fundraise himself and pass knowledge to local NGOs too.

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Oyama is a passionate film graduate with a vision to make a positive impact through storytelling. She is driven to produce content that inspires and uplifts, with a keen eye for detail and a dedication to social justice. Her goal is to leave a lasting mark on the film industry and make a difference, by advocating for her lgbtqia+ community.

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Makava is an avowed Refugee Rights Activist, lifelong Educator, and Climate Change Activist. He works in the Cape Town Bowl with migrant and refugee organizations under CoRMSA (The Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa). Additionally, he is an Educator at Cape Town High School in the Cape Town City Bowl, where he is  involved in various clubs like the Environmental Club and The Interact Club, focusing on climate change and humanitarian causes respectively.

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Richler holds a bachelor's degree in Health and Life Sciences, and is  currently a master's student in Medicine based in Amsterdam. She is a social and global health activist, deeply passionate about leveraging philanthropy to create meaningful, positive change within communities. Her hopes and dreams for the future are driven by an unyielding dedication to addressing the root causes of social inequalities, with the ultimate aim of fostering a more just and equitable society for underrepresented populations.

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Samantha is a community organizer with a deep commitment to social change and environmental stewardship, currently residing on the unceded lands of the Mohawk Nation (specifically in Montreal, Canada). Her heritage is a tapestry woven from Chilean, European, and Canadian threads, shaping her identity as a bridge between cultures and communities. She graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University in 2022, and has since embarked on an exploration of how business and education can serve as positive forces for change.

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Melissa is an agricultural development professional passionate about driving growth and impactful change in agriculture and SME sectors across Africa. Currently pursuing a Masters at Stellenbosch University, she aims to contribute her skills and knowledge to projects that advance these sectors, particularly through fundraising. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, listening to music, exploring new activities, and investing in people. Her favorite experiences include paragliding and visiting the beach.

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Damilola is a social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience across diverse sectors, helping young people and professionals turn their education, gifts, and skills into solutions—jobs and enterprises—to break barriers to development. He’s a 3-time TEDx speaker and an MBA Candidate at Strathmore Business School, Kenya. He's the Chief Catalyst at Prikkle Academy—a for-impact organization in Nigeria and Rwanda that uses open-source and personalized education to turn ideas, uniqueness, and knowledge into action. Damilola loves co-creating ‘chaos’, bringing creativity, innovation, agency, and action into development.

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Rand is a sustainability professional with experience in sustainability consulting and climate education, having worked globally to raise environmental awareness and promote sustainability. Passionate about addressing funding challenges for green and social impact initiatives, Rand is excited to join the Bridging Gaps Fundraising Fellowship to gain expertise in fundraising and develop innovative strategies to support impactful projects and empower local entrepreneurs

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Wiam is an experienced program manager working with non-profit and civic society organizations in Morocco, specializing in project management, incubation, and communication for impact. She supports social innovators by contributing to projects and programs that drive social change. Using a design thinking approach, Wiam helps create environments where innovative ideas can thrive and make a meaningful impact. Besides her professional work, Wiam is committed to volunteerism, actively supporting community-driven initiatives that promote positive change. Her work and community involvement show her dedication to contributing to the social impact landscape.

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Mercy is a Product Manager and Emerging Media Technologist. She has an expansive professional & academic background spanning Asia and Africa spearheading the design, launch & implementation of tech-powered products in a multitude of sectors. Mercy is passionate about working with women, youth and refugees to launch and grow eco-sustainable enterprises.

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Irving is a social entrepreneur passionate about youth empowerment, arts, and social innovation. He is  the Founder and CEO of 1001 Ideas Para Mi País, an initiative that equips young people with innovative tools to address social issues. He also co-founded Cultura Lírica, a project that promotes hip hop culture as a means to empower at-risk youth. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Communication and a Master's degree in Political Science.

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Faye is a social impact professional who equips global leaders with best practices in implementing sustainable solutions. In other words, Faye is a builder of more equitable and sustainable communities. As an inaugural Bridging Gaps Fundraising Fellow, Faye strives to apply her learnings from the program to her concurrent Princeton in Asia fellowship at the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association, as well as in future projects and positions. She looks forward to channeling her budding environmentalism and belief in global citizenship throughout her Bridging Gaps fellowship.

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Daniela is from Lima, Peru. She studied Communication for Development and has worked on accompanying development projects and learning processes for civil society. Her projects have been related to gender, Amazon conservation, and communications. Daniela has also supported NGOs in Latin America to improve their communication for social change and resource mobilization. In addition, Daniela loves to write poetry and is a meditation and mindfulness teacher.

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Shunyao is an experienced professional in social and financial inclusion, with an academic background in international affairs and over 7 years of private sector experience, further enriched by roles within NGOs and the UN. Deeply committed to financial inclusion and social impact, she leverages stakeholder engagement and evidence-based analysis to design sustainable, inclusive, and innovative solutions. Shunyao values collaboration and a goal-oriented approach, consistently delivering on commitments to drive positive change.

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Kizito is a Ugandan Monitoring and Evaluation professional with 5 years of experience designing and implementing livelihood projects targeting smallholder farming communities in Uganda, including climate adaptation, village saving and loans associations (VSLAs), education and youth skilling projects. He currently coordinates community engagement partnerships at Mystery Gorilla Foundation, and works as an M&E officer at Restless Development Uganda. In his experience, he has seen the barriers to accessing credit among many small holder farmers, and believes that harnessing simple mobile technologies can bridge these gaps and unlock investment opportunities for rural communities. He joins the fundraising fellowship driven by the following philosophy: ‘the returns on investment in young people and women are unmatched.’

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Andrea is a 21-year-old franco-guatemalan. She recently started her Masters degree in International Affairs and Development at Université Paris Dauphine, after a formation in economics and political science. She is a persistent and passionate person who believes that a better and fairer world is possible.

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Nkeshimana is a final-year economics student with a strong focus on development economics and a passion for community development. With four years of working in both local and international organizations, he has gained significant experience as Project Coordinator at Project Vita and Project Officer at SDSN-Youth. Currently, he serves as a Research Associate at The Energy Africa and is a member of the youth advisory board at the AU-EU Youth Action Lab.

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Ana is a lawyer graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) with a postgraduate degree in Practices for Feminist Advocacy from the Higher School of Law (ESD) and specialization in assisting women in situations of violence from the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences (IBCCRIM). She is the Program Director at Mapa do Acolhimento, responsible for the organization's strategic planning and impact monitoring and evaluation. Ana has been working with Mapa do Acolhimento since 2018, combining her extensive experience with gender-based violence and strategic vision for fundraising. She has represented the organization at international forums such as the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2023 and the SVRI Forum in Cancun in 2023.

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Nadine is from Luxembourg and is a dedicated economical engineer currently residing in Munich. With a passion for environmental sustainability, Nadine is seeking opportunities to transition her career towards making a positive impact in the world. Her expertise and commitment to creating a healthier planet drive her to explore new paths that align with her values and aspirations for a better future.

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Zachery is a social entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of Development Alert, a nonprofit organization operating in Uganda which empowers vulnerable communities through livelihoods improvement and environmental wellbeing. Prior to founding Development Alert in 2020, Zachery supported projects by Plan International, Save the Children, World Vision and Uganda Wildlife Society. Zachery holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Makerere University and is currently at research level with a Master of Arts Degree in Social Sector Planning and Management. Zachery’s goal is to uplift others and conserve the environment in his community.

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Raghda is a 20-year-old entrepreneur, leader, student, and sustainable development advocate from Sudan. As the first businesswoman in her family, Raghda founded her first business at the age of 15.

During the war in Sudan, she launched a new business focused on producing Sudanese designs and products, creating job opportunities for over 25 people. Raghda is dedicated to supporting and empowering others, and has trained over 1,000 entrepreneurs in Sudan. She has volunteered with organizations such as TEDx, KYF, and others, where she played a key role in organizing events and conferences that addressed educational challenges and highlighted the contributions of Sudanese youth. She is currently pursuing a double degree in engineering and business administration, and was selected as one of the youngest entrepreneurs in Africa to participate in the African Leaders Initiative RLC East Africa Program on the Business and Entrepreneurship track.

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Yessica is a first-generation immigrant from Mexico. She is the first in her family to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. During her educational journey, she founded a club focused on undocumented students and interned at a tech startup as a customer success intern. Yessica has dedicated significant time to volunteering, particularly through food pantries and tutoring programs aimed at supporting low-income individuals. Her leadership and technical skills continue to grow through her involvement in programs such as Engaged Latina Leadership Advocacy (ELLA) and her recent completion of the Spring 2024 COOP Data Analytics program.

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Tami is a dedicated human rights advocate with a Master's in Humanities and Politics and a Bachelor's in Law and Political Science. They have a proven track record in supporting marginalized communities, and have co-founded a feminist NGO. Tami is committed to promoting social justice and inclusion, and their extensive experience and multilingual abilities equip them to engage effectively with diverse communities worldwide.