Our Team

Ann Strandoo M.S.W.

Founder/Executive Director

Ann Strandoo, has advocated for refugees for more than 20 years both in the U.S. and in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the U.K. She has held several roles in the field of refugee resettlement in both the UN system and for non-governmental organizations. She has dedicated her life to highlighting the power and promise of refugees. She has a B.A. from the University of San Francisco and a Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Washington.

Anne Riley J.D.

Anne Riley is Development Director for the Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle, Washington. Anne has 20+ years of experience working with non-profit organizations to reach their fundraising goals. An original founder of the law practice Advocates for Justice, Anne remains committed to fighting for social justice everywhere. Anne has her B.A. from Holy Cross College and her J.D. from Seattle University.

Elijah Bul

Elijah Bul is an accountant from Louisville Kentucky. Elijah was resettled to the U.S. in 2006 from Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Elijah and his family fled the war in his native South Sudan when he was a small child. After arriving in the U.S. Elijah worked full-time at UPS and earned a Bachelor of Science from Spalding University. Elijah is completing his M.B.A. this year. He has volunteered his time with the Ayual Community Association and Nile Orphan Care to provide medical supplies and build schools in South Sudan.

Mohamed Ahmed

Mohamed is a self-proclaimed Muslim feminist who advocates for women’s rights with some of the most resistant and patriarchal cultures in the world. Currently based in Kenya, Mohamed is a proud human-rights activist who has spent the last decade fighting gender-based violence through educational empowerment programming. Mohamed is currently doing an honours BA degree program on Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at York University in Toronto.

Zainab Alhassani

Zainab Alhassani, is an Undergraduate Program Coordinator at the University of Washington’s College of Education. Zainab and her family fled from Iraq to a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia. Her first-generation experience in the United States and in university gives her insight and experience to take back to other refugee students to help them through their struggles. She received her B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Washington and volunteers her time to translate for refugees in her community.

Tsewone Melaku

Tsewone Melaku is a Master of Education candidate at the University of Washington Seattle studying Educational Policy, Organizations & Leadership. Born in the US to Ethiopian refugees, she grew up seeing and experiencing the barriers that many immigrant families face when trying to create a sustainable future. She is passionate about supporting historically excluded communities in receiving a quality education that provides young people with access and opportunities to pursue their dreams. She has experience in management consulting and a background in human centered design.

Virginia Mumo Ntheketha, (Kenya)

Virginia is an education program specialist with over 16 years of progressive and hands on experience in education and training program implementation and management including education programing in conflict and post conflict settings/ refugee settings. Virginia has worked in the education sector having held several roles with NGOS/INGO and the UN. She believes in the application of knowledge and skills to mitigate the socio-economic challenges with the view of promoting sustainable development and contribute to ending social injustices. She holds a Masters degree in Development Studies specialized in community development ( St. Paul's University) and a Bachelors degree in Education ( Egerton University). She currently works for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Philip Kinara (Kenya)

Philip holds a BA and Masters in Economics from the University of Nairobi. Philip is an Education Officer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and previously served as an economist with the Kenyan Ministry of Education for ten years. Philip has worked to promote the inclusion of refugees in the national education system and to increase opportunities in vocational/technical training in Kenya. He has previously volunteered with the technical working group for the review of the criteria for university financing in Kenya, the Inter Ministerial Committee on University Education and the Taskforce for the Alignment of Higher Education to the constitution.Zainab Alhassani

Kimberly Mitchell

Board Chair

Kimberly Mitchell, is a professor at the University of Washington's College of Education and recently served as Board Chair for the International Baccalaureate Americas Regional Council. She is a published author of the book Experience Inquiry (2018) and former Director for Teach For All Argentina, a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an Elementary Principal at American Community School in Athens, Greece. She has been an administrator and teacher in public schools in Seattle, WA, Quito, Ecuador and Compton and East Los Angeles, CA. Kimberly has an M.A. from Stanford University.

Refugees In Schools has partnered with community-based Windle International Kenya and the very best technical colleges in Kenya to provide the highest standard of vocational education to our refugee scholars. Windle has staff based in Nairobi, Dadaab, and Kakuma refugee camps.

Windle has delivered education services for communities affected by conflict for more than 40 years. Windle staff support RIS students as they adjust to life outside the refugee camp providing counseling, monitoring student performance, supporting mental health medical needs and providing financial allowances.