Our People

Rachael has spent her career working in campaigning and activist organisations focused on social change. Over the years, she has worked across development and capacity building in the UK and internationally, with experience spanning fundraising and programme development as well as supporting organisations to strengthen their impact and resilience.

More recently, Rachael has focused on operational leadership, running finance, governance, HR and operations for startups and growing organisations. Her work brings together strategic oversight with a practical focus on building the systems, culture and ways of working that help organisations grow sustainably. She particularly enjoys working in strategy, and in roles that support the energy and momentum of activism and mobilisation.

As Chief Operating Officer, Rachael oversees the enabling functions of 38 Degrees, and the teams responsible for the systems, culture and frameworks that make our people-powered campaigning thrive, now and into the future.

Outside of work, Rachael spends time with her family, is in ongoing negotiations with a puppy about who’s in charge, sometimes crafting or sewing but usually knee-deep in a building or renovation project on their old house.

Jo qualified as a chartered accountant in the 1980s and has had a diverse career within the profession (audit, litigation support, dispute resolution and corporate finance) and in the commercial and charity sectors (advisory, compliance and ethics, finance and risk management). Jo lived in Hong Kong for ten years and has worked internationally, but now enjoys being based in the United Kingdom. Jo’s aim is to ensure that 38 Degrees has a strong financial base to work from and is able to invest fully in achieving our campaigning goals. Jo looks after our finance function as well as risk and governance.

Jo has been actively involved in supporting various causes in the past, but is now looking forward to working with an organisation that can really make a difference. In her spare time she enjoys theatre, her allotment and singing in a jazz ensemble.

Leyton now lives near Cardiff but grew up in Lower Cwmtwrch, fifteen miles from Swansea.  His first language is Cymraeg and he is a dab hand with a golf club.

He’s led the the inception and development of three SaaS products, the most recent was the subject of an acquisition by one of the world’s leading edTech companies and is a keen advocate of user centric, design driven product development.

Matthew is a lifelong campaigner for social justice and progressive causes, and has worked for trade unions, trade justice campaigns, and for the UK’s leading antifascist group.

He has worked on election campaigns for centre-left political parties and candidates in several countries, including the UK, Australia, Sweden and the US. In 2012, Matthew led Digital Rapid Response for President Obama’s re-election campaign, based in Chicago.

Matthew appears regularly in the media to represent 38 Degrees supporters, and to commentate on political issues and developments.

Outside of work, Matthew is an avid support of Norwich City, and of the Washington Nationals, writing and recording on football and baseball regularly. He lives in north-west England with his family.

Veronica previously worked in politics and in regional and local government, before moving to the charity sector. She has worked in communications and public affairs for a number of leading charities, campaigning passionately on issues from saving Sure Start children’s centres to improving care for people living with dementia.

Outside of work Veronica enjoys running in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, searching out delicious cake, and riding the emotional rollercoaster that comes with being a Leeds United fan.

Amana is the first permanent Director of People and Operations at 38 Degrees. Amana has worked across a number of sectors including legal, human rights, education, environmental, and INGOs in interim and permanent roles since 1998. Amana has managed, set up and directed HR functions in the UK and Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa and is passionate about diversity, inclusion, equality and equity.

In her spare time Amana enjoys cooking, reading and travelling, learning about local culture and food.

Ellie oversees work to ensure 38 Degrees strategy empowers millions of people, who look like the country we are trying to change, to make the UK a fairer, more respectful and sustainable place to live.

Before joining the team, she led campaigns for children’s charities and was an advisor in Parliament.

Ellie loves travel, food and American politics.

Robin comes to campaigning with a background in technology and design. His team at 38 Degrees is the engine room of innovation and insights. They dig into the data, listen to our supporters, run experiments and look out into the wider sector to ensure that as many people as possible have the best experience possible of impactful campaigning with 38 Degrees.

Prior to joining the team he used to be the creative manager for an independent cinema and has been actively involved in a range of campaigns areas. Most famously he once tried to drive a tank into an arms fair, and challenged the government to a game of cricket on Parliament Square. He’s also an awesome skateboarder.

Priya Rane is Head of News at the Trades Union Congress. She is a former Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Transport, and has a wealth of experience in leading media campaigns which have helped to win change for working people.

Natasha has deep expertise as a non-profit executive and trustee in a diverse range of mid-sized organisations including Farm Africa, Forum for the Future, Transparency International UK, The Institute of Development Streets and most recently at Living Streets. Originally qualifying as qualified chartered accountant she has led activities such as strategic planning, governance, financial management and people development.

Currently the Development Director at openDemocracy, Rudaba has over 20 years of experience in promoting and advocating for social justice. Her career spans welfare-to-work, youth empowerment, ageing population strategy, economic development, widening participation in higher education, racial justice and independent investigative journalism.

Rudaba specialises in strategic income generation for the not-for-profit sector in the UK, focusing on the core socio-political issues of our time, bringing them to the heart of how and why organisations fundraise for a sustainable future and connecting them to a range of stakeholders in order that they are tackled through meaningful and powerful partnerships.

Prior to starting her career, Rudaba read Arabic with Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Durham University. Speaking 6 languages and having lived in Dhaka, Helsinki, Belfast, Damascus and London, her international background formed the bedrock for her passion for social justice and the intersection between foreign affairs and domestic socio-economic development.

Liz is an equity, diversity and inclusion consultant across the charity and sports sectors.

She is an educator, collaborator and activist at heart, who first found her feet in Climate Justice after graduating in Zoology. Her journey into the charity sector began with radical youth work, working in all kinds of educational environments to support young people in harnessing the power of social justice.

Passionate about safeguarding, she spent time managing a youth project in London, working with survivors of exploitation, whilst also supporting policy makers and community leaders to operate with a trauma informed praxis.

As a charity leader, Liz was previously Director of Programmes at The Advocacy Academy, the UK’s only Social Justice Leadership programme, where she supported young activists to launch campaigns focusing on decolonising the curriculum, police brutality, anti-racism and air pollution, to name just a few. Most recently she held the role of Director of Programmes at Stonewall, Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ Human Rights organisation.

She can be found on all social media at @lizmaryward usually talking about her first love, football.

Clare Kandola is a sustainability-in-media specialist, co-founder and partner at Futuretivity, a consultancy delivering sustainability for businesses. She has over 20 years’ experience working in film and TV internationally, with a decade working in sustainability, Circular and Sharing Economies.

As CEO of media consultancy Vidya Collective, Clare supported content providers create social value, develop audiences and achieve commercial viability. She has led research and strategy initiatives across Africa, working with TV and OTT providers to support sector growth and impact.

She was NED for The People Who Share, a social enterprise focused on Circular and Sharing Economy principles for business, communities and civic organisations. Clare’s background is in development and commercial management of broadcast and OTT, working externally and within leadership teams of content owners, aggregators and platforms. She has worked with brands including Amazon and Lovefilm, held executive commercial positions with Bloomberg and Freesat, with earlier roles at Discovery and Turner Broadcasting in London.

Andy has a passion for environmental and humanitarian issues. He has over 30 years’ experience of working on environmental matters. He previously worked for the Department of the Environment and the Environment Agency advising ministers and senior officials. His roles covered policy, science and operational delivery and included posts as Head of Environmental Strategy and Head of Research. He volunteers for the British Red Cross as an emergency responder and chairs their Climate Change committee. He also volunteers at a community centre supporting refugees. Andy has a PhD in ecology from the University of Southampton.

David is a strategist, technologist, and campaigner with extensive experience scaling digital-first movements.

Originally from the southern US, over the past 15 years they have worked and lived in Washington, D.C., Brussels, Oxford, and London.

David’s work leverages tech to unite people across class and community, building collective power that forces accountability from corporations and governments alike.

Currently a Fellow at the London College of Political Technology, David holds graduate degrees in sociology, politics, and gender studies from American University and Worcester College, Oxford, where their research focused on how and why certain ideas propagate online.

Ellie’s career has focused around the nexus of technology and social impact. She is the Assistant Director for Innovation and Improvement Programmes at the Health Foundation, where she is responsible for the strategic development and operational delivery of a portfolio of funded programmes to improve health and care services.

Before joining the Health Foundation, Ellie co-founded and co-led Pivotal Act, a programme housed within technology companies Pivotal and VMware, dedicated to working with nonprofits to collaboratively create digital products that address social issues and drive impact. She established Pivotal Act while working as a consultant product manager.

She has tackled the challenge of building and using technology to improve society from many different angles, including at the World Bank, the US Department of Energy, startups and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ellie is passionate about supporting teams to take an outcomes focused, systems-led, and ethical approach to create impact, always in partnership with the communities we are designing for.

Sarah currently leads social impact strategy at Movember, where she works on campaigns and initiatives that challenge masculine norms in order to promote men’s health.

Prior to this, Sarah worked at leading agency Purpose, where she supported and built social movements on issues from global health, to climate change, and children’s play, working with partners such as the Gates Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and LEGO Foundation.

Before Purpose, Sarah led the strategy for Asia and the US at NGO Girl Effect, where she developed a specialism in youth-led programming and media that drive change.

Sarah began her career as a strategist at the UK’s leading creative advertising agency AMVBBDO. During her time in advertising, Sarah produced campaigns that won creative and strategic awards, from the APG, Marketing Society and IPA.

Prior to this, Sarah studied Sociology at Bristol University, Columbia University, and completed her master’s degree in Gender and Sociology at the London School of Economics

Richard has over 30 years of financial and strategic leadership experience. He has worked as chief operating officer, director and trustee in the UK, USA and Africa.

Richard is the Chair of the creative environmental charity Hubbub and a trustee and Chair of the Finance Committee of Magic Breakfast.

Buki is a Qualified Accountant and Management Consultant with over 17 years experience advising Senior Executives on how to improve the operational performance of their organisations. She is a Director at Baringa Partners LLP, a mid-sized full service Consulting firm, where she acts as Head of Finance Transformation Practice for Insurance clients and People Lead for the Insurance sector. She is also the Treasurer and a member of the Parochial Church Council at St John the Baptist Church. Buki is both a mentor and a coach; she is passionate about diversity as well as developing and empowering people of all personalities and backgrounds in the workplace.