Our Team
benie
Benie is Project and Content Coordinator at Ravel. With over a decade of experience creating and producing content for social impact, she built her expertise as a journalist for Ni Nyampinga, Rwanda’s first mass media brand for girls, writing over 200 stories for its quarterly magazine and hosting and producing 150+ radio shows that reached over a million girls. Through this, Benie developed a passion for tackling complex social issues through storytelling which she continues in her role at Ravel, creating content and coordinating project delivery to make sure campaigns are rooted in the communities they serve and hit their strategic change goals.
emma
Emma is Managing Director and founder of Ravel. With over 20 years building powerful brands and campaigns, her career has taken her from managing high-profile media brands for MTV the BBC and Kiss FM, to building and guiding brands and content for social change organisations across the world. Emma has led creative projects from grassroots initiatives to global campaigns, marrying strategic rigour with powerful creative to deliver impactful communications around complex issues and challenges. Emma launched Ravel in 2021 and leads the team and a network of partners across continents and projects, as well as acting as creative counsel to some of the world’s leading social impact organisations.
sammie
Sammie is Creative and Campaigns Manager at Ravel. Working across both the commercial and social impact sectors, he has developed successful campaigns for major brands like Bank of Kigali and Airtel and supported youth initiatives across 17 countries with the global NGO YLabs. His expertise spans strategy, creative and project management and is driven by a belief in crafting solutions that are rooted in culture and context, creating impactful stories that connect with people to shape and drive positive change.
natasha
Natasha is Senior Communications Advisor at Ravel. With over 20 years’ experience in strategic communication, she started her career in the UK working with major brands like Canon and Nintendo, managing communication networks across Europe and ultimately as Board Director at a top UK PR agency. In 2016 she moved out of the commercial PR world and into the social impact space. She has supported NGOs, think tanks and government initiatives in navigating complex strategic communication challenges and opportunities, and specialises in delivering holistic insight-led advocacy and communication solutions that amplify the voices of the communities they support, driving influence in communities, countries and on the global stage.
dida
Dida is Senior Creative Advisor at Ravel. A key member of Rwanda’s creative community, she is a cultural entrepreneur, co-founding L’Espace, a multidisciplinary cultural space in the heart of Kigali that produces and hosts hundreds of artists every year, alongside being the founder and director of IYUGI, a production company based in Kigali. Dida was casting director and technical advisor for the screen adaptation of Gaël Faye’s Petit Pays, directed by Eric Barbier, and co-producer of the documentary Le Silence Des Mots, co-directed by Michael Stancke and Gaël Faye. She is also a writer and actress. An invaluable advisor to Ravel, Dida supports and guides creative development and production both in Rwanda and across the region.
colin
Collin is Senior Communications Advisor at Ravel. With over two decades of media and communications experience, he began his career in journalism before joining the non-profit sector, working for Imbuto Foundation, an organisation started by the First Lady of Rwanda to raise awareness for girls’ education in Rwanda. Returning to journalism, he worked for The New Times, Rwanda's leading daily, for over 10 years in various positions, including Editor-in-Chief, where he led the newspaper's digital transformation. Collin was a founding member of the National Press Club of Rwanda and also twice led the Rwandan Journalists Association. During his time at the helm, he successfully advocated for changes in laws to facilitate the work of journalists and built networks amongst journalists and within news organisations across Africa and beyond. Collin is a member of the UK's Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Public Relations Association of Rwanda, the East African Journalist Association, The African Federation of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. He is also an advisory partner and member of Women in News. A key advisor to both Ravel and its partners, Collin supports across strategic communication approaches, global, regional and national media management and partner and stakeholder management. He is passionate about mentoring young people and works with universities in practical skills training for their students.
ali
Ali is Senior Partnerships Advisor at Ravel. He has over 15 years' experience managing partnerships and major initiatives across East Africa, including launching Girl Effect's Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors (TEGA) program across Rwanda, Tanzania and coordinating high-profile events on behalf of the Government of Rwanda including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the 2023 Women Deliver conference. His deep expertise in project and stakeholder management enables him to excel in delivering complex, high-profile projects and initiatives, bringing diverse actors together around shared goals, even in challenging environments. Ali acts as a key advisor to Ravel in developing strategic partnerships, using his wide network to create opportunities for meaningful collaboration, alongside taking the lead on key Ravel projects and initiatives.
jess
Jess is Consultant Creative Director at Ravel who has worked on brands, campaigns and content throughout the world. From sales to strategy Jess has worked in various roles spanning fashion, advertising and international development with some of the world’s most pioneering and creative organisations, brands and people. She worked at leading creative agency Mother in London for four years before becoming Brand Director for Girl Effect in Rwanda creating and launching, Ni Nyampinga, Rwanda’s first mass media brand designed with and for adolescent girls inspiring a movement of positive social change for a generation of girls that became the template for Girl Effect's youth brands globally. Championing brands, campaigns and content that are rooted in deep purpose and culture, Jess leads creative direction for Ravel projects, helping organisations communicate with authenticity and creative excellence.
naomi
Naomi is Brand and Campaigns Manager with extensive digital media experience across European institutions and Rwandan media. She has managed digital communications for major events at the European Parliament, and developed digital strategies at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, honing her ability to communicate effectively across different cultures and platforms. At Ravel, she develops brand and campaign strategies, conducting research to make sure communications connect with the right audiences through the right channels ro deliver maximum impact.
beata
Beata is Office Support at Ravel ensuring Ravel's Rwanda operations run seamlessly. Since joining in 2022, she has become the organisational backbone that enables the creative and strategic teams to focus on their best work. Her attention to detail and proactive approach to team coordination creates an environment where collaboration flourishes. At Ravel, she manages office operations and provides essential team support, handling everything from logistics to team coordination with efficiency and care.
freya
Freya is Senior Creative Manager at Ravel. A creative producer and designer with extensive experience in end-to-end content strategy and production, she has led and developed multi-platform content for award-winning campaigns to end malaria at Malaria No More UK, produced for organisations including the WHO and worked with global partners to deliver content designed to make meaningful change. At Ravel, she is driving brand and creative work and strategy, bringing holistic strategic thinking and bold, purposeful design to help social impact organisations communicate with clarity, confidence and creativity.