MEET THE TEAM

Get to know the Womanity team

Shivani

SHIVANI GUPTA

Co-CEO AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR INDIA

Shivani brings more than 25 years of consulting, technology and development sector experience to Womanity. Having spent more than two decades with global consulting companies like Capgemini India, Shivani has deep experience in conceptualising business solutions and successfully implementing large complex business and technology transformations as well as in leading human resources integration programs.

LAURA SOMOGGI

CO-CEO AND WOMANITY AWARD PROGRAM DIRECTOR

She joined Womanity in 2017 to lead our program focused on prevention of violence against women and girls and had been supporting organisations working to advance women’s rights in Brazil, Cape Verde, India, Lebanon, Mexico, and South Africa.

Laura is an accomplished international development professional with a deep understanding of gender equality and equity and women’s rights, social impact, trust-based philanthropy, and strategic cross-sector partnerships. 

AURELIA OVAN

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Aurelia Ovan has over 15 years of experience in multidisciplinary roles of administrative and event’s management, communication, and sociology research in private and non-profit sectors.
Aurelia started her career as a researcher in sociology and as a freelance consultant for the Geneva Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO).
Aurelia joined Womanity in 2007. She is now the Operations Director and works with the other heads to improve the working environment and business processes of the organisation. 

VALENTINA DI FELICE

HEAD OF IMPACT AND LEARNING

Valentina Di Felice has an extensive experience in roles of progressive responsibility focused on the strategic design, management, and monitoring and evaluation of international development programs in the areas of women’s and girls’ empowerment and media for development. Working for Womanity since 2010, Valentina is now the Head of Impact and Learning, responsible to overview the impact of the foundation and of its programs, to lead knowledge management and learning processes and to oversee the organisational development work of the foundation. 

JOEYTA BOSE

GRANTS FUNDRAISER

Joeyta is a passionate advocate for women’s power and gender equality, with over 20 years’ experience in grants fundraising and business development. Most recently with Women for Women International UK, she began the organisation’s grants programme, leading the team to secure over £20 million from governments, foundations, and individuals towards transformative programming for women survivors of war. A senior leader with a strong track record of securing seven-figure, multi-year, strategic grants, she comes to Womanity with deep expertise…

SABINE ROSSET

PARTNERSHIPS & EXTERNAL RESOURCES

Sabine Rosset holds a MA in Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Geneva. She began her career as a journalist for the Swiss television and private media. Pursuing her interest in the cultural sector, she led for the national cinema promotion agency in Zurich, the distribution strategies of Swiss films abroad.
 Since 2011, she is specifically focused on fundraising and advising philanthropic organizations in developing their partnerships and funding humanitarian programs.

LINZI SARKAR

SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER

Linzi joined Womanity Foundation in 2016, lending support towards implementation of the WomenChangeMakers program. Over the years she has undertaken various responsibilities to keep the program dynamic and efficient. She also played an integral part in developing and launching the Women Land Rights program in India and is currently deeply involved in its operation. CII Women Exemplar Award, 3M Young Innovators Challenge, Agami Prize were some of the other projects she was part of in her early years in the development sector.

APARNA SUBRAMANYAM

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS

Aparna has over 15 years experience advising organisations both in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors on how to leverage the power of ‘brand’ to advance ideas, products, and services that catalyse social change. Working at the intersection of brand, creative storytelling, and communications, she empowers changemakers to create outsized impact by helping them articulate their mission, attract the audience and support they deserve, and amplify their impact. 

Michelle

MICHELLE FARHAT

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Michelle Farhat holds an MS in Communications and Journalism from the Lebanese University. She has 10 years of experience in media and communication, translation and social media.

In 2020, Michelle joined The Womanity Foundation as community manager, responsible for managing and handling digital communications and content creation.

MOHAMMAD ZIA NOORI

PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, AFGHANISTAN

Mohammad Zia Noori joined the Womanity Foundation in September 2011 as program director in Afghanistan. He has over 18 years’ experience in program implementation, project planning, management, supervision, and budgeting, in the areas of education, child protection, health and hygiene education and promotion, community development, and girls’ education in technical subjects (computer literacy and coding).