Our core team
We are a young and diverse team with combined experience across both the social and private sectors, united by our commitment to making quality education and reading accessible to all children. Most of us have a migrant background, which enriches our understanding of the challenges faced by migrants.
From 2017 to 2022, we operated solely through the efforts of dedicated volunteers. Today, we are supported by a dynamic blend of paid staff, freelancers, and core volunteers.
Lilipad Staff
Sara Arsalane
Founder & Managing Director
Iva Parvanova
Events & Crowdfunding
Executive Board
Aadi Vaidya
Co-Vice Chair
Jana is a writer, filmmaker and educational workshop facilitator. With a background in social sciences and creative writing, her artistic research focuses on the therapeutic effects of writing and reading on transgenerational trauma in the context of collective experiences of violence. At Lilipad, she coordinates the Berlin libraries with special focus on implementing workshops to support the emotional well-being of the children.
Jakub (Kuba) is a social sector professional with many years of experience in non-governmental organisations. He spent the last 3 years in the humanitarian sector in various roles in project management, fundraising and research. At Lilipad, he supports the conceptualisation and implementation of core Berlin projects, in addition to fundraising initiatives.
Nicky is a cultural organizer based in Berlin, leading community social arts projects at Refuge Worldwide, where she also hosts a radio show exploring diasporic storytelling. With a 20-year career spanning music and film, she brings extensive experience in programming and a deep commitment to driving meaningful change through culture and advocacy. Passionate about increasing access, fostering diverse perspectives, and amplifying intersectional voices from underserved communities, Nicky currently serves as Co-Vice Chair of Lilipad.
Jana Gebhard
Project Lead & Workshop Facilitator (Berlin)
Seyed Ajayebi
Fundraising
Manuel Paisana
Admin & Partnerships
Sara is Lilipad’s founder and a social change advocate. She has 8+ years of experience in the private sector as an Operations specialist and 7+ years as a nonprofit leader. She transitioned to the role of Managing Director in May 2023 after years of running Lilipad as a volunteer. In addition to education in Management, she holds a Master in Social Innovation from the University of Cambridge. Her impact areas of focus involve education, intersectionality and refugee and migrants rights.
Paul is an Education Tech leader with 10+ year of experience. In his role as Head of Marketing at Spiced Academy, he has overseen the company's growth from its inception to one of Europe's most prominent tech schools. As the co-founder of Lilipad, he has played a pivotal role in steering the organisation's strategy and identity. Leveraging his deep understanding of the education sector, Paul now guides and advises Lilipad's communications. He is the Chair of Lilipad's board.
Aadi is a C-suite executive, angel investor and advisor helping scale tech companies. He was the founding team member and COO at a tech unicorn in Singapore which he scaled to a 1000 people organisation. Aadi now runs his consulting practice in Berlin advising startups on topics like scaling, fundraising and org design. He also serves as a mentor. At Lilipad, Aadi's experience is invaluable in shaping our fundraising and strategy. He is currently Lilipad's Co-Vice Chair.
Core Volunteers
Jennifer Seidel
Community & Research
Léa Ichikawa
Impact
Nuria Rocabert
Community
Ben Pemberton
Finance
Heide Rogers
Fundraising
Nicky Böhm
Co-Vice Chair
Paul Fowler
Chair
Jakub Gronowski
Projects & Fundraising
Sina Spitzlei
Partnerships
