Meet the team
Jaime Amoedo
Jaime founded our NGO and works hard to ensure everything runs smoothly. With a background of over thirty years in banking, finance and education he is also very passionate about the environment and the fight against plastic pollution, spending as much time as he can enjoying nature. Jaime dedicates most of his free time to volunteer with different environmental and educational organisations. LinkedIn
Luis Villalon
Luis looks after the operational and logistics side of our activities and is a keen hands-on volunteer at our group clean up events. He loves nature and is an active supporter of the preservation of the environment, having lived for many years in the countryside. He is also very engaged with his local community, volunteering for different local organisations. LinkedIn
Brett Peters
Brett is our Ambassador for the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. From Manchester with a global HR background, his life changed in 2011 meeting his wife in London and visiting the Galapagos for the first time. He loves traveling, running, playing football and DJing. Apart from managing Uniquely Galapagos, he is a board member of Pan Animalia Galapagos. Linked In
Deogracias Benjamin Kalima
Based in Malawi, Deogracias is our ambassador for the Sub-Saharan Africa region and also supports the team with content creation. He is a solutions journalism expert with 6 years experience generating content for online news sites. He is also a social science researcher with eleven years experience having worked for various research organizations including a stint with Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (University of Amsterdam). LinkedIn
Makhzuma Alieva
Makhzuma is our Ambassador for Canada. Having extensive background in Commercial Banking and Trade Finance Makhzuma lived and worked in different countries. She is very passionate about nature and the fight against plastic litter and waste actively participating in clean up activities. Makhzuma is an Environmental activist volunteering and contributing into various initiatives like River Watch with her current employer. She is also heavily engaged with her community volunteering for different local organizations. LinkedIn
Dhananjay Barbuddhe
Dhananjay is a member of our panel of industry experts. Currently working for HSBC Bank, he is a software professional with vast experience in the field and a researcher in Artificial Intelligence, Machine and Deep Learning. He is aware of topics such as water footprint, carbon emissions and their impact on climate change and has contributed to various causes related to Environmental Sustainability such as freshwater sustainability, access to safe water, water and sanitation, and conservation of terrestrial biodiversity and habitats. LinkedIn
Ieda Gomes Yell
Ieda is a member of our panel of industry experts.. She is a recognised energy sector leader, an experienced independent NED at listed & private multinationals and an active member in a number of international entities aiming to promote diversity, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) and trade. She is also a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. LinkedIn
Raquel Garcia
Raquel is responsible for our comms and media relations. Having lived and worked in six different countries, Rachel is fluent in four languages, has a master’s degree in protocol & event management and over twenty years experience supporting businesses and expatriates thrive internationally. She never misses an opportunity to spend the day out in nature fighting against plastic pollution with the rest of volunteers!. LinkedIn
Graham Smith
Graham is a member of our panel of industry experts. He is one of the most renowned specialists globally in the field of Green and Sustainable Finance. One of a small group of finance industry professionals that drew up the Green Loan Principles and the Sustainability Linked Loan Principles, having structured more than USD3.5bn of green and ESG financing globally. LinkedIn
Oana Stoica
Oana is our Ambassador for Poland. With a strong background in banking and finance, and a Master’s degree in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communications, Oana is also a philologist speaking five different languages!. She enjoys spending time in nature and supporting those most vulnerable in the community, having volunteered for Motivation Romania Foundation. LinkedIn
Jay Reid
Jay is a member of our panel of industry experts. He is the founder and Director at Mann Waste Recycling, a market leader and game changer in this sector in the Isle of Man, and has a wealth of experience in the field of waste management, plastics and recycling. LinkedIn
Wirba Usmaila Tata
Wirba is our Ambassador for Cameroon. He is the founder of Mbiame New Vision Multipurpose Farming and Development Association; a registered Youth-led non-profit in Cameroon, where he has lived his entire life. Wirba is a mentor, teacher, farmer and a renown leader in the local community and focuses his volunteer efforts in improving the lives of people living in disadvantage. He is also a member of CIVICUS, Bridge 47 Network, Building Global Citizenship, and a Melton Foundation Fellow.
Dominic Wall
Dominic is a financial services professional with a particular interest in communications and sustainable finance. He believes the synergies between innovation and finance can help solve environmental issues and presents really interesting opportunities. Bridging the communication gap between finance and ideas that need to exist in the world excites Dominic. He is always eager to learn and relay new information to help others and our environment. He enjoys hiking, mountain biking, golf, guitar, cooking and gardening. LinkedIn
Samuel Ouma
Based in Nairobi, Samuel is our Ambassador for Kenya and also supports the Global team with content creation. He is a passionate communications expert with experience generating content for private radio and online news sites, as well as government agencies in his country. He also has experience in banking. During his free time, he mobilises the community to take part in cleaning the environment and planting trees. LinkedIn
Rachel Amoedo
Rachel is our youngest (and probably our most passionate!) member of the team. She looks after our photographic and video coverage to ensure we capture the best moments during our activities. She is also a nature lover and actively participates in our clean up activities, playing a critical role to engage and look after our youngest volunteers.
Marlon Cruz
Marlon is a member of our panel of industry experts. With over 20 years of experience at universities, non-profit technological centres and industrial manufacturing, he currently works as engineering consultant. Marlon is Professional Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining UK (MIMMM), UK Chartered Engineer (CEng), UK Chartered Scientist (CSci) and Member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology UK (MIET).
Marlon is a strong believer in the powerful impact of collaborative work to engage people around topics related to science and engineering. He enjoys gardening, cooking and collaborate as volunteer in topics around his expertise to promote sustainability and public awareness about how fascinating science and engineering are. LinkedIn
Eleni Pasa Yildirim
Eleni is our Ambassador for Denmark, from Istanbul and currently living in Odense. Her passion for nature has continued since birth on a small green island in Istanbul and continues on a bigger and greener one in Denmark. Having a long back background in the fashion & textile industry, she worked especially with the development of organic and sustainable sources. Nowadays, she decided to slow down in Odense city with her new small cafe business. Eleni is also part of the international community and engaging with local organizations and volunteering for associations.
Lina Kovacheva
Dedicated to inspiring social and environmental action thought-candid images that call attention to our impact.
As a digital photographer, I face two choices. I can spot heal a plastic object out of my frame in postproduction (photoshop) or in reality. I choose to keep it real. Nature's not just a backdrop for a day! LinkedIn