Meet the talented, passionate, and fearless members of our team!
Written by Abbey Kurtz
New Women New Yorkers is on the path to success not only because of our strong mission and vision, but because driving our work are dedicated, passionate, and fearless volunteers. Unique and diverse, each NWNY volunteer staff member is motivated by personal migration stories, connections to immigrant communities in NYC or generations of refugee family members, and a deep commitment to women’s issues and equality. As the Volunteer Coordinator, I am so proud to introduce this incredible team of women who prove that when it comes to launching and sustaining New Women New Yorkers, we are quite up to the challenge.
Arielle Kandel, our founder and CEO, enthusiastically drives NWNY. She propels us so we can in turn provide platforms for young women immigrants to discover their full potential. As a daughter and granddaughter of immigrants and refugees, she is strongly dedicated to helping immigrants and refugees, young women in particular, better integrate into their host country and achieve their potential. Arielle’s paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Germany; they arrived in New York in 1937, after a long boat trip across the Atlantic. Her father later immigrated to France, where he met her mother, and Arielle was born and raised in Paris. Arielle holds a Master’s Degree in Law, with a specialization in International Law and Humanitarian Action, and has several years of overseas experience working in the nonprofit sector with refugees and other immigrants.
Mia Toftdahl Olesen, one of the LEAD Program facilitators, has a flair for teaching and encouraging self-discovery among her workshop participants. Originally from Denmark, Mia moved to New York in 2013 in search of new exciting opportunities in the development field. With a strong passion for women’s rights and for creating change through the empowerment of local communities, Mia found in NWNY the perfect place to combine her interests and to support the voice and positive impact of women immigrants and refugees in the city.
Mijke Joosten expertly interfaces with the LEAD Program participants as a workshop facilitator. Working as a life skills trainer in high schools, Mijke discovered the power of open questions, games, and other interactive activities and assignments in engaging with students and motivating them to attain their highest potential. During her Theatre and Communication studies, she grew ever more aware of the importance of language in achieving common understanding. Last but not least, Mijke strongly believes that dedicating time to think about oneself as a leader is beneficial for everyone – especially if you’re not used to do this.
Sabrina Axster brings her experiences being an immigrant in the US, as well as her quick wit and superior writing skills to the NWNY blog. Sabrina made New York her home in 2011 when she moved here to work for the United Nations. Prior to coming to the city, Sabrina lived in South Africa, Kenya, and Germany, and completed her Master’s Degree in International Development Studies in the Netherlands. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies on this topic at Rutgers’ Division of Global Affairs. During her undergraduate degree in media and cultural studies and politics in England, Sabrina focused on the representation of migrants in the British media.
Khatia Mikadze has a gift for conducting interviews. As a recent immigrant from Georgia to New York City, her ability to connect with other women immigrants, regardless of background, is an incredible asset to our blog team. Khatia received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations & Sociology from the City University of New York (CUNY) in 2014. As part of her studies and since graduation, she has interned at several non-profit advocacy organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and conducted academic research on immigrants.
Edil Cuepo knows what it feels like to be “fresh off the boat” having been born and raised in Manila, Philippines. She uses her experiences as a young immigrant woman and admirable networking skills to represent NWNY as she writes about cultural events and happenings around New York City for our blog. After working tirelessly, eagerly learning from her mentors, and successfully finding her strength in real estate sales and marketing, Edil has now committed herself to helping empower women immigrants in their pursuit of a promising future in New York.
Jahaida Hernandez Jesurum is the strong female role model we aim to train young women immigrants in New York City to be. Drawing on her experience as an interpreter, she is able to connect with people from all backgrounds, which makes her invaluable to our blog team as she recounts and reflects upon their lives for our readers. Jahaida was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and in 2007, after living a year in Spain, she moved to New York City. As an immigrant, she slowly started to broaden her sensitivity towards issues she considers to hold critical importance in proper human development such as appropriate healthcare, education, labor, and housing.
Dolores Egusquiza has taken our social media platforms by storm and is bringing us closer to success, one tweet at a time, as the Social Media Manager. Dolores was born in Argentina and moved to New York in 2013. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing at Belgrano University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a specialization in digital and database marketing. She has extensive experience as a marketing professional, having worked in different positions in internet startups as well as multinational companies.
Nami Patel, NWNY’s Communications Manager, expertly produces our monthly newsletter, and designs flyers and other materials to expand our outreach to young women immigrants from underserved communities and grow our circle of supporters. Hailing from a family of immigrants and strong women, Nami is an ardent believer in using community development and women’s empowerment to expand opportunities for underserved populations. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Gender Studies from New York University in 2011. Since college, she has worked with various women’s rights groups including MADRE, Ixchen (a grassroots organization in Nicaragua), and Girl Rising.
Megan Pickarski has been a driving force of NWNY since its inception. Her impressive event planning skills have greatly contributed to the incredible success of NWNY’s Launch Party in mid-March. As a feminist and as a woman, Megan feels passionate about advocating for women’s rights and getting involved in social action. Megan graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Women and Gender Studies, and a minor in Philosophy. She developed a strong interest in social issues and social policy reform in the course of her studies.
Mary Woldegiorgis is an excellent representative of NWNY. Her flawless ability to speak about the organization makes her an incredible asset to the fundraising and programmatic teams. Mary immigrated to the US with her family from Ethiopia when she was a child. Embedded in the immigrant community for all of her life, she finds constant inspiration from the common spirit of transformation and perseverance of immigrants. Mary has several years of experience consulting for nonprofits both domestically and internationally, specializing in fundraising and communications. After studying International Development at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she worked for organizations and programs focused on issues ranging from domestic violence, gang prevention, and rare diseases, to refugee resettlement, youth development, and higher education.
Bethany Iddings knows a thing or two about grant writing for developing nonprofits and we are lucky to have her on board. She concentrated on poverty reduction programs at Sarah Lawrence College where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in International Development. Since graduation she has worked in the non-profit world in NYC helping support victims of sex trafficking, and building lasting solutions to the crises women face. Bethany’s dedication to women’s rights emerged from the belief that the most effective and sustainable development tool is the empowerment of women.
This is our team. We are always growing, in numbers and in the ways we learn from one another. While we are all busy with work, families, and life in the fast-paced New York City, we commit time, energy, and love to nurture New Women New Yorkers as it takes us, and our clients, to new, exciting places.
