Team

M Suresh Kumar

Suresh is a clinical researcher, psychiatrist, and technical director for citiesRISE Chennai. He currently practices at his private clinic and is also associated with the Psymed Hospital (Chetput) as Director & Consultant Psychiatrist. Suresh was formerly a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health and Professor of Psychiatry at the Madras Medical College, Chennai. He brings extensive expertise in research and design, with over 35 years of involvement in the field of drug use prevention, treatment, and mental health as a service provider, professor, trainer, researcher, and international consultant. Suresh holds positions on a number of international boards, task forces, and working groups- all relating to injectable drug use, HIV/AIDS, and harm reduction. He holds an M.D. from Madras University. He is a former Hubert H Humphrey Fellow in substance use and obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Happily married for 38 years to Shakuntala, a Psychiatrist, Suresh enjoys music, books, long walks and being with the children.

Kevin Hale

Kevin brings over 15 years of professional experience working to advance youth and community wellbeing. Prior to joining citiesRISE, Kevin worked within a range of youth serving fields in the US, including the foster care, education, and community mental health systems. With experience as both a direct service provider and system level advocate, Kevin always seeks to center the leadership, knowledge, and perspectives of communities with lived experience in co-designing how approaches to support wellbeing are developed and delivered. In his current role with citiesRISE, Kevin supports innovative research, implementation, and advocacy initiatives that are driven by teams of diverse stakeholders, and anchored in partnership with youth and community. Kevin is based in Seattle and holds a BA in Political Economy from UC Berkeley and an MSW with an emphasis in clinical practice from the Silberman School of Social Work.

Joyce Arita

Joyce brings over a decade of expertise in project and program management to her role. She was part of the team that worked on citiesRISE Nairobi landscape mapping. Prior to joining citiesRISE, Nairobi, Joyce’s commitment to youth mental health and development is exemplified through her participation in the Alliance for the Protection of Children. She played a crucial role in launching the youth mental health program in Kenya while working with BasicNeeds BasicRights Kenya. Joyce holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management from Africa Nazarene University, providing her with a strong foundation in business and management principles. Additionally, she holds a Diploma in Library and Information Science from the University of Nairobi, further complementing her skill set.  Currently serving as the Programs Manager at citiesRISE Nairobi, Joyce oversees a range of projects and initiatives, fostering collaboration among communities and stakeholders in health, education, social services, and other developmental sectors.

Beyond her professional commitments, Joyce finds solace in long drives and cherishes precious moments with her family.

Shahab Ali Siddiqui

Dr. Shahab Ali Siddiqui is a public health professional with nearly 15 years of
experience working at the intersection of health systems, equity, and social
impact across low- and middle-income countries. Shahab has led large-scale
programs with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), UNICEF, Save the Children, IQVIA, and India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. His work spans maternal, child, and adolescent health, pandemic preparedness, and systems strengthening, with a focus on inclusive and sustainable solutions.

A trained medical doctor, Shahab also holds an MBA in Hospital & Healthcare Management and an MSc in Climate Change and Planetary Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). His approach to global health is grounded in cross-sectoral collaboration, locally informed action, and long-term sustainability.

Outside of work, Shahab finds inspiration in Indian classical music, literature, and poetry. He loves to travel and encourages everyone to read Rabindranath Tagore at least once, with a strong cup of coffee in hand.

Ramon Castano

Ramon Castaño brings a wealth of experience in public health in Latin America. He has developed research on the issue of equity in health financing, financial sustainability of the health system, autonomy of public hospitals and Centers of Excellence in health. Ramon is currently dedicated to promoting innovations in business models in the provision of health services which is vital to informing his role at citiesRISE. He is a corresponding member of the National Academy of Medicine of Colombia and holds a doctor of the Institute of Health Sciences, CES, a Master’s in Management and Health Policy of the Harvard School of Public Health and a PhD in politics and public health from the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London.

John Pradeep

John Pradeep JL is India’s first theater-based life coach for parents and children, and a keynote speaker at schools. Author of 5 books, holder of 2 world records, and 2-time Josh Talks speaker and TedEd host, John brings over a decade of experience working with children and parents. His passion lies in storytelling through theater-based methodologies, making coaching fun and energetic for children. Having trained over 10,000 children and adults on leadership and socio-emotional skills, John’s engaging curriculum includes puppetry, shadow theater, clowning, mime, and plays. He actively contributes to organizations like Passion Play International-USA, World Clown Association-USA, and Schoolopreneur India. John’s core strength lies in coaching, and he is the Founder of Growth School For Kids, a comprehensive after-school solution for schools, and the Senior Trainer at Training Sideways, India’s No.1 Art-Based Behavioural Training Company.

John enjoys long, solo bike rides, and that is how he usually travels when he has workshops in other cities.

Lidiya Gebre

Born and raised in Ethiopia, Lidiya embarked on a new journey by immigrating to the United States in 2011. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic learner with a passion for global health, youth development, social justice, and humanitarian work. As the oldest of six siblings and the first in her family to graduate from college, Lidiya is a trailblazer who continually strives for personal and academic growth. Currently, Lidiya is pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work and a certificate in Global Health and International Development at the University of Washington. Through her studies, she is dedicated to expanding her knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in the fields she is passionate about. With her unwavering determination and commitment to creating a better world, Lidiya is poised to contribute significantly to global health, youth development, and social justice initiatives.

In her free time, Lidiya indulges in her love for traveling, staying active through workouts, and cherishing the beauty of sunsets, especially when they grace the city of Seattle.

Upasana Sharma

Upasana is a public health researcher with experience in various areas, including mass gathering health research, caregiver burden, health promotion, mental health, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) development. Upasana holds a Ph.D. from AMCHSS, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in India, supported by a fellowship from the Indian Council of Medical Research. She has also received the Junior Research Fellowship from the University Grants Commission of India. She has worked as a research fellow at institutions such as PGIMER in Chandigarh, NIMHANS in Bangalore, and as a consultant at the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology. At citiesRISE, she is responsible for designing and implementing research programs and strategic initiatives in India and globally. Passionate about health promotion and writing, Upasana shares her expertise as a health and wellness contributor to SHE-India, a leading monthly women’s magazine in south India. She believes in harnessing new-age technologies to enhance public health education and research.

Upasana is an avid dog lover and an enthusiastic traveler.

Maureen Gikonyo

Maureen Gikonyo is the Global Youth-Systems Engagement Lead for citiesRISE, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Over the past several years, Maureen has played a pivotal role in advancing innovative strategies to improve mental health outcomes for young people. She has established key partnerships with the Nairobi City County, the national government, mental health professionals, and leaders across systems to drive impactful, multisectoral collaboration. Through her work, Maureen has bridged the gap between generations and sectors to strengthen mental health policies and practices, combining her lived experience with her professional expertise.

In her leadership role, Maureen has also spearheaded pivotal research initiatives, providing crucial insights into the intersection of youth mental health and urban systems. She has been instrumental in mobilizing youth leaders and system stakeholders in Nairobi and other cities, fostering a collaborative approach to mental health and well-being that centers youth voices.

Maureen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Special Needs Education and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health, further underscoring her commitment to expanding her impact in mental health. In her free time, Maureen enjoys spending quality moments with her family and friends, traveling, and watching animal documentaries. Her passion for exploration and connection reflects her commitment to building a world where mental well-being is accessible and supported for all young people.

Jim Vollendroff

Jim Vollendroff has been instrumental to the initiation of the work of citiesRISE in Seattle/King County and has worked in the behavioral health field for over 35 years. He spent the first half of his career as a direct service provider starting as a clinician and finally the clinical director of patient services for Providence St. Peter Hospital in Lacey, WA. Jim next worked for the King County Department of Community and Human Services for 16 years, eleven as the Deputy Director and five as the Director of the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division. In this leadership position he was responsible for the delivery of a full continuum of mental health and substance use disorder services for the Medicaid and low income community and well as the community crisis responders. In January 2019 Jim became the founding director of the Harborview, University of Washington Behavioral Health Institute. As an individual in long term recovery Jim uses his life experience, educational background and professional experience to bring a unique perspective to the delivery of effective mental health and addiction treatment. Jim has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.

Milton Samsunder T

Milton Samsunder leads citiesRISE’s mental health and wellbeing efforts across local innovation hubs, with a focus on adolescent populations. With over eight years of experience in designing, implementing, and scaling arts-integrated wellbeing programs, he plays a key role in advancing strategies across research, accelerator, and learning platform initiatives.

At citiesRISE, Milton collaborates with youth-led groups, NGOs, arts organizations, and municipal stakeholders to co-create evidence-informed, culturally adaptive interventions for young people’s mental health. He helps shape accelerator offerings, supports scaling in priority cities, and guides the synthesis of evaluation data.

Prior to citiesRISE, Milton spearheaded statewide wellbeing programs and theatre-based initiatives, reaching over 6000 schools and 27000 adolescents respectively. He is also the founder of ILAN and MATTRAM, street theatre and folk art collectives, and a passionate mental health advocate through his #LETSTALK movement, which integrates stand-up comedy and folk storytelling to foster dialogue and healing.

Outside of work, Milton is an avid storyteller, playwright, performer, and a lifelong art educator, dedicated to building communities both on and off the field.

Sai Sudha Ramakrishnan

Sai Sudha is a development sector professional with a background in project management in Education, Wellbeing and Arts-Based Interventions. She previously led statewide programs as part of the Tamil Nadu education reforms and managed pilot innovations across schools and learning spaces. Her work spans curriculum design, teacher training, and systems-level change, with a focus on equity, wellbeing, and child-centered approaches.

She is passionate about exploring the intersection of spirituality, wellbeing, and education. She is a student of Buddhist psychology and a Dharma practitioner. By applying research-driven insights and a deep commitment to holistic development, she aims to create environments where individuals can thrive.

An avid nature lover and poet, she believes every person should, at least once, lose track of time under an open sky, whether in a forest, by the sea, or with a notebook in hand, capturing the quiet poetry of the world.

Rahul Hasija

Rahul Hasija is the founder of Founder of Swacardz, a communication design and coaching consultancy providing L&D tools, bespoke communication product design and gamified learning experiences to unleash human and relational capital. He has over a decade of experience in leading experiential learning and entrepreneurship programs for young leaders and changemakers and has worked with more than 5000 young leaders supporting them in building peer-supported learning communities, self-inquiry, and initiating ecologically conscious livelihoods. 

Rahul works with citiesRISE as a game designer to support our work in inner development and core capacities.

Christina Laurenzi

Christina is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Life Course Health Research at Stellenbosch University, where she focuses on adolescent and participatory engagement, mental health interventions, and implementation science approaches to evaluation. She is passionate about South-South collaboration and generating evidence to inform programming that can support marginalized individuals and communities. Christina has collaborated with a diverse range of partners, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Plan International, One to One Africa Children’s Fund, and citiesRISE. She received her doctorate from Stellenbosch University in 2020. Her research focused on community health worker programs, adolescent mental health interventions, maternal and child health, and implementation science methodologies.

Christina loves cooking, playing classical piano, and exploring Cape Town’s beautiful beaches and mountain paths in her free time.

Oliver Mbayi

Oliver is a storyteller. He has 25 years of working with individuals and communities in conflict as an artiste healer. His expertise in counseling psychology and creative healing has endeared him to communities and institutions where he facilitates the efficacy of theater in mental health, psychosocial support and social reconciliation. Oliver is presently a lecturer at Kenyatta University in the Department of Communication, Film and Theatre Studies where he teaches art of storytelling, dramatherapy, psychodrama, community theater and children’s theater. Oliver has trained and mentored members in arts approaches to peace-building and advocacy and facilitated experiential workshops for international interns with Kenya’s grassroots communities in peace, dialogue and intercultural communication. Oliver leads citiesRISE arts strategy and training on principles that inform mental health among the global youth community.

Oliver has a passion for cooking and interior decoration.

Stephen Hanmer D’Elía

Stephen has dedicated 25 years to designing and implementing policies, programs, and direct clinical work aimed at improving the lives of children, youth, and families. He has worked and lived in more than 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. His experience encompasses various roles, including leading UNICEF’s engagement with legislative branches of government and religious communities. He has also directed education, youth, and parent support programs for one of the largest child welfare agencies in the United States. Stephen has conducted individual and group therapy sessions with children, youth, and parents, making a direct impact on their wellbeing. His expertise extends to overseeing the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of child protection and refugee programs in Africa and the Middle East. Stephen has won several awards and accolades, including an Aspen Institute Fellowship. Stephen holds a Law (J.D.) degree, a Social Work (L.M.S.W.) degree from Columbia University, and a History (B.A.) degree from Yale University.

Outside of work, I like to exercise, read, and, most importantly, spend time with family and friends.

Robert McGrath

Robert, who is Professor of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, is devoted to helping students learn how to help others. Also a Senior Scientist with the VIA Institute on Character in Cincinnati, Ohio, Robert has authored over 200 publications and presentations and written two textbooks, including the Quantitative Models in Psychology. His interest in research is not just about doing research. He believes people will be “better people if we learn how to be humble when data doesn’t support what we hoped to be true”. “The most objective way to uncover the truth and understand that our choices will be better is if we think in terms of probabilities (even though that’s hard for us to do).” Robert earned his B.A. in Psychology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, M.A. in Psychology from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Auburn University.

Robert lives with his wife and a cat outside New York City.

Andrea Wong

Andrea helps people make better funding, policy, and strategy decisions. A Canadian born, Andrea moved to London to join the design and research studio, Science Practice, bringing onboard her wide experience.  Her interest in complex systems, an orientation toward structure and form, and a deep personal commitment to building community brought her to Science Practice where she manages partnerships, provides strategic direction across projects, and supports the design and research team’s ongoing development. She is currently leading the team working on the research for the Egypt strand of Science Practice’s Global CoLab project, and working on redesigning the Good Problems website . In her early years at Science Practice, Andrea worked in strategy development, program design and opportunities research in science, tech, and social innovation and was associated with projects of Wellcome Trust, Nesta, Government of Canada, Innovate UK, Humanitarian Innovation Fund, Impact on Urban Health. Andrea has degrees in Information Design and English.

Richard Batty

Richard leads research projects at Science Practice, which is a consultancy that works with research and innovation funders. Most of Richard’s work has been in global health, for the Wellcome Trust. He is also developing Science Practice’s specialism in mental health and wellbeing, with a particular interest in the connection between wellbeing and the more soulful areas of life, such as spirituality and community. As a student at University of Oxford, Richards took the first year of a BA in Theology before switching focus to Human Sciences, which is an interdisciplinary subject aimed at bringing together biological and social science perspectives on humanity. Richard is interested in the connected wellbeing problems people face, including mental ill health, loss of meaning, and loneliness. Prior to joining Science Practice, Richard worked as a freelance researcher with D-Prize and 80,000 Hours. At Science Practice, he helps funders answer questions such as what are the research priorities in this field; how to bring together stakeholders across disciplines; and how to design a funding program that selects the right grantees.

Dominic Regester

Dominic is Director of Education and Director of the Center for Education Transformation at Salzburg Global Seminar, where he is responsible for designing, developing and implementing programs on the futures of education, with a particular focus on education transformation. Prior to this he worked for the British Council for 14 years on global citizenship education, teacher professional development, and education collaboration. He is also a Director at the Amal Alliance, a Senior Editor for Diplomatic Courier and since 2021 the Executive Director of Karanga: the Global Alliance for Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills. He holds master’s degrees in Chinese studies from the School of Oriental and African studies in London, and in education and international development from the Institute of Education at University College London. Dominic is a founding member of the Executive Committee for Karanga – The Global Alliance for Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills. He writes and speaks regularly about education reform, with a particular focus on social and emotional learning.