Our Leadership

President & CEO

Solomé Lemma (she/her/hers) is the President and CEO of Thousand Currents, leading the overall strategic direction of the organization. Born in Ethiopia, Solomé saw at an early age the harmful effects of top-down philanthropic practices. She has since dedicated her work to championing community-owned and -led social transformation. Previously, Solomé has worked with Africans in the Diaspora (AiD), Global Fund for Children, and Human Rights Watch.

Vice President, Operations

Cindy Clark (she/her/hers) is the Vice President of Operations at Thousand Currents, where she ensures effective organizational practices and culture. Cindy has previously held roles at AWID, first supporting the groundbreaking collaborative research and advocacy on “Where is the Money for Women’s Rights?” and later providing operational leadership for AWID Forums as well as organizational growth and evolution to a geographically dispersed team. She served as AWID’s Co-Executive Director between 2017 and 2022.

Vice President, Center for Transforming Philanthropy

Rajiv Khanna (he/him/his) is the Vice President of the Center for Transforming Philanthropy at Thousand Currents, where he leads donor education programs and oversees research and knowledge production on moving more and better resources to Global South movements. Rajiv has a background as a historian of international relations, with expertise in Modern Europe, South Asia, and the Cold War. In addition to designing and teaching college courses, he has led the Indian Diaspora Oral History Project at San Jose State University. A member of the Leadership Circle of Thrive East Bay, Rajiv currently serves on the Board of the EDGE Funders Group.

Vice President, Finance

Jinky Demarest de Rivera (they/them/theirs) is the Vice President of Finance at Thousand Currents, where they oversee all budget planning across teams and ensure that the organization’s financial needs are met. Jinky brings over 20 years of experience in leadership, technical expertise, and strategic thinking. Prior to joining Thousand Currents, Jinky held roles at several human rights and social justice organizations, including the Audre Lorde Project and Tides.

Vice President, Philanthropic Partnerships & Influence

Zahra Vieneuve (she/her/hers) is the Vice President of Philanthropic Partnerships and Influence at Thousand Currents, where she leads resource mobilization and communication strategies that are aligned with the vision and power of grassroots communities. With a deep commitment to justice and interdependence, Zahra has worked across philanthropy and civil society, including at the Marin Community Foundation, Global Fund for Women, and in community-based spaces across the Middle East and North Africa.

Vice President, Global Programs

Zanele Sibanda (she/her/hers) is the Vice President of Global Programs at Thousand Currents, where she leads programmatic strategy across our regional teams in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa. She has spent her career working for social and gender justice, previously working with Firelight Foundation, We Are Purposeful, and Fenomenal Funds, along with women’s rights organizations in her home country of Zimbabwe.

Board Member

Asad Rehman (he/him/his) is the Executive Director of War on Want where he works with frontline communities & social movements to end poverty, inequality, and injustice. Prior to that, he was head of international climate at Friends of the Earth. Asad has served on the boards of Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth International, and Rainforest Action. He currently co-chairs the Edge Funders Climate Justice Working Group.

Board Member

Flavia Jimenez (she/her/hers) is a certified coach and consultant, leading organizational change initiatives and opportunities for professional growth to staff through coordinated training and leadership efforts. She has 15 years of combined experience in the areas of immigration law and policy, employment law, immigrant integration policy and programs, and organizing for community empowerment. Flavia has previously worked at the National Skills Coalition and the U.S. Department of Education on economic justice and educational opportunities for adult immigrants in the U.S.

Board Member

Herschelle Milford (she/her/hers) has 30 years of experience leading organizations. She has spent a majority of her career at a land justice non-profit, leading the organization through several strategic processes. Her leadership approach is rooted in collective learning and re-learning, dialogue and advocacy, and exchange and solidarity. Hershelle also serves on the Social and Ethics Committee of the mothers2mothers South Africa board, and is a member of the Environmental Monitoring Group.

Board Member

Mandy van Deven (she/her/hers) has directed global and regional portfolios for private and family foundations that redistributed $14.5 million in grants and capacity building support to groups in 10 countries that advance gender, racial, economic, and climate justice and build the infrastructure for narrative power. Mandy is an advisory board member of Puentes and has held leadership roles in several philanthropic initiatives, including Foundation for a Just Society, Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the Human Rights Funders Network.

Board Member

Michelle Reddy (she/her/hers) is a Fijian feminist activist and co-leads the newly established Pacific Feminist Fund (PFF). Prior to this, she spearheaded the establishment of Women’s Fund Fiji, the first national women’s fund in Fiji. Michelle has been part of the vibrant and passionate women’s and feminist movement in the Pacific for two decades, and currently serves as an advisory member on the Equality Fund’s Catalyse Program and Human Rights Funders Network’s Global Racial Justice Council.

Board Member

Ruth Sawyer (they/them/theirs) dreams of building healthy, resilient, and community-centered economies that work for everyone. Over the course of a varied career, they have consistently worked on issues at the intersection of equity, environment, and community and economic development. Ruth currently works as an organizer for clean, affordable energy campaigns and just transition work, in addition to collaborating with other leaders to increase access to affordable capital, incubate community-based finance projects, redistribute wealth, and democratize and shift what it means to invest in the local ecosystem.

Board Member

Shilpa Alimchandani (she/her/hers) is the Founder and Principal of Mookti Consulting. With more than 25 years of experience in facilitating the development of equitable leaders and human-centered workplaces, Shilpa has facilitated high impact workshops in nearly 20 countries from around the world. She is currently the Director of Learning & Innovation for Cook Ross, leading its curriculum and product development initiatives. Previously, Shilpa has led the development of a global learning strategy for the Peace Corps, receiving the Peace Corps’ Distinguished Service Award twice.

Board Member

Sihle Dinani (she/her/hers)is the Chief Financial Officer at Tides Advocacy. With over 20 years of finance and operations experience, Sihle is passionate about supporting highly functioning nonprofit infrastructure. Most recently, Sihle worked with Movement Strategy Center, a funder intermediary and fiscal sponsor incubating social justice organizations nationwide. Sihle also currently serves as Board Treasurer for Urban Tilth and as Board Secretary for the Movement Strategy Center.