Founder, Project Coordinator & Instructional Designer.

Kelly is a Bay Area native who has made it her life long mission to empower women through education. She possesses a MS in Education & International Development and an extensive background in teaching English as a Foreign Language. In addition, Kelly has worked closely with a variety of international, grassroots non-profits that offer social services to refugee women. She specializes in curriculum and workshop design that concentrates on building an increased awareness of gender studies, gender-based violence, intersectionality, and displacement. Kelly founded WISTLE after conducting personal research on the complexities and nuance of sex work and migration; she hopes that WISTLE will raise awareness of the barriers migrant sex workers face, their important contributions to feminism, and ultimately, foster a community among women.

Volunteer Coordinator.

Christina is an Atlanta, Georgia native who holds a MS in International Policy and has dedicated her life to human rights and journalism. Christina’s interest in the intersection between cross-cultural communication and empowerment of vulnerable populations led her to pursue work in media companies and developmental organizations in Europe, Africa, South America, and the United States. Christina specializes in project coordinating, multimedia communication, qualitative research, and policy writing; she also has extensive experience teaching English Language learners across a variety of contexts. Christina is a firm believer that education and effective communication is the key to enacting change. She hopes that through WISTLE, migrant sex workers can gain the English communication skills necessary to navigate difficult situations and be empowered in their everyday lives.

Grant Writer & Social Media.

Melialani was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a MA in International Education & Globalisation and has volunteered with numerous education non-profit organizations in the Bay Area. Melialani is Kanaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) and currently lives in Maui, Hawaii. She works as a Program Coordinator for the Haleakalā Conservancy, a philanthropic partner to the Haleakalā National Park. She is passionate about female empowerment, as well as Indigenous rights, well-being, and Indigenous education sovereignty. She specializes in international education, grant writing, fundraising, and social media management. Melialani hopes to contribute to WISTLE’s goals of raising awareness and empowering migrant sex workers through education.

Spanish Interpreter & Curriculum Developer.

Krishi has roots in the Midwest in Springfield, IL and the East Coast in New York City. After getting his bachelor’s in Neuroscience-Behavior and Economics-Philosophy, he grew increasingly passionate about making accessible the same health and education resources that are normally only available through elite institutions. He possesses a TEFL certification, as well as an extensive background in health as an AmeriCorps VISTA in a free clinic that serves migrant populations. Krishi sees WISTLE as the ultimate opportunity to address some of the most pressing social determinants of health/well-being through English literacy education for society’s marginalized individuals. He hopes to apply his Spanish interpreting, teaching, and healthcare skills to equip migrant sex workers with the means to best help themselves.