Our Team
Ali Abu Awwad
Ali is a prominent Palestinian activist for non violence. A former prisoner of Israel, marked by the loss of his brother who was killed by an Israeli soldier, Ali has transformed his pain into a commitment to civil and ethical resistance. Ali promotes a two-state solution based on mutual recognition of identities to this land, convinced that non-violence is both a strategic and moral force to break the cycle of hatred. Ali lives in Beit Jala, Palestine.
Alice Kisiya
Alice is a Palestinian Christian activist, journalist, and advocate for land rights and justice and Israeli citizen living in the West Bank. She works alongside Ali with the shared mission to achieve peace and a better future for all, specifically in issues related to land rights, religious minority rights, and the impacts of settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Alice is from Al-Makhrour in Beit Jala in the West Bank.
Shadi Alayassa
Shadi is a seasoned finance and administration professional with more than 17 years of experience in financial management, donor compliance, procurement oversight, and organizational governance. Shadi is known for his integrity, problem-solving ability, and commitment to advancing transparency, accountability, and community resilience. He lives in the West Bank.
Annie Berdy
Annie’s perception of the conflict was transformed by Ali Abu Awwad’s compassion and composure in navigating the restrictions imposed on the Palestinian community by the occupation. Since that moment more that ten years ago Annie has worked in a range of capacities in support of Ali’s impact.
Annie’s background includes co-founder/co-facilitator of the PeaceBuilding Funding Circle of the Threshold Foundation, former Board Member of Biomimicry Institute, American Friends of Combatants for Peace, and Inside The Middle East. Annie lives in New York.
Emily Ryan
Emily leads the implementation of Huia’s three-part strategy, based in the U.S. She has partnered with Ali since 2023, serving as a strategic partner to elevate Ali’s nonviolence ideology and work globally. She brings nearly 20 years of experience to leading complex issues and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness, shift understanding, and drive action. She is the current CEO of Pyramid Communications. Emily lives in Seattle, Washington.
John Hoyt
John supports project strategy and global engagement for Huia. He specializes in high-level strategic campaigns and initiatives, drawing on his decades of political experience. John is the founder of Pyramid Communications. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
Akanksha Jayanthi
Akanksha manages and supports strategy for Huia. She is committed to centering and elevating the expertise and ideas of people and communities on-the-ground in decision-making processes to rebuild systems and structures. Akanksha lives in Seattle, Washington.