Leadership
Symbiosis is led by practitioners who place trust, collaboration, and practical action at the core of meaningful impact. The Symbiosis Foundation connects people, ideas, and organizations to turn purpose-driven initiatives into meaningful, collaborative impact.
The People Behind Symbiosis
Our leadership brings together experience in strategy, collaboration, social impact, digital transformation, and community building.
Our Leadership Model
Symbiosis is led through a distributed leadership model organized around clear domains of expertise. Each domain is stewarded by an experienced board member or an emerging leader with strong growth potential in that field.
Strategic decisions are made collectively during formal Core Team Meetings, where board members and Core Team volunteers vote on priorities such as impact focus, budget, and key collaborations. A staged strategic framework guides planning and execution, allowing Symbiosis to manage risk while scaling impact responsibly.
Team Overview
Learn more about the people contributing to the direction, development, and growth of Symbiosis.
Gerben — Strategic Impact · Founder · Board
Domain Strategic Impact: Strategic direction, impact focus, organizational stewardship, cross domain alignment, external partnerships
Gerben brings over a decade of leadership in pharmaceutical healthcare and GMP production, with a focus on innovation and operational excellence. As founder of The Symbiosis Foundation, Harvard CLIMB alumnus, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, he combines expertise and a deep commitment to creating meaningful social impact through strategic partnerships and sustainable solutions. He lives in Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
Gaylina – Brand & Storytelling · Board
Gaylina Mayieko Board
Domain Brand & Storytelling: Narrative strategy, brand stewardship, storytelling leadership, communications oversight
Gaylina is a sustainability Marketing and Communications expert. She is passionate about storytelling and building brands that resonate with SDGs. She holds an MBA and Bachelor of Commerce degrees specializing in Marketing Management. Currently she works for a water-climate fund in Kenya.
Ákos – Financial Stewardship · Founder · Board
Ákos Hajdu Founder · Board
Domain Resource Amplification: Financial stewardship, budgeting oversight, resource allocation, long‑term financial sustainability
Ákos is a data analyst, with a strong analytic expertise. He is passionate about health, fitness & wellness. Ákos holds a degree in Biochemical Engineering from Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He has been living in Amsterdam since 2023.
Heleen – Governance & Compliance · Founder · Board
Heleen Geilenkirchen Founder · Board
Domain Governance: Governance oversight, compliance assurance, accountability structures, board process integrity
Heleen is a driven communications professional who loves bringing stories to life through thoughtful writing and sharp editing. She is currently editor-in-chief at the municipality of Haarlem and lives in Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
Ulrich - Financial Oversight · Advisor
Ulrich Nguepini Advisor
Domain Resource Amplification: Financial oversight advice, risk review, financial controls guidance, strategic financial input
Ulrich specializes in finance, regulatory and management consulting. He has more than 15 years of experience working in the financial sector. He is a Harvard CLIMB alumnus, based in Paris.
Fati - AI & Digital Strategy · Advisor
Fatima Azzahra Mastari Advisor
Domain Strategic Impact: AI strategy guidance, digital transformation input, responsible technology advice, future capability exploration
Fatima is founder of ChildLink-MA — AI for Good for Neurodiverse Children. She is a healthcare transformation leader with 16 years of experience bridging clinical practice (DDS), AI innovation, and global health governance (Judicial Expert). She fosters worldwide collaboration between organizations and volunteers at Symbiosis, bringing insights from Harvard CLIMB and Lean Six Sigma MBB.
Marcin - Community Engagement · Core Team
Marcin Mietus Core Team
Domain Engagement: Community coordination, program facilitation, stakeholder interaction, initiative support
Marcin is a Student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and currently doing an assignment in Heidelberg Germany. He is motivated connector, from Chess society to non-profit organizations.
Tamara - Research & Experimentation · Core Team
Tamara Greenlese Core Team
Domain Strategic Impact: Research design, experimentation, learning capture, evidence generation for initiative direction
Tamara is an ambitious, dedicated and adaptable professional with experience in administrative support, community outreach, and program coordination. She studies at the Oregon State University and has a special place within our Core Team as she supports as an Intern with additional focus on development.
Umme - Branding · Core Team
Umme Abiha Core Team
Domain Brand & Storytelling: Brand support, visual consistency, brand expression, communications assistance
Umme is a Chemical Engineering student at NUST with an interest in manufacturing and process engineering. Skilled in Microsoft Office, she is keen on developing her professional capabilities by contributing to projects from concept development to execution. She values consistent growth through reading and reflective writing.
Kevin - Program Support · Volunteer
Kevin Hovius Volunteer
Domain Engagement: Program support, operational assistance, on‑ground execution support
Kevin specializes in social media strategy. He has experience working for multiple large international technology companies. Kevin lives in the Netherlands.
Kingsley - Community Support · Volunteer
Kingsley Essemiah Volunteer
Domain Engagement: Community support, participant assistance, local engagement support
Kingsley obtained a master’s degree in biomedical sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is currently working as a regulatory affairs officer in the pharmaceutical industry.
Eric - Program Support · Volunteer
Eric Ndayisaba Volunteer
Domain Engagement: Program support, project assistance, execution support
Eric is a graduate of the African Leadership University with a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership. Passionate about marketing, communication, and community impact, he has applied his skills in digital content development, project management, and social media strategy to support various organizations.
Working With Symbiosis
Leadership at Symbiosis exists to enable meaningful collaboration and shared impact. We partner with organizations, individuals, and communities who are committed to practical action, learning, and long‑term change. If you’re exploring collaboration, partnership, or contribution, we welcome the conversation.