Our Advisors
A volunteer group of trusted non-profit leaders and other senior professionals, contributing strategic advice, connections, subject matter expertise, and keeping UA BWB team on track and doing the right things the right way.
Elena Helmy
Elena Helmy is a former management consultant now leveraging her business skills and a vast professional network to make a positive difference in the world. With over a decade of experience in the social finance and impact space, Elena currently leads the global grants and impact investments portfolio of Virgin Unite, the entrepreneurial foundation of the Virgin Group and the Branson family. She was born and raised in Ukraine, and spent six years living and working in East Africa, before moving to the UK where she currently lives with her husband and two daughters. Elena has a degree in international economics and an MBA from Said Business School, University of Oxford. In March 2022, she helped to set up UA Brokers Without Borders, where she currently sits on the Advisory Board and supports the team in building a successful non-profit, fundraising, and partnerships.
Kieran Bligh
Kieran Bligh is a Humanitarian Supply Chain professional who has led high-impact humanitarian response programs at WHO, WFP, and USAID. Since transitioning from a career as chef leading award-winning restaurants, where he accidentally discovered his passion for supply chain, he has gone on to implement & strengthen large-scale global health and food security operations reaching the world’s most vulnerable. Kieran is also deeply passionate about securing safe pathways to asylum for people who become displaced due to conflict, food insecurity, and natural/man-made disasters.
Cindy Rocha
Cindy Rocha is a global leader in strategic partnerships, disaster philanthropy, and cross-sector collaboration. With over 15 years of experience across nonprofit, government, and private sectors, she excels at mobilizing resources and driving impactful initiatives. As an International Program Advisor at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), she oversees strategic grantmaking and stewards CDP’s global disaster response and recovery funding portfolio. She also founded and leads Crosspoint Resilience Strategies, helping organizations navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and achieve mission-driven goals. Previously, Cindy led humanitarian operations at Airlink, including leading Airlink’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Born in Sinaloa, Mexico, she has worked across Spain, The Netherlands, Kenya, and Panama. Now based in Washington, D.C., she empowers organizations to create lasting change.