MEET THE TEAM
Founder
JEAN LIN
Jean is passionate about spreading awareness on important social justice issues and working to create equal opportunities for individuals of different backgrounds. Whether it be topics like climate change, substance abuse, or the gap in access to education, Jean is dedicated to creating change and empowering others to do the same. Her time as a US Department of State Youth Ambassador to Belize has motivated her to share with others the opportunity to meet other students from all over the world, promote cross-cultural understanding, and gain leadership experience. In her free time, Jean is enjoys going on walks with her family, kickboxing, reading, and baking. Jean is excited to create accessible global education opportunities for students around the world, and make a difference with all of you!
Executive Director
Anika Dugal
Anika Dugal is a senior at Old Bridge High School who is interested in technology policy, anthropology, and international relations. She is so excited to be serving as an Executive Director of LATW and work to bridge global communities. Outside of LATW, she was appointed to lead over 200,000 students as the FBLA National March of Dimes Director. Anika is also the Founder and President of Girls for Algorithmic Justice (GFAJ), a grassroots coalition mobilizing 280+ female and non-conforming student volunteers for equitable artificial intelligence legislation. Anika additionally is an advocate for gun prevention policy, serving on the High School Democrats of America's National Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce and presiding over Old Bridge Students Demand Action. Recently, Anika served as one of the youngest U.S. Delegates to the 4th United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Summit. Anika aims to practice law and become a leader in the nexus of public policy, gender justice, and global affairs.
Executive Director
Samuel Bernbaum
Sam is a senior in the International Baccalaureate Programme at Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Florida. He is interested in advocacy and the legislative process, having long participated in Youth in Government and now leading his school’s Congressional Debate team. He is particularly passionate about building a more equitable society and believes this begins with fighting bias and bigotry through education and dialogue. In response to high-profile incidents of racism, homophobia, and anti-Semitism at his school, he founded the Principal’s Advisory Council. Working with his peers, the administration, and community leaders, he has created a model for a student-led response to campus hate which he hopes to develop and share with other communities. Sam enjoys filmmaking and won state, national, and international recognition for his inaugural documentary short, The Magic of Misinformation: Deception in our Democracy. He also just finished a short film on campaign finance and its influence on election results, Cash in Campaigns: The Climb to Candidacy. He is thrilled to be on the Leaders Across the World Executive team and continue the great work that Jean Lin started.
Executive Director of Outreach
Vinson Russell
Vinson Russell is a passionate student leader and high school senior from Atlanta, Georgia. He is passionate about equity in education advocacy, expansion of mental health resources in minority groups, and marketing. Vinson enjoys working with other students from around the world to echo change in the STEM community. Forever inspired by the many, Vinson is servant style leader who is ready to pour his heart out to any project he sets his mind to.
Executive Director of Social Coordination
Annika Renganathan
Annika is a teenager from Sammamish, WA, USA who is passionate about addressing stigmas and generating awareness around important social justice issues. Annika is motivated to create an impact in her community and wishes to cultivate a future of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the world. Her involvement in activism for women empowerment and gender equality has allowed her to develop an interest for reducing disparities between social classes and promoting education for overlooked topics. Her hobbies include playing tennis, playing the piano, and watching Gordon Ramsey’s cooking videos. She is so excited to interact with such a great community and make a difference for individuals across the world!
Executive Director of Public Relations
Haya Fatmi
Haya is keen on working to drive change in our local communities, coming together as various communities and society, to push forward for equality! She joined LATW after working in her local county to create county events and picnics for students, parents, adults, leaders, etc. alike to fuel conversation and awareness on social justice issues. Her experiences and perspectives have allowed her to understand the increasing need for youth to get involved, to have opportunities irrespective of their economic or social status, background, financial ability, etc. In various programs and engagement with youth and organizations, the lack of youth or civic participation in general was astounding to her as the need kept on building up for young people to strive for change. Alongside these passions, she loves to read, paint/draw, spend time with family and friends, and play soccer!
Executive Director of Resources
Sophia Gombos
Sophia was born in Shanghai, China, and is biracial and bilingual. She is very passionate about social justice issues, including racial equality, climate change, accessibility, and much more. Sophia volunteers and organizes fundraisers and drives for a variety of local non-profit organizations, is deeply involved with affinity groups for Asian and multiracial youth, and solves issues and improves maintaining and improving accessibility in state parks as a member of DCNR NextGen Council. She has dedicated herself to improving injustices and Leaders Across the World has provided her with the perfect platform to spread awareness and take action. Sophia also has a variety of hobbies and activities that she loves participating in, including dancing, singing, acting, golfing, modeling, and rock climbing.
Alumni Advisor
Lucia Mulei
Lucia is driven to create environments in which young people can network, collaborate, and expand their perspective on the world around them. She wants to ensure that when young people have these opportunities to connect, they are prepared to express opinions based on a foundation of subject knowledge and personal experience. Lucia joined the LATW team after participating in a U.S. State Department-sponsored virtual exchange program, and was struck by how rarely young people have the chance to spend significant time with their peers around the world. At LATW, she creates resources to support participants throughout the exchange curriculum, leads the Regional Representatives program, and supports the Executive Team to apply for grant funding. Outside of the organization, she loves to read, knit, play the violin, and listen to podcasts.
Alumni Advisor
Elaine Gombos
Elaine is a biracial and bilingual speaker with a passion for learning. She attended an international school in China before moving to the US, inspiring her to become an advocate for diversity, inclusion, cultural awareness, and the importance of communication and education. After attending an online cultural exchange that fostered leadership and understanding, Elaine was motivated to take action and reach a wider audience. Her involvement in Leaders Across the World stems from a sincere passion for collaboration, peer-to-peer support, having effective conversations about current events, and inspiring the next generation of leaders. She is involved in affinity groups for Asian and multiracial youth, diversity leadership in her school community, as well as student-led tutoring programs. Her other interests include STEM, singing, theater, reading, swimming, golf, and spending time with her adorable pet poodle!
Executive Director of Outreach
Amberle Lim
Amberle is committed to raising awareness about the myriad of social, political and economic issues present in our world. As an individual, she continues to learn about the racial disparities to the effects of global warming in hopes of bringing the severity of these issues to the attention of others. Deeply rooted in her Malaysian background, she is eager to continue learning about cultural diversity and is keen on creating a world that fosters equality. Her involvement in Leaders Across the World has allowed her to work with those who share the same passion in becoming the world's next leaders. Outside of this organization, she is passionate about reading, travelling and spending time with her adored pets. She can't wait to inspire change in others and is excited for this journey!