Our team

Chief Executive

Jenni Regan

Jenni was a BBC journalist and producer for nine years, and then moved into the charity sector as Head of Media Engagement at Mind during its signature Time to Change Campaign, engaging with journalists and programme makers to improve reporting and fictional portrayals of mental health.

Jenni was a BBC journalist and producer for nine years, and then moved into the charity sector as Head of Media Engagement at Mind during its signature Time to Change Campaign, engaging with journalists and programme makers to improve reporting and fictional portrayals of mental health. She joins IMIX directly from London Arts and Health, where she was Chief Executive, and built a strong organisation, supporting a network of creative grassroots organisations to connect effectively with health professionals and introduced an arts programme to support the mental health of refugees.

Jenni is also an active volunteer and campaigner for refugee charities, including as Chair of Trustees of Stories and Supper, a charity working with refugees of any status through food and storytelling.

Media Director

Julia Rampen

Julia Rampen is a Scottish-Canadian journalist and editor, currently based in Liverpool. She has worked for titles including The Mirror, The New Statesman and The Liverpool Echo. She is the creator of a podcast about Liverpool politics, The Brink, and has appeared as a commentator on BBC and ITV. In 2013, she co-founded Qisetna, a blog collecting Syrian stories.

Julia Rampen is a Scottish-Canadian journalist and editor, currently based in Liverpool. She has worked for titles including The Mirror, The New Statesman and The Liverpool Echo. She is the creator of a podcast about Liverpool politics, The Brink, and has appeared as a commentator on BBC and ITV. In 2013, she co-founded Qisetna, a blog collecting Syrian stories. Through this, she was involved in several storytelling productions, in which she interviewed refugees about their journeys across Europe, and then worked with Syrians in the UK to retell them.
Julia’s first encounter with the asylum system was when she visited the now-defunct Oakington Detention Centre as a student. Since then, she has reported in Calais and Athens for titles including the New Statesman and the Guardian. She loves travelling and the outdoors – weather and lockdowns permitting. She tweets @JuliaRampenMM.
Strategic Communications Director

Katherine Maxwell-Rose

Katherine is a communications specialist with a wide variety of experience in the arts and charity sector. After working as co-artistic director of her own theatre company for a decade, she decided to use her passion for storytelling to campaign for social change.

Katherine is a communications specialist with a wide variety of experience in the arts and charity sector. After working as co-artistic director of her own theatre company for a decade, she decided to use her passion for storytelling to campaign for social change. Previously, she worked as an online editor with the NGO, Tearfund which included training young people to advocate and communicate on issues of poverty, climate change and sustainability. She firmly believes in the power of stories to bring about social, political and cultural change.

Katherine is a poet and novelist as well as a contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought on the early morning breakfast show. She loves writing, travelling, singing and occasional wild swimming, and tweets these adventures @KatherineMaxi.

People and Funding Director

Emily Jones

Before joining the communications and charity sector, Emily worked for many years in financial services. Alongside this she completed a BA in International Studies with RMIT, Melbourne, and has a long-standing interest in migration and human rights.

Before joining the communications and charity sector, Emily worked for many years in financial services. Alongside this she completed a BA in International Studies with RMIT, Melbourne, and has a long-standing interest in migration and human rights. Outside of work, Emily is kept busy by her two young children and is most content when crafting, practicing yoga or on holiday by the sea.
Head of Voices

Elahe Ziai

Prior to working at IMIX, Elahe worked at the Scottish Refugee Council for 6 years as a caseworker, where the majority of her clients were newly granted refugees. Although these experiences taught her a lot and helped her achieve a large portfolio of work, at IMIX, her role allows for more collaboration.

Prior to working at IMIX, Elahe worked at the Scottish Refugee Council for 6 years as a caseworker, where the majority of her clients were newly granted refugees. Although these experiences taught her a lot and helped her achieve a large portfolio of work, at IMIX, her role allows for more collaboration.

She has also completed a BA in Education and Social Services and volunteered with multiple charities in Glasgow. She is also a board member of the Scottish Detainee Visitors.

Elahe is an adventurous outdoorsy person, and she was an experienced mountain/rock climber back in her homeland of Iran.

She loves camping, traveling, reading, and watching good movies.

Digital Communications Producer

Scarlett Novoa

Scarlett is a Colombian multidisciplinary artist who, through the exploration of video, photography and design, has found the potential of visual storytelling to educate and inspire. A longing for personal freedom, and career aspirations, is what brought her to the UK.

Scarlett is a Colombian multidisciplinary artist who, through the exploration of video, photography and design, has found the potential of visual storytelling to educate and inspire. A longing for personal freedom, and career aspirations, is what brought her to the UK. Currently based in the vibrant city of Manchester, she has lived experience of the UK’s immigration system.

After completing her BFA in Visual Arts and MA in Wildlife Documentary Production, she focused her expertise on helping others and presenting stories of change and hope, especially through social media. Completely committed to social justice, she intends to bring people closer to their more compassionate side, to achieve a fairer world.

On the side, she pursues her profound interest in wildlife and animal welfare, having had her first documentary short film, ‘HYBRIDUS’, screened at The Festival of Short Film 2020 (Salford) and Festival CINE ANIMAL 2019 (Bogotá). Scarlett is also absolutely passionate about musical arts and illustration, combining elements of the two in her cinematic art: www.scarlettnovoa.com/art

Team Administrator

Karina Shur

Karina is originally from Latvia. She came to Scotland 15 years ago and is now based in Edinburgh. Before joining IMIX, she was working in hospitality and enjoyed meeting new people from different countries and backgrounds. In her free time she loves watching fantasy and sci-fi films, play video games as well as being active. She loves hiking and long walks.

Karina is originally from Latvia. She came to Scotland 15 years ago and is now based in Edinburgh. Before joining IMIX, she was working in hospitality and enjoyed meeting new people from different countries and backgrounds. In her free time she loves watching fantasy and sci-fi films, play video games as well as being active. She loves hiking and long walks.
Regional Communications Coordinator (West Midlands)

Gary Pluck

Originally from London, Gary now lives and works in the West Midlands where he supports a network of organisations in the sector.

Originally from London, Gary now lives and works in the West Midlands where he supports a network of organisations in the sector.

A marketing and communications specialist with more than 20 years’ experience at senior management and director level in the education sector, Gary has, for the past two years, provided consultancy services to an FE college in the East of England and a West Midlands local authority within the Communities and Integration Directorate, gaining a keen interest in the refugee and migrant sector.

Gary hopes to bring some best practice marketing, communications and campaigns experience to the sector.

Digital Communications Officer

Aiyanna Bucao

Before joining the team, Aiyanna worked in the background screening industry while completing her LLM in International Human Rights Law. Having been interested in working in the charity and non-profit sector, she has dedicated much of her time to volunteering in charity work over the years, including as a fundraising and communications volunteer for a humanitarian relief organisation.

Before joining the team, Aiyanna worked in the background screening industry while completing her LLM in International Human Rights Law. Having been interested in working in the charity and non-profit sector, she has dedicated much of her time to volunteering in charity work over the years, including as a fundraising and communications volunteer for a humanitarian relief organisation.

She also completed a BA in History and International Relations from Loughborough University and was a student representative for a charity that fundraised for legal aid for refugees in Greece.

With her passion for human rights and interest in communications, she is keen to use digital professionally to help share the stories and amplify the voices of refugees and migrants.

Policy Communications Coordinator

Esther Raffell

Esther joined the IMIX team with a background in community organising, political advocacy and campaigning. She has worked across issues from low pay to women’s rights, eventually specialising in the hostile environment in migration. Based in London, her work keeps iMIX in touch with the everyday political decisions at Westminster, translating them into the words and stories that reveal their human impact across the UK.

Esther joined the IMIX team with a background in community organising, political advocacy and campaigning. She has worked across issues from low pay to women’s rights, eventually specialising in the hostile environment in migration. Based in London, her work keeps iMIX in touch with the everyday political decisions at Westminster, translating them into the words and stories that reveal their human impact across the UK.
Regional Communications Coordinator (North East)

Katie Bryson

Based way up North in the windswept coastal town of Whitley Bay, Katie supports the strong network of organisations working in the migration sector in the region with their communications and media.

Based way up North in the windswept coastal town of Whitley Bay, Katie supports the strong network of organisations working in the migration sector in the region with their communications and media.

An ex-BBC journalist with many years of experience in digital media, Katie clocked up over a decade at BBC News and CBBC Newsround before going on to work as a successful influencer, food writer, and freelance digital/social media editor.

She turned her hand to charity communications in 2018 where she has used her passion for storytelling to give a platform to people living on the margins. She’s well connected with the refugee sector having spent two years leading the Communications for Action Foundation in Newcastle, who provide migrants with supported housing, free English language classes and a social drop-in.

Our trustees

Geraldine Blake, Chair

Geraldine’s expertise is in community development, with a career in social action charities, working alongside people to tackle inequalities. She brings to IMIX experience as a charity Chief Executive, and a deep understanding of how to grow a resilient organisation with good governance. Geraldine now works in grant-making with roles at London Funders, Trust for London and the John Ellerman Foundation, with a focus on funding for organisations working in migration, racial justice and social change.

Elizabeth Liberda-Moreni, Treasurer

Elizabeth is an experienced and knowledgeable Chartered Accountant, with over 30 years’ experience of working at senior level within the charity sector, developing and implementing business strategy, improving service delivery, and embedding good governance. Her core strengths lie in her ability to achieve an organisation’s objectives, whether this involves providing financial oversight expertise, monitoring the effectiveness of overall performance or ensuring that the financial and legal status of an organisation is fully adherent with all regulatory requirements.

Agnès Estibals

Agnès is a senior civil servant and professional economist. She has in-depth knowledge of Government, public policy and public affairs, having held roles spanning policy, economics and delivery of large programmes across Whitehall. She also has previous experience of advising print and broadcasting media clients on target audiences for Ipsos. Coming from a family with a long history of immigration herself, she moved to the UK twenty years ago. She is committed to promoting the positive contribution that immigrants from all backgrounds make to the UK economy and society, and to the public sector – from public administration to the frontline delivery of health, social care and education.

Dolores Modern

Dolores Modern is a Latin American migrant woman, who moved to the UK from Argentina in 2015. She is currently Policy and Communications Coordinator on Employment Rights at the Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS). She has a background in Political Science and Human Rights, and over 10 years of experience working in the women’s sector. She is passionate about fighting exploitation and inequality, about women’s issues and migration processes.

Zino Onokaye-Akaka

Zino is a psychology undergraduate at St Mary’s University in London. She also works as a Project Assistant at On Road Media and was previously a Let Us Learn Project Worker at Just for Kids Law. She has been campaigning on migrant issues since 2016 and is passionate about using her voice to change the conversation on migration. She moved to the UK with her family from Nigeria when she was aged nine and hopes that by sharing her own story and experiences she can help people to see migrants in a more human way. You can read more about Zeno’s story in our Human Journeys series.

Rachael Gould

Rachael has extensive experience of leading media and communications teams in not-for-profit organisations. Rachael is currently Head of Communications at the General Pharmaceutical Council, which regulates pharmacists and pharmacies. Previous experience includes working in senior communications roles for the General Medical Council, the National AIDS Trust and The Children’s Society, where she worked on major campaigns representing the interests of young refugees and asylum seekers and their families.

Shazia Ejaz

Shazia Ejaz is an experienced communications professional having worked in a variety of sectors. Her training ground was in government departments including Her Majesty’s Treasury which set her up to go on to work in a global management consultancy and a global affairs think tank. Having worked on political campaigns and now running communications for a business body, IMIX benefits from her strategic vision for communications and growing organisations.