Our Team

Mehra Rimer was born in Iran and emigrated to Switzerland in 1979 following the Iranian revolution. Raised and educated at a Catholic boarding school in Lausanne, she later graduated from the École de traduction et d’interprétation at the Université de Genève and the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales in Paris. She built her career around languages, translation, teaching, and training coordination. Since co-founding B8 of Hope in 2016, Mehra has run the organization full-time and on a pro bono basis, leading its daily work and supporting its relationships with partners, volunteers, and the wider B8 community.

Elie Pritz is B8 of Hope’s Deputy Director. A Swiss national who grew up in Jerusalem among both Jewish and Palestinian communities, she has worked for years in peace education, storytelling, and conflict transformation. She founded Global Peace Heroes, an education initiative that uses stories of nonviolent changemakers—including activists from B8 of Hope grantee organizations—to inspire students and educators around the world. At B8 of Hope, Elie supports programs, communications, and relationships with civil society partners. 

Jean-Stéphane brings more than 35 years of senior IT experience across biotechnology, finance, and international organizations. He has volunteered his expertise to B8 of Hope since the association’s founding, helping ensure that its technology remains reliable, secure, and quietly supports the team’s work behind the scenes.

Mairi Whitworth brings more than 15 years of experience in administration, executive support, project coordination, and communications across Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. She has worked in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, supporting senior leaders and board members, coordinating international meetings and events, and managing a wide range of operational and communications projects. At B8 of Hope, Mairi contributes the organizational skill, reliability, and attention to detail that help keep the team’s work running smoothly.

Dori Hoffman is a graphic designer and creative thinker who spent much of her life in Israel and Palestine. She uses visual communication to help organizations translate complex ideas and values into clear, engaging, and approachable content across different media. At B8 of Hope, Dori leads graphic design and supports social media, helping shape how the organization presents its work and the stories of its partners. She is also a member of the Tech2Peace alumni community and has taught graphic design in several of its seminars.

Arun Chandrasekharan is an attorney-at-law based in Geneva, where he has practiced since 1998 and now runs his own law firm. Born in the United States and raised between the U.S. and Switzerland, he studied at the University of Geneva before qualifying as a lawyer. Arun has served on numerous boards, including the Board of the Geneva Bar Association. He brings legal expertise and governance experience to B8 of Hope’s Executive Board. 

Leila Hawa is a Geneva-based lawyer specializing in M&A transactions as well as corporate and commercial law, and serves as Chair of B8 of Hope’s Executive Board. Born in Switzerland to a Palestinian-Lebanese father and an Italian-Swiss mother, she studied law at the Universities of Geneva and Basel before completing a master’s degree in law at Columbia University in New York. Alongside her governance role, Leila is actively involved in organizing B8 of Hope galas and other events. 

David Rimer was born in Canada and grew up in Switzerland, where he studied at the International School of Geneva. A Stanford University graduate in Anthropology, he founded and led Index Ventures, a European venture capital firm, for 20 years before earning a degree in pedagogy from the University of Durham and teaching high school history for five years. Since 2020, David has focused on impact media through The Story Board Collective. He has been active with B8 of Hope since the association’s beginnings. 

Mehra Rimer was born in Iran and emigrated to Switzerland in 1979 following the Iranian revolution. Raised and educated at a Catholic boarding school in Lausanne, she later graduated from the École de traduction et d’interprétation at the Université de Genève and the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales in Paris. She built her career around languages, translation, teaching, and training coordination. Since co-founding B8 of Hope in 2016, Mehra has run the organization full-time and on a pro bono basis, leading its daily work and supporting its relationships with partners, volunteers, and the wider B8 community.

Ahmad Abu-Akel is a cognitive and social neuroscientist and Professor of Psychopathology at the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa. A Palestinian originally from the Wadi Ara region of Israel, he began his involvement in peacebuilding as a teenager through volunteer work at the Givat Haviva Center for Peace. His research explores empathy and its potential role in conflict resolution, bringing B8 of Hope valuable insight into the psychological and social dimensions of peacebuilding. 

Fiuna Seylan Ongen brings extensive experience in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, peacebuilding education, and nonprofit partnerships. After a long marketing career at Nestlé, she became deeply involved with Coexistences, a Lausanne-based NGO that brings Israelis and Palestinians together for dialogue and coexistence programs. Through years of travel to the region and training in peacebuilding, gender, and militarization, Fiuna has developed strong knowledge of the local peacebuilding field. She also contributes to B8 of Hope’s educational initiatives in Swiss schools, helping bring the organization’s values and the stories of its partners to younger audiences. 

Hiba Qasas is the Founding Executive Director of the Geneva-based Principles for Peace Foundation and brings more than two decades of experience in conflict prevention and inclusive peace processes. Originally from the West Bank and based in Switzerland, she has held senior leadership roles with the United Nations, including in Iraq and across the Middle East and North Africa. She also convenes Uniting for a Shared Future, a coalition of more than 550 Israeli and Palestinian leaders across business, security, politics, civil society, media, and other sectors. Hiba brings B8 of Hope deep expertise in coalition-building, peace infrastructure, and the political and civic conditions needed for a credible shared future. 

Jean-Marc Liling is an attorney and senior consultant on migration and asylum policy in Israel. Born in France and raised in Belgium and Switzerland, he later immigrated to Israel and is now based in Jerusalem. He has worked with Israel’s Ministry of Justice, the Prime Minister’s Office, UNHCR Israel, the Joint Distribution Committee, and the Center for International Migration and Integration. For more than a decade, Jean-Marc has specialized in migration and refugee law, with a focus on cooperation between government agencies and civil society organizations supporting migrant populations. A former member of B8 of Hope’s Executive Board, he brings legal, policy, and civil society experience to the Advisory Board. 

John Lyndon is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, a longtime partner of B8 of Hope and the largest network of peacebuilding NGOs in Israel and Palestine. He brings more than a decade of experience leading organizations focused on conflict resolution, international development, and the role of civil society in any lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A regular commentator and writer on the Middle East, John helps B8 of Hope stay connected to the wider peacebuilding field, its challenges, and its opportunities. 

Meredith Rothbart is the Co-Founder and CEO of Amal-Tikva, B8 of Hope’s Jerusalem-based grantmaking partner. She brings almost 15 years of leadership experience with Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, as well as academic training in community development, politics, philosophy, and economics. Meredith has represented civil society peacebuilding before international institutions including the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the White House, the European Union, and the UN Security Council. Based in Jerusalem, she brings B8 of Hope direct insight into grassroots peacebuilding, nonprofit leadership, and the needs of organizations working on the ground.