Our Team

As a collective of women from different backgrounds, we are committed to empowering individuals to transcend societal constraints and poverty mindsets. Our programs honour dignity, reject radical feminism, and promote balanced gender equality. Through our initiatives, we aim to help women excel in all roles, enabling them to thrive in every aspect of their journey.

Joelle Richa - Founder

Joelle is the founder of Awaken Platform, a leadership development consultancy based in the UK. With over 15 years of experience in business management, innovation, and development across London, Paris, and Dubai, Joelle is an executive coach with a deep understanding of business visioning, establishment, and expansion. She is a results-driven strategist, trainer, and executive coach with a proven ability to optimise the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations.

Joelle's coaching approach is centred on supporting leaders across different career stages. Whether it's individuals navigating new roles, leaders addressing productivity challenges, or high-potential managers, Joelle provides personalized guidance and assistance In terms of qualifications, Joelle holds a Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching London. Additionally, she is also a licensee of LMI (Leadership Management International), which has helped future-skill hundreds of thousands of leaders and managers across more than 80 countries to improve their day-to-day performance and productivity.

Joelle has also completed the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme, designed to empower women in senior positions to overcome the challenges they face in their professional journeys.

Manal El Bahri - Consultant

Manal is a highly skilled youth leadership trainer who integrates music into her programmes. She effectively engages and supports young individuals, particularly those with learning difficulties, assisting them in developing their skills and realising their full potential through positive and structured approaches.

As a Music Education Consultant and dedicated music instructor, Manal ignites a love and passion for music teaching. With over 20 years of experience in music education and therapy, she has worked with individuals with disabilities and children facing learning and behavioural difficulties.

Fluent in English, French, and Arabic, Manal holds a Master’s Degree in Higher Education and Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education and Psychology. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Music Therapy. Manal extends her expertise to associations, special centres, schools, universities, and psychologists, aiding them in incorporating music into their programmes. She also provides professional consultancy, training sessions, and workshops. Manal has served as an artistic coordinator for various government ministries and embassies.

GRACE NAJJAR - Project Management Consultant

Eng. Grace Najjar has 29+ years of national & international advisory and managerial roles within corporations & governments, in strategy execution, government engagement, project & results delivery, Modernization & Innovative Transformation solutions. Managing Processes, Business & Environmental Technology & Solutions design, Coaching & Leadership, deployment, evaluation, supervision on project and strategy implementation in alignment with the highest and latest recognized standards and strategies with focus on PMI, ISO, ESG and UN SDG goals.

Grace Najjar is the CEO of Align Management Solutions, established in 2010, with a focus on delivering exceptional value, individual and organizational growth through People Empowerment, Project Success, Innovative & Tech. solutions and strategic partnerships.

Guest lecturer in esteemed Business and Engineering schools, Master Programs in Lebanon and Europe: Ecole Superieure des Affaires, Saint Joseph University and Politecnico di Milano.

Instrumental in transformative initiatives, international funded programs (EU /World Bank/USAID/GIZ), influential partnerships, Grace has been a key player in regional growth, emphasizing capability building, talent skilling, and upskilling.

As the Regional Manager Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Project Management Institute (PMI) for the past four years, she led PMI's mission of growth, unlocking potential, fostering workforce skills and empowering people, communities and organizations in the MENA region towards improved value delivery and project success.

Rasheeda Cullen - Leadership Consultant and Empowerment Advocate

Rasheeda is a highly skilled leadership consultant known for her ability to transform complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies. With a strong foundation in creativity and problem-solving, she specializes in simplifying intricate concepts to empower individuals and organizations to reach their full potential.

With nine years of experience working with children on the Autism Spectrum in a specialized school, Rasheeda has developed a keen understanding of fostering independence and equipping young people with essential skills for navigating life. Currently serving as the Youth Mental Health First Aider at her specialist college, she leverages her hands-on experience, ongoing research, and training to create innovative solutions that enhance youth mental health and personal development.

Rasheeda’s primary focus is on leadership development and empowerment. She is dedicated to guiding individuals and organizations on their journey toward impactful leadership, helping them cultivate environments where creativity, collaboration, and personal growth thrive. With her expertise, Rasheeda equips leaders with the tools they need to inspire their teams, drive change, and achieve meaningful outcomes.

Josette Kabalan - Consultant

Josette Kabalan is a prominent philanthropist and leadership trainer dedicated to empowering women and young people to discover and amplify their voices. With a profound commitment to social change, she has established and supported numerous initiatives aimed at uplifting marginalized communities, particularly focusing on the needs of women and youth.

As a leadership trainer, Josette approach is designed to instill confidence in participants, enabling them to embrace leadership roles and make meaningful contributions to society.

Josette’s work not only empowers individuals but also seeks to cultivate a more equitable and inclusive environment for future generations. Through her unwavering dedication to women’s empowerment and youth development, Josette Kabalan is making a significant impact in her community and beyond.

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