Our Human Resources Team

Belen Gomez de la Cruz serves as KIND’s Acting Chief Human Resources Officer, where provides day-to-day oversight of HR operations. She started her career providing direct services as a psychologist in Spain and transitioned into human resources. Her HR career includes extensive non-profit experience to include serving as Director of HR of the international Soho Boutique Hotels; International Human Resources Business Partner for Heartland Alliance; and as a HR Generalist supporting AXA Spain and Portugal. Belen holds a master’s degree in HR Management.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon.

With over 16 years of diverse experience spanning non-profit organizations, diplomatic missions, educational institutions, and private sectors, Vanessa brings a wealth of expertise to the field of human resources. As a seasoned HR professional, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to driving organizational success through strategic talent management, employee engagement, and innovative HR solutions. Throughout her career, Vanessa has leveraged her comprehensive knowledge of HR best practices to lead initiatives that foster inclusive and supportive workplace cultures. She is adept at developing and implementing policies and programs that attract, develop, and retain top talent while aligning with organizational objectives. In addition to her extensive experience in traditional HR roles, Vanessa has also excelled as an HR consultant, providing invaluable guidance and support to a diverse range of clients. She is known for her ability to understand the unique needs of each organization and tailor solutions that drive sustainable growth and success. As a thought leader in the field, Vanessa is passionate about continuous learning and staying abreast of emerging trends and developments in HR. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and expertise to empower organizations and HR professionals to thrive in today's rapidly evolving business landscape

Bio coming soon!

Amelia Cooke graduated from the University of Florida with her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and her Master’s degree in Special Education. During her time at the University of Florida, she conducted oral history interviews with Civil Rights Movement veterans, K-12 educators, and the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance Leadership. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Florida Atlantic University with a focus on Educational Leadership. Amelia joined the KIND team in August 2022 and currently supports the Operations Department. Prior to KIND, Amelia served the Equity & Diversity Department for the sixth-largest public school district as a DEI District Facilitator, applying her knowledge and experience in systems thinking to develop sustainable DEI initiatives and create meaningful change. She also served the district as a Curriculum Specialist and as an Equity Liaison, supporting stakeholders across every level and driving key initiatives to close the opportunity gap.

Alise Skrastina supports the Talent Acquisition team at KIND. She joined the KIND team in December of 2022. She has received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology at the University of Latvia. During her time there, Alise has researched topics related with gender and social memory. Additionally, she has been a co-researcher on paper “Situation analysis of child maltreatment prevention in Latvia” that was done for World Health Organization. Prior joining KIND, Alise has gained well-rounded experience in Human Resources working as a Recruiter and HR Lead in consulting, banking and fintech sector.

Isabella Cruz supports the Human Resources Department as a Talent Acquisition Specialist at KIND. She joined the team in October of 2021. Isabella graduated from UNITEC, a local University in Honduras with a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. Prior to joining KIND, Isabella was recruiting and hiring staff related roles. Her career in Talent Acquisition began as a recruiter for a variety of companies in the gaming, technical, and consumer electronic field. Isabella has also been a volunteer at TECHO, a non-profit organization led primarily by youth in different countries, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Isabella has been a volunteer psychologist for another non-profit organization that works with children, youth and adults who are dealing with drug addiction. In her spare time, Isabella works with children and youth at social risk who have lost their families due to gang violence and poverty.

Maria Fernanda Brenes Loaiza supports the Talent Acquisition team at KIND. She joined the KIND team in April of 2022. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at the Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico. During her time there, she studied and researched experiences of childfree women and other related topics. Prior to joining KIND, she worked at IBM as a Recruiting Specialist and before that she interned at GE, in the Talent Acquisition department.

Zineb Hadji joined KIND as Talent Acquisition Specialist on March 2023. She has over 3,5+ years of experience in the field. She discovered her passion for connecting talented individuals with great companies while she was studying her Management Bachelor and she decided to make a career out of it. She started her HR career in a hotel group as a trainee of HR department supporting in the recruitment and onboarding of students in their summer internship programs, where she quickly realized her talent for identifying and attracting great candidates. She found that she had a facility for understanding what each candidate was looking for. Then she worked both in Recruitment and RPO corporate environment. Today, she started working at KIND as a talent acquisition specialist and she is excited to finally add a social purpose to the work she always loved and enjoyed doing! Outside of work, Zineb's love for travel, food, and wine is an integral part of her identity, and she takes every opportunity to explore and experience new cultures, cuisines, and wines, all while enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

Dayanna Molina supports the Human Resources department at Kids in Need of Defense, she joined the team in February 2023. She has over 16 years of experience in the educational field and technical writing. She holds a postgraduate in English Teaching from the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica and a Technical Writing Certification from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dayana is passionate about making and exploring new mediums of art, discovering music, helping animals in need, and volunteering.

Kat Graniczewska is a Learning & Development Specialist at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), providing training support for all employees. Prior to joining KIND in September 2022, she has worked as a Learning Coordinator and Lead Recruitment Specialist in an international corporate setting. Kat holds a B.A in International Cultural Studies and an M.A in International Relations and Development Studies from Jagiellonian University, apart from the university degrees she is a CELTA certified English teacher. Kat is passionate about the social justice and welfare of women and girls - while living in Nairobi, Kenya she volunteered at Coalition on Violence Against Women and Polycom Development Project, mentoring teenage girls and coordinating developmental programs for local children.

Stephanie Muehlen supports the Human Resources at KIND. She joined the KIND team January 2022. She graduated from ITESM at Mexico City with a BA in Organizational Psychology and an International Business Administration exchange at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. While studying, she collaborated with AIESEC for international social exchanges, YMCA kinder garden and other social causes. She has experience working in talent acquisition and consulting roles, specializing on talent development, and training at medical devices and gaming companies.

Mariel Quesada Herrera is a Learning and Development Coordinator at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). She joined the KIND Team in January of 2023. Prior to joining KIND, she was a Training Specialist at Amazon for the area of Digital, Device, and Alexa Services, where she was in charge of training and onboarding New Hires, as well as the ongoing career development of new and tenured employees. Mariel has served as a mentor and activist for women in often male-dominated workplaces, where she advocates for women’s inclusion, equality, and empowerment. She also advocates for intersectionality in social justice, gender and feminist issues, mental health destigmatization and services access, and LGBTQ+ rights

Amanda Daiga joined KIND in March 2023, supporting the Talent Acquisition team as Talent Acquisition Coordinator. Prior to joining KIND, Amanda worked in an international executive search company Talentor Latvia focusing on the executive and middle management personnel selection for locally and internationally significant companies. Amanda's previous experience includes market analysis, as well as project consulting based on in-depth candidate research followed by assistance in a full cycle of recruiting. Continuing to develop her academic background, Amanda is pursuing a Bachelor's degree at the University of Latvia, focusing on the spectrum of international economics and commercial diplomacy. Amanda's breadth of interest is based on interdisciplinary issues, orientation to international operations and processes, as well as intercultural respects in the context of valuable, meaningful relations. Amanda is passionate about encouraging and enforcing the role of social welfare, social equity, and equality.

Isabel Junco joined KIND in September 2021. She supports the Human Resources Team as the Human Resources Coordinator. Isabel holds an undergraduate degree is in Business Administration in Finance from University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She also graduated with her MSc in Social Innovation from EDHEC Business School in France. Before joining KIND, she served as an Administrator and Executive Assistant in several international development consultancies in the UK and France, working closely with NGOs and local charities in project management. She has held several volunteer roles for non-profit and international organizations over the past years in the United States and UK. She is passionate about empowering communities and human rights.

Bio coming soon!

Omar Nazar supports the Human Resources Department at KIND. He graduated as a psychologist from the Universidad del Valle de México. Omar also received a diploma from the Thanatological Center of Chihuahua, focusing on thanatology. He provided support in thanatology to families who suffered losses due to death from COVID-19 during the pandemic. Before graduating, he worked at the Chihuahuan Youth Institute, taking charge of entrepreneurship and employment, and developing programs/activities that promoted entrepreneurship in young people. Omar worked as a workshop facilitator at the Family Intelligence Center, promoting the development of psychosocial skills through recreational activities in children and low-income families in at-risk areas of the city. As coordinator of bicultural baccalaureate at the Universidad del Valle de México, Omar supported students, faculty, parents, and guardians while attaining academic excellence. Omar has taught martial arts to children, adolescents, and adults, which led to a strong interest in the environmental factors that affect young people's development.