Our Board
The Digital Freedom Fund has a Board with eight independent members.
Audrey Gaughran
Board Co-Chair
Audrey is an expert on corporate accountability. She began her career as a journalist in her native Ireland, later using her journalistic skills to carry out investigations into human rights, environmental and economic issues for the UN and non-governmental organizations in Europe, Africa and Asia. She worked with Amnesty International for 17 years, where she led the Global Issues and Research programmes at the International Secretariat. In 2021, she joined Amsterdam-based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (known by its Dutch acronym, SOMO) as its executive director.
Monique Steijns
Board Co-Chair
Monique Steijns is a human rights and technology consultant and founder of the PEOPLE’S AI-GENCY. Within the NJCM, the Dutch Section of International Commission of Jurists she set up the human and technology working group that actively monitors regulation and policy regarding data driven technologies in the Netherlands. Within her foundation CONNECTME@Human Rights & Technology she builds community within civil society dedicated to push for representation and push back on the use of harmful AI technologies. Monique is also a speaker and a moderator.
Joyce Materego-Woodall
Board Treasurer
Joyce’s work exists at the intersection of finance, human capital and mindset. Having qualified as a chartered accountant back in 2004, she has held a number of senior financial and leadership roles in the book publishing industry, and the charity and philanthropic sectors. She currently works for Global Greengrants Fund UK | Global Greengrants Fund as its Director of Finance and Operations. In the charity sector, Joyce notably worked for social justice organisations as well as a Deaf-led organisation where she gained insights into trauma-informed practices and assets-based approach to implementing social change.
Björn van Roozendaal
Board Secretary
Björn is a civil society leader and philanthropic professional with extensive experience in advocacy, strategy development, resource mobilisation, grantmaking and capacity building. He is Director of Strategic Partnerships and Regranting at the Sunrise Project Inc. He previously worked as Team Manager at Open Society Foundations in Berlin and Programmes Director of ILGA-Europe (the European LGBTI umbrella organisation). Björn was also involved with advancing LGBTI rights at the United Nations, European youth activism.
Nora Mbagathi
Nora is an attorney barred in New York and a solicitor in England and Wales. She currently heads the constitutional and strategic litigation organisation Katiba Institute in Kenya and is based in Nairobi. Prior to joining Katiba Institute, Nora was a Senior Lawyer with the Open Society Justice Initiative, based in London, and working on cases at the intersection of technology and non-discrimination.
Rupert Skilbeck
Rupert Skilbeck is specialised in human rights law and international criminal law and has directed strategic litigation around the world. He is the Director of Redress, a UK-based organisation dedicated to ending torture and seeking justice for survivors worldwide, and previously was the Litigation Director at the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Karmen Turk
Karmen Turk is a litigation attorney and partner at the Pan-Baltic TRINITI Law Firm, based in Estonia. Karmen has expertise in AI regulations, human rights, intellectual property and media law. She co-ordinates the Dynamic Coalition of Freedom of Expression and Media on the Internet of the UN Internet Governance Forum.
J. Bob Alotta
J Bob Alotta is a filmmaker, movement strategist, and philanthropic leader who has guided major institutions at the nexus of technology and social justice. Formerly Senior Vice President of Global Programmes at Mozilla and Executive Director of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Bob launched initiatives such as the Data Futures Lab and CommsLabs for Human Rights Defense to advance digital equity worldwide. Named to Fast Company’s Queer 50, Bob now leads Lucid Assembly, a studio that produces research, films, events, and AI tools, while developing strategies and blueprints for change - bringing together human rights defenders, technologists, artists, and funders to design liberatory futures where justice is actionable and imagination foundational.