Sheila has worked with volunteering for the last 15 years, she has a relationship with over 200 social institutions. For her excellent work, she received an Official Merit Award from the Rio City Council, a Trophy for being Rio's Volunteer of the Year, and, for a program she created, the UNICEF seal. She focuses on giving quality experiences to exchange students and volunteers in Rio de Janeiro. She is dedicated to promoting social causes and volunteer actions.
Luke Hammons . Co-founder
For the last 15 years, Luke Hammons has participated in volunteering and exchange programs in the U.S., Europe, and Brazil. He worked as the owner and manager of the Santa Semente Guesthouse, Rio de Janeiro’s only accommodation built by volunteers for volunteers.
Emily Holmes . Vice President & Founder
Emily is originally from England. After living and working in Poland and Spain as an English teacher and travelling through Central America she settled in Brazil. She has worked at the British Consulate, taught English and promoted English and Portuguese cultural and language exchanges.
Aline Perez . Executive Manager
Aline brings to Rio Volunteer her experience in large companies such as Petrobras as a project coordinator and strategic planner in marketing and communication. She participated as a volunteer at UN's Millennium Development Goals, FIFA Futsal World Cup, and the Bowl of Compassion, in India.
Montserrat . Regional Manager & Coordinator
Montserrat is an educational psychologist and tourism guide. She is currently responsible for the Social Responsibility and Partnerships sector of the Federation of Bandeirantes (Girl Scouts) in Brazil. Her experience involves serving 300 Social institutions and 3,000 volunteers, coordinating volunteer programs, planning, organizing, and running training and workshops, promoting partnerships and developing and implementing voluntary recognition policies.
Leandro Rangel . Coordinator & Volunteer Leader
Leandro is a marketing analyst and holds an MBA in business marketing and management with degrees in Advertising and Design. He is the leader of a Volunteer group with more than 1,000 members, the team regularly develops social actions aimed at encouraging needy children hospitalized in public hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro. He began his social work as a clown, giving encouragement to children in one of the largest children's hospital in Argentina.
Annette Runge . Regional Manager & Group Guide
Annette, originally from Berlin, has been livng in Rio de Janeiro for 23 years. She studied German literature, jornalism and theatre in Berlin, published for years daily news from Brazil in a Swiss internet portal and ran a language school with focus on Portuguese immersion classes for foreigners, given on excursions in Rio de Janeiro. In 2016 she founded with friends the NGO Gamboa Ação for disadvantaged children and teenagers in Rio's port region where volunteers work with literacy training, homework tutoring, language classes, art, sport and leisure activities.
Liz Digmi . International Representative & Group Guide
Liz is originally from Israel. She has her degree in International Relationships and Sustainability. For the last ten years she has been guiding groups of adults, scouts, and teenagers, as well as leading the Arabic language faculty at schools in Israel. She has volunteered in Israel and India with children and teenagers, focusing on social and environmental issues.
Monica Liu . International Representative
Monica founded the Communication Park Agency in 2014. She has traveled and studied in the USA, France, and volunteered in Brazil. She has been working as a professional English teacher in China for four years.
Charles . Media & Communications
Charles Pinheiro graduated in Performing Arts. He has also formations in Advanced Photography and Professional Cinematography by the International Academy of Film and TV and Visual Arts.
Horacio Chubretovic . Trainee
Horacio Chubretovic is a Chilean advertising graduate living in Rio de Janeiro. He's a volunteer and the leader of the communication team, PLAN 18. For more than 2 years, PLAN 18 has been working with the members of a vulnerable community in Santiago to generate and improve common spaces in their neighborhood.