ABout us

Tanya Henderson is an international human rights lawyer whose work has focused on women’s rights and empowerment; peace and security; and women’s political participation through U.S. policy, international multi-lateral agencies, civil society, and coalition building among global women political leaders. In 2014, Tanya founded Mina’s List, with the mission to realize women’s equal and substantive political representation globally. Mina’s List has run multiple training programs for women political leaders in Afghanistan and Nigeria and has provided strategic support for women civil society organizations in DRC, Colombia, Guatemala, Morocco, Mongolia, Nepal, Cameroon and Syria Prior to starting Mina's List, Tanya was the Policy Director for Women's Action for New Directions, (WAND) where she helped draft the Women, Peace and Security Act which was signed into U.S. law in October 2017, and previously, as the U.S. National Director for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Tanya was involved in the development of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (U.S. NAP), introduced by President Obama through Executive Order in December 2011. As a gender and legal consultant, Tanya provided gender training for political parties and aspiring candidates in Lebanon in 2012, 2019 and 2020, and worked in Ethiopia as part of a research team in conjunction with the Harvard Medical School, researching and drafting policy related to gender inequality, economic development and health. Her work has been published in the Journal of Politics and Law and the International Journal of Women’s Health, as well as other print and social media outlets. She received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the University of Massachusetts Boston, her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Suffolk University Law School and pursued her Master’s of Law (LL.M) in international law from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She has also earned several certificates in mediation and conflict negotiation. Since 2011, Tanya has been an active member and served in a leadership role for the U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (U.S. CSWG).

Teresa Casale is Executive Director of Mina’s List. With 15 years of experience in the international NGO sector, Teresa specializes in policy advocacy and has advocated to the U.S. government, the United Nations, the World Bank, and other global entities. Before becoming Executive Director, Teresa led Mina’s List’s advocacy efforts related to the promotion and protection of Afghan women and girls.. Prior to joining Mina’s List, Teresa served as Global Policy Advocate at the International Center for Research on Women, where she helped launch and manage the Coalition for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Equality, served as the Legislative Chair of the U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, and managed the Feminist UN Campaign. Before working on global gender equality, Teresa focused on issues related to humanitarian response as well as peacebuilding and conflict transformation in regions such as Israel/Palestine, Kenya, Rwanda, and Syria. With a specialty in the U.S. Congress, Teresa has helped create, support, and pass multiple pieces of legislation including the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act and the Women, Peace& Security Act, and helped draft the Afghan WIN (Women in Negotiations) Act. As a volunteer advocate for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, Teresa conducted over 200 lobby meetings with Members of Congress on the Huntington’s Disease Parity Act, adding almost 100 co-sponsors to the bill, and winning the HDSA Advocate of the Year award in 2015. Teresa is a frequent contributor to The Hill and has also published in Ms. Magazine and Foreign Policy Magazine. She holds an M.A. in International Relations and a B.A. in History and Political Science.

Palwasha Hassan is Senior Technical and Program Director for Mina's List where she oversees all global program implementation. She has over 26 years of experience managing and leading complex projects in the fields of gender, development, humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding. Prior to joining Mina's List she was a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. In Afghanistan, she was the former Executive Director of the Afghan Women’s Educational Center and a founding member of the Afghan Women's Network. She also contributed to the efforts that created the for political quota for women in the Afghan constitution and pioneered the first women's legal support organization in Afghanistan, Roazana, as well as many other organizations supporting women and children’s rights. In addition to her work in Afghanistan, she has experience working in Pakistan, Iran, and other parts of Central Asia, where she facilitated regional dialogues among civil society to promote human rights and peace and democracy. In 2005, Palwahsa was one of the 1000 women nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. She has also been a finalists for the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought by the European Parliament, and recently received the Hilary Rodham Clinton Award for exceptional leadership and dedication to human rights and women's rights. She holds a master's degree in Post-war Recovery Studies from York University, UK.

Jennifer is a versatile accounting and finance career professional, and entrepreneur, who has over 20 years of experience in non-profit, philanthropic, academic, private, and local government sectors. She has overseen all aspects of accounting and bookkeeping, internal controls and compliance, budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting and audits, operations and business management, grants management, and impact investment accounting. She is the founder of FrontPaige Business Solutions, LLC, which provides a comprehensive range of accounting, finance, business, and operations related consulting, coaching, and strategic planning services. She loves helping businesses maximize efficiency and production, while empowering them to make growth-driven decisions with confidence, and she provides solutions to challenges that many businesses face every day. She has been instrumental at the Compton Foundation for the last eleven years and currently serves as the Foundation’s Director of Finance – in which position, her proven leadership directs critical financial operations. Jennifer holds a Master of Science Degree in Accounting from Saint Mary’s College, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management from Menlo College.

Sohini Ashoke is a recent graduate of The George Washington University where she received a BA with honors in Political Science. She has previously worked as a research assistant on numerous international relations and human rights publications, with her most recent article discussing ways to reduce prejudice against refugees. Sohini has also worked as a legislative intern at the House of Representatives. Her role as Program Assistant at Mina’s List combines her passions for refugee issues, the rights of women and girls, and international law.

Mohammad Bilal Aqdas is Mina’s List Program Officer for Afghanistan, and has a background in administration, logistics, and procurement. Most recently, he served as Admin and Logistics Manager at the Afghan Women Educational Center (AWEC) where he played a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless functioning of operations. His responsibilities included procurement and logistic support, asset inventory management, lease agreements, and facility maintenance. Bilal excelled in organizing official events, program activities, providing training support, and overseeing security initiatives. Bilal holds a degree in Political Science from Kardan University, complemented by certifications in Excel skills for business and global procurement and sourcing. Bilal is fluent in English, Dari, and conversational in Urdu and Pashtu.

Andreas brings 30 years of experience in the technology and software industry, including as Managing Partner at Proper Orange, LLC and Chief Technology Officer for TourSphere (now STQRY) to Mina's List. He is an accomplished software architect, algorithm developer, scalability expert, and SaaS strategist. Andreas also brings experience as an advisor to startups in the U.S. and Europe, and is savvy with patent research and patent drafting. Andreas hosts weekly open office-hours at The Venture Café, in the Cambridge Innovation Center. He is also a member of the Investors Collaborative.