dedicated and sensitive people, always willing to help, our board and coordinating team ensure that we are managed in line with our vision and mission
Board

Carolina de Oteyza
Carolina is president and founder of Meals4Hope, coordinating the community food initiatives and nutritional recovery programmes for children in Venezuela, as well as coordinating, with various groups of volunteers, the international humanitarian aid sent from abroad. Carolina studied urban planning at the Universidad Simón Bolívar, and has masters in Theology, Justice and Peace from the University of the State of New York and Research and Education on Gender and Citizenship Studies from the Universidad Jaume I. Since 1982 she has worked on the design, coordination and evaluation of social projects for development, overcoming poverty through community participation, as well as local development and community projects, women’s development, participatory research, training and education of popular sectors. Since 2016, Carolina works full time as a volunteer for Meals4Hope, channelling solidarity and developing projects in response to the humanitarian crisis that Venezuela is going through, particularly in areas of hunger and malnutrition of children.

Santiago Plana
Santiago has been the vice-president of Meals4Hope since its foundation. He is a mathematician from the University of Edinburgh, with studies in actuarial science from The Institute and faculty of Actuaries. Santiago has worked as a data analyst and actuary, coordinating teams and projects of various sizes. Additionally, he has contributed to various volunteering projects across Venezuela, the UK and Australia. Santiago collaborates widely in the range of programmes and activities developed through Meals4Hope, as well as providing technical support with data bases, spreadsheet models and accounting.

Vanessa Santamaria
Vanessa works with Meals4Hope since its foundation and has been a member of the board since 2017. She studied Animal Sciences in the University of Florida, has masters in Applied Ethology and Ecology and Management from the Universidad de Barcelona and speaks three languages. She has done volunteering work in various environmental and social projects in the United States, Australia, the UK and Spain. Vanessa actively collaborates in the various activities developed by Meals4Hope, particularly promoting fundraising events, donations and coordinating sending food and medical supplies to Venezuela.

Luis Ignacio Abad
Nacho has been a member of the board of Meals4Hope since 2017. He is a Production Engineer from the Universidad Simón Bolívar, with a masters on Finance and Strategy from Sciences Po Paris and speaks five languages. Nacho has worked as programming and technological development consultant, as well as founding a social enterprise based on an educational project for children. In addition to his work on the Meals4Hope board, he provides technical and programming support.

Isabel de Oteyza
Isabel has collaborated with Meals4Hope since the very start and became a board member in 2020. She studied Pre-School Education at the Universidad Metropolitana in Venezuela. She has extensive experience in management, having worked as school principal and managing a bookstore for many years. Always willing to help others and with great people skills, in addition to her work on the Meals4Hope board, Isabel is part of the team in Madrid, helping with fundraising events, liaising with other organizations and coordinating sending of humanitarian aid to Venezuela.

Italo A. Pizzolante
Coordinating team in Venezuela

Mercedes Romero

María Nuria de Cesaris

María Esther Nuñez

Deivis Meléndez
