Board of Directors

Ms. Maria V Urgel otherwise known as Mitos Urgel is the President and CEO of the World Fair Trade Organization in Asia, an alliance of over 120 Guaranteed Fair Trade Enterprises in Asia promoting justice in International trade. She is also the President and CEO of WEAVE (Women' s Education for Advancement and Empowerment) which has a Foundation and a Fair Trade enterprise subsidiary in Thailand. For over 25 years now, Mitos passionately and actively works to advance the rights, status and dignity of women including the refugees and underprivileged indigenous women and their children in Thai, Myanmar and other part of Asia via education and economic empowerment interventions. In 2012, she founded the WEAVE Fair Trade Enterprise in Thailand.

Tim Straight was born in Cleveland, Ohio. An eternal believer in the future of Armenia, Tim has lived in Yerevan since September of 2000. He is the honorary consul of both Finland and Norway in Armenia. Reporting regularly to Helsinki and Oslo about poverty, emigration, unemployment, domestic violence and stunting in children, Tim decided in 2010 to create an organization that focuses on the creation of viable employment of women, mostly in the regions of Armenia. Today, the Homeland Development Initiative Foundation provides an income to hundreds of women across the country, designing and marketing products based on their traditional skills – crocheting, knitting, sewing, embroidery, illumination painting and more.

Joanne is the Deputy Director, FAIR CIRCLE, she is a nature lover, after pursuing a degree in Earth Sciences, she continues her passion to seek a sustainable development model for the Mother Earth.  She has worked hands in hands with rural communities in different relief and development projects, and currently involved in FAIR CIRCLE as Deputy Director. FAIR CIRCLE @ Hong Kong Fair Trade Power is a social enterprise established in Hong Kong, dedicated to promote Fair Trade, responsible consumption and sustainable development since 2005.

Netty Fabriana, a seasoned marketing professional, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. With a keen focus on ethical trading, Netty holds a Certificate of Competence in the Execution of Export Business, underscoring her commitment to responsible commerce. In 2016, Netty ventured into entrepreneurship, founding Biansa Home, a trading business firmly rooted in the principles of Fair Trade. Her dedication to ethical practices and her unwavering commitment to Fair Trade ideals continue to drive her impressive career. She has taken on pivotal roles, notably serving as the Chairman of Forum Fair Trade Indonesia. 

Srishti serves as the Head of Marketing at the Association for Craft Producers, a certified Fair Trade NGO dedicated to improving the livelihoods of low-income women through employment opportunities and the sale of handmade products. The organization maintains self-sustainability, with a significant portion of its sales originating from both domestic and international markets, particularly exports. In her role, Srishti oversees overall marketing efforts, including sales generation, partner communications, order processing, product promotion, and logistics management. She was selected for the "International Visitor Leadership Project" in 2018, focusing on connecting Nepali producers with the American market. Srishti also led a successful promotional initiative for the organization's participation in a German trade fair, supported by CBI, Netherlands, and served as a Marketing Consultant for LabelStep in their project to rejuvenate the Nepali Dhaka textile industry, collaborating with various stakeholders and local governments.

Shiran Karunaratne is a successful industrialist and founder of the Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce for Industry and Agriculture. He has received 16 national awards for his commitment to quality, productivity, and business acumen. In addition to his business pursuits, Shiran is a dedicated social worker who actively participates in religious and community work. He has made a significant impact on the well-being of the people in his region.

Shiran currently serves as the Managing Director of Gospel House Handicrafts Ltd (GHH), a fully export-oriented organization that specializes in manufacturing wooden toys and games. GHH is now in over 26 countries and is specialized in educational wooden toys for kids from the age of 6 months to 5 years. Shiran's expertise in the industry has been recognized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, which appointed him as a representative to the advisory committee for giftware, toys, and lifestyle products.

Sunil Chitrakar currently serves as the CEO of Mahaguthi Craft with Conscience, a Fair Trade Enterprise dedicated to fostering sustainable livelihoods in Nepal since its establishment in 2002. Sunil has been actively involved in promoting social enterprises and developing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing capacity-building, training, and coaching. In addition to his role as CEO, he holds the position of Vice President at both Fair Trade Group Nepal and the Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal. Furthermore, he imparts his expertise as a faculty member at the School of Management, Tribhuvan University, and Nepal Open University, where he teaches courses on social entrepreneurship development.

Swapan Kumar Das has a remarkable career in Fair Trade and development. He started by motivating farmers to grow soybeans with the Mennonite Central Committee. Later, he empowered rural women with income-generating projects and helped them sell their products. Over 25 years with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), he excelled in financial management and administration and subsequently is instrumental in empowering rural women through income-generating projects and market linkages. In 2010, he became CEO of Prokritee Fair Trade company. His commitment extends further as Chairperson of ECOTA Fair Trade Forum Limited, Vice-President of WFTO-Asia, and as a Director of the Jute Sector Industry Skills Council, all contributing to the advancement of fair trade and sustainable development in Bangladesh.

Selyna Peiris (Attorney-at-Law) is a social entrepreneur and is Director of Business Development at Selyn, Sri Lanka’s only fair trade handloom company and one of the country’s largest social enterprises. She is also Director – Selyn Foundation and co-creator of the #BleedGood movement, a multi-stakeholder collaborative platform to end period poverty in Sri Lanka.

As a policy specialist and proven development practitioner, she is also Co-Founder and Partner at Positive Impact Consultancy and The Institute for Future Creations. She has previously worked for the Government of Sri Lanka and continues to sit in many high-level advisory committees for government, international organizations, and private sector entities.

As a youth activist, she has spear-headed and worked along many movements working towards a racism free Sri Lanka and continues to be a strong advocate for equitable development especially for the women of Sri Lanka.