Image Source: Pixabay
ABOUT
George Bridgwater
Co-founder
Head of Research
George was previously a research analyst for Charity Entrepreneurship investigating mental health and animal advocacy interventions for their incubation program.
Before this opportunity, George studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Southampton where he helped to found the Effective Altruism Society.
He also volunteered for several charities, including Animal Charity Evaluators and the Red Cross.
Ren Ryba, PhD
Research Scientist
Ren is a research scientist with particular expertise in quantitative skills, including data analysis, statistical programming, and biological and economic modelling. Before bringing their skillset to Animal Ask, Ren worked in academia and as a fisheries scientist in government, and they also provide their skills to the Animal Justice Party. Ren is passionate about social justice, politics, and protecting animals in the long-term future.
Ren's PhD and publications explored fisheries, effective philanthropy, and animal sentience. They also hold a Graduate Certificate in Applied Economics and a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) in Ecology.
Max Carpendale
Research Analyst
Max has been involved in effective altruism and animal advocacy since 2011.
He has worked as a researcher for Animal Ethics, where he focused on reducing suffering among wild animals, and for Rethink Priorities, where he focused on invertebrate sentience.
Max has also interned at Animal Charity Evaluators and volunteered for ALLFED. Max studied philosophy at Simon Fraser University.
José Ramón Mallén
Global Stakeholder Engagement
José is a long-time animal advocate focused on helping connect researchers, advocates and funders to build an ever-expanding knowledge base. A generalist, he is interested in movement-centric approaches to R&D and in near-term and long-term theories of change.
He has worked in animal advocacy organisations since the late 90s. Before joining Animal Ask, he helped growth Animal Welfare Observatory (AWO) by leading and developing the communications, farmed fish welfare and fundraising areas.
Advisory Board
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Karolina Sarek
Co-founder & Director of Research
Charity Entrepreneurship
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Mandy Carter
Co-founder and Co-Executive Director
Animal Policy International
Karolina is co-founder and Director of Research at Charity Entrepreneurship. There, she creates a research agenda and processes and leads the research team, aiming to find and compare the most evidence-based, cost-effective and neglected interventions in multiple cause areas. She also serves as a Fund Manager at the EA Animal Welfare Fund, and as a board member and consultant for various nonprofits and think tanks.
Before Charity Entrepreneurship, she co-founded an organisation to improve the impact of nonprofits and social enterprises; worked on measurement and evaluation; and was a researcher for IBM and the Jagiellonian University (JU). At the age of 22, she became a university teaching fellow, lecturing at JU’s Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science.
Mandy is co-founder and co-Executive Director at Animal Policy International, a farmed animal welfare and trade organisation.
Mandy has worked in animal advocacy for over 17 years. Before API, she was Global Head of Campaigns at Compassion in World Farming International, overseeing the organisation's international work, such as the coalition and campaign for the European Citizens' Initiative End the Cage Age, and was at SAFE in New Zealand, pushing forward legislative change and corporate campaigning.
Jan Sorgenfrei
Co-founder & Director of Campaigns
Anima International
Jan Sorgenfrei is a co-founder of Anima International, where he operates as Director of Campaigns. As a co-founder of Anima Denmark, he has been engaged in animal advocacy for more than 20 years.
His current focus is on capacity building and supporting the adaptation and implementation of the most effective campaigns in eastern Europe.
Aaron Ross
Vice President of Policy and Strategy
The Humane League
Aaron Ross serves as the Vice President of Policy and Strategy for The Humane League, an international animal advocacy organisation and is the co-founder of the Open Wing Alliance, a global coalition focused exclusively on ending cages.
Aaron has been active in the movement since 2001 and has led groundbreaking campaigns for animals in the US and abroad. He specialises in corporate strategy, negotiation, and mass mobilisation.
Amy Odene
Managing Director User-Friendly
Amy is one of the initial co-founders of Animal Ask. She worked as Head of Operations and Strategic Partnerships between 2020 and 2023 before moving to an advisory position. Prior to this she worked in the animal advocacy space as both Campaigns Manager for ProVeg UK and Global Corporate Relations at The Humane League UK.
During her time at THL she collaborated with the Open Wing Alliance to coordinate major global commitments across the food sector to free hens from cages across the world.
She has also spoken at major animal conferences across the world on both plant-based advocacy and the overarching global landscape of factory farmed animals.
Amy is also currently a mentor for the Farmed Animal Strategic Team (FAST) and co-host of the How I Learned to Love Shrimp podcast.