OUR TEAM

Fish Welfare Initiative is an organization of people who believe that fish welfare is critical for environmental sustainability, business resiliency, and global health. It's also the right thing for fish.

In 2019, FWI was launched by Charity Entrepreneurship, a charity incubator that provided our first $50,000 in seed funding. Over the next few years, we are building a small and dedicated team that can work with industry and NGO partners to implement higher fish welfare standards and practices.

We aim to improve the lives of billions of fish. Meet our team below.

Jennifer-Justine Kirsch

Director of Programs

Jennifer studied environmental sciences and marine conservation and is currently pursuing her MSc in Coastal Science and Policy. Her research explores inland seaweed farming, farmer behaviour change, and the connection between animal advocacy, economics, and environmentalism. In her free time, Jennifer loves to surf, camp, and read.

89576857_1355283084672977_32170772036069

Marco Cerqueira

Fish Welfare Specialist Consultant

Marco Cerqueira is a fish welfare enthusiast PhD researcher with a broad portfolio and over a decade of experience in the Fisheries and Aquaculture sphere. He’s built his career on the development of strategies to reduce bycatch, as well as the development of nutritional, physiological, and psychological tools to improve the welfare of fish in captivity. Marco is passionate about transforming both consumers and producers into advocates of fish welfare by reframing fish as sentient beings. When not thinking about popularizing fish welfare, Marco loves to scuba dive and meet new people and cultures.

Chiawen Chiang

Fundraising Volunteer, previous Philippines Project Manager

Prior to joining FWI, Chiaw was a marine biologist and conservationist. After volunteering and interning at FWI International, she decided to switch from a career in the hard sciences to a more interdisciplinary approach to animal protection. She led our Philippines team to research, test, and scale interventions that raise aquaculture standards for farmed fish welfare in-country. She spends her free time on the beach, freediving and watching fish in the wild.

Siddharth Solanki

International Project Manager

Siddharth studied psychology at the University of Sheffield before spending a few years working in sports analytics. His passion for animal rights and environmental protection led him to FWI after attending an Effective Altruism event in India. In his free time, he enjoys reading, travelling, and poorly performing pop hits on karaoke nights.

Paul Monaghan

Research and Development Lead

Paul is originally an infectious disease scientist whose research focused primarily on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Driven by a desire to have a more direct impact on the lives of people impacted by these diseases, he moved away from a laboratory setting to manage large-scale public health programs. Paul’s roles in public health programs combined program management with the provision of comprehensive technical assistance to national and regional governments to establish/improve NTD-control programs and strengthen government capacity to scale evidence-based interventions in a cost-effective and sustainable way. Originally from Ireland, Paul is based in Singapore.

Alethea Cendaña

Operations Associate

Alethea has been involved in effective altruism since 2021 and is most passionate about improving the lives of farmed animals. At the University of the Philippines, she studied chemical engineering and co-founded and presided over the Effective Altruism UP Diliman group. She has also served as Associate Director for EA Philippines and volunteered at Shrimp Welfare Project. Outside work, Alethea enjoys working out and crochet.

Tom Billington

Cofounder, Special Projects Lead, FWI US Board Member

Tom was active in the animal advocacy community for four years before launching FWI. While studying Philosophy at Southampton University, he established the Southampton Effective Altruism Society and interned for Charity Entrepreneurship. This led to Tom applying to the Charity Entrepreneurship incubation program, where he met Haven. Tom enjoys playing guitar and hanging out with his dog, Solo.

Haven King-Nobles

Cofounder, Executive Director, FWI US Board Member

Haven has been involved in animal advocacy and effective altruism for several years, during which time he founded Effective Altruism Oberlin, was president of Oberlin Animal Rights, and was a Research Intern at Mercy For Animals. He graduated from Oberlin College with degrees in computer science and philosophy. Outside of working for better fish welfare, Haven enjoys getting cheap drinks with great people.

Nick Hollman

FWI US Board Member

Nick holds a bachelor's degree in cognitive science from the University of Michigan, where he co-ran the Effective Altruism student org. In recent years, Nick has worked for various non-profits and political campaigns.

Laura Gough

FWI US Board Member

Laura Gough works as a Global Impact Project Manager at Anima International and has over a decade of experience within the animal advocacy movement. She is responsible for movement, capacity building, and building Anima International’s resource sharing and training programs, which support and develop advocates in neglected regions.

Andrés Jimenez Zorilla

FWI US Board Member

Andres Jimenez Zorilla is the CEO of Shrimp Welfare Project (SWP), a UK-based charity dedicated to improving the welfare of farmed shrimp worldwide. Before co-founding SWP in 2021, he worked in investment banking and private equity for more than 15 years in various financial institutions.

Nagala Venkaiah

Senior Program Associate

Venkaiah, affectionately called ‘Chandu’, is a social development professional and social mobiliser with experience working for several not-for-profit organizations. He has previously worked for child welfare and the upliftment of marginalized communities, including families affected by poverty. In his free time, he enjoys playing cricket and listening to beautiful Telugu film songs.

Chaitanya Akula

Senior Program Manager

Chaitanya joins our team as a rural development professional, with a post-grad in social work. He has worked extensively with farmers in the areas of livelihood promotion, integrated natural resource management, and Zero Budget Natural Farming, as well as having worked in women’s empowerment. Additionally, he previously launched his own e-commerce business. During his free time, Chaitanya loves to explore nature, go for drives, and sharpen his cooking skills.

Ravi Teja Sangeetha

Project Manager

Teja is a Kathak dancer and researcher who studied the welfare of egg-laying hens at The Animal Law Centre at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. He holds a Master's in Sociology from University of Hyderabad and helps the standard-setting team strategize farmer engagement in Andhra Pradesh. He loves post-rock music, doing yoga on random rooftops, saying pss pss pss to street cats, and traveling.

PHOTO-2023-01-05-11-39-03 (1)_edited.jpg

Nagaraju Pulicherla

Program Associate

Nagaraju works in the Sreeparru area of Eluru as a data collector. He engages with farmers and collects vital data on farming practices. He is passionate about animal equality and believes that all animals must be able to live freely and without pain.

Abhishek Pandey

Project Lead

Abhishek is a public policy and development professional committed to enhancing the policy landscape of India. He has worked with several state governments in the livelihoods, entrepreneurship, education, public health, and WASH sectors, adopting gender-inclusive and intersectional approaches. He was involved in instituting India's first state-level Behavioural Insights Unit for resolving complex policy problems using behavioral science. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, listening to podcasts, and catching up with friends.

Narala Sanjay Kumar

Program Associate

Sanjay, a MSc Aquaculture graduate, has a year of experience in the field. Passionate about animals, particularly fishes, Sanjay is dedicated to their welfare and promotes sustainable aquaculture practices. In his leisure time, he finds solace and inspiration tending to his paddy fields and immersing himself in nature.

Manikanta Munganda

Senior Project Associate

Mani has a background in fisheries and aquaculture, with a B.Sc. in Fisheries and an Aquaculture Diploma. His time as a Fish Welfare Initiative intern speaks to his genuine interest and commitment to the field. Mani also holds National Cadet Corps A, B, and C certificates. Outside work, he enjoys nature and is an avid traveller. As a Field Manager, Mani combines his adventurousness with a practical approach, helping us find success in the field.

Praveen Reddy Kona

Program Manager

Praveen holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Azim Premji University. Before joining Fish Welfare Initiative, he has worked in the education sector for a significant part of his career. Additionally, Praveen has explored the field of agriculture, working closely with farmers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. During this period, he got inspired by the principles of permaculture and built his own tiny food forest. Outside of his professional endeavors, Praveen enjoys trekking and foraging.

Ravi Teja Asleti

Program Associate

Ravi Teja holds a postgraduate degree in Zoology from Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Before joining FWI, he worked as a marketing manager in the aquaculture sector, where he developed a strong passion for improving the welfare of farmed fish. Outside of work, Ravi Teja enjoys playing cricket and spending quality time with his family.

Roshan Sheik

Project Associate

Roshan completed his Bachelor's degree in Aquaculture and gained technical expertise through his previous role in the microbiology and water quality analysis team at a leading shrimp hatchery. He also holds a certificate in carrying out Proximate Feed Analysis from the State Institute of Fisheries Technology. In his free time, Roshan takes pleasure in playing cricket and exploring new places.

00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST2019122315052

Jayasimha Nuggehalli

Jayasimha is a former fellow at Harvard Law School, Founding Director of the Animal Law Centre at NALSAR School University of Law, Hyderabad, and Member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). He co-founded Global Food Partners where he conceptualises, plans, and implements key initiatives to promote higher welfare production systems in the food sector. He also spearheads the development of innovative traceability and supply chain solutions for animal-sourced protein. Jayasimha has worked closely with industry, farmers, ministries, and governments throughout Asia.

Gauri Maulekhi

Gauri Maulekhi is a leading animal welfare advocate in India with over two decades of experience working with government agencies. She serves as a resource person and trainer, sensitizing law enforcement agencies to animal protection. Through her work, Gauri has catalyzed systemic change via judicial intervention and public policy led-advocacy with central & state governments. She serves as the Trustee of India’s largest animal welfare organization, People For Animals, and is the recipient of India’s highest civilian award for women: the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar, bestowed by the President of India in 2018. Ms. Maulekhi anchors the Ahimsa Fellowship, the only animal welfare advocacy fellowship in India focused on farm animal welfare.

Lynne Sneddon

Lynne is a PhD researcher who has studied aquatic animal welfare since 1999. Lynne published the first identification of nociceptors in rainbow trout in 2002, proving that fish experience pain. Since then Lynne's group has addressed questions in fish welfare by using an integrative approach. She uses the findings of her research to drive the agenda for improvements in the use of fishes across a range of contexts. Lynne has co-authored several reports for scientific, governmental, and welfare organizations as well as having regularly engaged with the public. She has been a member and chair of learned society's councils, ethics committees, and grant panels and held editorial roles for a number of journals. Lynne has recently moved to the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Lisa Yang

Lisa is the China Programme Director at Global Food Partners (GFP), a multinational consulting firm that works to accelerate cage-free egg production and sourcing in Asia. Previously, she worked as the Animal Welfare Manager at Animals Asia Foundation and later as the China Research Officer at Compassion in World Farming. Lisa brings over a decade of expertise in animal welfare, with a focus on advancing and supporting the adoption of higher animal welfare standards and practices in China. Her work includes collaborating with producers to transition from conventional housing to cage-free systems and organizing industry events to build capacity among veterinarians, academics, and other stakeholders. Leveraging her technical expertise, Lisa successfully supported the implementation of higher welfare practices, particularly the development of cage-free systems for poultry.

Tse Yip Fai

Tse Yip Fai holds a degree in Chemistry from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and one in Banking and Finance from the University of London. He is a 2021 Foresight Fellow in Animal Ethics For Artificial Intelligence. He was previously the China Strategy Consultant for Mercy For Animals, responsible for research and strategy for their expansion plans in China and Asia. Currently the Research Assistant for Prof. Peter Singer at Princeton University, Fai is researching the impact and ethics of artificial intelligence on nonhuman animals. He has advised the Open Philanthropy Project and international and Chinese organizations on farmed fish welfare.

17193842787_4a726efda0_o_edited_edited.j

Susanna Lybæk

Susanna is a zoologist (MSc) with a passion for fish welfare, who has worked as scientific adviser at the Norwegian Animal Protection Alliance (Dyrevernalliansen) since 2012. Through research and corporate advocacy, she helps the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry move towards better fish welfare. Her main focus is on one of the most numerous and overlooked groups of animals: juvenile salmon in intensive production.

Chris Holbein

Chris Holbein is the Public Policy Director for Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the United States, helping spearhead legislative campaigns across the country. Chris and his teammates work with family farmers, food companies, and other stakeholders to promote animal welfare and food safety. He’s been on the front lines of winning legislative campaigns in Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington, California, West Virginia, and numerous other states. In addition, Chris has been a lead organizer on two successful ballot measures requiring cage-free housing systems for farm animals.

João Saraiva

João L. Saraiva is a fish ethologist with a special interest in welfare. He teaches Ethology at the University of Algarve in Portugal, leads the Fish Ethology and Welfare Group at CCMAR, and is the president of the FishEthoGroup Association. With a research career studying behavior and physiology in teleosts, João now focuses on applying science to improve the welfare of farmed fish. He is the author of nearly 30 scientific papers and editor of the book Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes. The FishEthoGroup is responsible for the FishEthoBase as well as the CAREFISH project, which works on creating welfare standards for an international fish farming certification label. João is also an avid surfer and mountain enthusiast and for many years had a career in music and radio.

Karolina Sarek

Karolina is co-founder and Director of Research at Charity Entrepreneurship. She also serves as a Fund Manager at the EA Animal Welfare Fund, a mentor at WANBAM, and a consultant for various EA non-profits. Before Charity Entrepreneurship, she co-founded an organization to improve the impact of non-profits and social enterprises; worked on measurement and evaluation for Charity Science Health and Open Cages; 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. She has been volunteering for farm animals since she was 18.

Patrick Stadler

Patrick contributes to curriculum and communications at Charity Entrepreneurship and mentors its incubatees. He also leads projects towards a more user-centered and innovative public service in Switzerland, including on public health and migration. Patrick is a co-founder and chair of the board of GiveWell-incubated charity, New Incentives. Previously, he was a political advisor for Switzerland’s economic development agency where he participated in the negotiations on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He also worked on strategic communications in the context of peacebuilding and mediation at the United Nations Department of Political Affairs in New York.

Jonathan Balcombe

Jonathan Balcombe is a biologist with a PhD in ethology, the study of animal behavior. His books include Pleasurable Kingdom, Second Nature, and The Exultant Ark. His book What a Fish Knows became a New York Times best-seller and has been translated into fifteen languages. In addition to writing books, Jonathan gives public lectures, and does professional editing for aspiring and established authors.

OUR TEAM

Jennifer-Justine Kirsch

Marco Cerqueira

Chiawen Chiang

Siddharth Solanki

Paul Monaghan

Alethea Cendaña

Tom Billington

Haven King-Nobles

Nick Hollman

Laura Gough

Andrés Jimenez Zorilla

Nagala Venkaiah

Chaitanya Akula

Ravi Teja Sangeetha

Nagaraju Pulicherla

Abhishek Pandey

Narala Sanjay Kumar

Manikanta Munganda

Praveen Reddy Kona

Ravi Teja Asleti

Roshan Sheik

Jayasimha Nuggehalli

Gauri Maulekhi

Lynne Sneddon

Lisa Yang

Tse Yip Fai

Susanna Lybæk

Chris Holbein

João Saraiva

Karolina Sarek

Patrick Stadler

Jonathan Balcombe

Our Work

Home

India

Impact

Transparency | Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

© 2024 Fish Welfare Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (EIN: 85-2065536)

Get Involved