The Team

Joan Barstow Hernandez

Although born and raised in the United States, Ms. Hernandez, has spent most of her adult life in Latin America and considers herself a world citizen. For over a decade she served as head of the Department of Education at Núr University in Bolivia. There she became well-known for her work in Transformative Leadership and Community Development, co-authoring 12 books with Dr. Eloy Anello, a founder of the University.  During 25 years she has given workshops to teachers, members of NGOs, and other interested participants in Bolivia and other countries in Latin America, as well as North America, Europe, and Africa. She has also authored books in the fields of education and family life, many of which are available on Amazon in both English and Spanish.

May Khadem

May Khadem is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and public health activist. She currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon after spending 7 years in China where she assisted in the development of rural eye care. Prior to her move to China, she served on the faculty of Northwestern University Department of Ophthalmology for 25 years and was active in international blindness prevention, assisting development of eye care services in several countries in Asia, South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe through Health for Humanity, a not-for-profit charitable organization she co-founded. 

Vahid Masrour

A world citizen who has resided in 6 countries (and counting!), and a polyglot, he was originally trained as a psychologist and has dedicated much of his time to training activities both in the for-profit and non-profit world. He is keenly interested in reflecting on what educational systems should look like in the 21st century. His interest in Transformative Leadership was sparked in the 90s. He has developed materials and delivered workshops for a variety of audiences in diverse contexts.

Jessica Lani Kamál Kerr

Jessica has long been helping others embrace the beauty in diversity and is currently working in Northern Colorado to empower educators, students, and families through Transformative Leadership. She is the founder of Cultivating Capacities, GSO and serves on the Intercultural Community Builders’ Board of Directors, both of which are non-profit organizations based in Fort Collins, Colorado. She is also a professional photographer and photojournalist. Jessica lives in Colorado with her husband and four children.