Maria Elisa has lived at the intersection of peacebuilding, art, and communications as a social entrepreneur, facilitator, and artist. She believes that creative approaches and imagination are key in transforming relationships and dismantling oppressive systems.

She has led over 20 creative projects, including mobile museums, community murals, memory initiatives, and a documentary, all aimed at promoting a culture of peace and raising awareness about structural and cultural violence in Colombia and around the world.

Maria Elisa is a global citizen. Born in Colombia, she has also lived in Malta, France, and Japan, where she earned a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. After this experience, she returned to Colombia, and in 2013, she redefined the vision for Prolongar Foundation. Under Maria Elisa’s leadership, the organization became one of the leading NGOs working on art-based peace strategies in the country. The foundation uses Kintsugi as one of the central metaphors and practices to foster peace and reconciliation.

Currently, Maria Elisa serves as the Operations Lead for Reimagine Peacebuilding, a translocal community of activists and peacebuilders committed to re-imagining, co-creating, and co-leading spaces and actions for a just, equitable, and dignified peace. She is also a singer and songwriter, leading her own musical project.

Lungi Morrison is a true hyphenate and polyglot passionate about building Africa’s Creative Economy. Born in South Africa during the nation’s Apartheid era, Lungi was raised in Ibadan Nigeria for a decade from the age of three. Her family spent brief periods in other Southern African states including Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Botswana. A global citizen, Morrison also spent time in London, Oslo, Brazil and San Francisco after leaving Auckland, New Zealand where she spent her early adult life. Her academic qualifications include a master’s degree in social anthropology and sociology from the University of Auckland in New Zealand where she wrote a thesis in Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Morrison also studied emerging markets and the BRICS economies through an executive development program at Harvard Business School.

Morrison’s life’s work is encapsulated by her vision and belief in drawing from ancient modalities, the vestiges of knowledge enshrined in African heritage, practice and praxis pertinent to reimagining our shared humanity – a world where peace and empathy become a collective lived experience. This commitment Morrison underscores and seeks to embolden via her newly established art advisory platform Ifé Consult – www.ifeconsult.com. She currently serves on the board of Lalela and as a sustainability consultant with the African Leadership Institute (AFLI) Tutufellows program.

Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie is a 1.5 generation refugee from Laos. Her life’s work is centered on advocating for communities impacted by inequitable systems and structures of oppression. She served as a commissioner on the Oregon Commission on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs, a council member on the Governor’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council, and the Governor’s Racial Justice Council. Toc was appointed Director of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement by former Governor Kate Brown and served in that role for over two years. Prior to that role, she served as the Director of Community Health at Health Share of Oregon. Before making the transition from social services to healthcare, she served as the Director of Refugee Resettlement at Catholic Charities of Oregon.

In addition to consulting, she is currently an adjunct professor at Portland State University, School of Social Work. Toc holds a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology/Sociology from Eastern Oregon University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Paula serves as Special Advisor to the International Exchange Forum of Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden. In this role, Paula directs the Institute’s International Peace Programming, utilizing her expertise in cultural diplomacy, cross-cultural understanding, and strategic leadership to form impactful global partnerships and foster meaningful exchanges.

Her career spans government, academia, and the private sector, where she has led initiatives in international cooperation, government relations, intellectual exchange, and public relations. Paula holds M.A. degrees in Asian Studies from Lund University, and Global Japanese Studies from Sophia University, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Cultures at International Christian University in Japan.

Paula is committed to advancing peace and cultural understanding on a global scale. Originally from Colombia, Paula has lived in the US, Canada, Sweden, India and has spent the last 15 years in Japan. Her deep appreciation of Japanese traditions informs her mission of bridging cultural divides, and nurturing connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds.