Our Team

Leadership Team
Dr. Sandi Dempsey, New Zealand
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Val Schuman, USA
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer
The Leadership Team guides Balakun’s strategy, supports our team leads and volunteers, and ensures the community grows smoothly and sustainably. We consult with our Advisory Committee for guidance and relay recommendations to the Board for approval to keep everything aligned with our mission.
Engagement Team
The Engagement Team manages Balakun’s social channels, coordinating posts, staying on top of inbound messages, and analysing performance metrics to inform future strategies. We plan and execute social campaigns, ensuring Balakun’s mission reaches the right audiences.
Beyond digital outreach, we build strategic partnerships with organisations to drive support—whether by recruiting mentors and students or by securing broader assistance for our work.
Activities:
  • Social Media Management: Oversee content across our five principal social media channels (X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn).
  • Campaign Planning: Identify campaign opportunities and develop content strategies for maximum impact.
  • Message Management: Respond to direct messages across platforms, maintaining a 12-hour service-level agreement (SLA).
  • Strategic Partnerships: Identify collaboration opportunities with organisations and government agencies to amplify Balakun’s mission.
  • Advocacy & Public Engagement: Represent Balakun through in-person speaking engagements, podcasts, YouTube streams, and X Spaces to raise awareness and expand our network.
Help Needed
We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to collaborate on Social Media Campaign Planning and strategy, experience with social media tools and analysis would be ideal, as well as a working knowledge of Canva.
“Supporting Ukraine is our mission, and we achieve this by spreading the word about Balakun. Whether through social media, podcasts, radio shows, in-person rallies and events, or by connecting with NGOs and government committees, every effort expands our reach. Simply put, the more people know about us, the better we can support Ukrainians. That’s what the Engagement Team is all about!”
Shaughan Rick
Engagement Team Lead
Student Relations Team
The team that first meets students on their path to gaining knowledge and developing skills at Balakun. Starting with verification and introduction to the basic rules and regulations, continuing with support and guidance throughout the project, and finally answering minor questions, the enthusiastic and empathetic team is always ready to support and help. According to feedback from devoted volunteers, student verification is very encouraging and optimistic. However, team members have zero tolerance for rudeness, consumerist attitudes, or narratives hostile to Ukraine.
Activities:
  • Student verification: Check that candidates meet project requirements, collect necessary information, communicate key details, answer questions, and grant access.
  • Support and assistance: Provide help via email for questions about classes, mentors, or interactions with other participants.
  • Feedback: We occasionally contact participants to monitor satisfaction, collect suggestions and identify needs — everything that helps us develop and improve for the benefit of all Ukrainians.
  • Support for defenders: Offer enhanced privacy, dedicated spaces, additional courses, and opportunities for those serving Ukraine’s future.
Help Needed
There will always be a demand for verifiers. We aim to reduce the waiting time for verification to a minimum. So if you have about 20 minutes of free time a few times a week, as well as a reliable internet connection and a gadget with a camera and microphone, we'd love to welcome you to our team of verification experts. Don't be shy and remember to be friendly and polite.
Balakun builds bridges between Ukraine and the world. Volunteers from around the world can share their knowledge and experience in various fields, and we can meet like-minded people and even friends. Meanwhile, we can present our country, our people, our values and traditions. All of us have a chance to spread the truth and debunk the myths and lies of the enemy, which have been cunningly created over centuries. Most of the students who join the project are incredible people who fill us with hope for the future and faith in the Ukrainian people.
Student Relations Team Lead
Mentor Relations Team
We are a dedicated team of native English speakers from the US, UK, and Australia who serve as the first point of contact for new volunteers. We interview prospective mentors from all over the world to assess their English-speaking skills, understand their motivations for joining Balakun, and evaluate whether they are a good fit for Balakun’s highly supportive and community-driven culture.
Activities:
  • Conduct half-hour interviews with prospective mentors. Evaluate candidates’ spoken English proficiency, communication skills, and reliability.
  • Explore mentors’ motivations, availability, and expectations for volunteering with Balakun.
  • Ensure mentors understand Balakun’s mission, values, and commitment to a supportive learning environment.
  • Approve and guide suitable candidates through the next steps of the onboarding process.
Help Needed
We are seeking volunteers who are native or near-native English speakers and enjoy speaking with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The role requires strong communication skills, good judgment, and the ability to assess both language proficiency and cultural fit. Volunteers should be comfortable conducting interviews and providing clear, constructive feedback within Balakun’s mentor onboarding process.
Supporting Ukrainians goes far beyond English lessons, and this is at the heart of Balakun’s mission. Through regular conversations with volunteers from around the world, Balakun provides vital psychological and moral support to people living through war and uncertainty. For many Ukrainians, knowing they have not been forgotten — that people abroad care, listen, and stand with them — is deeply meaningful. These connections help counter isolation and fear, and they reinforce the truth in the face of Russian propaganda. Simply put, Balakun is not only about language learning; it is about solidarity, resilience, and reminding Ukrainians that the world is still with them.
Dr. Owen Carter
Mentor Relations Team Lead
Matching Team
We are a group of passionate international volunteers who wish to connect Ukrainian students with mentors who will help them improve their English language skills while forging meaningful relationships.

Our team is distributed between Ukraine, Spain, and Mexico.
Activities:
  • Review the information collected by the Mentor and Student Verification areas and the details from Balakun's application forms.

  • Use this data and Balakun's matching criteria to select the best possible Mentor for a Student.

  • Communicate the match to the Student and Mentor, and once they confirm it, register it on Balakun's Internal system.
Help Needed
We are seeking volunteers willing to help us match Students with Mentors.

The role requires knowledge of the Mentor and/or Student Verification process.

The Matching team monitors the status of the match and is responsible for registering any status changes.
Balakun is about building bridges through language practice and cultural exchange between Ukrainian students and mentors. The Matching team aims to create these connections, one match at a time. We rely on the critical information the Mentor and the Student Verification teams provide to achieve this.
Rebeca Cruz
Matching Team Lead
Education Team
The Education Team focuses on creating and delivering learning resources, organising group lessons, and offering ongoing support to both mentors and students. We ensure that mentors have the materials they need to guide students effectively, while continuously expanding our catalogue of resources. By organising group activities like lessons, speaking clubs, and chat rooms, we help foster a dynamic learning environment where students feel supported and motivated.
Activities:
  • Course Development
    We design structured, level-based learning paths that help students move beyond basic conversation toward professional or personal goals, with a strong focus on high-demand areas such as Medical, IT/Tech, and Business English, using carefully selected and organised teaching materials.
  • Group Events
    We create interactive group environments where students can practice English in a social, low-pressure setting through informal conversations, structured group classes, and moderated interest-based communities that build confidence and collaboration.
  • Mentor Support
    We support our international mentors with practical resources, teaching guidance, and cultural sensitivity training so they can work effectively and safely with students, including those affected by difficult life experiences.
  • Student Progress
    We work closely with the matching team to place students in the right learning environment, track their progress and readiness for advanced classes, and continuously refine our materials based on feedback from students and mentors.
Help Needed
First and foremost, we need help with finding and creating materials. We are particularly in need of volunteers who have access to LMS and H5P. If you have methodological experience in linguistics or anything else, you are also welcome to join us.
Knowledge is the only asset that cannot be taken away. In hard times, knowledge becomes more than just a skill; it becomes something greater. For many Ukrainians, our project is not only about learning a language, but also about finding a foothold. We are trying to create a safe place where you can feel curious about life again, where it is okay to make mistakes, and where you will be supported. Balakun is our way of embracing those who are struggling right now and giving them a tool that will help them cope tomorrow.
Diana Klymenko
Education Team Lead
IT
The IT Team is responsible for all things tech-related within Balakun.

We manage our Google Workspace, provide technical support to our members, maintain our current website, and develop our new website to improve the experience for students, mentors, and volunteers.

Our team includes tech enthusiasts and professionals who believe in using technology to make a difference.
Activities:
  • Manage and administer Balakun's Google Workspace, ensuring smooth collaboration across the organisation.

  • Provide IT support for our members, helping with access, troubleshooting, and general tech guidance.

  • Maintain and improve our current website.
  • Develop our new website to enhance functionality and usability.
Help Needed
There’s always a need for self‑directed, technically confident volunteers on our team.

We maintain a small PHP-based website, build a new platform in Next.js and React, and occasionally handle simple Google Workspace support like password resets.

You don’t need to cover all of these — help in any one area already makes a real difference.

If you have some free time each week and can take on tasks independently, we’d be happy to welcome you to the team.
Technology is at the heart of Balakun's operations, enabling us to connect mentors and students, streamline our processes, and manage our growing community. The IT Team ensures that our systems run smoothly and that our tech infrastructure supports Balakun's mission effectively.
Val Shuman
IT Team Lead
Admin Team
The Admin Team ensures that Balakun runs smoothly behind the scenes. They handle finance and accounting, legal compliance, fundraising and grant applications, reporting, and internal security—providing the foundation that allows mentors and students to focus on learning and connection.
Activities:
  • Manage financial reporting, budgets, and accounting tasks
  • Coordinate fundraising and grant application efforts
  • Partnering and Outreach
Help Needed
We are looking for volunteers to support our Admin Team. If you have experience in finance, legal work, fundraising, you can help strengthen Balakun’s backbone and ensure our community continues to thrive.
Above all, Balakun is a community. A network where opportunities are born, Students, mentors, and volunteers shape their own journey, discovering new skills, perspectives, and connections along the way. We provide the framework and ways to connect, but the possibilities are yours to create.
Dr. Sandi Dempsey
Admin Team Lead
Volunteer Relations Team
The Volunteer Relations Team supports Balakun’s volunteers, ensuring they have the guidance, resources, and support needed to run the community smoothly. They help volunteers collaborate effectively, grow in their roles, and stay connected across teams.
Activities:
  • Onboard and support new volunteers
  • Coordinate volunteer training, check-ins, and team communications
  • Facilitate collaboration between teams
  • Provide guidance and resources to help volunteers succeed
Help Needed
We are looking for volunteers to join the Volunteer Relations Team. If you enjoy supporting others, coordinating teams, or helping volunteers thrive, you can play a key role in keeping Balakun running smoothly and effectively.
Maybe you?
Volunteer coordinator
Volonteer 🌍 Map