Our people
Meet our skilled team, expert partners, and influential trustees.
Adira Andlay
Senior Researcher
With a specialisation in co-design and citizen engagement, Adira leads a range of mixed-method research projects, from community-led social innovation to supporting peer research training. She has a multidisciplinary background in design research, social innovation and visual communication.
Alice Bell
Senior Researcher
Alice joined The Young Foundation in 2020, having previously gained experience as a Government Social Research intern. She is enthusiastic about exploring innovative and inclusive methods to involve diverse communities in impactful research.
Amelia Clayton
Research Officer
After completing her masters in sociology, Amelia joined The Young Foundation as a research officer. Amelia has a passion for uplifting marginalised voices, especially disabled and chronically ill voices. She is also interested in research into role-playing games, and in fringe subcultures.
Ari Metos
Communications and Design Officer
Ari joined The Young Foundation in 2023, after managing events and engagement for a health
research learned society, and working as a creative producer with a London-based brand
agency.
Charlene Stagon
Head of Systems Change and Innovation
Charlene brings extensive experience leading large, complex innovation programmes across the public sector, arts and culture, health and care and local communities. She is skilled in developing partnerships that explore how people-powered innovation can create meaningful change in complex systems.
Charlotte Healy
Head of Social Business and Innovation
Charlotte’s background is working as an Economic Development Programme Manager in Local Government. She loves all things social enterprise and is interested in how we can use social innovation to create a more equal society.
Chelsea McDonagh
Senior Researcher
Chelsea joined The Young Foundation in 2021 after working as an education policy and campaigns officer at the Traveller Movement, and a youth research and campaigns officer at Partnership for Young London. Chelsea is passionate about working with young people and changing research approaches to make them more accessible.
Cristina Wilkinson Salamea
Senior Research Manager
Cristina is a mixed-methods social researcher with an MSc in sociology from the University of Edinburgh. She has more than seven years’ experience working in research and evaluation in agency, charity and academic settings.
Daisy Webster Kincaid
Administrator
Daisy joined The Young Foundation in 2023, and is passionate about using her skills and experience within an organisation fighting for a fairer future through social research.
Daniel Farag
Director of Innovation and Practice
Dan leads our practical social change and innovation work with communities, public systems, and social enterprises. He has worked across the public, private and charitable sectors, and was previously a director of Nesta’s Health Lab.
David Heinemann
Civic Leadership Programme Lead
David’s role is to discover and develop civic leaders working to improve the health of our society. He has a background in personal and organisational development, supporting pioneering changemakers and organisations in the UK and internationally for more than 15 years.
Dr Al Mathers
Director of Research
Having previously been Director of Research and Learning at the RSA, and Head of Research at Good Things Foundation, Al is passionate about The Young Foundation’s commitment to realising a fairer future with communities, and supporting evidence-driven social change.