Chief Executive Officer-
Kadian Duncan– Rising Ohana’s CIC was created to support young parents, young people, neurodivergent individuals, and families navigating complex systems and life challenges.
I bring over six years of professional experience across social care and education, alongside 15 years of lived and personal experience supporting individuals with SEMH, SEN, and mental health needs. This combined experience allows me to understand both the professional expectations placed on families and the real-life challenges they face when the right support is not in place.
My background in Criminology and safeguarding informs a trauma-aware, inclusive approach that centres dignity, safety, and real-life understanding. At Rising Ohana’s, families are not just cases — they are people. We meet them where they are and walk alongside them, offering practical guidance, advocacy, and a consistent, trusted presence throughout their journey.
Non- Executive Director
Claus Geissendoerfer is a seasoned Non-Executive Director and Transformation Leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategic change across Germany, the US, and the UK. His career spans global consulting firms, complex corporate environments, and small grassroots organisations. Claus brings deep expertise in governance, risk oversight, and strategy execution, complemented by hands-on engagement with grassroots organisations and charities.
Non- Executive Director
Samira Richardson is a multidisciplinary business leader with extensive expertise in strategic business management. Holding an MBA, MRes, BSc, BA and Executive Education in Sustainability Leadership, she combines a unique blend of academic rigour with real-world experience.
Her career spans the biotech, diagnostics, charitable, public service and academic sectors, where she has delivered strategic governance and oversight, strengthened performance and driven sustainable growth. Alongside her professional work, she serves as a Board Trustee at a children’s cancer charity.
Manal – Counsellor
I’m a person-centred therapist and my work is grounded in presence, depth, and relational honesty. My intention in practice is not to offer quick fixes, but to sit with what feels uncomfortable, unresolved, or long ignored. My practice is shaped by an awareness of how culture, gender, family expectations, and wider systems influence someone’s sense of worth, particularly when pain has been minimised or misunderstood. Those experiences don’t just affect mental health; they can slowly erode identity and self-trust.
I work in a way that prioritises safety without becoming passive, and challenge without becoming shaming. I don’t position myself as the expert on someone’s life. Instead, I try to create the kind of relational space where a person can begin to hear themselves more clearly, reconnect with parts of themselves they’ve silenced, and move toward a greater sense of congruence.
At Rising Ohana’s CIC, I bring that same commitment to relational depth and integrity. I’m here to work alongside individuals and families navigating trauma, stigma, and practical pressure, offering psychological insight without losing humanity. My intention is not to rescue, but to stand beside each client with a steady, attuned presence, holding deep respect for their capacity to grow when they are truly met.
Mmesoma – Admin
Mmesoma is a dedicated Virtual and Executive Assistant with extensive experience supporting founders, businesses, startups, nonprofits, and mission-led organisations across administrative operations, systems development, and communications. Known for her proactive and systems-oriented approach, she specialises in building the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that allows leaders and teams to operate with clarity and confidence. From managing communications and coordinating schedules to developing SOPs and streamlining workflows, Mmesoma brings structure, precision, and thoughtfulness to every aspect of her work.
Joining the Rising Ohana team as a Personal Assistant to the Founder, Mmesoma is driven by a deep belief that every young parent and family deserves consistent, compassionate support. She understands that strong organisations are built not just on vision, but on the reliable day-to-day systems and people that bring that vision to life. It is this understanding that draws her to Rising Ohana’s mission; a mission she is honoured to contribute to with reliability, intentionality, and genuine care for the communities the organisation serves.