Our People
Meet Our Team
At Global Refugee Academy (GRA), we are proud to have a dedicated team of volunteers and board members who are passionately committed to our mission of providing quality education and support to refugees and displaced individuals.
Our volunteers, the heart of GRA, contribute their diverse skills, boundless energy, and unwavering commitment to make a difference in our students' lives.
Our board members are distinguished leaders in business, technology, community engagement and non-profit management.
Together, our dynamic team is dedicated to creating a brighter future through education and empowerment, and we invite you to learn more about the passion and commitment driving Global Refugee Academy forward.
Board Members
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- Cindy Carpenter Co-founder and Board Chair
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- Sharon Taylor Co-founder and Director
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- Caroline Preston Co-founder and CEO
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- Barat Ali Co-founder and Director
Cindy Carpenter
Co-founder & Board Chair
Sharon Taylor
Co-founder & Director
Caroline Preston
Co-founder and CEO
Barat Ali
Co-founder and Director
Cindy Carpenter
Cindy is a Board Director for Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia, and a member of the Governance Group for Settlement Council of Australia’s ‘Road to Belonging’ national strategy. She also convened the X-Files group of chief executive women to secure safe passage for Afghan career women to Australia via skilled visas. Cindy is Chair of The Bread & Butter Project, Australia’s first social enterprise artisan bakery, investing 100% of profits to provide training and employment pathways for refugees and asylum seekers. She also leads the advisory groups supporting three other refugee-focused social enterprises; CommUnity Construction, FoodLab and Aunty’s Ginger Tonic.
Sharon Taylor
Sharon Taylor is a senior executive at Netflix. She was previously CEO at Animal Logic, one of the world’s leading independent creative digital studios. She is an advisory group member with Talent Beyond Boundaries. With a passion for the engagement and attraction of talent, Sharon has pioneered strategic and educational development within the industry to embrace non-traditional recruiting pathways. She has led the employment and relocation support for multiple skilled refugees and their families to Australia.
Caroline Preston
Caroline has extensive experience with NGO operations, including as Regional Strategy Director for World Vision’s Middle East and Eastern Europe Region, Operations Director at World Vision Indonesia, and General Manager for Humanitarian Services at New Zealand Red Cross. Her role at New Zealand Red Cross included directing the national refugee settlement contract in addition to community and international programs. During her tenure she oversaw the opening of new settlement locations, the piloting and national scale up of the Pathways to Employment program the merger with Refugee Trauma Recovery.
Barat Ali
Barat Ali was born in an isolated village amid Afghanistan’s civil war. His early life was further compounded by the presence of polio. At the age of 16 Barat arrived in Australia as an asylum seeker, turning adversity into a stepping stone for an educational journey that ultimately culminated in a Bachelor of Animation at Griffith University and a career in animation technology. Barat has launched four social purpose organisations. Barat co-founded Global Refugee Academy and is instrumental in running successful field operations, coordinating refugee volunteers and students, and providing cyber security.
Partner With Us
The Global Refugee Academy welcomes strategic partners to make a positive difference for refugees. Please get in touch via info@globalrefugeeacademy.org
Our Programs
Information
Pre-Arrival English & Support
English Language Classes
Skills Pathways
Scholarship Information
Our Address
admin@globalrefugeeacademy.org
ABN 51 673 717 149
ACN 673 717 149
NSW Charitable Fundraising No. 27182