OUR TEAM
The people behind URP
Meet the people who lead, govern and have helped shape URP. Our work brings together lived experience, community knowledge, professional expertise and a shared commitment to creating fairer pathways into education, employment and participation.
Board members
URP’s board provides strategic direction, oversight and accountability for the organisation.
Nigel Greenwood
Advisory Board Member
Supported URP’s early development with business mentoring and customer-journey thinking, helping the organisation consider how people experience and access support.
Dr Suneel Kunamaneni
Advisory Board Member
Contributed entrepreneurship, innovation and social-enterprise expertise during URP’s early development, including mentoring around inclusive and sustainable business thinking.
Selam Nigussie
Advisory Board Member
Contributed youth, ESOL and lived-experience perspectives to URP’s early development and shared a strong commitment to supporting refugees and other migrants.
Hanna Ayele
Advisory Board Member
Creative and community-minded, with a strong interest in aerospace and innovation. She brings a valuable young person’s perspective to URP’s Board, with particular enthusiasm for education, opportunity and community development.
Our Governance team
Alongside current governance roles, URP’s story has been shaped by people who have contributed administration, mentoring, business knowledge, academic expertise and community experience. Historical roles are clearly marked below.
Alice Tooley
Director and Secretary
Supports company administration, governance continuity and the organisational processes that help URP’s work run effectively.
Dr Kidist Teklemariam
Founder and Director
Founded URP after developing the idea through her MSc live project at Leeds Beckett University. Her work brings together lived experience, community practice, research and partnership.
Amanuel Mebrahtu
Director and Media Manager
Supports URP’s media management and organisational development and has contributes to Sessional works such as digital inclusion and community and civic-participation work.
Want to contribute to URP’s work?
We welcome people who want to contribute skills, professional knowledge, lived experience, volunteering time or partnership to strengthen URP’s work.