Brock Stobbs
Chairperson
Brock (he/him) is queer and currently studying towards a BA(Hons) in Political Science at Victoria University of Wellington. His focuses have been on a range of topics from local body government to areas like education and health. He also has a passion for social justice and has become involved in work dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of rainbow youth, particularly in the tertiary sector. With this, he is keen to contribute to the amazing work of InsideOUT as a member of the board. He hopes to get stuck into any work he can!
Miia van Beusekom
Treasurer
Miia (she/her) is a transgender lesbian who has recently completed a BA in Sociology. She is passionate about social justice, and the relationship between queerness and parenting. She has been involved in the queer community at VUW for several years, and is looking forward to bringing her experiences there into her work with InsideOUT. In her free time, Miia likes to spend time with her wife and children, play football, and catch up on lost sleep.
Rox Soriano
Co-Secretary
Rox (they/she) is a queer person who works as a solicitor in a small team involved with Māori legal issues and the Waitangi Tribunal. They have been involved with rainbow organisations while studying in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland, and look forward to bringing their experiences and energy to the InsideOut community. They are passionate about human and indigenous rights issues, and advocating for education around intersectionality, particularly within the rainbow communities and communities of colour. In their spare time, Rox enjoys working on their bullet journal, gardening, watching Asian dramas, and hanging out with their energetic dog and chill partner.
Stella Ivory
Co-Secretary
Stella (she/her) is a queer cis Pākehā from the Coromandel Peninsula who is into unsettling norms in Aotearoa, from the individual to the institutional. She’s worked for a range of organisations around the world, and is excited to bring this experience to her role as a Board Member with InsideOUT. Stella is researching IPV within the Rainbow community, and volunteers in this space. Her work in policy aspires to an Aotearoa that is inclusive for everyone, and particularly Rainbow young people. In her spare time, she’s probably laughing, drinking coffee, at the beach, having a deep yarn, and often all at once.
Dany Miller-Kareko
Trustee
Dany Miller-Kareko (Ngāpuhi, she/her) is a wahine Māori living in Tāmaki Makaurau. She is the manager of a Public Library and is passionate about building thriving communities. Dany has worked her whole career in the public sector, focusing on inclusion and advocacy alongside various leadership and community engagement roles. She is super excited about the opportunity to bring her experience and enthusiasm to InsideOUT – Kōaro.
Dany has served on several boards with special interests in, Māori, Women’s and Takātapui issues. Her love of people drives her involvement with these kaupapa and she has been engaged in social activism in various forms from a young age.
In her free time, you can find Dany drinking tea, embroidering, and reading just about anything (or listening to audio books – but she says that still counts!).
Rose Melchers
Trustee
Rose (she/her) is a queer medical student who has nearly finished her studies at the
University of Otago Wellington. She has recently finished a PhD in neuroscience! She is passionate about the health and mental health of queer young people and her goal is to improve these areas both on an individual and a political level. In her spare time Rose enjoys cooking, baking and eating, and occasionally going for a run! Rose is excited to get involved and help out with policy, activism and volunteering.
Richa Sharma
Trustee
Richa (she/her) is a 18 year old with a passion for people and planet. She has been working in the political and NGO space since high school both as a Community Organiser and on various governance boards. Richa hopes to continue working in the rainbow space and advocate for progressive education policy in Aotearoa, where she feels we are critically lacking, to ensure our rainbow rangatahi can achieve to their fullest potential.
Harata Skipper
Trustee
Amanda Hill
Executive Advisor
Amanda (she/her) is a lawyer at Cooper Legal, a small human rights law firm in Wellington. She has practiced law in a range of areas for the last 13 years. Amanda has governance experience with student-led organisations, political organisations and not-for-profit incorporated societies and trusts. Many of those organisations advocated for the rainbow community. Amanda was heavily involved in the campaign for civil unions and was also involved in the marriage equality campaign. Amanda is committed to making sure youth, however they identify, understand that they have a place in the world and that they have the right to live with dignity.
Julia de Bres
Executive Advisor
Julia (she/her) is a linguistics lecturer at Massey University in Wellington. Her research focuses on how language is used in the reproduction of inequality and how social minorities resist imbalances of power. Julia’s interest in minority issues derives from her own experiences as a person with an invisible disability. She came out as bi only recently and, with the arrival of a gender diverse child, the whole family just got a lot more rainbow. Julia is passionate about making communities safer for rainbow children and young people and believes fostering inclusion and diversity has benefits for everyone.
Allanah Elvy-Arnold
Executive Advisor
Allanah (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Ngāti Pākehā, they/them) is a queer person who for the past decade has worked in the mental health and addictions sector. Allanah has held clinical and quality improvement roles within NGO and DHB services and is currently working in private practice. This gives them more time and energy for part-time study and keeping up with their very energetic 6 year old! Allanah is completing a Master’s thesis through Massey University exploring the experiences of queer counselling professionals in Aotearoa. Allanah has a passion for supporting rainbow youth and is excited to use their skills to contribute to the mahi of InsideOUT Kōaro.