Our Team

Aral Sürmeli

Board Member

A passionate health equity champion, Aral is the founder/CEO of HERA Digital Health and cofounder/president of Medical Rescue Association of Turkey (MEDAK). He has spent his career focused on medical rescue, disaster response, and healthcare for displaced populations and refugees. Aral received his MD from the Acıbadem University School of Medicine, his MPH from Harvard University T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and is currently studying for his PhD in public health focusing on technology in humanitarian crises at Johns Hopkins.

Su Yuen Chin

Chief Technology Officer

Su Yuen is an entrepreneur with a passion for democratizing access to opportunities with remote work. Her current startup MomoCentral.com, is an on-demand tech talent platform of human-interviewed, tested and verified developers and designers. Currently the platform has 450+ talents with 1000+ companies hiring, including YCombinator to Series C startups and Fortune 500 companies including Deloitte and Standard Chartered Bank. In her free time, she enjoys finding ways to give back to the community with tech. In March 2016, she created the MomoGivesBack program at MomoCentral – in partnership with Fast Forward – the top US tech non-profit accelerator. Talents on MomoCentral.com have donated thousands of hours to selected non-profits from YCombinator, Google.org and Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative with their tech skills. In June 2019, she was selected for the highly competitive MIT DeepTech Program in Cambridge, Boston.

Jenn Freedman

Director of Operations

Jenn is an experienced strategic and operational leader committed to advancing important social, public health, educational, and environmental causes in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector. Her diverse background includes director of marketing at a Fortune 500 company, nonprofit board member/president, freelance writer, grant writer, entrepreneur/founder of a plant-based food blog, and nonprofit director of operations.

Husam Burhan

Software Engineer

Hüsam is a dedicated software engineer at Hera Digital Health, playing a pivotal role in advancing the nonprofit's technological capabilities. With a robust background in software development and extensive experience with NGOs, Hüsam develops and maintains innovative software solutions that support Hera's mission to improve digital health. They are instrumental in designing and implementing large language model (LLM) based solutions, such as intelligent chatbots and AI-driven tools, enhancing user experience and operational efficiency. Hüsam's technical expertise, understanding of NGO challenges, and commitment to Hera's goals significantly impact the accessibility and quality of healthcare through digital innovation, reflecting a strong dedication to social good and community improvement.

Berktug Kubuk

Senior Program Manager

Berktug Kubuk (MsC, OMPT) is a physiotherapist and humanitarian worker pursuing a Doctorate in Health Sciences at Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona. His work focuses on AI-powered digital health interventions and developing AI-driven business solutions for non-profit organizations. His 10 years of experience in working with vulnerable populations, Berktug has contributed to various projects in Turkey, Nepal, and Spain within the field of medical rescue, disaster response and healthcare of migratory populations. He applies his research skills to translate knowledge into field practice for vulnerable populations and currently serves on the administrative board of the Medical Rescue Association of Turkey (MEDAK).

İhsan Gömleksiz

Marketing Manager

İhsan is a humanitarian tech expert specializing in user-centered solutions and efficiency optimization. He has significantly contributed to agricultural technology projects like Vodafone Smart Village. His expertise spans logistics, IT, and marketing, enhancing operational efficiency and developing user-focused solutions.

As the founder of Pixmid Technology, İhsan has driven digital growth through strategies for user acquisition and customer retention. At MEDAK Medical Rescue Association of Turkey, he maintained digital infrastructure and boosted online visibility.

Currently, as Growth Marketing Manager at HERA Digital Health, İhsan has executed successful campaigns for the HERA Mobile Health app, surpassing 10,000 downloads, and is developing AI strategies to expand user access to healthcare services. In his free time, he focuses on leveraging technology for community benefit.

İlke Öztürk

Program Manager

Ilke graduated from Middle East Technical University with a degree in Sociology and has been working in the civil society field since 2019. She joined MEDAK in 2023 and works mainly on administrative and financial processes.

Kristyn Anderson

Board Member

Kristyn is an associate vice president and the chief of staff of Rasky Partners. In this capacity, she supports both the Boston and DC offices by coordinating the execution of strategic initiatives for the firm and day-to-day activities. Kristyn holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management with a concentration in Finance from Boston University. She is the chairwoman of the Young Professionals Board of First Literacy, a non-profit benefiting adult and immigration literacy programs throughout Massachusetts.

Mike Kautz

Board Member

Mike is the chief investment officer of Righthand Capital, a RIA headquartered in Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and a minor in Philosophy from Boston University. Immigration literacy programs throughout Massachusetts.

Neeru Narla, MD, MPH

Board Member

Neeru earned her MD from Mayo Clinic, and completed her pediatrics residency and MPH at Harvard, where she is currently faculty. She has collaborated extensively with international partners in Africa and Asia on maternal, infant, and adolescent health, to deliver context-specific interventions with locally driven solutions, and supplemented her medical training with a fellowship in global health delivery. Her work focuses on promoting health equity and innovative preventive services primarily for children and families in resource-denied settings.