Alex has been with the Soup Kitchen since 2015 and like many people in life, indeed like many guests of the Soup Kitchen, he never expected to end up where he did. He says that leading a charitable organisation and working with the homeless, lonely and vulnerable has been a life-changing experience for him. Alex believes that we all have a responsibility to make a conscious effort to help those less fortunate in society. In 2017, he led the successful effort to open Europe’s first-ever mental health drop-in clinic within a soup kitchen. He currently lives in London with his daughter.

Paul has been involved with the Soup Kitchen since 2009. He initially served as one of our many wonderful volunteers and then decided to take on the monumental task of serving as our Volunteer Coordinator. In 2018 he oversaw the implementation of our digital volunteer scheduling system. He is passionate about helping those who are less fortunate and feels proud to be a part of the team. Paul works full time as a supervisor in the construction industry and does his work for the Soup Kitchen in his spare time. He currently lives in South London with his wife and young daughter.

Constance (“Connie”) Jackson is an Advisor & Consumer Goods Specialist at trepwise llc, growth consultancy based in New Orleans, where she moved in 2019 after 17 years in the United Kingdom. An accomplished business strategy executive, she brings global consumer goods experience in North America and the Europe, Middle East and Africa region having worked with clients such as the Estee Lauder Companies of the UK & Ireland and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. Connie serves on several nonprofit boards: Goodenough College in London and the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. She is a graduate of Fisk University, the London School of Economics and Harvard University.

Jan Bagby has an international background in charity and non-profit organisations. She has been involved with the Soup Kitchen since 1999, serving as a volunteer and Board Member. She has served on the Board of Directors of Refugees International Japan, the Lycée Français de New York, the Punch and Judy Family Centre, and on the management committee of the Association des Parents de Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle. She has a BS degree in Biology from Abilene Christian University and an MPhil in Epidemiology and Public Health from Yale University.

Jennifer Mills-Knutsen serves as ex officio Trustee as part of her role as the Senior Minister of the American International Church, where she began in 2016. In addition to serving congregations in Indiana and Massachusetts, Jennifer has held many community leadership roles, including co-chair of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and chair of March2Recovery, an organization overseeing aid and volunteers after devastating EF-4 tornadoes struck Southern Indiana in 2012. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and English from James Madison University in Virginia and a Masters of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California.

Michael is a business founder, a long-term managing director of creative agencies, part of the leadership group of an organisation of over 40,000 people, and social enterprise pioneer. He was instrumental in helping to create, and launch our mental health initiative; what is thought to be the world’s first mental health drop-in centre inside a soup kitchen. He recently became a published author with his highly regarded first book, ‘I don’t agree’; a fascinating exploration of new, powerful, and surprising solutions to the ancient problem: Why we disagree so much. Michael lives in Brighton with Katy, Jake, Freddie, Millie, and Tessie – who is a Shi-Tzu.

Renée Kuo is the former Managing Director of Debrett’s. A graduate of Stanford University and the MIT Sloan School of Business, she worked in the finance industry as a Vice-President at Banc of America Securities and a Managing Director at Citadel Securities. In 2011, she moved to Napa Valley to pursue her passion for wine, first working as a harvest intern before becoming General Manager of a Napa winery. She moved to London in 2014 and was appointed Managing Director of Debrett’s in 2016. In 2019, she moved to France with her husband and 6-month old son, where she now runs a Bed & Breakfast, La Maison du Petit Jacques, and teaches yoga.