Amanda Gelender is Director of Strategy & Innovation at Vaya Consulting. She graduated from Stanford University with Honors and BA degrees in Political Science and Drama. Amanda is a recipient of the Stanford Award of Excellence, the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Arts, and the Robert M. Golden Medal for Excellence in Humanities and Creative Arts for her honors thesis on social protest theatre.

Amanda is experienced in organizational management at the intersection of social justice, having formerly worked for the Kapor Center for Social Impact, the Death Penalty Policy Project of the ACLU of Northern California, and as the Director of Recruitment and Advocacy Specialist for New Global Citizens.