Staff
Our staff help bring ITF’s work to life. As a trans-led team, we are guided by lived experience, collective care, and a shared commitment to resourcing and sustaining trans movements.
Broden Giambrone
Executive Director
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Ireland
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Formerly Chief Executive of Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI), Broden was instrumental in advancing Ireland’s Gender Recognition Act, a legal recognition law based on self-determination. He also spearheaded TENI’s STAD (Stop Transphobia and Discrimination) campaign which documented violence and discrimination against trans people and raised awareness about transphobia.
A published author and international speaker, Broden has long championed intersectional social justice campaigns related to issues of self-determination, bodily integrity, and harm reduction. He holds a Master’s in Public Health (Health Promotion) from the University of Toronto, with a focus on community and policy development in trans health.
As Executive Director of the International Trans Fund, Broden provides strategic leadership, oversees operations and grantmaking, drives resource mobilization, and engages stakeholders to advance the organization’s mission. Outside of work, he loves living on a farm with his family and four sheep, swimming in the cold Irish Sea, and stargazing.
Viviane Simakawa
Acting Director
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Brazil
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Her work seeks to contribute to depathologizing approaches through decolonial perspectives grounded in a transfeminist standpoint. She holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.
As Deputy Director, Viviane brings deep institutional knowledge and political clarity, shaped by years of engagement with trans-led movements at ITF, and with funder spaces across human rights, LGBTI communities, and feminist movements. Her work strengthens ITF’s long-term vision of resourcing trans movements with intentionality and accountability. As part of the ITF team, she collaborates as co-chair of the Global Philanthropy Project‘s Trans and Intersex Task Force, as steering committee member of the Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN), and an advisory board member of Akãhatã (Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Géneros).
In her free time, she enjoys football, martial arts, cycling, and learning languages as a way to connect with diverse peoples and cultures.
Shaman Gupta
Grants Manager
Pronouns: he/him
Location: India
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Shaman is a trans rights activist from Dehradun, India, and the former CEO of the TWEET Foundation. There, he built and led programs that continue to support thousands of trans youth across India with access to legal aid, shelter, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Since 2016, he has led transmasculine advocacy, organizing national conferences and co-leading Our Health Matters, a landmark study on transmasculine healthcare.
In 2023, Shaman co-founded Misfyt, a trans youth-led organisation, that connects trans people with inclusive jobs, mental health support, and community. He continues to serve on Misfyt’s board. His leadership has earned recognition as a Dalai Lama Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and Indo-Pacific Future Fellow. He holds a degree in engineering.
As Grants Manager, Shaman contributes to global trans-led funding efforts, channeling vital resources to trans movements through participatory grantmaking practices that center trust, transparency, and lived experience. Outside of work, Shaman finds a sense of peace, joy, and connection in dancing and spending time in nature.
Shaman previously served on the Grant Making Panel (2024-2025) before joining ITF’s Staff.
Karen Bennett
Programs Associate
Pronouns: they/them
Location: Argentina
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She began international trans advocacy in 2010 and worked as an executive assistant at Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE) from 2012–2021. Karen provided external services to ITF as a translator and interpreter (she is fluent in Spanish, English and German) before joining the International Trans Fund as Interim Program Associate.
Karen is a professional songwriter, film composer, guitarist, singer, producer, and band leader with over 40 years experience in the local rock scene. She made history as Latin America’s first trans musician to write and score a feature film, El Puto Inolvidable, a documentary about the LGBTI activist who started Argentina’s Pride Parades.
As Program Associate, Karen works behind the scenes to provide reliable, timely and professional support and translations to ITF’s executive staff, grants manager and program officers. In her free time, she plays fútbol (soccer) and tennis, and enjoys immersing herself in cinema and literature.
Hua Boonyapisomparn
Program Officer (East, South, Southeast Asia and the Pacific)
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Thailand
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She is a founding member of Sisters Foundation and the Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights (ThaiTGA). She has also worked with the Astraea Foundation, Asia-Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), and as Trans and Non-Binary Health Advisor at APICHA Community Health Center.
Hua successfully campaigned for marriage equality, the Trans Wellbeing Charter and gender-affirming hormone coverage under Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage Scheme. A champion of intersectional justice, Hua engages Buddhist religious leaders to advance gender equality and inclusion. She holds an MSA in Public and Community Health.
As Program Officer, Hua collaborates with trans-led groups across East, South, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, identifying emerging priorities, strengthening participatory grantmaking, and sustaining trans-led movements in the region. Outside of work you can find her cooking and baking to express her love and bring people together.
Pau González Sánchez
Program Officer (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Panama
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Pau is committed to building alliances between grassroots movements, international organizations, and policymakers. He has led national and regional strategic litigation initiatives.
He advances intersectional, community-driven social justice. Pau contributed to the Trans Masculine Memory Project, documenting oral histories of trans men over 40 across Latin America. A licensed real estate agent and former medical interpreter/translator, he brings extensive experience in advocacy and communication. He was honored as International Grand Marshal for Toronto Pride 2025 and is an alumnus of Harvard’s Carr Center and the HRC Global Innovation Program.
As Program Officer, Pau collaborates with trans-led groups across Latin America and the Caribbean. He works to strengthen participatory grantmaking and sustain trans-led movements. In his free time, he enjoys reading articles to stay informed, dancing, playing guitar, and going to the beach with his family, fiancée, and his Yorkie, Pinky.
Pau previously served on the Grant Making Panel (2025) before joining ITF’s staff.
Jihan Qunoo
Senior Finance and Operations Officer
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Canada
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With several years of experience, she specializes in grant management, donors’ rules and regulations, international project operations, and managing budgets, pipelines, and partnerships.
Jihan has previously worked as finance officer with the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada, providing financial support, managing project budgets and audits, and launching projects in Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Ukraine. She also works with the International Medical Corps as senior finance administrator to support and implement projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Jihan holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce (Accounting) and is currently completing her Master’s in Accounting.
As Senior Finance and Operations Officer, Jihan oversees financial systems and operational processes to ensure transparency, efficiency, and alignment with ITF’s mission. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, traveling, spending time in nature with her family, and sharing those moments through her YouTube videos.