Meet The Team

As a teenager sitting in her careers interview, Annie was asked to choose where she’d like to go for her next work experience placement. Summing up all her imagination, Annie announced ‘The Careers Service, please’.

The careers officer dream never materialised, with Annie training as a youth worker and community development professional instead. Starting out over three decades ago, she has delivered a range of work phenomenal in its breadth and depth and notable for its indisputable positive impact.

Annie’s work is recognised for consistently contributing to the wider ecosystem of whatever theme, approach, idea or infrastructure programme that she’s been engaged in. She’s facilitated innovative issues-based programmes at the grassroots and strategic level. Her role has always been pivotal as a facilitator and catalyst, be it through 1-2-1 relationships or building cross sector multi stakeholder partnerships. All projects are underpinned by a community development approach, leading to sustainable and tangible outcomes. 

For five years, Annie took an impromptu ‘impact sector sabbatical’, returning with a wealth of lived experience, namely domestic violence and associated mental health issues. This brought another layer of depth to her work – a gravitas and wisdom - which she continues to draw upon today.

On her return, Annie soon realised that there was much to be done with more urgency than ever in the impact space. She founded Be The Difference consultancy. Determined to maximise her impact through strategic input, she embarked on a series of smart collaborations with those who had an appetite to be the change that they wanted to see AND the resources to back this up i.e. philanthropists, companies and other changemakers. She used the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as her North Star. 

Annie leads on impact. She encourages her clients to look after their impact assets in the same way as they would their business and personal assets. Her mantra: ‘collaboration is the new competition’ is as relevant as ever, encouraging her clients to leverage and grow their assets through effective collaborations, building ecosystems, and harnessing the resulting synergies.

Annie on LinkedIn.

Lisa Rose - Philanthropy Co-Lead

Lisa co-leads on philanthropy, supporting individuals at every stage of their impact journey. As the former Programmes Director at The Beacon Collaborative, she helped increase philanthropic giving in the UK through research, advocacy, collaborations and strategic communications to support systemic changes in giving behaviours. In particular, she co-designed and managed unique research to determine barriers to giving in Millennial wealth generators and created the UK part of the redesign of a US-based education programme for mid-level donors by inputting the UK wider sector view and adding UK-based case studies.

She has deep experience and understanding of international development, having worked with start-up SMEs and social enterprises, NGOs and been on active service with the forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed, the phenomenal breadth of Lisa's experience in international development spans demining (Afghanistan and Angola), creating the first ever income generation projects for 60 women in rural areas by proposing, starting and successfully implementing 4 replicable women’s livelihood projects (Mozambique), managing end-to-end kindergarten builds (Ghana) and empowering young refugees (UK). Currently, she focuses on global sustainable development as the Senior Programmes Manager for the Leaders in Innovation programme (Royal Academy of Engineering).

Lisa on LinkedIn.

Susie Steyn - Responsible Business Lead

Susie leads on responsible business. She helps corporates to achieve their purpose while balancing their impacts on people and the planet. She headed up social investment CSR for an international bank and asset manager for five years. There she helped to shape strategy and develop, market and report on award-winning programmes, engaging employees in impactful volunteering and fundraising.

An experienced corporate lawyer, Susie is passionate about making quality education and employment accessible to all, especially for young people. Susie has also been an active volunteer for many years with a variety of not-for-profits. At present, she is West London Zone’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, helping children and young people build the relationships and skills they need to thrive in adulthood.

Susie is a great believer in the power of business as a force for good in the world. She’s a B Leader with B Corp expertise and is inspired through being part of the wider B Corp movement. She has a post grad certificate in Business Sustainability Management (Cambridge University). Currently, Susie is serving as a Non Executive Director for the Diversity Trust.

Susie on LinkedIn.

Helen Horler - Learning Lead

Helen Horler, learning lead, is always keen to discover what’s behind the insights, dive into any challenges/gaps/blind spots, explore what the takeways tell us and celebrate the learnings. Above all, she helps us stay focused on keeping a learning mindset and iterative process deeply embedded in all our work.

She is an Institute of Leadership & Management accredited Development Coach and qualified teacher, she is inclusive and supportive in her practice and is skilled at conflict resolution.

Experienced working with multiple stakeholders in the voluntary sector, Helen has led teams through evaluation and strategic reviews for national charities including Royal Mencap Society and the Woodland Trust. As a former trustee of two organisations, Helen now advises Directors and boards and helps them develop their vision for the future with empathy and experience.

Helen has experience of setting up her own purpose-driven consultancy, Culture Force. She has expertise in the voluntary sector (particularly heritage) and has built and managed volunteer teams, served as a parish councillor for a year. In the past, she was a mentor for members of GEM, supporting those interested in learning through museums, heritage and cultural settings. She is also in the process of setting up her own CIC, Culture Circle, which will use culture and creative working to empower marginalised groups, such as domestic violence survivors, to move forward.

Helen on LinkedIn.

Sartaj Khan - Business Operations Coordinator

Experienced in the voluntary sector and working as an Administrative and Personal Assistant for over 14 years, Sartaj’s main areas of work have included core office administration functions.

A good team player, always conscientious, resourceful and flexible individual with an ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining a professional and positive attitude, Sartaj worked in a community development agency where she became the office manager. In 2015, she became a Virtual Assistant, working primarily for a property company where she became team leader, responsible for the business operations team.

Sartaj is extremely passionate about working for the voluntary sector, with strong administrative support skills and experience to make a positive contribution, dedicated to helping improve the lives of others. 

As the Business Operations Co-ordinator at Be the Difference, Sartaj’s support is invaluable to both the team and clients alike. Sartaj carries a reputation for being diplomatic, dedicated and focused, continuing to build strong and long-term relationships.

Sartaj on LinkedIn.

Mpho Hlalele - Philanthropy Co-Lead

Mpho Hlalele co-leads on philanthropy, bringing her experience as a philanthropy advisor with an independently owned Family Office Group, that  supported the management of multi-generational family wealth.  Originally trained as a vet, Mpho’s twin passions are philanthropy and animal welfare. She’s currently delighted to be combining both of these in her role as Development Donor Relations Officer for the member organisation Eurogroup for Animals, which is focused on lobbying for better animal welfare legislation and policies. Mpho has not-for-profit leadership experience, having managed the second largest animal charity in South Africa. Today she continues to serve as an Advisory Council Member on the Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organisations and as Chairperson of the Cart Horse Protection Association’s Committee.

Mpho adopts an international perspective on development, having worked in South Africa and now for a European NGO, headquartered in Brussels.  Previously she has lived in the UK, Caribbean and Ireland and  is now based in France.

Mpho on LinkedIn