Mentors

Mentorship turns potential into purpose

weareMAYA connects local and global mentors to nurture the next generation of innovators and community changemakers. Our mentorship model combines guidance, skill-sharing, and lived experience to help young people turn learning into leadership. Each mentor strengthens an ecosystem of opportunity, one that transforms potential into impact and keeps our movement sustainable.

Lauren Gray

Founder/Managing Director

Lauren walked away from the corporate path to stand with young people. At her core, she believes youth deserve spaces where they are seen and heard, and that with the right mentorship, they can unlock potential powerful enough to change lives, futures, and entire communities.

With a background in business development, psychology, and years of hands-on work alongside underserved youth, Lauren brings a mix of strategy and social enterprise. Her focus is clear: building a global network of mentors that shifts power through equity, not charity.

Moses Musingila

Youth Director

In Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, Moses is the leader of Young Teens in Talent, a youth-led studio providing safety, structure, and access to education. What began as a dance group now helps over 100 young people stay in school, gain creative and technical skills, and build confidence through performing arts, digital media, and vocational training.

Having grown up in Mathare himself, Moses understands both the challenges and the potential within his community. His leadership ensures that talent meets opportunity, helping young people turn creativity into qualifications, jobs, and self-belief.

Purity Rotich

Director of Sustainability

Purity is a sustainability and climate finance expert who believes Africa’s youth must be at the centre of shaping the continent’s future. With years of experience working with international organisations, she has chosen to bring her expertise back to the grassroots — mentoring young people and women who are often excluded from opportunity.

At weareMAYA, Purity bridges local creativity with global opportunity, guiding youth to view their ideas not as small projects, but as part of a wider movement for equity, environmental responsibility, and economic empowerment.

Daisy Ngari

Director of Vocational Partnerships

Daisy leads the Nairobi Institute of Hospitality and partners with weareMAYA to open real vocational pathways for underserved youth. Through her institute, young people gain access to industry-recognised training in hospitality, mixology, and customer service. Skills that translate directly into employment and independence.

Her partnership connects creative talent from Mathare with formal career opportunities, bridging the gap between raw potential and professional success. Daisy’s work ensures that young people don’t just imagine a better future, they are trained, confident, and ready to step into it.

Dani Dawkes

Creative Enterprise & Upcycling Lead

Dani is a UK-based creative the founder of D.I.F.A. (Designed Individually For All) a sustainable upcycling studio where every piece is one-of-a-kind and reflects her commitment to individuality and the planet. With years of hands-on experience, she leads weareMAYA’s Echo Wear programme, mentoring youth to turn waste into wearable art, build their brand voices, and step confidently into enterprise

Her approach is practical and empowering. Dani encourages youth to think boldly, design with purpose, and build confidence through creativity. By turning waste into wearable art and marketable products, she helps them move towards self-sufficiency and income generation, while strengthening their sense of identity and pride in their work.

Become a part of our community

We are always keen to collaborate with like minded individuals and companies. Do get in touch if you want to be part of what we are creating, from being a Global Mentor, to supporting one of our programmes. We are stronger together.