Stelle Akintola was born and raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult in the rural United States where she endured violent corporal punishment and extreme lack of autonomy. As a lesbian, she was betrothed twice to be married underage to male members. Aside from convincing her parents to take a couple of community college classes under the watch of a chaperon, Stelle was kept at home, never attending a public or formal school. At 19 years old with no financial backing or her former community’s support, she left and struck out on her own working a simple retail job to make ends meet.
In 2016, an independent journalism project provided Stelle the opportunity to do extensive ride longs with a local American police department. This was Stelle’s first real look into police work and the resulting suffering and corruption within the department changed the course of her life. Soon after, she changed her new college enrolment degree path to Political Science to extend her knowledge of government.
During undergraduate school, Stelle worked a full-time law job and for Arizona State University and Dr. Tina Jiwatram-Negron at the School of Social Work, faculty at the Office of Gender-Based Violence. The InCommunity Lab focused on gender-based violence (GBV) and the intersection of health and mental health risks associated with GBV among socially and economically susceptible populations, including women living with HIV, misusing substances, and/or engage in sex trading/work.
In addition, during her undergrad degree Stelle worked with the Arizona Supreme Court in aiding re-entry initiatives for those on probation and those still involved in the system. She aided documentation for court hearings and once again experienced the horror of the prison legal system. The topic of detention and prison began to emerge forefront and center as Stelle also volunteered with the International Refugee Committee in facilitating refugees newly released from an ICE prison center in Florence, AZ.
Through independent connections, Stelle traveled overseas to aid in humanitarian and refugee work in Mosul, Iraq with an Iraqi NGO, Wasel Tasel Humanitarian Foundation. She stayed for four consecutive months on the ground in the Middle East learning about the challenges related to war survivors, aid, and the experience of migrant populations. What she witnessed inspired her to apply and being accepted into two different master's programs at The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Stelle graduated in 2023 with a M.Sc. in International Migration and Public Policy from LSE. She founded SXSytems to promote justice and prevent government implemented atrocities, such as the scourge of mass incarceration affecting both civilians and stateless persons across the world.
Paulina is driven by her passion for social justice. With a focus on human rights advocacy, she researched structural gender inequality and legal impunity underpinning the prevalence of femicides in Mexico as part of her master's degree at The London School of Economics & Political Science.
Paulina graduated with her MSc in International Development from the London School of Economics and a BA in Communications from Universidad Panamericana in her home country of Mexico.
Drawing upon experience at NGOs including Save the Children, Endeavor, and Fernando Mora Gómez Foundation, as well as startups including Nuvocargo, Enroll-U, and PayCode, she leads SXSystems' online reporting and social media advocacy efforts on human rights abuses and violations suffered in migration detention centers and prisons across the European Union, the US, the UK and other countries.
Outside of her professional endeavors, she co-hosts a sex education podcast that intends to promote access to sex ed in Mexico— a country with a high rate of teenage and unwanted pregnancies— and volunteers at international and Mexican NGOs.
As SXS’s first Chief Operating Officer, Eleese brings years of lived experience and program management to the forefront of the organization.
As someone who believes in action over words, Eleese manages all aspects of SXS operations – overseeing financial analysis, managing organizational ethics and technology, inventory regulation, and overseeing all operational tasks and initiatives.
Bringing a passion for sustainability and cultural power, Eleese works to build a future where true freedom and equality can flourish. When they are not working, Eleese enjoys traveling all over the world, curating art, enjoying technology + raising animals.
As part of the Akintola Foundation, they intend to develop their passion for restricted breeds in opening and supporting shelters for animals who are overlooked in society.
Lea is based in the Germany and conducts Sxsytems’ reporting and policy research focused on the violations of human rights endured during migrant detention.
Focused on international politics and development, the challenges faced by many Syrian refugees in her home country of Germany sparked her dedication to political advocacy. After receiving a Bachelor in European Studies from Universität Passau, she went on to receive an M.Sc. with honors in Development Studies from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Working with the German Embassy in London, German Parliament, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, as well as volunteering, Lea has substantial expertise through research and policy, dedicating professional and personal efforts to aid lived experiences of migrants and refugees.
In a world where new solutions are needed, Lea seeks to use her research and policy knowledge to protect the rights of those imprisoned by the state and report on human rights abuses suffered during detention. Lea’s passion for sustainable change within political systems joins hands with political advocacy reporting and policy to bring a voice to those who have none.
Chloe Halsted currently lives in London and works in Parliament to support Lord Best’s efforts to ease the housing crisis in the United Kingdom.
As a graduate of The London School of Economics, Chloe has applied her policy expertise to her passion of promoting justice, primarily focusing on housing and immigration policy, legislation, and intersectional socioeconomic factors.
Recently, Chloe has presented research at a conference held at Dublin City University in addressing ‘Racism, Anti-Racism and Forced Displacement: Old and New Struggles’, submitting a paper titled, "Outmaneuvering Green and Orange: How Migrants Subvert Sectarian Narratives in Northern Ireland". She was sponsored by the Irish Refugee Integration Network in partnership with the DCU School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies.
Previously, she has worked at a cross-community family centre in Belfast and as a Care Navigator at the East Boston Neighbourhood Health Centre, assisting patients with financing rent, housing, social security benefits applications, coordinating food and clothing access programs, and advocacy trainings.
In 2021, she was the recipient of a Fulbright award to teach English in Andorra and is qualified as a Medical Interpreter in the United States. Chloe has a passion for linguistics; she speaks English and Spanish fluently, in addition to her advanced proficiency in French, Catalan, and Italian.
Chloe is passionate about promoting social justice and seeks to elevate anti-colonial initiatives. Currently, she is in the application stage of pursuing a PhD to further her research of migration policy, sectarianism, and conflict studies.
SXS is seeking to fill this position:
2024-2025
SXS is seeking to fill this position:
2024-2025
SXS is seeking to fill this position:
2024-2025
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