Vision
We envision a world where talent knows no boundaries, opportunity doesn't ask for status and work is rewarded with fair pay.
Mission
Our mission is to restore dignity to refugees through economic empowerment by connecting them to online work, allowing businesses to maximize their internal human potential while contributing to a more socially just and productive world.
Values
Opportunity
We believe every person deserves the opportunity to succeed. Our platform is open to everyone and we provide training and support to help them pursue their full potential.
Dignity
We believe that respect should not be tied to status, but is earned through actions, commitment, and follow through. We are committed to ensuring fair pay and flexibility for our workforce.
Growth
As a start-up, we value the importance of learning and development for growth by striving to improve our services. We encourage our workers to connect with partner organizations for continued learning and growth.
Quality
We value quality just as much as you do. We cultivate a culture of getting it right, which means empowering our workers to ask the right questions in order to deliver the right results. We build in quality control measures through initial screenings, ongoing training, and self and peer checks.
Our Team
Wafaa Arbash
Founder and CEO
Wafaa is a Syrian woman moved to the United States of America in 2013. Prior to WorkAround, Wafaa served as a program manager for refugee education in Jordan. She volunteered in Syria for more than five years in social development programs where she spearheaded several projects to empower local citizens, increase their leadership skills, and provide refugee advocacy. Wafaa holds a dual master's degrees in sustainable international development and conflict resolution from the Heller School at Brandeis University and a BS in education and curriculum design from Damascus University.
Jennie Kelly
Director of Operations and Finance
Jennie Kelly has worked in education for over seven years, but has dabbled in industries as different as publishing and construction. She has lived and worked on four continents and craves the challenges and inspirations the result from working across cultures. She has an MBA in nonprofit management and an MA in sustainable international development from the Heller School at Brandeis University and a BA in Interdisciplinary studies from the College of William and Mary.
Shadi Sheikhsaraf
Director of Partnerships
Shadi is an Iranian woman and has worked in the area of humanitarian assistance and development for more than 9 years with different United Nations Agencies and NGOs in the US, Iran and Iraq. She has worked directly with refugees and displaced populations through her services with United Nations High Commissionaire for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran. She is currently working with UNHCR in Iraq. Shadi holds dual Masters degrees in Sustainable International Development and Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from the Heller School at Brandeis University and a BA in English Translation from Khorasgan University in Iran.