Lela Kogbara is currently a co-director of Place Matters which is a partnership of organisations working to strengthen and empower communities to tackle the root causes of inequality and social injustice in their places. Prior to that she was a Director of Black Thrive Global, which seeks to place Black communities at the forefront of reimagining, redefining and co-creating a society where systemic racism and other oppressive systems have been dismantled enabling them to live fulfilling lives. She was also a senior leader in the UK public sector for 25 years, including as Assistant Chief Executive in local government, a director in National Health Service England and adviser to Department for Education on inclusive apprenticeships. Lela has had a lifetime of following her passion for equity and social justice through her voluntary and non-executive roles and has held many positions over the years. She was on the Executive of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, is a trustee and treasurer of Bernie Grant Arts Centre and a trustee of DFN Project Search. She is also a board member of Social Finance and chairs its Health and Employment Partnerships Board which helps people with health conditions and disabilities to secure, sustain and retain fulfilling work.