Ari Bilici and Krishna Omkar Join ORAM Board
Minneapolis, MN (April 8, 2021): ORAM – the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration is delighted to announce the appointment of two new additions to its Board of Directors: Ari Bilici and Krishna Omkar. Ari and Krishna join existing board members Selisse Berry, Jody Cole, Perry Witkin and Rajiv Desai.
ORAM’s two new board members bring with them years of experience and leadership working in the corporate, legal and LGBTIQ advocacy world and their specific expertise will enable ORAM to continue to address the unique and urgent needs facing LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees globally.
Ari Bilici is New York-based Managing Vice President at Gartner, where he leads the product and services team for enterprise software platform. Before joining Gartner, Ari led e-commerce and subscription platform teams at Expedia and ClassPass. Prior to that, Ari advised various global businesses on growth strategy while working with McKinsey. A native of Turkey, Ari is involved with reforestation activities against desertification in Middle East and works with underprivileged youth in different capacities.
Krishna Omkar is a London based attorney acting for public and private companies. Originally from India, Krishna was named in Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020 & 2021 and received the inaugural Rising Star Award in the 2019 British Legal Awards. Krishna is a thought-leader on Diversity & Inclusion and LGBTIQ advocacy. In 2019, Krishna was invited by the UN Assistant Secretary General to lead the 2019 UN consultation on LGBTIQ rights and provided pro bono support in the successful September 2018 appeal to decriminalize same sex relations in India, collaborating with lead counsel on a brief that was relied on in the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement.
“ORAM is positioned well to take its work to the next level,” said Rajiv Desai, ORAM’s Board Chair. “I am excited and honored to welcome Krishna and Ari to our Board of Directors. Both bring unique skills along with proven commitment and experience to improve the lives of others worldwide.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Ari and Krishna to the ORAM Board of Directors,” said Steve Roth, ORAM’s Executive Director. “We’re excited to channel Krishna and Ari’s talent, expertise and energy into furthering our mission in advancing the lives of LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees, and gaining new perspectives from our global board members.”
Interviews on request. Please email bellas@oramrefugee.org
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About ORAM: Founded in 2008, ORAM is dedicated to the protection of LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees worldwide. ORAM collaborates with local stakeholders and beneficiaries to ensure that its work is built around the people it serves. Through capacity building and collaborative relationships with governments, international organizations and NGO’s worldwide, ORAM has successfully increased system-wide awareness and protection of LGBTIQ refugees and continues to deliver special expertise in this constantly evolving field.
Learn more about ORAM: @ORAMrefugee www.oramrefugee.org