Our Team.
Our small but mighty team of staff, non executive directors and collaborators are key to the success of Rippleacts.
Verena Niyadurupola
CEO & Founder
I’m a sociologist who has specialised in the evaluation of social impact.
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Originally from Germany, I worked in international development projects in Latin America, Europe and the UK for over 10 years, and advised organisations such as Oxfam and the UN labour agency (ILO).
I then changed my focus to follow my passion of supporting people
to live their vocation. I completed a PhD in labour studies/work psychology and trained as a life coach, while publishing and practising successful strategies to tackling unemployment. I have since mentored and advised people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including start-up entrepreneurs, long-term unemployed, refugees and ex-offenders.
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I love human nature in its diversity, light and shadow, strength and vulnerability. I'm convinced that small changes on our pathway can have big ripple effects, and that tomorrow we might already be in a place we never imagined.
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I enjoy helping people to recognise their inner beauty, unlock their potential and live a fulfilled life - both professionally and personally. Rippleacts is where my skills, personal experience and passion
come together to offer a different type of support, in order to tackle one of society's biggest challenges.
Anna Fehr-Foote
Marketing & Development Coordinator
As a passionate charity communications professional with a deep commitment to social enterprise, I’m thrilled to join the Rippleacts team as a freelance Marketing and Development Coordinator.
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My undergraduate studies in Sociology sparked a strong dedication to the nonprofit sector, which only grew during my first role at a local CVS in Hampshire. Witnessing the transformative power of voluntary organisations and social enterprises firsthand cemented my belief in their ability to drive lasting, meaningful change. Since then, I have devoted my career to developing partnerships and creating impactful, engaging communications that showcase the essential work of the voluntary sector. In January 2025, I earned a Distinction from the Bayes Business School Charity Masters program, further honing my skills and deepening my commitment to making a difference.​
I'm excited to embrace the challenge of working with Rippleacts—an innovative social enterprise that offers me the opportunity to expand my expertise and contribute to meaningful change from a fresh perspective. I can’t wait to collaborate with like-minded organizations and individuals who share our vision of breaking barriers and sparking positive change!
Our Board
Our Board of Non-Executive Directors bring an array of professional skills, expertise and experience to our organisation.
Amy Griffiths
Amy is CEO of Citizens Advice Diss, Thetford & District, a partner in a range of pivotal support, employment, wellbeing, and health inequalities initiatives throughout the region. Amy has wide-ranging life experience having worked and volunteered in many roles from shop floor to senior leadership across sectors, as well as travelling extensively whilst teaching English. She has professional expertise ranging strategy, operations, project management, careers and education, with a passion for fostering personal growth and development in others. With an MSc in Information Management, she enjoys exploring data analytics and examining statistics to uncover patterns and opportunities.
Matthew Peek
Matthew has spent his entire career in Financial Services having joined Barclays straight from school.
After gaining his professional qualification, his career accelerated into leadership, and he has run a variety of teams in Corporate and Business Banking for over 20 years.
This complemented with voluntary work has provided a deep understanding of people and built a passion for allowing people to thrive through providing opportunities to develop. Matthew returned to study gaining an MBA in 2021. You will him with his family at Carrow Road watching Norwich City and playing with the Salvation Army Band where he is a church elder.
Diane Walker
Diane has 40+ years of experience in customer service. For the last 18 years, she has worked for the DWP in Norwich in different roles, including as employer adviser and work coach for adults and youth. Her responsibilities included supporting vulnerable customers in progressing to work, sorting out life problems 24/7, addressing employer’s needs and matching them with the right people.
In previous roles, Diane crunched the numbers of an energy company in Australia and was responsible for international production chain management at Lotus
Simon Wingfield
Simon is the Founder of Wingfield Consultants Ltd. He has decades of experience and expertise in working with (and for) ‘blue-chip’ companies, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, BP, Mondelez, and Shell; and has held senior positions in global, regional and local organisations. His specialisms include business planning, category management, trading, procurement, brand strategy, data analytics, research and insights, coaching, and mentoring. Simon holds academic qualifications and professional accreditations from the University of Kent, Cornell University (USA), and Northwestern University (USA) and is also an Associate Tutor at the University of Anglia’s Norwich Business School.