Our Team
Our organization is overseen by a diverse group of leaders who are deeply committed to Girls Run Global’s mission. Each team member brings valuable experience and unique perspectives that guide the work that we do.
Leadership
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Maya has been involved in sports her whole life and found her true calling with running when she reached high school. From her childhood soccer years to now, Maya has dedicated herself to fighting for gender equality in sport and beyond. She has spent years working with Voice In Sport where she launched one of the nation’s first high school chapters, executed efforts to support the Fair Play for Women Act, and led advocacy initiatives promoting Title IX and gender equality in sport.
Maya has experienced first hand the positive impacts of the sport. Her love for running and commitment to empowering girls and women has led her to launch Girls Run Global, which combines these passions.
Maya will begin pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree at Georgetown University this fall where she will also be competing on the women’s cross country and track teams.
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Juli Benson is an accomplished distance runner and a world-renowned coach who has worked with athletes ranging from beginners to Olympic competitors.
Coach Benson brings a plethora of experience to Girls Run Global including collegiate coaching at the Air Force Academy, George Mason, Georgetown, James Madison, and UPenn. On the international stage, she has coached some of the world’s best athletes to Olympic games, World Championship titles, and national records. Coach Benson has been selected to coach World Championship teams, has been elected to the United States Women’s Track and Field Coaches Association advisory board, and was a representative for USATF Women’s High Performance in the distances.
As an athlete, Coach Benson was a preeminent talent in the middle distances and represented the U.S. in the 1,500 meters at the 1996 Olympic Games. Sponsored by Reebok International and Asics Tiger Corporation, Benson competed in over 200 national and international competitions during her time as a professional athlete. She holds a BS in Political Science and an MS in Sports Administration from James Madison University and was a 2002 inductee into the JMU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Board of Directors
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Rebecca is a professional track athlete and public policy professional based in Seattle, WA. She is an Olympic trials finalist in the 1500 meter, and USATF finalist in the 800 meter. Rebecca has also run various political campaigns, serves on the board of the USATF Foundation, and volunteers in her community. She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in international relations and an MA in communications.
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Anne Moller is the Program Manager for Global Pandemic Preparedness and Response at Partners In Health (PIH), a global health NGO that strives to bring a preferential option to the poor in health care. Anne's recent work has allowed her to witness firsthand how limited access to basic resources changes the trajectories of lives.
Anne holds an MBA from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business. In her earlier career, Anne co-owned a manufacturing company in the greater New York City area, overseeing operations and strategy.
Anne is a committed volunteer and avid runner who loves conquering trails and roads alike.
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Dana is a Lebanese-American investigative journalist and a documentary and podcast producer. Most recently, she was a producer on the National Geographic documentary series Science Fair: The Series (2023) as well as Trafficked, producing episodes on romance scams (2021) and lottery and investment scams (2020) that was nominated for an Emmy. She’s also a producer and writer on multiple award-winning documentary podcasts, including The Messenger (Spotify Original) and Kerning Cultures. Previously, Dana was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering the Syrian war and its resulting refugee crisis, and also worked at Al Jazeera English. Before becoming a reporter, she worked with the United Nations in Beirut.
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Diane Nukuri is a Burundian-American professional long distance runner for ASICS and a real estate agent based in Flagstaff, Arizona.
She is a three-time Olympian who represented Burundi in the 5000 meters at the Sydney 2000 Games, in the marathon at the London 2012 Games, and in the 10000 meters at the Rio 2016 Games.
She graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA degree in Communications.
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Laura Bishop is an experienced corporate and non-profit board director. She currently runs her own consulting firm, Purpose Strategies, which helps companies and organizations connect their purpose and growth strategies to drive meaningful success. Laura serves on the Board of Directors of Ecovadis, a global growth company specializing in sustainability ratings and supply chain assessments. She is the Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs where she also serves as adjunct faculty teaching Sustainability leadership. Laura is the former Best Buy Chief Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Officer and has held various government roles at the federal, state, and global levels including serving as the chief environmental regulator for the State of Minnesota. She has developed and led global functions in China, Mexico, and Canada. Laura received her undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master degree in Public Administration from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
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Dr. Hilary Patzer is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, licensed acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, and Certified Health Coach who currently serves as the Official Sports Acupuncturist for the Minnesota Vikings. She treats athletes at all levels and is the founder of JADA Studios, a body work and Success Coaching studio.
Dr. Hilary raced professionally with the U.S. Ski Team for three years after a very successful college athletic career. As a competitive cross-country skier, Hilary over-trained and her body paid the price; acupuncture and coaching were the two things that brought her back to a whole, healthy person and athlete. The obstacles she overcame as an athlete led her to an exceptional professional career, and she now wants to help others find their authentic journey.
She continues to compete in ski races, marathons, and triathlons including the Ironman World Championship and multiple Boston Marathons.
Interested in joining our team?
As we expand, we intend to bring on more team members. Do you have experience that can help support our work at Girls Run Global? Reach out! We would love to connect about any current or future opportunities.