Free to Run Welcomes Four New Members to the Board of Directors
Free to Run’s Board recruitment process began in December 2024 with an open call for applications. We received hundreds of applications from across the world and it was clear that many people are looking for meaningful ways to contribute to gender equity efforts in complex settings.
After a thorough selection process, we have appointed four individuals whose values and expertise strongly align with our work. They will play a key role in strengthening Free to Run’s governance, supporting our growth, and helping us navigate the challenges of working in conflict-affected regions.
Free to Run’s Board of Directors plays an essential role in guiding the organization. Board members are not involved in day-to-day operations. Instead, they provide high-level oversight and strategic advice, drawing on their own areas of expertise. The board supports the executive team with major decisions around program strategy, fundraising, risk management, policy, and financial due diligence. Members are also expected to share their networks, contribute time and insight, and help build connections that can support the organization’s sustainability and impact.
Free to Run uses an advisory board model. This means board members serve as thought partners and critical friends to the leadership team. They help ensure that decisions stay aligned with our values and mission, especially as the organization grows in complexity.
We are committed to building a board that reflects the communities we serve. That includes representation from the regions where we work, and a broad range of professional and lived experience. This new group reflects that goal.
Ruba Sbeah
Ruba Sbeah is a Palestinian-American purpose-driven leader in marketing whose work sits at the intersection of brand strategy, sports, and social impact. With over 15 years of experience at Major League Soccer, ESPN, Strava, and Comedy Central, she has built powerful brand platforms and campaigns that deepen engagement, expand inclusion, and help brands grow through resonance. Ruba has led award-winning creative repositioning efforts, purpose-driven initiatives focused on underrepresented communities, and large-scale influencer strategies for global and Fortune 500 companies. She is a passionate advocate for women’s sports and youth development with a strong commitment to equity in sport.
Iain Levine
Iain Levine has decades of experience in international human rights and humanitarian work across the UN system, global NGOs, and the private sector - including at Meta, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF, Amnesty International, and more. He is an experienced advocate, communicator, fundraiser and leader in the field of social activism who has worked across Africa and South Asia, including with communities displaced by conflict. Iain also works as an Executive Coach and as a passionate runner for more than 25 years, he regularly runs races from 5k to marathons.
Melissa Mills
Melissa Mills is a trial lawyer and lifelong endurance athlete. She began her legal career prosecuting war crimes at the U.N. Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, then served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, where she advised commanders on the law of war and worked on the ground in Iraq. After her military service, she spent twelve years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting complex federal cases ranging from terrorism to corruption. She is now a partner at Wilson Sonsini in Los Angeles, where she handles high-stakes litigation. Melissa has completed over two dozen marathons, an Ironman triathlon, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. As a woman and mother in sport, she is a strong advocate for empowerment through movement.
Simon Rosenbaum
Simon Rosenbaum is a Professor of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW Sydney and co-leads the NExuS research group (Nutrition, Exercise, and Social Equity). He is a leading expert in the use of physical activity to support mental health and wellbeing, particularly in communities affected by trauma, displacement, and crisis. Simon has worked in over 25 countries and published extensively on trauma-informed approaches to movement and recovery. He has served as co-chair of the Olympic Refuge Foundation Think Tank on sport and humanitarian settings, and is also the founder of Addi Moves, a free, community-based exercise program in Sydney designed to support mental health through inclusive, accessible fitness.
This moment also marks a leadership transition. Leah Anathan, who has served on our board since 2016 and as Board Chair since 2019, is stepping down. Leah played a key role in helping Free to Run grow through a period of global uncertainty and we are grateful for her steady and thoughtful leadership.
Our founder, Stephanie Case, will step back into the role of Board Chair. Stephanie brings deep knowledge of our work and strong relationships across the regions we serve.
We are grateful to everyone who applied, and excited to welcome our new board members into the Free to Run community.