about us

Our Mission: Restoring childhoods disrupted by war

Novi team members are experts with three decades of experience helping children  and families in war-torn communities.

Novi is a 501(C)(3) tax exempt, non-profit organization in the USA, a foundation in Norway, and is registered in Ukraine as a foundation. Team members and consultants are seasoned experts in child protection, education, mental health, and social work who are dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of children affected by armed conflict.

We work closely with local leaders and professionals to provide critical services and support to vulnerable children and their communities.

Our commitment to improving the lives of children affected by war is key to building a better and more peaceful world. These children are tomorrow's leaders, and investing in their well-being isa strategic priority to ensure their future contributions.

our  team

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Oddny Gumaer
Chief of Communications officer

For over 30 years, Oddny’s most fulfilling work has been showing compassion and calling...

For over 30 years, Oddny's most fulfilling work has been showing compassion and calling others to care for and help the youngest victims of war. Oddny is an accomplished writer, public speaker, and columnist with a Master of Arts in Transformational Development who applies her talent to supporting children marginalized by conflict and oppression.

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Steve Gumaer
Board Member (Voting)
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer

Steve has dedicated his life to helping children in war-torn communities. For more than 3 de...

Steve has dedicated his life to helping children in war-torn communities. For more than 3 decades he has worked to deliver relief, aid, and programs to support families uprooted by war in SE Asia, the Middle East, and Ukraine. He has a Master’s Degree in Transformational Development, is an EMT, and loves his team, ethos and work the The Novi Community is doing to help children

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Jon Peerbolt
Director of Operations, USA

After working remotely for a year, Jon lived for a year in Ukraine supporting the dev...

After working remotely for a year, Jon lived for a year in Ukraine supporting the development of Novi’s programs for children and teens. He and his wife Hanna have moved back to his home in Michigan to manage the growth of Novi’s work in the USA. Jon is passionate about reaching children in hard to access places and helping them laugh, play, and experience childhood as they should.

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Hans Christian Kvale
General Manager, Norway

Hans Christian manages Novi Stiftelsen (Novi foundation in Norway) which works...

Hans Christian manages Novi Stiftelsen (Novi foundation in Norway) which works as an advocacy and fundraising location for international operations. He has supported efforts to aid families displaced by war for 3 years and has an M.S. in Multicultural leadership and team management.

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Sasha Riabyi
National Director, Ukraine

Sasha has 20 years of experience working in relief and development, with a talent for...

Sasha has 20 years of experience working in relief and development, with a talent for building thriving grassroots communities that care for people in need. He leads with a personable warmth, and a commitment to action and accountability. Sasha holds an M.A. in International Law. Sasha manages Novi Ukraine, a government registered NGO with a large cohort of volunteers.

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Preston Button
intern assistant, Ukraine

Preston has been working in Kyiv serving as a teacher at New Generation school and...

Preston has been working in Kyiv serving as a teacher at New Generation school and helping with program support in Kyiv and front line towns where Novi teams train parents and professionals to work with children using methods of trauma informed care.

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Volunteers

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Volunteers
volunteers community

Hundreds of brave people serve with Novi and local organizations in the most...

Hundreds of brave people serve with Novi and local organizations in the most dangerous places have become our closest partners. They have accelerated our reach and effectiveness in warzones where risk is high and the opportunities to help children living there are abundant.

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board members

Tammy Lowry
Board Chairperson (Voting, Independent)
Board Term: 2022 - Present

With 25 years working in executive human resource management, Tammy brings a mult...

With 25 years working in executive human resource management, Tammy brings a multi-cultural perspective to the relationship between people and results. She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology.

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Julie Edwards
Board member (Voting, Independent)
Board Term: 2022 - Present

Julie has managed her family business for 30 years. She brings a value for creating practic...

Julie has managed her family business for 30 years. She brings a value for creating practical systems for long-term success and stability. She has a Master of Arts degree.

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Link Grimes
Board Secretary (Voting, Independent)
Board Term: 2022 - Present

Holding an M.A. in Law, Link has 30 years practicing law and managing his firm. He...

Holding an M.A. in Law, Link has 30 years practicing law and managing his firm. He brings a unique blend of critical thinking, attention to detail, and optimism to the team.

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Mary Beth Anton
Board Treasurer (Voting, Independent)
Board Term: 2023 - Present

Mary Beth has 30 years experience in pastoral ministry in many congregations...

Mary Beth has 30 years experience in pastoral ministry in many congregations. She was a school chaplain for 11 years and most recently she worked with the Women in Ministry Initiative at Princeton Theological Seminary. She holds an MDiv, from Princeton Theological Seminary and is passionate about helping vulnerable people.

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our Values

Humility: We will be trustworthy, inclusive, respectful, curious, and generous in all we do.

Fortitude: We develop our ability to overcome obstacles and hardships.

Courage: We will do what is right when confronted by adversity, discomfort, and risk.

Empathy: We will understand and be sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others.

our  Ethos

The Novi Community adheres to the Red Cross Code Of Conduct and the principles of Do No Harm in all matters of program delivery and international aid. For communications, photography, and media our team follows the Dorcas Ethical Communication Guidelines. We also have a strict child protection policy that is signed by all volunteers, interns, and staff members.

At Novi, achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. We believe that only by bringing together a diverse range of people and perspectives can we tackle complex crises and create a future where everyone prospers.

We are committed to creating a culture of belonging, where all team members are valued for who they are and given equal opportunity to grow and succeed, with no discrimination on the basis of their race, color, gender, religion, age, socioeconomic status, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, military veteran status, or identification with any marginalized community where we work. Diversity, equity, and inclusion can look different in every country, and we’re committed to creating positive change at a local level within all of our teams across the world.

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