Our Team
Carol Owala
Co-founder and Executive Director
Carol has been a teacher, school leader, instructional and leadership coach, a manager of coaches, and she now leads Kenya Big Picture Learning, a Big Picture Learning project.
Carol has extensive experience working with students, teachers and school leaders in marginalized communities. She has presented at international conferences and with Elena, she co-directs our immersive learning exchange, Ustahimilivu Dadas.
Having grown up in Kibera, Africa’s second largest slum, Carol is dedicated to serving children in Nairobi’s informal settlements, children who have few opportunities to thrive in life if they don’t receive a quality education.
Elena Aguilar
Co-founder
Elena Aguilar is a writer, leader, teacher, coach and podcaster. She is the author of seven highly acclaimed books: The Art of Coaching, (2013) The Art of Coaching Teams (2016), Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018), The Onward Workbook (2018), Coaching for Equity (2020), The Art of Coaching Workbook (2020) and The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development (2022). She has also been a frequent contributor to Edutopia, ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and EdWeek Teacher.
Elena is the founder and president of Bright Morning Consulting, an organization committed to helping individuals and organizations create the conditions for transformation. She has taught tens of thousands of folks how to have conversations that build a more just and equitable world. Elena can be heard demonstrating these conversations on the Bright Morning Podcast.
Elena is also the co-founder of Kenya Big Picture Learning, she’s on the advisory board of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and she is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher. She lives in Oakland, CA, with her husband, son, and two cats. When she’s not coaching or writing she enjoys traveling abroad, photographing birds, hiking, drinking coffee and reading fiction.
Valary Makena
Finance and Human Resource Officer
Valary Makena serves as the Finance and Operations Associate at Big Picture Learning Kenya. She plays a pivotal role in financial accounting, administrative support, and overseeing daily operations. Guided by her core values of honesty, authenticity, benevolence, and service. she is deeply passionate about community service and is committed to making a positive impact in every endeavor she undertakes.
Makena is passionate about leaving a print in the world, and he is keen to ensure that he has a positive impact on all the people he interacts with.

Bridget Mugambi
Learning & Evaluation Associate
ᴮʳⁱᵈᵍᵉᵗ ᴹᵘᵍᵃᵐᵇⁱ ⁱˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᴸᵉᵃʳⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴱᵛᵃˡᵘᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᴬˢˢᵒᶜⁱᵃᵗᵉ ᵃᵗ ᴮⁱᵍ ᴾⁱᶜᵗᵘʳᵉ ᴸᵉᵃʳⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᴷᵉⁿʸᵃ ⁽ᴮᴾᴸ ᴷᵉⁿʸᵃ⁾. ᵂⁱᵗʰ ᵃ ᴮᵃᶜʰᵉˡᵒʳ’ˢ ᵈᵉᵍʳᵉᵉ ⁱⁿ ᴱᵈᵘᶜᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ, ˢᵖᵉᶜⁱᵃˡⁱᶻⁱⁿᵍ ⁱⁿ ᴹᵃᵗʰᵉᵐᵃᵗⁱᶜˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜʰᵉᵐⁱˢᵗʳʸ, ᴮʳⁱᵈᵍᵉᵗ ᵇʳⁱⁿᵍˢ ᵃ ˢᵗʳᵒⁿᵍ ᵃᶜᵃᵈᵉᵐⁱᶜ ᵇᵃᶜᵏᵍʳᵒᵘⁿᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵃ ᵖᵃˢˢⁱᵒⁿ ᶠᵒʳ ᶠᵒˢᵗᵉʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵐᵉᵃⁿⁱⁿᵍᶠᵘˡ ˡᵉᵃʳⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵉˣᵖᵉʳⁱᵉⁿᶜᵉˢ ᵗᵒ ʰᵉʳ ʳᵒˡᵉ. ᴵⁿ ʰᵉʳ ᵖᵒˢⁱᵗⁱᵒⁿ, ᴮʳⁱᵈᵍᵉᵗ ⁱˢ ʳᵉˢᵖᵒⁿˢⁱᵇˡᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᵃˢˢᵉˢˢⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒᵘᵗᶜᵒᵐᵉˢ ᵒᶠ ᵛᵃʳⁱᵒᵘˢ ᵖʳᵒᵍʳᵃᵐˢ ᵃᵗ ᴮᴾᴸ ᴷᵉⁿʸᵃ, ᵉⁿˢᵘʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵃˡⁱᵍⁿ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒʳᵍᵃⁿⁱᶻᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ’ˢ ᵍᵒᵃˡˢ ᵒᶠ ⁱᵐᵖʳᵒᵛⁱⁿᵍ ᵉᵈᵘᶜᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵘⁿⁱᵗʸ ⁱᵐᵖᵃᶜᵗ. ᴴᵉʳ ʳᵒˡᵉ ⁱⁿᵛᵒˡᵛᵉˢ ᶜˡᵒˢᵉˡʸ ᵐᵒⁿⁱᵗᵒʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵉᵛᵃˡᵘᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵖʳᵒᵍʳᵃᵐ ᵉᶠᶠᵉᶜᵗⁱᵛᵉⁿᵉˢˢ, ᶜᵒˡˡᵉᶜᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵈᵃᵗᵃ, ᵃⁿᵈ ᵖʳᵒᵛⁱᵈⁱⁿᵍ ⁱⁿˢⁱᵍʰᵗˢ ᶠᵒʳ ᶜᵒⁿᵗⁱⁿᵘᵒᵘˢ ⁱᵐᵖʳᵒᵛᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ. ᴬᵈᵈⁱᵗⁱᵒⁿᵃˡˡʸ, ᴮʳⁱᵈᵍᵉᵗ ᵖˡᵃʸˢ ᵃ ᵏᵉʸ ʳᵒˡᵉ ⁱⁿ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵘⁿⁱᶜᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ, ᵃᶜᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵃˢ ᵃ ˡⁱᵃⁱˢᵒⁿ ᵇᵉᵗʷᵉᵉⁿ ᴮᴾᴸ ᴷᵉⁿʸᵃ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵇᵒᵗʰ ⁱⁿᵗᵉʳⁿᵃˡ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵉˣᵗᵉʳⁿᵃˡ ˢᵗᵃᵏᵉʰᵒˡᵈᵉʳˢ. ᵀʰʳᵒᵘᵍʰ ʰᵉʳ ᵉᶠᶠᵉᶜᵗⁱᵛᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵘⁿⁱᶜᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ ˢᵗʳᵃᵗᵉᵍⁱᵉˢ, ˢʰᵉ ᵉⁿˢᵘʳᵉˢ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵏᵉʸ ˡᵉᵃʳⁿⁱⁿᵍˢ, ᶜʰᵃˡˡᵉⁿᵍᵉˢ, ᵃⁿᵈ ˢᵘᶜᶜᵉˢˢᵉˢ ᵃʳᵉ ˢʰᵃʳᵉᵈ ʷⁱᵗʰ ˢᵗᵃᵏᵉʰᵒˡᵈᵉʳˢ, ᵖʳᵒᵐᵒᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢᵖᵃʳᵉⁿᶜʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵃᶜᶜᵒᵘⁿᵗᵃᵇⁱˡⁱᵗʸ ᵃᶜʳᵒˢˢ ᵃˡˡ ˡᵉᵛᵉˡˢ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒʳᵍᵃⁿⁱᶻᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ.
Crispin Oyola
Student Support and Communications Associate
Crispin Oyola is the Student Support and Communications Associate at Big Picture Learning Kenya. He coordinates student engagement initiatives, teacher support, and school improvement projects. His role also covers responsibilities that support general operations and communications with program partners.
He previously worked at Globetree, a Swedish Based Organization in the logistics department. He is a multi-talented individual with over nine years of experience working with NGOs, and he also majors in visual arts and digital imaging. Crispin believes in building a peaceful existence on earth, and he is led by the Ikigai Model that is grounded on wellbeing, better health, and seeking greater happiness in the things you care about.
Samantha Nyabola
Program Lead
Many children in marginalized areas, leave school without skills to enable them thrive and succeed in life, this is either because they do not enjoy school and don’t feel safe therein or their teachers are not well equipped to support an environment that will challenge them to become better. This consequently means, learners have a high likelihood to repeat poverty cycles in theirfamilies. Samantha is passionate about being part of the solution to this challenge, through empoweringeducators with skills and knowledge to build and lead safe schools. She is a seasoned educator with over 12 years’ experience. She has been a classroom teacher and Dean of Students at Nairobi Muslim Academy, Instructional coach, Leadership coach and School Support Manager at Dignitas Limited. She has experience working with teachers in marginalized areas from both public and private schools in Kenya and South Sudan, and in training and supporting Curriculum Support Officers. In addition to being an educator, Samantha is training as a Counseling Psychologist.