NL

Our founder, mission and team

Who we are

The journey to Fearless:

a note from our founder, Mérida

After 7.5 years as an innovation and concept designer, I left the corporate world to build Project Fearless. On paper, it was an odd (and definitely fearless!) leap to make… but I’ve realised my wiring for human-centric design shaped the switch.

Building for people, with people, and creating empowering solutions is what gives me energy. 

It’s what I loved about working as an adaptive snowboard coach for kids and adults with disabilities. It’s what later drew me to concept design — and also made me realise the impact I could make in the corporate design world wasn’t enough for me. And it’s what drives me now, shaping and growing Project Fearless to welcome the climate scientists, creatives, kickboxers, skateboarders and entrepreneurs of the future.

Plugging the gaps currently left by society, we want to be the place where girls and kids realise they can be anything they want; where the next generation of teammates and leaders find their voice, their way. 

We create an empowering, supportive atmosphere, giving kids space to build resilience and self-confidence, learn to celebrate each other’s falls and wins, and meet accessible role models. 

Igniting adventurous and aware humans who know they can tackle whatever life throws at them, and define success however they choose.


Welcome to Project Fearless!

Hugs & high fives,
Mérida

Group of five young women at a skatepark. Two stand on a ramp, one sitting on a skateboard, and two standing in front. They are dressed casually in hoodies, jackets, and caps, smiling and posing for the photo.



What if confidence didn’t mean being loud, outgoing, or always sure of yourself? In her TEDx talk Confidence has a Branding Problem, Project Fearless founder Mérida challenges the myth of the “confident type” and explores how our culture has misbranded confidence altogether.

Watch it here

fearless futures

Giving girls* the space, time and tools to figure out who they are — not who they’re expected to be.

We’re creating what parents wish they’d had growing up, and want for their kids now: a place where they can step inside, shed who they “should be”, and figure out who they are instead.

Where they can explore out of their comfort zones and play without the pressure of perfection: moving, building, getting messy and making new friends!

Meet our team

Operations
Creative & Communications
Supervisory Board & Advisors

Operations

  • A group of five smiling people, four girls and one woman, wearing bike helmets and posing for a selfie against a brick wall.

    Mérida Miller

    Project Fearless founder - CEO & Program Development

    merida@projectfearless.org

    LinkedIn

  • Portrait of a young Asian woman with long black hair, wearing a sleeveless black top with green accents, smiling softly against a plain gray background.

    Vanessa Guinadi

    Partnerships & Funding Manager

    vanessa@projectfearless.org

    LinkedIn

    I freelance for Project Fearless and take on other projects, too

  • A woman with brown hair in a messy bun, wearing a dark top, gold necklace, and smiling at the camera against a plain white wall.

    Kirstie Crail

    Program Development Lead & Grant Writer

    LinkedIn

    I freelance for Project Fearless and take on other projects, too

  • Black and white photo of a smiling woman with straight hair and bangs, wearing a dark t-shirt and a necklace with a crescent moon pendant.

    Elizabeth Evans-Kiikka

    Coaches Operations Manager (part-time)

    elizabeth@projectfearless.org

    LinkedIn

  • A young woman with long, red hair and fair skin, wearing a white shirt with black line drawings of women's faces, standing against a light beige background.

    Emma Argüelles

    Operations Coordinator, Amsterdam Centrum (part-time)

  • A smiling woman wearing a hijab, blue race shirt, and black pants stands with arms raised in celebration at a marathon event with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

    Soumia Majait

    Operations Coordinator, Amsterdam Nieuw-West (part-time)

  • A young woman with long dark hair and wearing a gray sweater is smiling while standing in front of a carousel at an amusement park.

    Nalan Akyurek

    HR Recruitment, Volunteer

    LinkedIn

  • Catherine Sorbara, PhD

    Head of Impact & Evaluation, Volunteer


    LinkedIn

  • A young woman with blonde, wavy hair and blue eyes, smiling, wearing a purple knit sweater, in front of a pink wallpaper with large, light-colored leaf patterns.

    Gabi Verstappen

    Finance Manager & Puzzler, Volunteer

Creative & communications

  • Graphic design with text 'Creative Copywriter' and smaller text 'Paid, Part-Time' on a pastel background with blue and green sections.

    We are looking for...

    A Creative Copywriter, paid freelance

    Apply here!

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair wearing a bright green sweater, sitting at a light-colored wooden table, smiling and resting her chin on her hand, with a white mug, a closed notebook, and a tablet in front of her against a plain light-colored background.

    Sukhada Apte

    Graphic Designer, Volunteer

    LinkedIn

    I freelance for Project Fearless and take on other projects, too

  • A woman with reddish hair and light skin taking a selfie outdoors in a sandy area with greenery and a blue sky with clouds in the background.

    Iris de Bruin

    Lead Designer

    LinkedIn

    I freelance for Project Fearless and take on other projects, too

  • A graphic design with pastel pink and yellow background, featuring bold black text that reads 'Dutch Copy Translator' and a white banner with black text that says 'Volunteer Role'.

    We are looking for...

    a Dutch Copywriter & translations help, volunteer

    Apply here!

  • A person with medium skin, curly hair dyed pink and purple, and facial hair, wearing a white shirt with black, yellow, and white striped collar, in a room with a gray door and dark wood furniture.

    Pablo Chiapetta

    Motion Graphic Designer, Volunteer

    LinkedIn

  • Young woman with black hair smiling, wearing a beige ribbed top, pink lanyard, earrings, standing in front of a pink furry background.

    Ayanna Colden

    Paid Ads- Marketing & Vertrouwenscontactpersoon, Volunteer

  • Colorful graphic with pink and lime green background, displaying the text 'Social Media Strategist' with a white banner that says 'Volunteer Role'.

    We are looking for...

    a Social Media and Marketing Strategist, Volunteer

    Apply Here.

  • Portrait of a young woman with long blonde hair, smiling, wearing a dark sweater and a small necklace, outdoors with a blurred background.

    Hannah Hansen

    Social Media Manager, Volunteer

    LinkedIn

  • A woman with light skin, red hair, glasses, and a black turtleneck!

    Abi Malins

    Copy Lead

    LinkedIn

    I freelance for Project Fearless and take on other projects, too

  • A woman with short hair wearing a red jacket, with her hands behind her head, looking to her left.

    Zoey Rogaar

    Dutch Copywriter, Volunteer

  • A young woman with long brown hair, smiling, sitting at a table during an indoor event, wearing a black leather jacket, with a black purse in front of her, and other people in the background.

    Zoe Harlander

    Social Media Youth Advisor, Volunteer

  • Woman in a gray cap and white t-shirt sitting on a boat inside a cave with rocky walls.

    Sophie Whitworth

    Social Media Youth Advisor, Volunteer

Supervisory board & advisors

  • A man with short brown hair, beard, and mustache wearing a blue blazer and a blue striped dress shirt, standing outdoors with trees and a house in the background.

    Nick Clayton

    Supervisory board, Treasurer

  • Smiling woman with sunglasses on her head outdoors, wearing an orange top.

    Anja Jäger

    Supervisory board, Secretary

    LinkedIn

  • A woman smiling and holding a train ticket near a canal and a bridge in an urban setting.

    Soraya Ramdin

    Supervisory board, Chair

  • Smiling woman with curly hair wearing a red top and a colorful headband, sitting outdoors by a window.

    Kim Statie

    Supervisory board, Operations Strategy & Bestuurder Sociale Veiligheid

    LinkedIn

  • Adorable young girl with light brown hair and blue eyes sitting inside a green laundry basket, smiling and waving.

    Margaret Price

    Advisory, Legal

Our amazing Coaches

Our Coaches bring Project Fearless to life out there, and we’re ever grateful to them all. They’re accessible role models for the kids who join our courses, showing them that people like them can thrive in leadership positions — and still be fun, be empathetic and, yes, make mistakes sometimes! It’s important that our Coaches represent the kids and neighbourhoods we work with, to make these role model relationships as strong as possible. 

Ready to join our Coaching crew? Scroll down and click the “Explore roles” button.

Group of five young women smiling and posing on a sports field in front of a metal fence, wearing white t-shirts with the Project Fearless logo.
Group of children and teenagers sitting on grass, enjoying donuts with various toppings, outdoors in a park-like area with trees, a building, and a walking track in the background.
A woman is spotting a girl climbing an indoor rock climbing wall.
Four young girls, two in boxing gloves and two with fists up, posing on a grassy field outside a building with blue and beige walls, sunlight casting shadows.
Two women practicing boxing with a punching bag in a gym, one is holding the bag steady while the other is preparing to punch.
Two young girls working on a colorful fabric collage project on the floor. One girl is tying a yellow and white ribbon, and the other girl is sitting nearby with a water bottle, observing.
Two girls, one on rollerblades wearing a helmet, and the other wearing a teal and pink jacket, are skating together at a skate park during sunset. The girl on rollerblades appears to be receiving help or encouragement.
Three young women standing indoors, holding a large poster with various images and text, smiling at the camera.
Three children and a coach on a grassy sports field with a soccer ball, a goalpost, and trees in the background.

JOIN US

Want to be part of this Fearless team?

…and help change girls’ lives in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and beyond? Check out our open roles and apply today!

explore roles →