Before the Space

In The Space After, I wrote about the quiet that follows an ending. The stillness that comes when you decide to leave, even when leaving was right.

What I didn’t say is this: before the quiet, there was building.

I spent six years at Save the Children’s Humanitarian Leadership Academy. It was work that stretched me, grew me, and rooted me in something bigger than myself. The ending was painful and full of questions, but the work itself mattered. I’m proud of it.

What I built

I led HPass, a global credentialing platform used by 34,865 humanitarian workers. In 2024, we issued 104,190 digital badges. Credentials that shape careers. That support emergency response. That show you’re ready to do the work.

But numbers aren’t the whole story.

I chaired a steering committee of 32 partner organisations across the sector. I learned to balance competing needs, build consensus, and keep a clear strategic line while navigating a 40 percent funding cut. I learned what it means to lead something that belongs to a community, not one person.

I helped grow the platform to reach 874,000 learners in 195 countries. I audited more than 500 courses, built an accessibility framework, and pushed for learning that works for everyone. I led the design and launch of a 12-language interface used by 220,000 learners in 18 countries because language should never be a barrier to lifesaving skills.

I saved more than £100k a year through workflow improvements. I reduced platform costs by 40 percent through technical integration. I cut support ticket resolution time by 35 percent. These gains freed up resources to reach more people and do more good.

What I discovered

I didn’t join Save the Children knowing how to do any of this.

I learned product strategy by doing it. I learned stakeholder management by being the youngest person in the room, often the only Black woman, trying to hold both vision and pragmatism. I learned platform migration and technical integration by getting stuck in with brilliant colleagues.

My deepest learning came through equity work.

As a DEI Representative for four years, I led a network of 13 reps supporting 400 staff. I designed the first departmental DEI survey, which achieved a 72.5 percent response rate because people trusted we would listen. I co-chaired the People of Colour Network, representing more than 200 members in policy consultations. I contributed to an Equality Impact Assessment that shaped decisions affecting 459 roles during a painful restructure.

I learned that equity work is personal and structural at the same time. It needs compassion and strategy. Accountability and humanity. Progress is slow. Backlash is real. Small wins matter.

What I’m taking forward

I learned how to build at scale without losing my values.
I learned how to navigate complexity without losing sight of the people the work is for.
I learned how to lead across difference and build systems that serve people rather than process.
I learned that I can hold strategic vision and detail at the same time.
I learned that I thrive in the space between big-picture thinking and hands-on delivery.

I also learned what kind of leader I want to be: intentional, equity-centred, generous with space, and curious even when things are difficult.

The contradiction I’m holding

The work was meaningful. The impact was real. And leaving was still the right choice.

I’m proud of what we built. I’m grateful for the people I learned with and from. I honour what that chapter taught me about resilience, strategy, and showing up for something bigger than yourself.

Because you can love the work and still know it’s time to go.
You can celebrate what you built and still grieve what was left behind.
Both things can sit next to each other and both can be true.

This is what I built.
This is what I learned.
This is what I’m taking with me into whatever comes next.