About Kota
Our Story
Kota was founded in 2015 by Jaana Rehnstrom and a group of mostly Finnish individuals living in New York City. Jaana, who moved to the US in 1982, is a physician with a passion for gender equity and community building. After years of clinical work as an ob/gyn and founding the Finland Center Foundation, she saw the need for stronger nonprofit collaboration in the US to address social inequities. Inspired by Finland's strong history of gender equity, Jaana envisioned a collaborative nonprofit space in NYC to better support women’s empowerment.
In 2022, Kota moved into its own building in Harlem, chosen for its affordability, subway connections, and alignment with their mission to empower women, especially in under-resourced, diverse communities. Kota aims to strengthen ties among like-minded nonprofits and advance the well-being of women and gender-fluid individuals, believing that their well-being is essential to thriving families and a healthy society.
Our Framework for Equity and Collaboration
Kota’s approach draws inspiration from global models of social design — particularly those emphasizing gender equity, collective wellbeing, and community collaboration. While rooted in Harlem, our structure reflects lessons from frameworks where art, wellness, and advocacy coexist within everyday life.
At Kota, we reinterpret that model through Harlem’s lens: transforming the principles of inclusion, empathy, and balance into creative practice. This framework allows the organization to operate holistically — blending artistic expression, women’s wellness, and cross-cultural dialogue and experiences into one integrated system.
The Kota Team
Our board
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Jaana Rehnström
FOUNDER and PRESIDENT
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Saba Ismail
BOARD MEMBER
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Randi Plevy
BOARD MEMBER
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Yaotunde Obiora
BOARD MEMBER
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Lanchi Venator
TREASURER
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Sadae Williams
BOARD MEMBER and COMMUNICATIONS LEADER
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Rabia Farhang
BOARD MEMBER and
FRACTIONAL COO
Our Team
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DeenaLynn Dockery-Collins
HEALTH and WELLNESS
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Ruthy Valdez
ARTS and CULTURE
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Eya Tajert
Program Intern
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Shadae Bagot
Program Intern
Our Advisory Board
Minna Aslama-Horowitz
Leonard Easter
Sarah Follen
Sari Gold (Board Chair Emerita)
Noal Goldfarb
Caroline Harris
Breanne Kaiser (Board Chair Emerita)
Lisa Macbeth (Board Chair Emerita)
Amanda Nussbaum
Judithe Registre
Mari Simonen
Laura Thompson (Board Chair Emerita)
Meridith Uniacke (Board Chair Emerita)
Intern or volunteer
Are you passionate about women’s rights and gender equality? Do you want to gain experience at a non-profit organization that empowers women? Do you want to meet new like-minded people and have fun?
Kota’s internships are a great way to gain grassroot NGO experience, new skills and to understand gender issues from diverse perspectives. Internships take place at the Kota’s office in West Harlem and we host multiple interns from different backgrounds and fields of study each year.
People of color, women, and LGBTQIA+ people are encouraged to apply.
2026 internships are now full.
Please check back with us in the fall for 2027 positions.
Download our Annual Reports
2024
2023
2022