Our Team

Dr. Jason Pope

Dr. Jason Pope is the Executive Director and Founder of the Rain Collective, an organization working to disrupt cycles of exploitation in the Middle East and North Africa. 

Previous to the Rain Collective, Jason led anti-human trafficking initiatives for the Salvation Army World Service Office for seven years, providing technical support for work that addressed labor and sex trafficking issues for men, women, and children. These projects involved supporting work in the Gulf states and many source countries that send migrants into the Middle East, including Kenya, India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Uganda. He has also helped support The Salvation Army's work with Ethiopian and Philippine embassies in the Gulf states.

Jason served as the Principal Investigator of the Protecting At-risk Children Vulnerable to Exploitation project, funded by the US State Department. In this capacity, he managed multiple partnerships and provided technical support for developing clinical care approaches to aftercare for children who have experienced online sexual exploitation. For four years, Jason served as the chairperson for the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking. While completing his PhD dissertation, Jason validated a human trafficking screening tool to be used at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. He also holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgia State University and a Master of Arts degree from Columbia International University.  

Cynthia Court

Cynthia Court is vice president of advancement for Berry College, overseeing fundraising, alumni engagement and philanthropic communications. She has over 30 years of nonprofit experience with vulnerable populations, highlighted by service as chief marketing and development officer for Special Olympics International and executive vice president of development and marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Cyndi provided leadership for the global rebranding of Special Olympics and fundraising in seven international offices including the Middle East. At Boys & Girls Clubs of America she was responsible for $1.5 billion in Movement-wide revenue as well as assisting partner organizations in Canada, England and Mexico. Cyndi is originally from Toronto Canada and has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from York University. We are proud to have Cyndi as a member of our steering committee.

Esther Larson

Volunteering at a homeless shelter in downtown Phoenix where Esther Larson grew up was Esther’s first introduction to the nonprofit sector. Volunteer experiences like this led her to work in the nonprofit and philanthropic fields in New York City as the Director of Development with Hunger Free America, as Program Analysis Manager with the Met Council on Jewish Poverty, and most recently as Director of Programs at Hope for New York. Esther’s 15 year career in the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors includes extensive grant making, fundraising, capacity building and volunteer engagement strategy, Board engagement, collaborative network building, as well as strategic planning and project management.

With a BA from Vanderbilt University, MA from New York University, and MPA from Texas A&M University, and a Certificate in Fundraising and Philanthropy from NYU and a Certificate of Business Excellence from Columbia Business School, the most pivotal experience in her career was interning at the White House, where she focused on strategies to mobilize Americans to commit to volunteering.

In addition to working at Hope for New York, Esther also serves on the Board of the Micah Global Foundation, is involved in leadership at her local Church as well as other nonprofits including The Salvation Army, and most importantly is daughter to her Mom and Dad, sister to her 5 siblings, and Aunt to thirteen nieces and nephews. Esther is a member of both the Steering Committee and Board of Directors for the Rain Collective.

Dr. Lauren Pinkston

Dr. Lauren Pinkston is a public academic, teaching through published writing, executive coaching, online courses, and a newly released podcast. She holds a PhD in International Family and Community Studies from Clemson University. Previous to working in academia, Lauren lived in Southeast Asia researching the human trafficking crisis and starting businesses to employ survivors. She now consults for anti-trafficking organizations and small business startups, helping them institute trauma policies into their healing-centered workplaces. Lauren is the President of Kindred Exchange, a non-profit focused on supporting entrepreneurs and expanding jobs in the Global South. Lauren enjoys traveling with her husband and four kids, cooking up a mean curry, and learning to be a good neighbor.