Director of Mission

Dr. Angela Balaba’s general dentistry experience spanned over 30 years. She has been privileged through her dental practice experience to aid charitable missions in the United States and in East Africa.  Her hope is and passion is to assist non-profit organizations to empower women all over the world.

Dr. Balaba received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, London, England in 1983, and D.M.D. from Washington University School of Dental Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri in 1987 where she received an Oral Pathology Award.

Dr. Balaba is a member of American Dental Association, American General Dental Association, District of Columbia Dental Society, Robert T. Freeman Dental Society, and Women’s Dentists of Metropolitan DC.

Director of Development

Dr. Maislyn Christie received her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in 1987. She completed her residency in Pediatrics and Adolescent and Young Adult fellowship at Children’s Medical Center in Washington DC. (1987-1992). In 2019, she received her MBA from University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).

Dr Christie is a board-certified Pediatrician. Her involvement in local and international missions has exposed her to the needs of women and girls, and affords her a better understanding as to how to address these needs.  She endeavors to stay culturally humble as she partners with organizations who are helping to build dignity in the women and girls in the local and global communities.

Dr. Christie has interacted with a wide cross–section of individuals over her career. She has honed her skills and expertise in comprehensively addressing the medical and psychosocial needs of individuals. Her local community volunteer activities have helped her to focus on addressing the social determinants of health needs of individuals -- a key way to impact health outcomes, especially in underserved communities. She has been involved in a number of medical mission trips to the Caribbean, Central America, and Africa. These trips have helped her to acquire and maintain an understanding of the importance of cultural humility when addressing clients’ health needs. Her particular interest is to enhance the holistic welfare of individuals age 18-24 years who have experienced the foster care system. She continues to work diligently to advocate for these individuals in order to optimize their psychosocial development and allow them to maximize their optimal potential. Dr. Christie and her family reside in Brookeville, Maryland. Her hobbies are reading, gardening, playing the piano and traveling.

President / Founder

Tinuade (Tinu) Akinshola is an attorney with extensive years of corporate transactional and policy working experience that cuts across diverse sectors including small business, contract compliance, community development, public procurement, business investigation, immigration, international human rights, social/gender justice and equity, legal compliance, and international business transactions. She holds an LL.B, BL, LL.M, and an SEP Certificates. Also, she is a Licensed Attorney with bar admissions in the District of Columbia, State of Maryland (inactive), New York State, and Nigeria.

Mrs. Akinshola began her gender justice and equity advocacy career as a Victims’ Advocate and Court Companion of one of Maryland’s non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention services, as well as emergency shelter for victims (usually women) and their children. She later worked as the Program Coordinator for one of local District of Columbia’s Advisory Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect through a non-profit organization that worked to eliminate child abuse and neglect. Both locally and globally especially in developing countries, Tinu would initiate, organize, coordinate, speak, counsel, defend, mentor, and moderate several female/youth/minority’s economic, education, leadership empowerment related and crisis forums, seminars, workshops and conferences in furtherance of her advocacy passion and interest. 

Tinu Akinshola is the Founder and President of She Rises Int’l, Inc., an organization that proactively advocate for gender justice and equity in the locally (U.S.) and throughout the developing world. She served as the Legal Sector Chair of the African Union’s former Pan African Diaspora Women Association (PADWA) under the Leadership of Her Excellency Arikhana Chihombori-Quao. Tinu is currently an Executive Board Member of African Diaspora Development Initiative (ADDI), as well as a Member of the Nigerian American Lawyers Association (NALA) for which she served as the Association’s first Law Students President.

Tinu continues to support and collaborate with various agencies and organizations that represent, assist, and advocate for women, children, and less privileged rights for education, empowerment, social/gender equality and justice programs and activities. She is married and blessed with two amazing children.