Our team
Our Team
Social Resonance Lab is a nonprofit research studio investigating how ethical storytelling fosters human connection in a fragmented world. Beginning January 2026, we will welcome two Research Fellows into our team. Fellows will work closely with us to co-create frameworks, contribute to live collaborations, and publish original writing as part of our evolving inquiry. To learn more and apply, visit: https://bit.ly/SRLfellows
Keeya-Lee Ayre is a storyteller, strategist, and social impact practitioner dedicated to fostering empathy and connection in a rapidly changing world. Keeya founded Social Resonance Lab to explore how empathy can be built, nurtured, and sustained through storytelling, dialogue, and creative practice. Her work is grounded in an interdisciplinary background spanning public administration, humanitarian communication, and ethical inquiry.
Throughout her career, Keeya has led strategic communications for organizations at the forefront of social impact and innovation, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), the GSMA (the global mobile industry association), BFA Global, and Catalyst Fund. Her work has ranged from shaping public narratives during humanitarian emergencies to amplifying the voices of climate tech entrepreneurs and crafting communication strategies for inclusive technology initiatives across emerging markets. Across every role, she has remained focused on building bridges between communities, sectors, and stories.
Keeya holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Western Australia, a Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice from the Australian National University (ANU), a Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development from ANU, and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Georgia. In September 2025, she will commence part-time study on the Master of Studies (MSt) in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Founder and Studio Lead
Our Board
Our leadership is collective by design. Our Board of Advisors brings together thinkers and practitioners from varied fields, all united by a commitment to ethics, empathy, and community. Their insight shapes our research questions, strengthens our collaborations, and keeps us accountable to the values at our core.
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Our Advisors
Our work is strengthened by advisors who bring specialized expertise in social cohesion, community building, and strategic storytelling.
Ann Beeson is an experienced civil rights lawyer, former nonprofit CEO and philanthropy executive who has embraced a wide range of innovative strategies to advance social change. Drawing on her background in law and anthropology, these days she is cultivating more just and sustainable ways of living and being in community. Beeson is currently developing Kindle the Flame – A Pilgrimage of Song and Possibility, which aims to cultivate joyful belonging through a journey across the country to learn about, engage with and inspire emerging forms of community-based engagement. Beeson is also a chaplain-in-training at the Upaya Zen Center, where she is engaged in a two-year graduate program in socially engaged Buddhism. Through The Pollinator, her Substack newsletter, she shares her wanderings in search of joy and justice.
Most recently, Beeson was the Chief Program Officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center , where she oversaw programs to dismantle white supremacy and advance learning for justice. She previously served as CEO of Every Texan (the leading social justice think tank and public policy organization in Texas) and as the Executive Director of U.S. Programs at the Open Society Foundations, where she oversaw the distribution of $150 million annually to advance social justice. Beeson began her career at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she argued twice before the United States Supreme Court and litigated landmark civil rights and civil liberties cases around the country. A proud Texan, Beeson obtained her law degree from Emory University School of Law, and her undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology and ethnomusicology from the University of Texas.
Beeson is a strong believer in the role that art and culture play in building community, nourishing the spirit and advancing social change. She founded HATCH: Inspired Social Change, an initiative that brought together artists and social change leaders to develop creative social justice collaborations. She worked with celebrated theatre artist Anna Deavere Smith to conceive of and raise funds for Notes from the Field, a critically acclaimed performance piece and social justice initiative about the school-to-prison pipeline, told through the personal accounts of young people, parents and administrators.
Communications & Strategy
Ann Beeson is an experienced civil rights lawyer, former nonprofit CEO and philanthropy executive who has embraced a wide range of innovative strategies to advance social change. Drawing on her background in law and anthropology, these days she is cultivating more just and sustainable ways of living and being in community. Beeson is currently developing Kindle the Flame – A Pilgrimage of Song and Possibility, which aims to cultivate joyful belonging through a journey across the country to learn about, engage with and inspire emerging forms of community-based engagement. Beeson is also a chaplain-in-training at the Upaya Zen Center, where she is engaged in a two-year graduate program in socially engaged Buddhism. Through The Pollinator, her Substack newsletter, she shares her wanderings in search of joy and justice.
Most recently, Beeson was the Chief Program Officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center , where she oversaw programs to dismantle white supremacy and advance learning for justice. She previously served as CEO of Every Texan (the leading social justice think tank and public policy organization in Texas) and as the Executive Director of U.S. Programs at the Open Society Foundations, where she oversaw the distribution of $150 million annually to advance social justice. Beeson began her career at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she argued twice before the United States Supreme Court and litigated landmark civil rights and civil liberties cases around the country. A proud Texan, Beeson obtained her law degree from Emory University School of Law, and her undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology and ethnomusicology from the University of Texas.
Beeson is a strong believer in the role that art and culture play in building community, nourishing the spirit and advancing social change. She founded HATCH: Inspired Social Change, an initiative that brought together artists and social change leaders to develop creative social justice collaborations. She worked with celebrated theatre artist Anna Deavere Smith to conceive of and raise funds for Notes from the Field, a critically acclaimed performance piece and social justice initiative about the school-to-prison pipeline, told through the personal accounts of young people, parents and administrators.
Visionary & Bridge Builder
Ann Beeson is an experienced civil rights lawyer, former nonprofit CEO and philanthropy executive who has embraced a wide range of innovative strategies to advance social change. Drawing on her background in law and anthropology, these days she is cultivating more just and sustainable ways of living and being in community. Beeson is currently developing Kindle the Flame – A Pilgrimage of Song and Possibility, which aims to cultivate joyful belonging through a journey across the country to learn about, engage with and inspire emerging forms of community-based engagement. Beeson is also a chaplain-in-training at the Upaya Zen Center, where she is engaged in a two-year graduate program in socially engaged Buddhism. Through The Pollinator, her Substack newsletter, she shares her wanderings in search of joy and justice.
Most recently, Beeson was the Chief Program Officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center , where she oversaw programs to dismantle white supremacy and advance learning for justice. She previously served as CEO of Every Texan (the leading social justice think tank and public policy organization in Texas) and as the Executive Director of U.S. Programs at the Open Society Foundations, where she oversaw the distribution of $150 million annually to advance social justice. Beeson began her career at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she argued twice before the United States Supreme Court and litigated landmark civil rights and civil liberties cases around the country. A proud Texan, Beeson obtained her law degree from Emory University School of Law, and her undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology and ethnomusicology from the University of Texas.
Beeson is a strong believer in the role that art and culture play in building community, nourishing the spirit and advancing social change. She founded HATCH: Inspired Social Change, an initiative that brought together artists and social change leaders to develop creative social justice collaborations. She worked with celebrated theatre artist Anna Deavere Smith to conceive of and raise funds for Notes from the Field, a critically acclaimed performance piece and social justice initiative about the school-to-prison pipeline, told through the personal accounts of young people, parents and administrators.
Community & Partnerships
