Meet our Team

Founder

Patricia Ho is the Founder of Hong Kong Dignity Institute, Founding and Managing Partner of Patricia Ho & Associates and Principal Lecturer of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong. Much of her work involves defending the rights of minority groups in Hong Kong by way of seeking advancements and developments of government policies and laws through strategic litigation. Patricia provides legal and strategic advice to a number of NGOs in Hong Kong, and works with both local and international bodies to advocate for the rights of marginalised groups, including refugees, asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking.

Executive Director

Jennifer has worked in post-conflict and emerging societies on migration and cultural development, and in the private sector in education management. After two transformative years at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, she made a career change to focus on forced migration. Jennifer worked with the IFRC in Pakistan, conducting a national study on migration and displacement, establishing the Pakistan Red Crescent's Migration and Displacement desk, and co-authoring the Asia Pacific Migration Network's guidance on national migration assessments.

Jennifer has worked closely with the Hong Kong refugee and asylum seeker community with various NGOs and runs a consultancy dedicated to helping organisations work smarter. She holds a BA in Music Performance from Houghton College, and an MA in International Development from Chulalongkorn University. She is an avid lover of animals, motorcycling, travel, her family, and Hong Kong.

Legal Officer

Chelsea is a public interest lawyer working with the grassroots community. As a migrant from mainland China, but educated locally, Chelsea is interested in migration and intersectionality. Derived from her prior engagement as a civic journalist during her college years, Chelsea is committed to empowerment and social justice. After obtaining her law degrees in LLB and PCLL at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chelsea was trained at Daly & Associates; one of the city’s renowned human rights law firms pioneering reforms in non-refoulement protection. Having built her extensive experience in defending the rights of marginalized groups in administrative and immigration matters, Chelsea was admitted as a solicitor in 2022 and continues her collaboration with psychosocial experts to provide legal support to minorities.

Psychosocial Manager

Emily is a National Certified Counsellor (USA) focused on alleviating the impact of adverse experiences, with a specialisation in depression, anxiety, complex trauma and PTSD. She has been trained in IFS, EMDR, narrative exposure, and child-centered play therapies to work with all ages through individual or group trauma therapy. Before coming to Hong Kong, Emily worked with NGOs focused on raising awareness and research to combat human trafficking worldwide. After her time in the nonprofit sector, she worked as a counselor in a private practice in Texas before co-owning and directing a practice in Hong Kong for over four years.

Emily is trained to work specifically with vulnerable communities needing integrated trauma care. She holds an MA in Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary. Outside of work she enjoys reading, playing tennis, and hiking around the island with her family.

Operations Manager

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Deborah completed her Master’s of Art degree at the University of Edinburgh. Upon returning to Hong Kong, she joined KPMG in 2009. Having crunched a significant amount of numbers, Deborah joined Bai Xian Asia Institute Limited, a pan-Asian scholarship provider upon its conception in 2013 as its first staff member. As Manager of Program and Operations, Deborah supported the development and oversaw the programs, operations and daily administration of the Institute and the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program.

In 2019, Deborah took on the roles of part-time Operations Manager at Patricia Ho & Associates and Hong Kong Dignity Institute to support the organizations’ establishment and ongoing operations. She further took on the role of Consultant at Seeds Foundation Ltd., managing the organisation's philanthropic giving and other initiatives.

Deborah was a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants from 2012-2022.

Communications Officer

A versatile communications professional, Jessie has a diverse background in design, digital media, and child psychotherapy. After graduating from Massey University in New Zealand with an Honours Design Degree, Jessie moved to the UK where she spent 5 years working in Digital Communication roles in the charity sector. Since moving to Hong Kong in 2023, Jessie has leveraged her design expertise and non-profit experience to help HKDI develop impactful multimedia campaigns and digital content to shed light on the realities of human trafficking and advocate for vulnerable populations.

Trauma Therapist

Counsellor

Psychotherapist

Counsellor

Compliance & Governance Advisor


Head of Financial Institutions and Corporate Practices, Debevoise & Plimpton

Collaborations & Branding Advisor


Artist; Writer; Mental Health Awareness Advocate

Investigations & Development Advisor


Former Executive Director, Hong Kong Dignity Institute; Founder, Headland Intelligence

Casework & Strategy Advisor


Managing Partner, Patricia Ho & Associates; Principal Lecturer, Faculty of Law at HKU

NGO Advisor


CEO of Mother's Choice, Former Executive Director, KELY Support Group Founding Member, Voice for Social Good

Education & Auditing Advisor

Board Director, Seeds Foundation