Who we are

50 Million Voices comprises people who stutter, employers and allies from many different countries and cultures. We've come together with a shared purpose to transform the world of work for 50 million people who stutter.

Launched in 2019, our network continues to grow and thrive. Our activities to date have involved participants from over 20 countries and six continents.

50 Million Voices is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Our charity number is 1189541.

The Team

Trustees

Iain Wilkie

Iain is the founder and chair of 50 Million Voices and a person who stutters. He is also a trustee of the UK’s Business Disability Forum (BDF), an executive coach specialising in quiet leadership and a chartered accountant.

As a former partner at global professional services firm EY, including as a member of the firm’s UK & Ireland Leadership Team, Iain was the senior sponsor for the firm’s disability networks (Ability EY). He is also the founder of the EY Stammering Network and the UK’s Employers Stammering Network.

In 2014, Iain was the first winner of BDF’s Senior Executive award for his leadership for stuttering in the workplace and in 2017 EY awarded him a life-time impact award for his Ability EY leadership.

The official video of Iain's TEDx talk 'The Gift of Stuttering' was released in July 2022 - Enjoy!

Elias Apreko

Elias is a finance professional and has a decade of experience in the financial sector, specifically in the areas of business development, investment banking, sales and marketing.

Elias is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Ghana Stammering Association, and a person who stammers. He is regarded as the lead advocate for stammering awareness and support for persons who stammer in Ghana. Elias also serves on the Advocacy Committee of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD).

Elias is also our country leader for Ghana. 

Helen Carpenter

Helen is a linguist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She was awarded an MBE in 2008 after leading a national programme connecting public libraries and refugees.

She previously worked at the British Stammering Association (Stamma), co-ordinating the Employers Stammering Network for three years, a learning journey for someone with no previous connection with stuttering.

Chris Gemmell

Chris, himself a person who stutters, is Corporate Development Director at The Sage Group plc, a FTSE 100 technology company. He is also a mentor and chartered management accountant.

Chris feels passionately about helping others who stutter to excel in the workplace, using the learnings and experiences he has gained whilst flourishing in the corporate world with a stutter.

Specialists

Shilpa Sagwal

Shilpa is an internationally experienced diversity & inclusion executive who stutters. She is our 50 Million Voices growth co-ordinator and also our country leader for India. Shilpa is a core team member of The Indian Stammering Association (TISA) and is a co-founder and leader of TISA’s women’s wing.

Sam Simpson

Sam is a speech and language therapist, person-centred counsellor, supervisor and trainer. She has a particular interest in disability studies, stammering activism and what stammering can teach us about ourselves and the world. Sam co-edited Stammering Pride & Prejudice: Difference not Defect with Patrick Campbell and Chris Constantino.

Richard Parent

Richard is known for translating several books and articles on stuttering from English into French and helping to bridge North American and French European views of stuttering. He also brings experience of mentoring people who stutter in French-speaking African countries.

Ronan Miller

Ronan stutters and is a specialist in the issues impacting stuttering in foreign language learning. Having completed his PhD in Spain, he has collaborated extensively with the Spanish Stuttering Foundation. He regularly hosts international ‘Stutter Social’ which connects people who stutter via group video chat.

Country Leaders

Our country leaders across thirteen countries and six continents are stuttering activists. They bring a wealth of knowledge and insights from different cultures and communities.

NB: Some countries use 'stammer', others 'stutter'. They both mean the same thing.

Many of them feature at the top of our home page. Click or right-click on the names below for email contact or contact info@50millionvoices.org. They include:

Africa & Middle East:
Ghana – Elias Apreko
Please see Trustee list above
Kenya –
Emmanuel Makokha
A board member for Stammering Kenya, Emmanuel is a person who stutters. He recently appeared on Hope TV Kenya, talking about his life experience with a stammer.
Jerry Okiki 
Jerry is a person who stammers. He writes about stammering, self acceptance and identity. He is also a disability inclusion humanitarian and is passionate about justice advocacy for people with disabilities. He was recently selected to be panellist in our 50 Million Voices Practice Interview 'Learning and Sharing' session in July 2023.
South Africa – Graham Klawansky
Graham is a leadership team member for Speakeasy Association South Africa and a person who stutters.
Israel – Shiran Israel
Shiran is a person who stutters and a board member of the Israeli Stuttering Association (AMBI), in which she is responsible for academic relations, research, and managing the online community of Israeli people who stutter. As a PhD candidate, her research focuses on contemplative practice and stuttering.

Americas:
Canada – John Kenney
John is a board member and employment advocate for the Canadian Stuttering Association and a person who stutters.
United States – Pamela Mertz
Pamela is a person who stutters who is active in the global stuttering community. She is an immediate past board member of the USA National Stuttering Association, founder of the “We Stutter @ Work” program and co-founder of the new NSA “Women Connect” initiative. She is experienced in giving disability and inclusion trainings for large employers.
United States – Angelica Bernabé
Angelica is a person who stutters and is the director of the Specialized Center for Stuttering. She is a Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapy student, and Research Assistant in the Stuttering Lab at Michigan State University. Angelica won the IFA Clinician Award 2022 for her work helping people who stutter in South America. 

Asia Pacific:
India – Shilpa Sagwal
Please see 'Specialists' above
New Zealand – Voon Pang
Voon Pang is a speech language therapist living in Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. He currently works in private practice specializing in working with people who stutter and students with language and literacy related difficulties. In his spare time, Voon also volunteers with the Stuttering Association for the Young: Australia (SAY: AU).
China – Jia Bin
Jia Bin, M.A., is a doctoral student and research assistant at Michigan State University in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. She serves as board member for the World Stuttering Network, chapter leader of the National Stuttering Association, and president of the Spartan Stuttering group. Driven by her own experiences with stuttering, Jia's work focuses on challenging stereotypes and nurturing a dialogue that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, connecting stutterers globally through common experiences and support.

Europe:
France – Mounah Bizri
As Vice-President of the French stuttering association and a person who stutters, Mounah Co-created l’Eloquence du Bégaiement, the first speech contest in the world for people who stutter, and handicapossible.com, a website to inform about disability at work.
Germany – Stefan Hoffmann
Stefan lives in Ingolstadt, Germany and works in the Chinese sales team of a large car manufacturer. He is a person who stutters and has been active in self help (local and international) since 1991. He was a Board Member of the International Stuttering Association from 1998 to 2004.
Ireland – David Heney
David is Chair of the Irish Stammering Association (ISA), having been a board member for over ten years. He is a person who stammers, and has a particular interest in the development of the stammering community, both in Ireland and internationally.
UK – Iain Wilkie
Please see 'Trustees' above

Other Volunteers

Our volunteers include people who stutter, families, friends, and other allies who do not stutter.

Our volunteers play an essential part in helping us achieve our goals and we are very grateful to have the benefit of their skills and enthusiasm.

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Please refer to Getting Involved sections for people who stutter and for employers and allies.

For example, volunteers designed and built this web-site, created our awareness video, have given talks and delivered our Practice Interview events.

If you would like to volunteer, we would be thrilled to hear from you! Please email info@50millionvoices.org