Pepita C. Kragbé, founder of La Main Tendue – The Reach Out Hand, started her career as a runaway model in Ivory Coast, West Africa. She is truly a woman of many talents who devotes her time to help the most vulnerable and advocates for women’s education. She is a very compassionate person with an incredible drive, creativity and focus. She dedicates her time, energy, talent and experience to a number of charities and fundraisers worldwide. She created the nonprofit-organization La Main Tendue- the Reach out Hand to support and empower those who need it the most, specifically orphans, less fortunate women and street children. Ms. Pepita Kragbé graduated from Strayer University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. She is married and has one child.

Aby Touré is a Communications Specialist with more than 15 years of experience. She is very passionate about development issues and helping empower vulnerable people. She has been volunteering with La Main Tendue since 2011. Ms. Touré is one of the Event Coordinators whose many roles include reaching out to the vendors and communicating with sponsors and the media. She is married and has two children.

Lily Hayford joined La MainTendue shortly after it was founded in July 2009. Ms. Hayford has been helping in the capacity of Administrative Manager and Event Coordinator. She currently works as an Office Administrator for a Nonprofit Educational Research Center. She studied Human Rights at the Catholic University of Lyon (France) and is fervent about helping others and giving back to the community.

Andrée Borro came to the United States from the Ivory Coast in 2000. She initially moved to New York with her family but sadly after her dad passed away the family moved to Baltimore, MD, where she was able to feel at home again with the assistance of the Ivorian community. Ms. Borro loves to support and be at the service of the community. She has always dreamed of being involved and doing humanitarian work. She started going to different events in the community such as fundraisers and galas and that is how she was able to join La Main Tendue.  She is one of the organization Out-reach and Event Coordinators. She is married to her wonderful husband and they have two beautiful children. 

Luigi Kattié is an event videographer. He was born and grew up in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and moved to the United States in his mid-teens. He has been dedicated to the audio visual art for about a decade and in 2012, he decided to join La Main Tendue -The Reach Out Hand. The organization consists of a mix of elements he really stands for, including giving back to less fortunate children. Mr. Kattié is one of the organization Out-reach Coordinators but he wears many hats including photographer and videographer.