Meet the Staff and Volunteers


Kara Ulmer, Executive Director
Kara is Executive Director of Freedom Stones International. She lives in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Kara earned a Bachelor's in International Business and spent 10 years in the Telecommunications and Banking industries. She earned a top certification in Process Reengineering, and most recently held the position of Director, Strategic Planning & Analytics for Barclaycard's Global Operations (Barclays) in Northampton, England, before joining Freedom Stones in February 2010 as a volunteer. Kara and Leah, the Founder, were close friends in university and spent a semester abroad as roommates. Kara admires the social enterprise concept foundational to Freedom Stones, and believes empowering men and women to recognize their intrinsic value and fulfill their gifts is one of the most important ways of living out the gospel of Jesus. She loves to discover new ways of seeing life, herself, and others through travel, reading, and listening.

Lucy Watkins, Regional Operations Director (Southeast Asia)
Lucy Watkins is the Regional Operations Director for Southeast Asia. She lives in Ban Chang in Thailand, just outside the notorious city of Pattaya. Lucy holds an MSc in Health Care Management and a bachelors degree in Psychology. Prior to her work in Asia, Lucy worked for the UK National Health Service (NHS) in Public Health and Community Development. She also spent some time in Namibia with an HIV/AIDS NGO. Lucy came to Thailand in 2008 working as a consultant to various local NGO's. Through this work she met Leah, who was in the process of starting Freedom Stones and Lucy was asked to lead the Asia office. Lucy is passionate about creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for those who are vulnerable to, or victims of, trafficking and exploitation and has seen that the Freedom Stones model is an effective way to achieve this.

In her free time Lucy enjoys travel, photography, running, and spending time with her husband and daughter.


Allison Louie, Cambodia Regional Coordinator
Allison Louie is the Cambodia Regional Coordinator for Freedom Stones. Allison currently lives in Cambodia but is originally from Vancouver, Canada. She holds a Bachelor's degree with a double-major in International Relations and Psychology. Her academic focus has been on post-traumatic growth, and she has a particular interest in standardized program assessment and the monitoring of artisan psychosocial well-being. Allison first came to know Freedom Stones through Kevin Fryatt, a seasoned development worker and friend who was impressed with Freedom Stones' vision and model of implementation. She started interning for Freedom Stones in November 2010, and has since helped to establish Cambodia operations with Freedom Stones' partner in Poipet. Allison has a deep appreciation for the social enterprise elements of Freedom Stones in its approach to healthy, empowering development. She treasures working with the artisans in Cambodia and counts every moment with them as a blessing. Allison is especially interested in creative solutions and is passionate about photography, crafting videos, writing, and striving to understand people.


Amanda Moore, Consultant
Amanda is a consultant for Freedom Stones International. Born and raised in Western Canada, she now spends most of her time living in Ghana, West Africa. Amanda holds a Master's degree in International Development, and a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Management with a Major in Recreation. In June 2009, Amanda met the founder of Freedom Stones and later in the year Amanda began assisting with the start-up of Freedom Stones operations in Ghana. Amanda has seen that the Freedom Stones model is one that truly has the power to transform lives and communities and it is a joy for her to be part of the team that is helping create opportunities for those who might otherwise be exploited.

Her passions include expressing herself creatively through designing jewelry, sewing, craft projects, cooking, and cake decorating; as well as keeping fit through Pilates, playing tennis, and swimming; and above all continually seeking a deeper understanding of the call of Jesus for all who believe and follow Him.


Gail Ulmer, Office Manager
Gail serves Freedom Stones as their Office Manager.  Her background as a legal secretary and a human resources administrator are an asset in handling the various office duties required for Freedom Stones. Gail first learned about Freedom Stones through her daughter, Kara Ulmer who is the Executive Director. Gail has a passion for the work of Freedom Stones and a strong sense of helping those who are in need.  “…whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.” Matthew 25:40   

Gail has been married to Karl Ulmer for 40 years and besides Kara, has two other daughters Lori and Jena. Gail lives in Wadsworth, Ohio and loves spending time with her three grandchildren whenever possible.  Gail is also involved in researching family genealogy and leading ladies bible studies.


Brianne Labute, Intern
Brianne Labute spent the summer (2011) as an intern for Freedom Stones in Ghana and enjoyed it so much she will continue throughout the school year as a volunteer. Currently attending Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo, British Columbia, she is in her final year of a Tourism Management Degree. Brianne became connected with Amanda Moore through a professor at VIU after expressing interest to stay in Ghana for an internship after a field school with her program. Once she heard about Freedom Stones and the work they were doing to address human trafficking, she knew it was a perfect fit. Throughout previous travels Brianne was shocked of the levels of trafficking she observed. Looking back on those experiences she is thankful to have the opportunity to contribute and learn from an organization that supports vulnerable populations through holistic skills training and social business. Her internship with Freedom Stones was an eye-opening experience to the complexities of international development and the issue of human trafficking in Ghana. The experience contributed greatly to her personal and professional growth and she looks forward to applying for Masters programs in International or Community Development. When she’s not focused on her studies, Brianne is an avid traveller, volunteer, and outdoor enthusiast. She also loves dancing, reading, baking, and dinner parties with friends.