About Us

Manita Ray (MBA, B.Eng) is the Founder and Managing Director of Capital Human - a firm working with investors, funders, and organisations to integrate gender equity, racial equity, diversity, and social inclusion practices. With over 22 years of experience in the private, government, NFP, and international development sectors, Manita has worked across APAC, Africa, LATAM, the Arab States, and Europe. 

As an Engineer, she worked in the Australian renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. Manita led the work for the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Frontier Incubators Program. 

Manita was the lead designer of the ‘Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration Toolkit’ while she was ygap’s immediate past CEO.  Manita was the Gender Lens Investment Advisor to SHE Investments in Cambodia and the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Advisor for DFAT in the Solomon Islands. Currently, Manita is the Specialist for Financing for Gender Equality at the United Nations Development Program; a lead researcher and designer of  the breakthrough project: Australia’s Roadmap to Gender Lens Investing; and a Board Director of Pollinate Group and Free to Feed.  

Theresa Rajah (BA Hons) is an experienced government policy advisor and practitioner, with over a decade of exposure across all three tiers of government in Australia. 

In her current role, Theresa is the lead for Capital Human's policy, research and global partnership streams. Theresa’s professional experience spans from legal policy reform through to the development of community engagement programs to support diversity, equity and inclusion. She has undertaken roles in research and advice, policy design, and project management. Theresa's specialisation has taken her to the UK where she completed visits with a leading tech start-up to understand the use of data and digital techniques to address online hate and extremism.

Her most recent policy experience was with the Victorian Department of Premier & Cabinet.

Theresa’s work was responsible for delivering on the strategic objectives of the Victorian Ministerial Taskforce on Social Cohesion and Community Resilience, which has informed national best practice in this field.

In 2019, Theresa was Aide to the Governor of Victoria, the Hon. Linda Dessau AC, providing direct personal service to the State’s first female Governor. She is currently a prospective PhD candidate researching the role of government and models of governance during global crises. 

Lisa Hyden (MS, BSBA) is an experienced, impact-led finance and business professional. With over 15 years of experience in the private, not-for-profit, and international development sectors, Lisa brings her broad skill sets in finance, leadership, strategy, governance, risk management and project delivery and deep knowledge and lived experience of gender and socio-economic disadvantage to Capital Human in her role as Finance and Corporate Governance Specialist.

Most recently, Lisa was CFO and COO at ygap, an international development not-for-profit addressing economic and gender inequality through inclusive entrepreneurship, including accelerating and facilitating investment in early-stage women-led businesses. 

Prior to that, Lisa was Group Financial Controller of Small Giants, a family office of impact investors. Lisa began her career in accounting and advisory services in the United States and has worked across developed, frontier and emerging markets in South East Asia, the Pacific, Africa and North America. 

Manami Ray has over 20 years’ experience in financial services ranging from private wealth advisory to management. She has a sophisticated understanding of complex investment and financial concepts and policies, through to the interpretation of complex financial data. 

Manami's broad expertise includes Strategic Advice, SMSF’s Investment Advice, Taxation, Insurance, Estate Planning and Philanthropy. Her other area of specialisation includes government protocols and processes in client management and data security. Manami has developed her expertise across roles such as Senior Financial Planner and Risk Specialist with Fortnum Private Wealth, Principal Executive Risk Specialist at Mercer Financial Advice and  Private Wealth Manager with ANZ Private Wealth.

Manami has participated in a range of leadership programs including the Next Gen Women’s Leadership Program through Women on Boards and the CDW (Culturally Diverse Women) Leadership Program. She has a Master of Finance and is currently completing her Master’s in design Strategy and Innovation.