Co-Founder and Executive Director

Joy brings over eighteen years of experience leading social impact work in Latin America. Before founding Vida Plena, she directed global partnerships at Faire Collection, an artisan women’s initiative, and launched Public Health Brigades in Honduras. She holds advanced degrees in social work and nonprofit management and is an alumna of the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubator. Joy is also the first organizational director to have completed Columbia University’s training to become both an IPT provider and supervisor. At Vida Plena, she leads operations, strategy, fundraising, and partnerships. Outside the office, she’s often climbing Ecuador’s mountains, bikepacking through the countryside, or admiring traditional handmade textiles. She thrives on strong coffee and big ideas, usually at the same time.

Co-founder and Community Group Coordinator

Anita is an Ecuadorian clinical psychologist with over a decade of expertise providing culturally competent mental health care to marginalized populations. She previously provided clinical therapy to Indigenous communities affected by mining companies and founded a program fostering social connection among elderly adults. Her dedication and experience inspired Joy to invite her to co-found Vida Plena. As program coordinator, Anita trains community facilitators in g-IPT, builds partnerships with local organizations, and leads outreach initiatives, ensuring the delivery of high-quality therapy that adheres to the g-IPT program model while addressing the unique needs of the communities served. She’s also a new mom, and although she hasn’t admitted it, the team suspects she might secretly love animals more than people.

Operations Coordinator 

Jouseth Moya is an Ecuadorian professional with expertise in coordinating multidisciplinary teams and developing projects. She holds a degree in International Business from Universidad de las Américas (Ecuador) and is certified in Project Management. Her experience spans the management of interdisciplinary initiatives in education and communication.

She has also contributed her administrative skills to NGOs supporting university students and professionals throughout Latin America.