Living Outside
MEET THE TEAM
Bella Brown
Co-Founder and President
Bella Brown is a senior at Walter Payton College Prep. She felt a connection to people living outside as a five-year-old handing out dollar bills on Michigan Avenue, but her drive to break the stigma surrounding homelessness grew when it became personal through her Uncle Jay. Alongside Arden, Bella has impacted 6,000+ lives by reframing distribution as a platform for acknowledgment, conversation, and authentic connection. Her mixed-methods research further confirms that this unique approach reduces bias. Beyond Living Outside, Bella serves as the Global President of the Junior Economic Club and the Executive Director of Innoverge. She is also a competitive dancer and a proud big sister. Recently, Bella was named one of 150 Coca-Cola Scholars.
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Arden Brown
Co-Founder and Vice President
Arden Brown is a sophomore at the Latin School of Chicago. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she noticed communities of tents where homeless people tried their best to stay warm and remain fed. From that point on, she embarked on the journey of creating care bags for people living outside filled with everyday essentials including hats, gloves, socks, masks, & granola bars. With Living Outside, she aims to spread her reach and encourage others to deliver bags in their communities.
Sofia Dirawi
Co-Director of Development
Sofia Dirawi is a junior at Lake Nona High School. She is committed to enhancing her community through passionate advocacy and her involvement with organizations including her position as President of Period Poverty Initiative and her work with High School Democrats of America. Sofia's dedication to social justice is evident in her efforts to advocate for and support the homeless community. She is a dedicated debater who competed at nationals and excels at various competitive levels while serving her team.
Benjamin Jeanty
Co-Director of Development
Benjamin Jeanty is a junior at Boone High School. As someone who has experienced homelessness, Ben understands the importance of ensuring that people experiencing houselessness feel heard. That's why he's dedicated to leading and elevating Living Outside. He looks forward to expanding Living Outside's impact to multiple cities across the world. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and occasionally volunteers at teen court. Ben is eager to make a lasting difference in our world!
Varshini Viswanathan
Director of Outreach & Communication
Varshini Viswanathan is a senior at Dublin High School. She was drawn to Living Outside’s mission after years of volunteering at homeless shelters and orphanages, and resonated deeply with the organization’s focus on destigmatizing homelessness through human connection. For Varshini, advocacy is not just about service but about building understanding and long-term impact. Beyond Living Outside, Varshini is the Chapter Head of Simplified Civics California, President of her nonprofit Youth4Youth, a Teaching Assistant at the California Tamil Academy, and a dedicated Kathak dancer of 11 years. She also enjoys playing badminton and figure skating in her free time.
Anjana Nair
Director of Technology
Anjana Nair is a senior at Foothill High School. Anjana is dedicated to addressing homelessness and creating lasting change. She brings a wealth of experience to the team, most notably using HTML, CSS, and JS to create a chatroom for teenagers to find community and address mental health challenges. Passionate about uplifting organizations through their digital presence, Anjana is excited to amplify the impact of Living Outside.
