It’s our mission to provide support, information, and a sense of belonging for mamas, whether you’re new to Shanghai or a new mom.
To do this, we rely on volunteers to keep the wheels rolling, while our grassroots team keeps our WeChat groups active. These mamas are the ones who plan the events and keep the content flowing, and our platforms updated, to support international families in the city.
As we welcome our new executive team, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to previous members for their dedication and hard work, and to existing members who will continue to serve as advisors to the team. We are committed to building upon their legacy, as we navigate this new chapter for Shanghai Mamas.
Find out how you can get involved at the end of this article.
Executive Team
Our President: Evelyn
Originally from Mexico, Evelyn moved to China in 2020, a place that now means home to her as both her children were born and raised here. Becoming a mother in a new city while adapting to its culture is “very challenging but rewarding at the same time,” and that’s how Evelyn learned the importance of community support – why she volunteers with Shanghai Mamas today. Spoken Spanish, English and German, Evelyn’s previous work experience in both private and public sectors have solidified her commitment to accomplishing meaningful work with us.
Apart from her previous work in the government as an economic development director, Evelyn has also been part of various projects and initiatives in Mexico. These experiences have solidified her commitment to the goals and values of accomplishing something meaningful. She will serve as the visionary leader, driving the strategic direction and growth of the organization.
Kids: Eline (3), Enzo (1)
Arrived in Shanghai: 2023
Shanghai Mama since: 2023
Ask Her About: Travel, Eco-friendly and non-toxic products, health and wellness, fitness, and raising multicultural kids.
Sponsorship Director: Amani
Originally from Tunisia, Amani has over a decade of world adventures. With more than 10 years of international living experience, she first moved to Dubai, where she spent seven exciting years and met her American husband. Four memorable years followed in Seoul, where they welcomed their little boy, Rafi, who’s now three years old. Since last summer, Amani and her family have moved to Shanghai and have been enjoying its vibrant and expat-friendly life.
The expat community instantly captivated her in Shanghai, and she confidently states that it’s by far the best she’s ever seen in the four countries she’s lived in. Amani joined the Shanghai Mamas community soon after arriving last summer and has been an active member ever since.
Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Amani has worked in various business fields. She has extensive experience in sales, business development, and marketing, has been part of diverse multinational teams, and was even involved in launching a startup.
Kids: Rafi (3)
Arrived in Shanghai: 2023
Shanghai Mama since: 2023
Ask Her About: Life in Dubai, treks and themed cafes in Korea, hiking, travel planning, volunteering and expat tips.
Strategic Editorial Manager: Catherine “Cate” Nylander
Born in Kenya, Cate relocated to Sweden before moving to China with her husband in 2022, spending some time in Germany in between. With nearly a decade of experience in journalism, Cate speaks English, Swahili and Swedish, and has worked with major automotive manufacturing companies in various communication-based roles. She first heard about Shanghai Mamas through a friend and started participating in their outings.
Arrived in Shanghai: 2022
Shanghai Mama since: 2023
Ask Her About: Fitness, dogs, startups, books, travel and camping, volunteering and multicultural living.
Events Director: Ceci
Born in Venezuela, the Caribbean runs deep in Ceci’s blood. Since 2012, Ceci has been living in China, with the country’s culture and its melting pot of global influences providing a wonderful baseplate for her personal growth here. Coincidentally, it’s where she met the love of her life, and they have two daughters who are the center of her world.
Ceci first heard about Shanghai Mamas through a friend, and the community has been her main support in getting to know the city better. “All Shanghai Mamas groups can help anyone in anything!” An engineer by profession who speaks three languages (Spanish, English and German), Ceci runs her own business here, specializing in event planning and party decoration. She is a firm believer in giving more than receiving, and currently supports the Shanghai Mamas team by creating incredible event experiences for the community.
Kids: Mia (3), Hannah (6 months)
Arrived in Shanghai: 2022
Shanghai Mama since: 2022
Ask Her About: Participating in various city activities (including our ShMamas events), staying physically active by playing soccer, engaging in different exercises and sports.
Social Media Manager: Wiebke
Wiebke and her family (and their two cats) arrived in Shanghai towards the end of 2022, where she discovered and joined the Shanghai Mamas community. “We arrived in Shanghai when there were still COVID restrictions, and everyone was scared to meet up. It wasn’t easy to network these days, so I’m more than thankful for how life is now!” Wiebke still remembers her first Shanghai Mamas Night Out – “it’s my favorite event!” – at The Pearl where she met amazing women, who she now calls her friends. She joined the team last year and currently helps with managing our social media platforms.
Kids: Son (3), Daughter (2 months old)
Arrived in Shanghai: 2022
Shanghai Mama since: 2022
Ask Her About: Travel, food, workouts, fun with kiddos.
Operations Manager: Xinxin
From China to England to Belgium and back, Xinxin is locally savvy and understands international family concerns. Xinxin joined the team in 2020 as our Operations Manager after years of experience in the non-profit and social enterprise sector in Shanghai. Currently our only official employee, in between watching her boys and menagerie of pets, she maintains our website, official WeChat account, email and much more. Apart from being fluent in Mandarin and English, Xinxin also manages all the constant executive team admin requests with a smile – she is the wheel that keeps us moving!
Kids: Eli (14), Owen (8)
Arrived in Shanghai: 2007
Shanghai Mama and Staff since: 2020
Ask Her About: Volunteering with various NGOs/community organizations in Shanghai, fostering/adopting animals, and raising kids who love Beijing opera.
Alumni Advisors: Jess (The Chill Mama)
Jess had already been in Shanghai for many years when she became a mom. Taking maternity leave before giving birth, she attended a coffee morning where she met a few people and had a fabulous time. With the forums on the website being very active at that time, she found herself spending a lot of time on it, eventually volunteering to help monitor and run the website.
After her son was born, she participated in coffee mornings, play dates, and made wonderful friends through Shanghai Mamas. The community became an important part of their lives. Wanting to give back and learn new things, she joined the executive committee. Organizing events, parties, and managing the website were all first-time experiences for her, but she embraced the challenges as opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Several website revamps and major events later, including the memorable YCIS party, she feels she has evolved into a more confident and capable leader. With her son now almost 12 years old, many of the significant moments in his life are connected to Shanghai Mamas. Joining the organization has proved to be a life-changing decision for her, and she is grateful for taking that initial step into the community.
Kid’s age: Son (12)
Arrived in Shanghai: 2004
Shanghai Mama since: 2012
Ask Her About: Food, yoga, wine, middle school and all its glory.
Co-Founder: Melanie
Melanie Ham is one of the original Shanghai Mamas. Yep, she’s been here since the Yahoo group days in 2006. She’s in charge of the money and legal stuff to make sure we stay in the black, pay our taxes, and stay out of (real) trouble! She has two teenagers, two big dogs, a flock of chickens, and dozens of houseplants.
She is currently living in North Carolina where she is working on a masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, but will return to Shanghai one day soon.
Kids’ ages: 16 and 19
Year arrived in Shanghai: 2003
Shanghai Mama since: 2006
Ask Her About: Breastfeeding/lactation issues, volunteering with various NGOs/community organizations in Shanghai, mental health awareness, parenting teens in Shanghai, school options in Shanghai, gender equity, book club, bullet journaling.
Support Team
Shanghai Mamas has a growing directory of WeChat groups for a variety of topics related to international families living in Shanghai. We’d like to thank our WeChat group admins who help maintain the inviting and friendly space for our community members online. Special thanks to Shanghai Mamas Naz, Erica, Evelyn, Hannah, Bernice, Krystal who organize our neighbourhood coffee mornings, to RVenus, Naz and Ceci who organize our ladies night out, to Abi who organizes our spa days, and to Sarah who runs our book club.
Last but not least, we’d like to thank our volunteer writers and editing team: Anne, Bernice, Hannah who keep the insightful articles and event news going on our official WeChat account. All of this is only possible because of the dedicated team members who invest their time, energy, and talent into supporting our community!
