Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua's pronouns are she/her. She is a former refugee from the country of Angola. She is indigenous to the Ovimbundu tribe in the southern region of Angola. Born in the neighboring country of Zambia due to a bitter civil war, at the age of three Valeriana's family fled the country of Zambia and found refuge in the country of Papua New Guinea where she was subsequently raised. In 2007 she moved to the USA as an international student, and as life would have it in her quest to obtain her bachelor's degree the United States has become her second home. Valeriana holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems minor in American studies, and a Masters Degree in Global Governance with a concentration in International Security. Valeriana has served as a Human Rights Diplomat for the country of Angola in the Human Rights Committee, she is a TEDx speaker of the talk titled "Protect the Girl Child."
She has served in a variety of leadership capacities from leading a state-wide anti-sexual violence coalition from 2018-2020, to interrupting anti-Blackness, and ending sexual violence in Black, Immigrant and Refugee communities for over 12 years. As the founder of Necessary Interruptions, LLC Valeriana is an Abolitionist on an active quest to center radical Racial Equity consulting practices for businesses, agencies and organizations through a Black liberation led lens and championing human rights all while operating through an anti-oppressive lens, that fosters safer spaces for Black communities to thrive despite the constant threat of systematic racial violence. In addition, Valeriana is a newlywed, a Tacoma resident and a recent green card holder after a 15+ year long journey of navigating the labyrinth of the US immigration system. In addition to all the roles Valeriana holds, she is also The Executive Director who currently serves with a radical team of co-conspirators at the Social Justice Fund NW in Seattle, WA.