Meet our Team

Founder

Patricia Ho is the Founder of Hong Kong Dignity Institute, Founding and Managing Partner of Patricia Ho & Associates and Principal Lecturer of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong. Much of her work involves defending the rights of minority groups in Hong Kong by way of seeking advancements and developments of government policies and laws through strategic litigation. Patricia provides legal and strategic advice to a number of NGOs in Hong Kong, and works with both local and international bodies to advocate for the rights of marginalised groups, including refugees, asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking.

Executive Director

Jennifer has worked in post-conflict and emerging societies on migration and cultural development, and in the private sector in education management. After two transformative years at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, she made a career change to focus on forced migration. Jennifer worked with the IFRC in Pakistan, conducting a national study on migration and displacement, establishing the Pakistan Red Crescent's Migration and Displacement desk, and co-authoring the Asia Pacific Migration Network's guidance on national migration assessments.

Jennifer has worked closely with the Hong Kong refugee and asylum seeker community with various NGOs and runs a consultancy dedicated to helping organisations work smarter. She holds a BA in Music Performance from Houghton College, and an MA in International Development from Chulalongkorn University. She is an avid lover of animals, motorcycling, travel, her family, and Hong Kong.

Legal Officer

Chelsea Cheung is a Hong Kong solicitor and Legal Officer at the Hong Kong Dignity Institute, practicing alongside Patricia Ho & Associates and supervising HKU’s Public Interest Clinic. Her public law practice focuses on non-refoulement protection, human trafficking and discrimination, with an emphasis on trauma-informed practice, gender empowerment, and child protection.

Chelsea serves on the Legal Aid Panel for judicial review and as a Duty Lawyer. Her landmark litigation includes securing transgender toilet rights (K v Secretary for Environment & Anor. [2025] HKCFI 3170), and advancing child rights for asylum seekers (Beagum Shufia & Ors v Torture Claims Appeal Board [2024] HKCA 687), stateless persons (Luc Thiet Thuan v Director of Immigration [2024] HKCFI 2857), and trafficking and gender-based violence survivors. Previously an associate at Daly & Associates (2020–2024) and former HKU Law Lecturer, she led empirical studies on detention and trafficking while authoring publications on child protection and sexual violence.

​A CUHK LLB and PCLL graduate, Chelsea earned Law Society Gold Awards for Pro Bono Work from 2022 to 2024. Her advocacy is rooted in grassroots civic journalism.

Psychosocial Manager

Emily is a National Certified Counsellor (USA) focused on alleviating the impact of adverse experiences, with a specialisation in depression, anxiety, complex trauma and PTSD. She has been trained in IFS, EMDR, narrative exposure, and child-centered play therapies to work with all ages through individual or group trauma therapy. Before coming to Hong Kong, Emily worked with NGOs focused on raising awareness and research to combat human trafficking worldwide. After her time in the nonprofit sector, she worked as a counselor in a private practice in Texas before co-owning and directing a practice in Hong Kong for over four years.

Emily is trained to work specifically with vulnerable communities needing integrated trauma care. She holds an MA in Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary. Outside of work she enjoys reading, playing tennis, and hiking around the island with her family.

Operations Manager

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Deborah completed her Master’s of Art degree at the University of Edinburgh. Upon returning to Hong Kong, she joined KPMG in 2009. Having crunched a significant amount of numbers, Deborah joined Bai Xian Asia Institute Limited, a pan-Asian scholarship provider upon its conception in 2013 as its first staff member. As Manager of Program and Operations, Deborah supported the development and oversaw the programs, operations and daily administration of the Institute and the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program.

In 2019, Deborah took on the roles of part-time Operations Manager at Patricia Ho & Associates and Hong Kong Dignity Institute to support the organizations’ establishment and ongoing operations. She further took on the role of Consultant at Seeds Foundation Ltd., managing the organisation's philanthropic giving and other initiatives.

Deborah was a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants from 2012-2022.

Case Officer

Pritika holds a Bachelor of Laws from India and a Masters in Corporate and Financial Laws from The University of Hong Kong. Before relocating to Hong Kong in 2017, she spent seven years as a Legal Officer with a reputed public sector Bank in India, where she developed deep expertise in debt recovery Laws in India and documentation for various services rendered by the Bank.

In 2018, she made a meaningful career transition toward the nonprofit sector, driven by a strong sense of purpose and compassion. Since then, Pritika has been actively involved in supporting vulnerable communities across Hong Kong. Her work focuses on understanding the challenges faced by marginalized groups and supporting them through the legal and public resources available within the city. Her commitment is rooted in deep empathy and a strong belief in compassion. She finds great fulfillment in helping individuals through complex circumstances and considers it a privilege to serve. Outside of her professional life, Pritika enjoys spending time with loved ones, discovering new places, and indulging in different artwork.

Communications Officer

Trauma Therapist

Counsellor

Psychotherapist

Play Therapist

Compliance & Governance Advisor


Head of Financial Institutions and Corporate Practices, Debevoise & Plimpton

Collaborations & Branding Advisor


Artist; Writer; Mental Health Awareness Advocate

Investigations & Development Advisor


Former Executive Director, Hong Kong Dignity Institute; Founder, Headland Intelligence

Casework & Strategy Advisor


Managing Partner, Patricia Ho & Associates; Principal Lecturer, Faculty of Law at HKU

NGO Advisor


CEO of Mother's Choice, Former Executive Director, KELY Support Group Founding Member, Voice for Social Good

Education & Auditing Advisor

Board Director, Seeds Foundation

Mental Health and Development Advisor

Wellness Response Partner at META, Counsellor