“Each event triggered a reaction that turned into a strength and created a purpose.”
In 2009, Off-The-Grid Missions was founded by Angela Maria Nardolillo, a hard-of-hearing woman of Puerto Rican and Italian descent. She spent years traveling alone into isolated regions providing Deaf Communities with access to educational supplies. During her travels, she witnessed that individuals with significant hearing loss were being deprived of language which resulted in lack of access to communication, education and overall day-to-day information –making them most susceptible to neglect, abuse, sexual assault, and even murder. Angela was exposed to the most extreme cases of violence against deaf people, the murders of three deaf women in Haiti who she was providing resources in an effort to keep them safe while in transit. She was also caught in the eye of a 7.6 earthquake and multiple hurricanes which further revealed the unique barriers in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In response, each mission evolved into emergency preparedness and disaster relief; providing life-saving and sustainable resources to deaf people in regions most cut-off from basic resources, as well as, disaster-stricken.
Now, a decade later, the organization has evolved into a global movement that welcomes individuals from the Deaf Community to work towards a common goal: to bring light to the source of the problem in order to disarm it with tangible and sustainable solutions.
About Our Name
“Off-The-Grid” refers to the remote and isolated geographic regions that we focus on.
“Missions” refers to the boots-on-the-ground, 007, grassroots, and guerrilla way in which the organization operates.
Acronym: OTG
Leadership Team
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Angela Maria Nardolillo (she/her/ella) – A Hard-of-Hearing, bi-ethnic Italian/Latina, Angela was raised across diverse regions, including Germany, Italy, Spain, Puerto Rico, and multiple U.S. states. She has led 65+ disaster response missions, bringing expertise in multilingual communication, tactical leadership, self-defense combatives, and women's self-defense instruction, alongside a background as a Creative/Art Director in film, television, and gaming. This combination of skills has played a pivotal role in shaping OTG into the only global humanitarian organization dedicated to addressing life-saving access for DHHDBDD individuals in crisis.
BOARD CHAIR
Mary Harman Whited (she/her/ella) – A Deaf Latina, Accessibility Consultant at Target, and co-founder of Harman Whited & Associates LLC. Mary brings to her work a rich background in intercultural awareness, disability inclusion, civil rights, and legislative work. As a public speaker, writer, and digital creator, she is dedicated to advancing digital accessibility, inclusion, and authentic representation of the disability community. Through her multifaceted roles, Mary tirelessly advocates for disability rights, communication access, and intercultural understanding.
SECRETARY
Kristina Marie Balao Miranda (they/she/siya), MA, NIC, EIPA – A first-generation Filipina/x and Multicultural Coda (Child of Deaf Adults) serving as Secretary for Off-The-Grid Missions. With over 15 years of experience as a community interpreter across NJ/NY, Boston, the Philippines, Washington DC/Maryland, and abroad, Kristina holds a Master’s in International Development and degrees in Interpreting. Guided by the belief that “good enough, never is,” Kristina is passionate about social and language justice, Deaf rights, and human rights policy, prioritizing community-centered collaboration, cultural humility, and harm reduction through introspective work.
Treasurer
Inez Garcia (she/her) – A Latina finance professional with over 20 years of experience in financial services. With her firsthand experience with natural disasters, Inez Garcia is passionate about ensuring marginalized communities have access to vital resources, including financial resources. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, Inez Garcia brings expertise in Accounting, Custody, and Corporate and Institutional Trust. As a Vice President with experience at industry leaders like J.P. Morgan, Mellon Bank, and U.S. Bank, she has a proven track record of enhancing employee morale, leading projects, and ensuring compliance.
Field Operators
Frontlines are made up of members of the Deaf Community. They volunteer on the ground and at the core of each mission; are fluent in Sign Language; and are trained in implementing sustainable solutions for survivors of disaster. Each member of the frontlines posses a different set of skills –it is every one of our strengths combined that makes us most productive in delivering tangible and effective solutions.
Partners & Sponsors are companies and organizations who work in partnership with our organization.
