Eduardo has three and a half years experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Finance from the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas in Lima, Peru. For the last two years Eduardo taught in a low-income area of Lima for Enseña Peru, Teach for All's Peruvian chapter. He taught English and math in primary school, and math and business-related workshops in high school, giving students the skills and knowledge needed to start their own small businesses. In between school years at Enseña Peru, Eduardo was an intern at Caja Rural Los Andes, a rural microfinance institution in Puno, Peru, where he researched social conditions and needs beyond microcredit of rural credit holders. Previously, Eduardo worked for the post-graduate school at Universidad del Pacífic, and as a junior consultant at Invertir, a Peruvian nonprofit organization that promotes entrepreneurship, seed capital funds, and microfinance. There he collaborated in the research and editing of a book about successful business through microfinance, and assessed business plans for entrepreneurship programs. His work in business entrepreneurship, microfinance, and education has helped him develop leadership and capacity improvement skills, as well as skills for entrepreneurship and business development. Eduardo is interested and committed to social and economic development, access to microfinance, improvement in the quality of education, and reducing poverty in his country. He is also an avid reader, amateur photographer, and music-lover.

Host: University of Maryland, Center for Social Value Creation

Fellow Role at University of Maryland, Center for Social Value Creation
Eduardo will expand the social entrepreneurship offerings at the Smith School and across UMD. This role will include developing new programs, growing existing ones and creating an asset map of SE on campus.

Eric has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Urbanian University, Rome and a Master’s degree in Philosophy and Religion specializing in peace-building and conflict resolution from Kenyatta University, Kenya. He is currently pursuing his PhD on ethnicity and national cohesion from Kenyatta University, Kenya. Currently, Eric is the Executive Director of Furukombe Initiative, a position he has held for the last two and half years. His main responsibilities are to fundraise and build partnerships with corporations and foundations. He developed and coordinated a youth leadership program between fifty U.S. students from Colorado State and Kenyan students funded by the U.S. State Department. Eric has also worked with Sudan Catholic Bishops Regional Secretariat based in Juba, South Sudan as an Emergency Coordinator for two years where he raised funds on behalf of the refugees, returnees, and internally displaced people in South Sudan. Eric has worked with Caritas Nairobi, Kenya as a Program Coordinator for one and half years. His main responsibilities were fundraising, coordinating peace building programs, and facilitating capacity building. Through these experiences, he acquired the skills of fundraising, partnership, training, and report-writing. Eric is interested in fundraising and capacity building in nonprofit sector. His hobbies are swimming and cycling.

Host: UN Foundation

Fellow's Role at UN Foundation:
Eric will serve as the Development Associate cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding financial and in-kind donors for the mHealth Alliance program from corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals.

The Development Associate identifies institutional synergies and new funding sources, manages cultivation and solicitation data and results, creates proposals and letters of interest to meet program objectives, and works effectively and collaboratively with other UN Foundation programs and offices to maximize grant potential and partnership success.

Janice has five years of experience in the nonprofit, media, and governmental sectors, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Stella Maris Polytechnic in Liberia. While studying for her college degree, she volunteered with Population Services International as a Youth Coordinator. With PSI, she managed a radio show on sexual reproductive health, and planned outreach activities for young people. Janice has developed youth related brochures and IECs materials for several groups including UNICEF and UNAIDS. Her advocacy has progressed to include programs in girls’ rights, youth and gender empowerment, and poverty reduction. Through these experiences, she developed strong research, leadership, and report writing skills. Janice enjoys focusing on the topics of economic reform and population need. She has a strong passion for creative arts and hopes to one day use it as a unifying tool for social justice.

Host: Worldwatch Institute

Fellow's Role at Worldwatch Institute
Janice will serve as Research Assistant to the President. In this position she will be primarily responsible for assisting in research by the President in three areas of substance: Gender, reproductive health and population, Sustainable agriculture and food production and Climate change and sustainable energy for all. Additionally she will aid various Worldwatch teams seeking to: Improve our outreach on research results for optimum impact in our mission of promoting a rapid transition to sustainable societies that meet human needs Develop and expand networks of likeminded organizations around the world.

Nafeesa has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector in education, poverty alleviation, and humanitarian relief in emergencies. During these years her exposure to many parts of the country and abroad through extensive field visits provided her with the chance to see the ground realities and interact with people at the grassroots level. At the same time her experience enabled her to deal with government officials, civil society including people from pluralistic backgrounds. Nafeesa earned a postgraduate degree in Human Rights from Curtin University of Technology, Australia, under the Australian Development Scholarship. Nafeesa is also trained in Program and Project Management and Administration (PPMA) by Management Development Foundation (MDF) in The Netherlands. She earned a fellowship with the Nuffic Fellowship Programme for this course. Nafeesa has worked with CARE International in Pakistan in the Floods Emergency Response Programme (FERP) where she engaged in supporting Implementing Partners (IPs) in understanding donor compliance, accountability and quality in humanitarian relief projects. Nafeesa has also worked for the Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) as Research and Advocacy Coordinator where she supported coalition work through conceptualizing, developing, executing and reviewing advocacy campaigns. These campaigns were aimed at policy-makers and emphasized the need for a rights-based approach to education in national policies.

Host: Disaster Accountability Project

Fellow’s Role at Disaster Accountability Project
Nafeesa will manage SmartResponse.org, a global, online clearinghouse of disaster relief and humanitarian aid data that maximizes the impact of disaster relief by increasing transparency and accountability, providing valuable data to the donor public, beneficiaries, and media, and strengthening the role of civil society.

Ochuko has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry from Delta State University, and a Master’s degree in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. While working as a Research Fellow with the Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training in Nigeria under the WHO-funded malaria program, she helped improve the health of children living with malaria in western Nigeria. She also carried out the implementation and documentation of high quality research including the diagnosis of P. falciparum in saliva and blood specimen using rapid diagnostic test. This study was a landmark study, for the first time malaria was diagnosed using saliva specimen in Nigeria. Ochuko has volunteered as a Community Health Officer in different capacities, including for a help fare program annually held in Port-Harcourt, which involves offering free medical treatment to the poor and less privileged in the society. Over the years, she has accrued competencies in research and community health. Ochuko has a strong passion for maternal and child health. With GBCHealth, Ochuko will work with Host Organization staff on management and implementation of activities offered by the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa, including the planning, agenda development, collaborator communication and execution of workshops as well as pursuit of activities that offer value to the member companies with which the Host Organization works.

Host: GBCHealth

Fellow’s Role at GBCHealth
Ochuko, in her role as Malaria Program Manager, will provide management and leadership for GBCHealth' Corporate Alliance for Malaria in Africa (CAMA). She will bring her technical and programmatic expertise to increase business engagement in multi-sector collaboration to fight malaria in Sub-Sharahan Africa.

Sherif has over six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Khartoum. Recently, Sherif and his colleagues established a new nonprofit in Sudan called the Medical and Dental Students Trust (MDST). MDST aims to help Medical and Dental Students achieve their maximum potential, by the provision of financial and logistic support. Sherif is the is the Grants Superintendent of this nonprofit. He also worked as a Research Assistant in the Mycetoma Research Center, Soba University Hospital, University of Khartoum, and was responsible for the Recording System of Mycetoma patients, data entry, and site visits to endemic areas. He provided necessary information for the medical students and helps them in their research on mycetoma. Sherif was the Regional Co-Assistant of Public Health on Africa of the International Federation of Medical Students' Association (IFMSA), a nonprofit that represents international medical students worldwide. He worked for two years as a Supervisory Council Member of the Medical Students International Network - Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan), a nonprofit that represents the future physicians of Sudan worldwide. Additionally, Sherif was a member of the committee that issued the decision to stop smoking in Khartoum International Airport. Through these experiences, he developed strong capacity building, project management and leadership skills. Sherif enjoys focusing on public and reproductive health topics, and has an interest in youth development.

Host: The Mayor's Office on African Affairs

Fellow’s Role at The Mayor’s Office on African Affairs
Sherif will be responsible for expanding the Capacity Building Program, primarily targeting the business sector, thereby helping to strengthen the local African business community. This will include conducting ongoing outreach to diverse African businesses in the District, organizing bi-monthly networking events, connecting African businesses to business development support, resources, and other opportunities through the District, Federal and nonprofit agencies.

Souad has four years of experience with nonprofit work, after graduating in 2007 with a Bachelor's degree in Education. She has worked in the education sector for almost three years as an Education Officer and an Education Training Coordinator with the Nuba Relief Rehabilitation and Development Organization. Souad also worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer briefly before becoming a Communication Officer for Save the Children in South Kordofan in Sudan. Souad has worked closely with community members and government authorities to provide resources for the vulnerable groups of people most affected by conflicts. Souad is an advocate for child rights through her work in several campaigns like the right to education, the right to proper health, and the right to a home and security.

Host: PVBLIC Foundation

Fellow’s role at PVBLIC Foundation
Souad will serve as the Communications & Events Coordinator, overseeing NEXUS Global Youth Summit at the UN and PVBLIC's "UN Media for Social Impact Summit". She will also coordinate the UN Media Coalition, spearheading PVBLIC’s social media strategy and outreach to grantees.

Tisa has three years of experience in the nonprofit sector and four years of experience in the communication and public relations sectors in South Asia, United States, and the United Kingdom. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Marymount Manhattan College, and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London. In her last position, Tisa was the Research and Communication Officer at the James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University in Bangladesh. She was in charge of the communication and press department for the whole school and its various centers. As a trained qualitative researcher, she also co-coordinated and co-managed a multi-country research project looking into violence against marginalized women in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal that lasted for eighteen months. The project was envisioned by Creating Resources for Employment Action (CREA), a rights-based NGO in India, and overseen by the United College of London (UCL). Tisa is also an activist for sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and women’s rights in Bangladesh. As part of her activism, she founded and participated in civic groups to raise awareness, tolerance, and recognition of rights of disenfranchised communities in Bangladesh; she also wrote a column in one of the largest English daily newspaper in Bangladesh where she highlighted social issues and discrimination faced by women. Additionally, she is also a published fiction writer: her short stories have appeared in a series of international and national anthologies, literary magazines, and newspapers.

Host: McKinsey & Company

Fellow’s Role at McKinsey & Company:
Tisa will provide logistical and operational support to McKinsey's Social Sector Office's global communications efforts around international development, health, education and social innovation.

Yathrib Elzein has three years of experience working in the humanitarian assistance community in Sudan. She studied international relations and management and an in-depth understanding of humanitarian issues as well as world politics. As a consultant for Almanar Voluntary Organization, she set up monitoring and evaluation systems. As a consultant for GOAL Ireland, she conducted an assessment on the impact of an informal adult education program. Her other responsibilities in her work with these two organizations include spearheading a gender mainstreaming program, managing donor reports and compliance, and creating successful proposals towards reducing poverty, malnutrition, human rights abuses, and conflict. Furthermore, Yathrib enjoys encouraging cross-cultural understanding for greater cooperation.

Host: PVBLIC Foundation

Fellow’s Role at PVBLIC Foundation:
Yathrib will serve as PVBLIC’s Grant Manager, a liaison between non-profits and media donors, and will cultivate relationships with non-profits. Her duties also include spearheading campaign creation as well as measuring the impact of media grants.

Cleopatra Ndlovu has nine years of experience in the nonprofit sector in Zimbabwe. She has a Bachelor of Arts Honors Degree in English and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Media and Communications from the University of Zimbabwe. She is a former Director of Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU), a feminist nongovernmental organization that promotes the participation of women in politics in Zimbabwe. Previously, Cleopatra was employed by Women’s Action Group (WAG), which is an organization which seeks to promote women’s sexual and reproductive health rights. During her three years at WAG, she was the Communications Officer and the Editor of their quarterly magazine, Speak Out/Taurai/Khulumani. Cleopatra is a founding member of The Girls Legacy, an organization seeking to build the capacity of young women and girls through leadership development and mentoring so that they can live empowered lives and become models and change agents in their communities. She has served as a Board Member for several organizations including Transparency International- Zimbabwe, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe, Women and AIDS Support Network and Zimbabwe Young Women’s Network for Peace Building. Cleopatra has a strong passion for women’s rights.

Host: InsideNGO

Donna has over three years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in French and Psychology both from the University of Ghana. Her Masters’ dissertation focused on, “The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1820 on Sexual Violence against Women: Prospects and challenges.” Currently a Program Assistant at the UNESCO Office in Accra, Donna provides support in the implementation of program activities in areas of social science research capacity development; climate change and migration; and youth civic engagement. In partnership with a colleague, she has prepared a background research paper on the nexus between climate change and migration. She has also been engaged in an assignment to map and assess national youth policies in Sub Saharan Africa. While still at UNESCO, Donna worked on a volunteer assignment for UNFPA on engaging men and boys to prevent gender-based violence. Through her work experience, Donna has developed good writing, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation skills. Her areas of particular interest are gender equality and youth development.

Host: CDC Development Solutions

Hiba holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery from Juba University, Sudan, and a Master’s degree in Public Health, Tropical Health, and Hospital Management from the University of Medical Science and Technology (UMST), Sudan. Hiba has more than four years of experience working in various fields and positions, including medical practitioner, radio station program manager, election expert assistant, Sudan news correspondent, and media and advocacy director. She was trained in the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) tool for qualitative data collection by Options in the UK. Afterwards, Hiba became involved in volunteer training of doctoral nursing and diploma on quantitative and qualitative data and research collection methods. Hiba has also educated and trained illiterate women in post-conflict settings on reproductive and child health issues through the Rebuilding Reproductive and Child Health System in Post-Conflict Settings Initiative (ReReCHI), where she has volunteered and worked as director of media and advocacy. She is interested in researching Community Directed Intervention (CDI) as an alternative approach to meet challenging health issues in post-conflict settings. Hiba counts multitasking, communication, and adaptability among her top skills. She is passionate about media and has gained more than three years of media experience in Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, and provided consultancy to radio stations and trained radio presenters. She most recently held the position of Sudan correspondent for Nile International TV, Cairo, Egypt.

Host: Association of American Medical Colleges

Maksim has four years of research experience and has earned an LL.M in European Law from the College of Europe. He has been involved in a number of research projects on the issues of regulatory impact assessment (RIA), legal approximation and Eurasian integration and pursues his own research in the philosophy of human motivation. He cooperates with the Ecole National d’Administration in France, University College London in the UK, works as analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, and lectures at the Belarusian State University. Through these and other experiences, he has developed strong research, leadership and productivity skills and reinforced his enthusiasm to bring about a positive change in his country and region.

+Think Tank LINKS Fellow

Host: The Cato Institute

Natasha conceptualized and implemented a nation-wide program aimed at sensitizing the youth and mobilizing thought and action around the cause of women’s empowerment while working at CARE India as the Youth Engagement Coordinator. Previously, as part of Ashoka’s Full Economic Citizenship initiative, Natasha supported marketing and communication efforts for the ‘Global Summit of Housing Entrepreneurs’ held in Barcelona, Spain. She also assisted volunteer teams with strategies for onsite implementation and event delivery. Natasha has held multiple leadership positions in AIESEC, the world’s largest youth-run organization, which she was a part of for three years. She partnered with thirty-five NGOs focusing on HIV/AIDS, education, and child rights, and implemented innovative social projects that combined international exchange programs with local awareness events. She organized Delhi University’s first HIV/AIDS testing drive and facilitated HIV/AIDS and reproductive health workshops for over 500 students. Additionally, she led six diverse and multicultural teams throughout her tenure and in 2009, was selected to represent AIESEC India as a cultural envoy to Turkey. In 2010, she led a five member international team and handled media relations and PR for India’s largest youth congregation comprising of 700 young leaders from 110 countries. Through these experiences, Natasha has honed strong communication, project management, and leadership skills and has grown into a committed and ambitious nonprofit professional. Natasha has earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Delhi, India, and is a strong advocate for women and children’s rights.

Host: CDC Development Solutions/U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy

Nici has two and a half years of full-time experience in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, after obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Management and Human Resources, from the University of Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. Nici has been the Program Coordinator for Operation Smile South Africa since October 2011, maintaining the medical and non-medical volunteer base as well as coordinating all the surgical programs in Southern Africa. Prior to that, Nici managed an education project on the Wild Coast of South Africa, where children in rural schools were taught basic end-user computing skills. This change in career came after many years of part-time volunteering and working within the corporate social responsibility sector in the tourism industry. This experience has greatly improved her coordination and time management skills acquired over the years as a Project Manager in the tourism industry, specifically now within the nonprofit sector. Nici is passionate about building a society where everyone actively volunteers and works towards a better future for all, allowing everyone to enjoy at least the basic human rights some often take for granted.

Host: International Peace and Security Institute

Nurangiz has three years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Master’s of Art in International Development and Management from Lund University, Sweden. She has worked for Migration and Law Integration Center in Moscow coordinating a project on providing assistance to Moldovan children and families in Russia, in partnership with the Terre des hommes Foundation. As Network Coordinator, Nurangiz helped set up a network of organizations for referral and assistance to migrants. Previously, she worked for the Russian Union of Journalists and the Ford Foundation in Russia. She has also interned with UNESCO Regional Bureau of Education in the Arab States in Beirut, Lebanon. Through these experiences Nurangiz developed strong project coordination and implementation skills. She was also actively involved in radio journalism at Lund University where she learned to create and produce broadcast content. Her special areas of interest are sexual and reproductive health, migration, and media development.

Host: Net Impact

Ramona has over six years of experience in working in the nonprofit sector, starting as a volunteer in numerous local, national, and international organizations and later joining Pro Vobis – National Resource Center for Volunteering of Romania as a Program Coordinator. She a degree in Political Science from Babes-Bolyai University and her thesis was on how social capital is developed and fostered within virtual communities; she was also awarded a fellowship to participate in the Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and International Cooperation at San Diego State University. Ramona has also participated in numerous trainings, conferences, seminars and workshops that focused on the topic of volunteering, both at the national and European level. Her extensive professional experience in the field of social development by means of volunteering translates in to setting up and implementing projects to support the development of volunteer infrastructure in her home country - managing the National Network of Local Volunteer Centers, overseeing national events such as National Volunteer Week. Ramona is currently working for the Local Volunteer Center in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, contributing to developing a culture of volunteerism in the local community.

Host: International Association of Volunteer Effort

Sally Roshdy has three years of experience as a researcher in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Bachelors’ degree of Political Science from the University of Cairo in Egypt in 2009. While working as a Policy Researcher at One World Foundation for Development and Civil Society Care in Cairo (OWF), she contributed to the transition-focused research work of Refa'a Al-Tahtawy Forum, an independent Egyptian think tank of OWF. Her area of research focuses on the transition issues in Egypt with an emphasis on the Democratic Reform and Security Sector Reform (SSR). Sally has participated in the assessment of Egyptian civil society needs concerning engagement in SSR through coordinating the joint program of SSR learning exchange in collaboration with Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS). She has coordinated a study visit to Serbia on an exchange of Egyptian and Serbian experiences of SSR. Sally has written number of policy briefs addressing the Egyptian issues of reform. She has contributed in the organization of regional conferences that focus on the transition issues of Arab Spring Countries, the most recent one was, the Exchange of Arab NGOs Experience conference hosted in Egypt in collaboration with the Network of Democrats in the Arab World. Throughout her career, she has gained vast experience in Democratic Reform with a focus on electoral processes. She also contributed to voter education through interacting with groups of citizens in number of provinces in Egypt during the last election.

+Think Tank LINKS Fellow

Host: Project on Middle East Democracy

Sergio has five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Bolivia, and a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Chile. In his years of experience he has acquired solid quantitative and qualitative research skills, has conducted several research projects, and has developed interpersonal and team working skills. He started as a researcher in a microfinance institution assessing the impact of microloans on poverty among less-developed areas of Bolivia’s highlands. Afterwards he worked as a researcher in the infrastructure sector of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) at its headquarters in Venezuela. Back in Bolivia, he worked in the Research Department of the Ministry of Planning (UDAPE), where his main research interest was the relationship between the financial system, private investments, and labor markets. Since January, 2010, he has worked in the Research Department of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Santa Cruz (CAINCO) in Bolivia, where he runs the macroeconomic and financial research agenda. He is also the Director of the Economic Program in POPULI (Políticas Públicas para la Libertad), a public policy independent think tank that promotes well-designed public polices for a free society. He has several publications, including chapters in books and working papers.

+Think Tank LINKS Fellow

Host: Heritage Foundation

Steven Caron has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of Commerce Degree (Major in Finance; Minor in International Business) from Concordia University. While working as an intern in financial and business development for project COOPFORH under SOCODEVI, he helped initiate, support, and develop economic activities and businesses to help improve the economic and social situations of rural, cooperative members in Honduras. Steven has also worked for Camp B'nai Brith as a supervisor and managed a team of 13 staff members. He has also trained 42 future staff members. These experiences have taught and prepared him in project management, business development, leadership training, and financial management. Steven has a keen interest in business development, the environment, and microfinance.

Host: Charity Navigator

Taha Sharif has more than five years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Sciences and Technology in 2006 in Sudan. Taha also obtained Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certifications at the American University in Cairo (AUC). In 2007, Taha volunteered in various youth initiatives where he developed skills and training in leadership and program management in relation to youth rights, reproductive health, education, shelter, community development, and corporate social responsibility. Taha co-founded a nonprofit organization called I-Care in 2008. Through I-Care, he actively participated in projects focused on advocating for human rights and equal opportunities for children with disabilities, and youth development. In 2010, Taha volunteered to work as IT assistance for election monitoring at the Sudan Vote Monitor Website where he utilized his IT skills for the benefit of the community. This project was under Ushahidi, a nonprofit company, focused on elections monitoring in Africa. Taha also worked for Sudan Radio Service (SRS) in the Darfur region. SRS is a project of Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) an international NGO, with support from the United States State Department. In January 2012, Taha, with his colleagues, initiated a new nonprofit organization with the aim of raising awareness about the consequences of global warming in Sudan.

Host: Mobilize.org

Tokunbo Koiki has over twelve years of nonprofit experience working across several sectors including education, health, and social care in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Goldsmiths College, University of London, and a Masters in Social Work from Royal Holloway, University of London. During her National Youth Service Corps Program in Lagos, Nigeria, Tokunbo consulted for The Mental Health Foundation in their efforts to advocate for awareness of mental health, campaign against stigmatization, and solicit policy reform for the care of people living with mental disorders. She also provided training and workshops to professionals working with adolescents across Nigeria, on a number of areas including child and adolescent development, child protection and welfare, and brief solution focus practice. Tokunbo is a steering committee member of Africa Foundation for Development’s (AFFORD) Africa-Gives project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. This platform seeks to challenge young Africans to innovate and activate new effective ways of enhancing their philanthropic contributions and relationship with Africa’s development. As a Nigeria Leadership Initiative Associate, she was selected to participate in an annual leadership program as part of a group of emerging leaders across the public and private sector in Nigeria and the Nigerian Diaspora. Throughout her professional career, Tokunbo has developed the skills and expertise needed to help people develop coping skills that they can utilize in dealing with different life challenges that they are experiencing. Tokunbo was awarded with an ‘Unsung Women’s Award’ for her voluntary work with UK charity African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) in raising awareness about leukemia and bone marrow transplant to communities and people of African, African Caribbean and Mixed Parentage descent.

Host: Miriam’s Kitchen

Dipanwita brings three years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has worked as an editor, a journalist, a public relations strategist, and a social entrepreneur. She has an undergraduate degree in History from St. Stephen’s College and a postgraduate degree in Globalization and Development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. While working as an Account Manager with 20:20MSL (a Publicis Groupe company), she designed the Google+ nonprofit outreach strategy in India and set up the non-profit service line for the organization. Dipanwita also founded an online art enterprise called The Outline that works towards democratizing the sale and appreciation of art in India while working with 20:20MSL. Previously, she co-founded and led strategy at What’s Up Bharat, which is a social enterprise that engages youth with social issues through innovative methods across both online and offline platforms. She has handled media relations and program design for Whypoll, which is a nonprofit working towards better governance and women’s safety. Deeply interested in the use of technology for effecting positive change, Dipanwita has worked with the prevention of child abuse, LGBT rights, and education for the underprivileged as well as art for development. She enjoys focusing on women’s and minority rights and studying the unorganized labor sector in India.

Host: Atlas Corps

Hripsime brings 16 years of experience of leading projects and volunteering for various international and local organizations. She has mostly focused on the implementation of different social and development projects to support the disadvantaged groups of people such as refugees, socially vulnerable families, certain categories of children, and the unemployed. While being a student at Vanadzor State Teachers’ Training Institute for her Master’s degree in Education, Hripsime started working for UNHCR, then continued her career with IFAD, UMCOR, UN WFP, and PH International, followed by CHF International Armenia/USAID in the position of Program Officer. During her professional career, Hripsime established strong links with partner organizations outside of Armenia and enlarged the scope of projects. Later, Hripsime received her second Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies with major in cultural differences, identity and philosophy through cultural studies and cultural geography. Hripsime is also a member of the Steering Group developing Youth Projects within European Union Programs and one of the organizers of youth exchanges among some EU member countries and Armenia. In 2011, Hripsime returned to PH International as one of the project leaders for the Armenian delegation to implement YouthLAB (Leadership Across Borders) project in the U.S. together with partners from Turkey. Hripsime is a very active participant of various training courses, conferences, and exchange programs. She is a great asset to any academic or working environment not only due to her high level of erudition but also her practical knowledge in the areas she is involved in.

Host: HasNa

Madiha is a development practitioner with more than seven years of experience in the nonprofit sector with various leading international non-governmental organizations such as German Agro Action, American Red Cross, World Vision, and Oxfam. She has earned her Masters degree in Economics and several professional courses on project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation, learning, and accountability. In 2008, she was granted the Nuffic Fellowship for a course on Projects and Program Management and Administration. Throughout her career, she has gained diverse experience by working in remote areas in different fields such as health, food security and livelihoods, education, advocacy and campaigning, community drive initiatives, agro-forestry and human trafficking, child and human rights, and capacity building of local non-profit organizations. This experience has equipped her with various skills and competencies such as project design and management, donor liaison and reporting, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation, and financial management. During her working tenure, she has conducted and facilitated several research studies. During her work with American Red Cross, she developed a behavior change communication strategy for 30 villages. By working with World Vision, she gained experience in monitoring and evaluation of more than 15 different projects. By working with Oxfam for three years, she added financial management, program monitoring, and donor compliance strategies to her skillset. She also gained rich experience on advocacy and policy initiatives. Her hobbies include reading biographical books and traveling. She aspires to write a book consisting of her non-profit experience in United States.

Host: CARE USA

Obiora has over five years of experience in nonprofit community health activities, particularly HIV service delivery and research in underserved communities in Nigeria. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Biochemistry from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ibadan, and a Diploma in Global Health from the University of Tampere, Finland. For the past two years, Obiora has been working as an Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Clinician at the International Centre for AIDS Treatment and Program (ICAP) and Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN)-supported ART facilities. He was responsible for the clinical management of people living with HIV/AIDS and provision of clinical services in the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program, as well as coordination of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program. He also worked as a public health consultant to the Nigerian Primary Health Development Agency on Maternal, Newborn, and Children’s Health, and his roles included supportive supervision, data collection, clinical mentoring, and capacity building for health care workers. As a medical student, Obiora was awarded the Global Health Scholarship in 2005 and represented the College of Medicine University of Ibadan at various public health events across Africa, Europe and North America. Upon return from these events and his election as the Vice President of the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NIMSA), Obiora pioneered and institutionalized the NIMSA Capacity Building Workshop to ensure the transfer of skills, knowledge, and experiences to colleagues. This annual workshop continues to equip medical students and other health care professionals across Nigeria with requisite leadership, managerial, and research skills to work in a low resource setting. In the last couple of years, he served as the Executive Director of the GUIHDE Initiative Nigeria, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes and inspire young people to take the lead in promotion and advocacy on Nigeria’s health policy and developmental needs. He is looking forward to exploring further opportunities in global health, human capacity development, research and infectious diseases.

Host: Association of American Medical Colleges

Tipakson has five years of experience in the nonprofit sector in the Greater Mekong Region, Southeast Asia. She has experience running joint campaigns with grassroots groups and regional nonprofit networks as an advocate for development justice and sustainable livelihoods. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Chiang Mai University, Thailand, and began her work with the online alternative media service Prachadhrama News Net (PNN) and the Horizontal Media Project (Local Talk), where she produced various in-depth articles and documentary films on human rights and environmental issues in Thailand in support of social justice movements across the country. Tipakson received a full scholarship to attend the EarthRights International EarthRights School Mekong (ERSM), a seven month-long intensive multidisciplinary training on human rights and environment. She worked with EarthRights International (ERI) as Mekong Alumni Program Coordinator for the Mekong School Alumni Network. She coordinated the provision of mentor support and outreach trainings on capacity building for communities; development of the campaign strategy to promote transparency, public participation, and accountability in decision-making processes of large-scale development projects; and administration of the mailing group and facilitation of information-sharing through social media. Tipakson is actively involved with many other civil society advocates on human rights and environmental issues in her home region, such as the ASEAN Youth Movement and the Save the Mekong Coalition. Since 2009, she has volunteered for the ASEAN Youth Movement’s steering committee, an alliance of diverse young people throughout the ASEAN region advocating for meaningful participation in a people-centered ASEAN community. Due to her belief in the spiritual connection between human beings and nature, she is dedicated to empowering people to engage in developments that sustain the sharing of the enriched nature of the earth for all. Tipakson is from an ethnic Phutai community in the Kalasin Province of Northeastern Thailand, and speaks Phutai, Lao, Thai, and English.

Host: International Accountability Project

Ahmed Hassoon, a public health consultant, with more than seven years of experience serving vulnerable groups at different capacity for multiple sectors in Iraq. Ahmed earned a degree in General Medicine and Surgery from Baghdad School of Medicine in Iraq. He studied International Health & Development at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in the United States and is an internationally certified Project Manager (PMP) by the Project Management Institute. His certifications include: Disaster Planning, Global Development & Social Justice, International Development, Monitoring and Evaluation from Tulane University, Emory University, the United State Government, and USAID, respectively. While working at the Iraqi Ministry of Health and several major international organizations, he helped during the conflict and post conflict transition after the 2003 war by focusing on health services for war victims, internally displaced persons, returnees, women, and children. Ahmed currently works for International Relief and Development as a Health Consultant. He also worked as the Iraq Operations Manager for International Rescue Committee, Capacity Building Coordinator for the Iraqi Ministry of Health, IDP’s Clinic Manager for INTERSOS, and Foundation House Officer for the Iraqi Ministry of Health in several Iraqi Hospitals. Through his field work and education, Ahmed developed a wide experience in public health program design, proposal writing, project management, operations, coordination, business development, and grant management. Ahmed has been awarded the prestigious Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (2010) by the United States Department of State for his dedication to public service in Iraq. Ahmed is fluent in English and Arabic.

Host: International Relief and Development

Aldo has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He holds a degree in Marketing and Communications and two postgraduate diplomas in Fundraising and Project Management & Education and Employment of Youth. Since he was 17 years old, he has been involved with social development organizations. Aldo was a volunteer at Amnesty International Mexico as well as a Program Officer in a human rights foundation. In 2008, he founded the nonprofit organization, Puerta Joven (“Youth Door”), which provides internet access and arts and technology programs to improve the education of the youth in poverty (with a primary focus on indigenous and people with physical disabilities). As the Founder and Program Coordinator, he gained experience to get support and funding for his own programs and projects from international aid agencies and foundations such as: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), UNPD Mexico, UNESCO Brazil, Oxfam, and the Adobe Foundation. As a fundraiser, he has also done campaigns to get individual donations through media campaigns and mobile phones. Aldo was named Action Partner by Oxfam International Youth Partnerships. He has participated in key global forums like the World Youth Conference, organized by UN agencies where he was a member of the Global Council of NGOs and was also invited to run workshops about Fundraising. Aldo has knowledge in graphic design, web development, social media, and nonprofit marketing.

Host: National Audubon Society

Karina holds a Law degree with a specialization in Human Rights and International Law. She studied International Human Rights at UC Berkeley. She received a full scholarship by the Rotary Foundation to obtain her MA in Political Science and a Graduate Certificate in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work as an English teacher at Cultura Inglesa (sponsored by the British Council) involved preparing students for the International Legal English Certificate issued by the University of Cambridge as well as discussing human rights in Brazil. While working at Viver NGO, a member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities, she implemented the scholarship program and the bone marrow donation campaign. She interned for UNICEF in Geneva and for the International Center in Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) in Alexandria, VA. She also worked as a researcher for the Research Triangle Institute, supporting literacy education projects in developing countries and as a research assistant for a human rights professor at Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University focusing on the Arab Spring and the Alien Torts Claims Act. Through these experiences, she developed strong project coordination and implementation, policy analysis, research, and management skills. Karina has a strong passion for child rights.

Host: U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Luckmore has nine years of experience in the nonprofit sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. He graduated from Wageningen University and Research Center Disaster Studies Department in The Netherlands, with a Masters in International Development. Luckmore worked with Restless Development a British-based international development agency where he started as a volunteer and became an Advocacy Specialist in the areas of youth development, sexual, and reproductive health and rights. He has worked with the Young Voices Network Zimbabwe, a coalition of youth-led and youth-focused nonprofit organizations as an Advocacy Coordinator. Luckmore also served as the Youth Representative in the Zimbabwe National AIDS Council. In 2009 to 2010, with support from UNFPA, CEDPA and CHANGE, he led a regional (Southern Africa) initiative on advocating regional governments to increase funding in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. As part of his studies in Wageningen University and Research Center, Luckmore worked with the German development agency, GIZ, in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda to revive the youth program among refugee youth. He has been a member of professional associations and students organizations such as AIESEC where he served as Vice President of External Relations for Zimbabwe and Junior Chambers Harare City Chapter. Over the years, Luckmore has developed interest in program monitoring, coordination, and implementation. Through experiences in Uganda and at home, he has developed keen interest on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights in complex political emergencies.

Host: Management Systems International (MSI)

Luis has over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Luis graduated with a degree in Law from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain), and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Development Aid from the Open University (UK), a Postgraduate Diploma in Development and Gender Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) and a MA in Applied Human Rights from the University of York (UK). He worked as a project manager at Fundacion Triangulo for two years, a Spanish LGBT organization working on development cooperation aid and advocacy. During that time, he was in charge of projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Panama, Peru, and at a regional level. Since the end of 2009, he has been a member of the Development Cooperation Team, the decision-making board for international advocacy and development cooperation issues at Fundacion Triangulo. He is currently working as a project manager on development aid at Candelita, a Spanish development organization, where he is in charge of productive projects with a gender perspective in Colombia. As a volunteer, Luis has more than 10 years of experience with civil society organizations. He collaborated with the Student Union, Ecologistas en Accion (an environmental organization), and Service Civil International Spain. At this moment, he is part of the Mobilization Team at Equo, a new Spanish political party endorsed by the European Green Party, helping to organize its standing at the next Spanish general election. He published an article last June with the title "Tackling corrective rape in South Africa: the engagement between the LGBT CSOs and the National Human Rights Institutions (Commission for Gender Equality and South African Human Rights Commission) and its role."

Host: Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute

Ogechukwu brings five years of experience in the nonprofit sector with extensive knowledge in addressing socio-economic development issues and organizational capacity building. He earned a Bachelors degree in Automotive Technology Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in Nigeria. From 2007 to 2011, he worked as the Program Administrator for Self-Help Development Facilitators (SEDFA), a Nigerian nonprofit organization. His responsibilities at SEDFA included fundraising, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation as well as project implementation. In this regard, he has been involved in good governance and poverty reduction projects funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Nigeria; European Union (EU); as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He also anchored the application process that led to the granting of SEDFA, a "Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC)" in 2011.

Host: Service for Peace

Orain is a youth advocate and international relations practitioner who has more than seven years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Orain has a Bachelors of Science degree in International Relations from the University of West Indies Mona Campus and will read for his Masters of Arts in Global Governance and Public Policy at the Middlesex University in London (UK). Orain currently works as the Program Manager for Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) where he focuses on sexual reproductive health and rights and HIV & AIDS. In his capacity as Program Manager, Orain coordinates three projects focused on family planning and comprehensive sexual education, LGBT and human rights along with HIV & AIDS issues as well as issues affecting marginalised youth. Orain currently works with international partners such as Advocates for Youth, and regional partners such as Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition. Orain has participated and presented at the World Youth Conference in 2010, UN Conference on Climate Change 2011, Caribbean Regional HIV Conference 2011, Global Commission on HIV 2011 and Aspen Environment Forum 2011 among several conference and summits within the Washington, DC. He has also been at the forefront of charting the inclusion of raising our awareness around the impact of climate change and the environment on young people’s sexual and reproductive health and the rights for young people in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the Global South. He has experience in lobbying US policymakers, including Secretary Clinton’s Office, Ambassador Eric Goosby at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, Congresswoman Barbara Lee at the State Department, and on Capitol Hill around foreign policy and funding for HIV and family planning. Orain has been actively involved in youth development and empowerment. He has participated in the National Youth Parliament for three consecutive years and sits on the UNESCO Education Advisory Board.

Host: National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

Adam has over six years of experience in the non-profit sector as a student and professional. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Leyte Normal University in 2005 where he graduated cum laude, and is pursuing his Master’s degree in Management at the University of the Philippines. As a student, he was active in various school and community activities where he held significant leadership positions. He represented his province in the 4th National Youth Parliament, a biennial assembly of young people representing the various sub-sectors and geographical groupings nationwide to develop a legislative-executive agenda for youth development. Soon after he graduated, he was selected to join the pioneer batch of Global Xchange Program leaders, a six-month exchange program between the UK and Philippines. Managed by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and the British Council (BC), the program aims to give young people from different countries a unique opportunity to work together to make practical contributions to local communities. Immediately after completing the volunteer exchange program, Adam began working as a Project/ Technical Officer at the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction – Sustainable Livelihood Projects for the Poor in Southern Philippines, a grant project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he was responsible for overall management of the project in the Visayas Network. At age 22, Adam became the youngest addition to World Vision Philippines as a Program Officer. In four years at World Vision, Adam acquired experience and skills in program management in development and humanitarian relief projects. In Bangladesh, Adam underwent training to set-up accountability mechanisms for development projects and programs. Through his pursuits in non-profit and volunteer work, Adam has grown into a a conscientious, passionate and relentless development professional and volunteer.

Host: Operation Smile

Anna has nine years of nonprofit experience with different NGOs in Armenia and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Finances from Economics and Law University of Stepanavan, Armenia. While working as an Operations Manager at the Full Life NGO, she actively participated in projects focused on advocating for human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, promoting principles of inclusive education within the USAID-funded “Strengthening DPO’s for Greater Outreach” project, and developing new projects and fundraising strategies. She was awarded with the Letter of Acknowledgement from the Governor of Lori Region for her efforts. Anna has worked at the Stepanavan Area Development Program regional office of World Vision Armenia as an accountant and volunteered with local environmental non-profits. In 2007 and 2008 she worked as an interpreter-assistant with international observers of OSCE at the parliament and presidential elections in Armenia. As a volunteer advisor she participates in pre-arrival orientations with students of the “Golden Bridge” Georgian-American Exchange Visitor Center. Through these experiences, Anna developed attention to detail, flexibility in cross-cultural communication, as well as strong skills in developing project proposals, budgeting, accounting and project coordination. Anna has a strong passion for human rights, equal opportunity, and gender issues. Above all, she champions sustainable development and social responsibility.

Host: Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota

Karina holds a Bachelors of Arts and Science in Latin American Studies with minors in Spanish and Political Science from the University of Delaware. Karina has over two years of experience in the non-profit sector, where she has managed three non-profits as an Account Manager for Potomac Management Resources.
As Account Manager for the Women in Housing & Finance Foundation, an organization with a mission to promote personal finance counseling and charitable services primarily to low-income women, Karina played a vital role in distributing grants to local charities in Washington, D.C. Karina's dedication to the Hispanic immigrant community in Washington, DC has led her to teach English to recently arrived adolescents and help them with the process of enrolling in school. Karina has taught Civic classes at CARECEN, an organization which advocates for the rights of the Hispanic community. The course helped to prepare immigrants for their citizenship class, as well as promote civic duties. She has participated in a tutoring program for CentroNia,a bilingual public charter school. Karina participated in the Planning Committee that executed a fund raiser for the See Forever Foundation. Karina served on the Fabretto Children's Foundation DC Committee.

Host: Fundación Carlos y Sonia Haime, Cartagena, Colombia

Luis has two years of experience working in the field of International Development. He holds a Masters of International Affairs from Ohio University and a B.A. in English from Universidad de Sevilla. As a graduate student, he worked for the Healthy Living Initiative at the Tropical Disease Institute. The program is a long-term initiative supporting the socioeconomic development of rural communities as a key component to the control of Chagas disease in the southern Ecuadorian province of Loja. After completing his graduate studies, he coordinated a development team in Loja during the implementation of program activities in the summer of 2011. After Ecuador, he returned to his home country Spain where he collaborated with Solidaridad Internacional – Andalucía by assisting the International Development department. He worked during the closing term of the 2011 in the revision, editing, and translation of final and technical reports, as well as updating the database of funding sources. Additionally, he participated with the development of upcoming projects and the renewal of existing projects for 2012. Concurrently, he took courses on local development and international development project evaluation. Luis previously worked in education at the Modern Languages Department and the Disability Services Center at Ohio University. A native of Spanish, he also speaks English, French, and Portuguese.

Host: Fundación Escuela Nueva. Bogotá, Colombia