Meet Our Team

Our Staff

Ajah Burts

Operations Coordinator

Ajah joins us from the East Coast to support our team as the Operations Coordinator. They have a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a Minor in Information Science and bring a fierce passion for the intersection of environmental and racial justice to We Care Solar. Ajah has experience with research, customer service, volunteer management, data analysis, and “behind-the-scenes” support in the non-profit sector. They relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to continue serving the marginalized communities they represent. Ajah loves the water and the great nature escapes the Bay Area has to offer.

Alli Pemerl

We Share Solar Program Manager

Alli Pemerl

We Share Solar Program Manager

Alli Pemerl brings ten years of teaching experience in elementary and secondary schools in Washington State, Thailand and Tanzania to the We Share Solar team. She spent half a year interning with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots, a community-based environmental education program in Tanzania, where she worked with school clubs to implement community and environmental projects. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Humanities and a Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Education. Since moving to the Bay Area, Alli has transitioned to a career focus in organizational capacity building and program management with non-profit organizations. She is excited to continue her passion for educating youth and her desire to bring renewable energy sources to communities with We Share Solar.

Ambrose Katungi Muhwezi, MD, MPH

Africa Regional Director

Ambrose Katungi Muhwezi, MD, MPH

Africa Regional Director

Ambrose Katungi Muhwezi, MD, MPH, Africa Regional Director, has progressive knowledge and experience in delivering maternal and newborn clinical services, program management for both government and private sector, and working with government at national, regional and district levels using a health system strengthening approach. Prior to joining We Care Solar, Ambrose worked with Doctors with Africa CUAMM in Uganda as Technical Advisor for Maternal, Newborn Health and Tuberculosis. Prior to CUAMM, Ambrose was the medical officer and national trainer for reproductive health for the Ministry of Health in several districts throughout Uganda, witnessing first hand the challenges of providing care in poorly lit health facilities. He holds a Bachelors of Human Medicine and Surgery from Gulu University in Uganda, a Masters in Public Health from Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Health Care Management and Leadership from Eaton Business School in UAE. He has a well-built passion for safe motherhood, and We Care Solar’s mission and his role allow him to reach under-privileged communities and contribute to safe motherhood in order to avert maternal and newborn mortality in Africa and beyond.

Amy Donhauser, MA

Director Of Global Programs

Amy Donhauser, MA

Director Of Global Programs

Amy Donhauser, MA, is an experienced international development professional, having operated for more than 15 years at the community, national, and regional levels. She is currently leading the Global Programs Team to strategically scale We Care Solar’s flagship campaign, Light Every Birth. Prior to joining We Care Solar, Amy worked with the International Organization for Migration based in South Africa, where she helped design programs and build partnerships across the Southern Africa region. Amy also previously served in project management and communications roles to advance U.S. Government humanitarian efforts in Haiti and Sub-Saharan Africa and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Senegal, where she worked with farmers to promote sustainable agriculture. She holds a Master of Arts in International Relations with a concentration on human security and humanitarian affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Anna Gomberg, MENG, MTEACH

Senior Program Manager for Solar Education

Anna Gomberg, MENG, MTEACH

Senior Program Manager for Solar Education

Anna Gomberg, a passionate Oakland Unified School District veteran Environmental Science teacher, has played a key role in both the creation of We Share Solar’s classroom curriculum and professional development workshop content. She has worked with researchers at the Lawrence Hall of Science to develop curriculum and teach for the National Science Foundation funded EPICC and YESS programs which both aimed to investigate ways of promoting STEM career opportunities and interest for low income youth of color using the Solar Suitcase as a key component.

As Senior Program Manager for Solar Education at We Share Solar she is keen to expand access to the inspiring hands-on; climate justice and globally minded opportunities the curriculum provides. Anna grew up in the UK where she studied Materials Science at Oxford University as an undergraduate and remained to complete a Masters in Engineering (MEng); she then went on to train as a teacher at the University of London Institute of Education where she received a second Masters in Teaching (MTeach).

Brandon Auger

Finance Manager

Brandon Auger

Finance Manager

Brandon Auger, Finance Manager, brings six years of accounting and finance experience to the We Care Solar team, having previously worked for a large public accounting firm followed by an investment management firm in Massachusetts. Upon relocating to Colorado where he currently resides, Brandon became involved with grassroots environmental organizations and nonprofits on a volunteer basis. He worked for a local anti-hunger organization for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic where he designed and implemented sustainability initiatives and sought to address dietary restrictions in the community. Brandon graduated summa cum laude with dual bachelor’s degrees in History and Accounting.

Brent Moellenberg

Director of Engineering

Brent Moellenberg

Director of Engineering

Brent Moellenberg, Director of Engineering, is a mechanical engineer who especially enjoys working in the renewable energy field. He has over 15 years of engineering industry experience, in of range of disciplines including renewable energy, MRI hardware design, agriculture testing, and computer hardware/software engineering. Beginning in 2005, Brent devoted much of his spare time to Engineers Without Borders, with whom he travelled to help with sustainable power systems within the developing world. He has also created remote solar monitoring solutions, currently used in both commercial as well as developing world settings. Brent joined our team as lead engineer in 2010, when we traveled to Haiti on a Solar Suitcase program. Since that time, he has travelled to Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda and Ethiopia, installing Solar Suitcases, training technicians and conducting field research. Brent has been instrumental in improving the design, installation and monitoring of our robust, portable Solar Suitcases.

Clark Andres, MBA

Logistics and Operations Manager

Clark Andres, MBA

Logistics and Operations Manager

Clark Andres, MBA, began his international work while living in rural Brazil and the Dominican Republic, where he collaborated with grassroots organizations on sustainable services and public health projects. His career in solar began in 2018 as a volunteer with Wild Solar, delivering off-grid field stations custom-built for conservation projects with community development outcomes in Botswana, Kenya, and Niger. Clark holds an MBA from the Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy.

Cheryl Fellows, MBA and David Fellows, MBA

Chief Financial Officers

Cheryl Fellows, MBA and David Fellows, MBA

Chief Financial Officers

Cheryl Fellows, MBA, and David Fellows, MBA, Chief Financial Officers, have decades of experience working in public, private and non-profit organizations, focused on media/entertainment, manufacturing, consumer products, technology, professional services and philanthropy. Both Cheryl and David have held Director of Finance and CFO positions. Cheryl holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on Finance, and is a graduate of Stanford University, while David holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration with a focus on Finance and Information Systems.

Feza Kabasweka Greene,MSc

Deputy Director of Africa Programs

Feza Kabasweka Greene,MSc

Deputy Director of Africa Programs

Feza Kabasweka Greene, MSc, Deputy Director of Africa Programs, has a background in impact research and policy analysis. She joined We Care Solar in 2017, serving first as a Program Officer and then as the Uganda Program Manager. Prior to We Care Solar, she worked with Innovations for Poverty Action as a Research Associate on a project that evaluated the impact of the digital sub-wallets on women’s financial empowerment. She has also worked with International Growth Center-London School of Economics' policy think tank based at Bank of Uganda, Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), Grameen Foundation, DFID and Economic Policy Research Center. Feza holds an MSc in Africa and International Development from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Economics (summa cum laude) from American University in Cairo. Feza is passionate about development innovations and programs that bring about tremendous and sustainable change in Africa like the We Care Solar Suitcase.

Gigi Goldman, MBA

Co-Director and Co-Founder, We Share Solar

Gigi Goldman, MBA

Co-Director and Co-Founder, We Share Solar

Gigi Goldman, MBA. Co-Director and Co-Founder, We Share Solar. After a decade of honing best business practices in marketing and general management at classic consumer goods companies, General Mills, Inc and Minnetonka Corp., Gigi launched her own SBA-backed, consumer products company. G.I., Inc.distributed international products to top department stores nationwide for 15 years, achieving over $15 million in retail sales. Practicing social entrepreneurship, Gigi now consults with non-profit and social business organizations helping them to achieve their goals. In 2013, she co-founded the We Share Solar Education Program while serving on the board of We Care Solar. Gigi has a BA in English Literature from Carleton College and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management.

Hal Aronson, PhD

Co-Founder and Senior Advisor

Hal Aronson, PhD

Co-Founder and Senior Advisor

Hal Aronson, Ph.D, Director of Technology and Education is the co-founder of We Care Solar. He is co-director of We Share Solar, the educational program that empowers youth to learn about solar energy and build Solar Suitcases for schools and orphanages. Hal has taught renewable energy in the Bay Area and around California for over 13 years. He co-created Solar Schoolhouse, bringing solar curriculum to schools throughout California, and also created California Youth Energy Services, a service learning program that now employs one hundred youth a year as energy-efficient retrofitters. Hal leads professional development workshops for educators, and developed training programs at Solar Richmond and Solar Energy International. Hal installed the first legal residential solar electric system in Santa Cruz County (in 1983). He obtained his Ph.D. in environmental sociology from UCSC; his dissertation focused on environmental justice. Email: hal_at_wecaresolar.org.

Jacinta Bouwkamp

In Memoriam

Jacinta Bouwkamp

In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of our beloved Jacinta after a long illness. Through it all, she never stopped exploring, engaging, or sharing and she lived her final year bringing joy to everyone she knew. Jacinta was We Care Solar’s Office Manager for seven years. To say she was an office manager is a monumental understatement. She often knew what we needed long before we did. That was how Jacinta worked, she saw something that needed to be done, and quietly accomplished it. She was kind and generous. In her work and in her life, she gave to others tirelessly. Jacinta loved with abundance. She cared for each of us in the We Care Solar family. She knew our pets, our kids, how old they were, the instruments they played (kids, not pets), what they liked, what they disliked. She remembered ordinary things you said as if they were special because you said them. She was a creative individual that found joy in her art and her craft. She had dozens of previous lives before we knew her, each with its own circle of friends who she loved, kept track of, and checked in on. She sang, she played instruments, she built things, she sewed, she bartended, she engineered, she painted, she learned, she danced, she photographed, she cooked exquisitely, and she listened with tenacity. She would want us to dance like no one is watching, love fiercely and with abundance, and live each and every day to its absolute fullest. She left an amazing legacy and we are so thankful for what she taught each of us. We miss you, dear friend. The world misses you.

Dr. Julie Yemi-Jonathan, MD, MPH

Nigeria Programs Manager

Dr. Julie Yemi-Jonathan, MD, MPH

Nigeria Programs Manager

Julie Yemi-Jonathan, MD, MPH, Nigeria Programs Manager, is a physician with robust experience in public health program design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. A strong healthcare service professional with a MD and MPH from University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, she has over a decade of experience in the public health sector and has managed, coordinated, and implemented projects funded by the Global Fund, USAID, and UNITAID throughout southern Nigeria. Prior to joining the We Care Solar team, Julie worked with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) where she led a cervical cancer secondary prevention program and was previously with FHI 360, where she advanced integrated delivery of HIV/AIDS services. Julie is passionate about maternal and child health and is committed to improving health outcomes across Nigeria.

Kim Gordon, MA

Director of Program Operations

Kim Gordon, MA

Director of Program Operations

Kim Gordon, MA, Director of Program Operations, has supported our Solar Suitcase programs since 2013. She holds a Bachelor Degree in International Affairs and a Master Degree in Global Finance and Economic Integration. Over the past twenty years, she has worked with Village Enterprise, Kiva, Vittana, and many other non-profits to improve quality of life in rural communities in Asia, South America, and Africa. Kim loves to travel and has lived, worked, and/or traveled to over fifty countries.

Laura E. Stachel, MD, MPH, DrPH

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Laura E. Stachel, MD, MPH, DrPH

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Laura E. Stachel, M.D., Dr.P.H., Executive Director, the co-founder of We Care Solar, is a former obstetrician-gynecologist with fourteen years of clinical experience. She holds an MD from the University of California, San Francisco and a DrPH. in Maternal and Child Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Laura was the Associate Director of Emergency Obstetric Research in West Africa for the Bixby Center for Population Health and Sustainability. She was the P.I. on a MacArthur Foundation project on We Care Solar Suitcase usage in Nigeria and Uganda, and was co-investigator for a collaborative Population Council study that assessed the standard of maternity care in Nigerian state hospitals. Laura was a staff researcher at the Blum Center for Developing Economies at U.C. Berkeley. She serves on the Editorial Board for the Berkeley Wellness Letter and co-chaired an international working group on Energy and Health for the UN Foundation. Laura has won numerous awards including 2019 Zayed Sustainability Prize, 2017 UN Momentum for Change: Lighthouse Award, 2017 Drucker Prize, Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers, the 2017 National Energy Globe Award, the 2015 UN DESA “Powering the Future We Want” Award, the 2015 UBS Optimus Award, the UCSF Alumni Award, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health Influencers Award, the C3E Leadership in Developing Countries Award, and the Top-Ten 2013 CNN Heroes award, and many others. E-mail: laura_at_wecaresolar.org.

Leslie Weir, MFA

Development and Communications Manager

Leslie Weir, MFA

Development and Communications Manager

Leslie Weir, MFA, worked for 20 years in film production before turning her attention towards nonprofit development, most recently as the Development and Communications Manager for the Golden Gate Audubon Society. Leslie brings a wealth of experience in fundraising, events, grants management and creating content for visual media. She has a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and an MFA from UCLA.

Margie Winter

Graphic Artist

Margie Winter

Graphic Artist

Marjorie Winter, MPH, Principal of Winter Graphics, is the creative force behind We Care Solar’s Annual Reports, volunteering since 2014 to make our educational and outreach materials more artistic and understandable. Margie has been a practicing artist for most of her adult life, and uses her MPH in Public Health Education from San Jose State to explain complex concepts using pictures and infographics for health and environmental education projects. She has specialized in creating materials for low literacy populations. Margie has developed and designed materials for the Alameda County, California and Ohio Lead Poisoning programs, as well as graphics for San Francisco’s wastewater program. For eight years, she was also the health educator for the Prenatal Screening Section of the California Department of Health Services.

Matt Asher

Engineer

Matt Asher

Engineer

Matt Asher, Engineer, is a mechanical engineer with a passion for working in renewable energy and infrastructure development. He has over 8 years of engineering experience in a range of disciplines, including renewable energy, water purification, building automation, general construction, material handling automation, and technical sales. He also has a wide range of experiences acting as a Lead Project Manager and is currently working towards his PMP license. In 2008, Matt and his parents relocated to Kamakwie, Sierra Leone to help operate a rural hospital. Matt spent most of his high school years assisting the hospital and developing his passion for helping empower communities that lack basic access to technology. Since high school, Matt has made many trips back to Sierra Leone to assist and lead rural electrification and water purification projects. Matt is excited to bring his diverse set of skills in engineering and project management to We Care Solar.

Morie Kamara

Sierra Leone Quality Control Supervisor

Morie Kamara

Sierra Leone Quality Control Supervisor

Morie Kamara has served as a PV technical expert in Sierra Leone since 2013 and has supported the sector across Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Morie has been part of some of the most exciting projects in the country (PRESSD-SL, RREP and LEB-SL) as lead engineer/quality control supervisor/project manager. Through his work, Morie has contributed to the combined power installations of over four megawatts solar systems such as Pico, SHS, stand alone, mini grids, pumping systems, and solar water heaters. Morie plays a pivotal role supporting end users, and in training young technicians and private sector companies to solve their energy challenges. Morie supports We Care Solar in Sierra Leone, bringing years of solar technical training and experience to the team, as well as a commitment to maintenance and sustainability. When not involved in renewable energy projects, he enjoys creating art (screen printing, drawing and painting), telling stories, reading books, and managing small up and coming businesses.

Phionah Abaho Bruce

Uganda Program Manager

Phionah Abaho Bruce

Uganda Program Manager

Phionah Abaho Bruce, MSc. Uganda Program Manager has a background in impact research. She joined We Care Solar in 2019, serving as a Program Assistant and then as the Program Coordinator. Before joining We Care Solar, she worked at Innovations for Poverty Action Uganda for five years as an Associate Field Manager on various projects ranging from governance, education, financial inclusion, and health. She worked on a project which evaluated the relationship between communities and their health service providers to achieve better health outcomes in Uganda which triggered her passion for working toward impacting the most vulnerable groups. She holds an MSc in Science Environment and Natural Resources and a BA in Urban and Regional Planning from Makerere University, Uganda. Phionah is passionate about programs that uplift communities and change lives just like We Care Solar.

Samantha Parsons

Managing Director

Samantha Parsons

Managing Director

Samantha is a passionate international development leader who loves working with organizations that are focused on finding innovative solutions to some of the world’s most difficult challenges. Prior to joining We Care Solar, Sam served as the Vice President of Business Development and Operations at iDE, a Denver-based non-profit focused on using market-based approaches and human centered design to help fight poverty in 11 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While at iDE, she led strategic business development globally as well as overseeing operations for six country programs. For two years, Sam was based in South Africa where she was the General Manager for inPractice Africa, promoting a unique mobile technology for health that provided education and training for health care practitioners in limited resource settings. She served as a director with Chemonics International for 10 years, where she worked across numerous countries in Africa and Asia including the design and implementation of public health projects in Africa and beyond. She has a B.A. in Sociology from George Mason University, and speaks intermediate French and Dutch.

Sarah Judd, MA, JD

Development Director

Sarah Judd, MA, JD

Development Director

Sarah Judd, Development Director, is an attorney and nonprofit development professional. Before joining We Care Solar, Sarah worked as an executive and independent consultant for diverse organizations to fund international health care provision, political campaigns, clean water, the arts, education, and historic preservation. She has helped found three international nonprofits. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts from St. Michael’s College, an MA from the University of Vermont, and a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law.

Shamiso A. Moyo, MPH, PhD

Senior Country Programs Manager

Shamiso A. Moyo, MPH, PhD

Senior Country Programs Manager

Shamiso A. Moyo, MPH, PhD is a passionate Public Health Specialist with over 17 years working experience with various humanitarian organizations in Zimbabwe. She has worked on both emergency and development programs cutting across Nutrition, Maternal Health and WASH sectors. Prior to joining We Care Solar, she was the Provincial Health and Nutrition Manager at International Medical Corps, and has consulted for World Vision, UNICEF, EuronAid, and John Snow, among others. She has a Master’s in both Public Health and Development Studies. Shamiso thrives on making a meaningful impact on peoples’ lives through the work she does.

Wendy Cross, MA

We Share Solar Senior Director

Wendy Cross, MA

We Share Solar Senior Director

Wendy Cross, MA, Senior Director of the We Share Solar Program, has worked in international development and non-profit management for 17 years, with a focus on education and community-led development programs. Prior to joining We Care Solar, she served as the Director of Programs and Operations for Teach With Africa and as Co-Producer of EdTech Summit Africa. Wendy began her international work while living in rural South Africa developing and managing sustainable development projects with grassroots organizations and also worked as a Grant Writer for The Global Fund for Children. Wendy received a Masters in Sustainable Development from World Learning SIT Graduate Institute. Since 2016, she has led We Share Solar's nationwide and international growth as a solar STEM program.

Board of Directors

Barry Neal, MS

Board Member

Barry Neal, MS

Board Member

Barry Neal, M.S., Director, has been active in the energy and the environmental sectors for over 35 years and is currently an Edmund Hillary Fellow, where his focus is on clean energy access in underserved communities. He was most recently Co-Head and Executive Vice President at Wells Fargo’s Renewable Energy and Environmental Finance (REEF) group, a business he started for the bank in 2006. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he provided management consulting services to financial institutions and renewable energy development companies. Barry also served as Managing Director of Energy Investors Funds Group, a leading private equity firm in the independent power sector. Barry has served on the Board or in an Advisory capacity for various entities, including: the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute; Innovation Incubator (IN2), a partnership between Wells Fargo and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, focused on clean energy technologies; and Imagine H20, a non-profit water technology accelerator. Barry earned a M.S. in Energy Management & Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.

Ben Rogers, MBA

Board Member

Ben Rogers, MBA

Board Member

Ben Rogers is a venture partner at Braemar Energy Ventures. Prior to joining Braemar, Ben was the co-founder of Broadscale Group, an investment firm focused on accelerating innovation in the power sector. Ben is also on the Investment Committee of the Clean Energy Trust, a regional energy incubator based in Chicago. He has been a keen advisor to companies and programs that focus on energy innovation and transformation. He is a senior advisor to Duke Energy on fleet electrification, and a senior advisor to Workhorse, an all-electric truck manufacturer based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was an EVP of Aquilon Energy, a software company focused on digitizing all aspects of commodity trading activities. Earlier in his career, Ben was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs Global Natural Resources Group, and a power trader at Cinergy Corp (now part of Duke Energy) and Enron. Ben has an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago and a B.A. in Economics from the Catholic University of America. He serves on the New Jersey Board of Trustees at The Nature Conservancy, and is a board member of We Care Solar, a manufacturer of solar suitcases that power critical lighting and medical devices in areas without reliable electricity.

Deborah Kaddu-Serwadda, M. ED, MS

Board Member

Deborah Kaddu-Serwadda, M. ED, MS

Board Member

Deborah is the Senior Program Associate & Director for Africa, at the 4W Initiative for Women & Wellbeing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She is a Utilization-Focused Evaluator, Evaluation Mentor and leadership development professional committed to institutional effectiveness, inclusion, and social transformation. She advises various US and Africa-based organizations that work with children, youth, and women, as well as young male and female entrepreneurs advocating for gender equality. She has more than fifteen years of evaluation experience of gender integration and women’s economic empowerment interventions in international development projects in African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Niger, Gambia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Deborah is a member of the Project Management Institute Inc, the American Evaluation Association (AEA), Washington Evaluators, the Africa Gender & Development Evaluators Network (AGDEN), the Blue Marble Evaluation Network, and the Uganda Evaluation Association (UEA). She has a Master of Education from Makerere University in Uganda and a Master of Science in Evaluation & Applied Research from the Claremont Graduate University, USA.

Joannie Marlene Bewa, MD, MPH

Board Member

Joannie Marlene Bewa, MD, MPH

Board Member

Joannie Marlene Bewa, MD, MPH is an award-winning medical doctor from the Benin Republic, globally well-known advocate, and public health researcher at the University of South Florida (USA) with interest in maternal, sexual and reproductive health. She recently founded and is the Executive Director of GHID, Global Health and International Development Program, which aims at guiding, training and connecting global leaders in health, international development and gender equity through its fellowship. She is a member of the technical advisor group for the World Health Organization Africa on Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health. Previously, Joannie established the Young Beninese Leaders Association (YBLA),focused on HIV awareness and sexual reproductive health, was a founding member ofthe United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) youth panel Benin and is a Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation “Goalkeeper for the Global Goals.” Joannie has served invarious platforms such as the African Women Leaders Network under the leadership ofthe African Union Commission and the United Nations, the Global Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health, Women in Global Health and Merck for mothers, a 500 million USD to promote maternal health.

Kate Onyejekwe

Board Member

Kate Onyejekwe

Board Member

Kate Onyejekwe is currently the Director of International Division for JSI and JSI Research & Training Institute - public health management consulting and research organizations dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities throughout the world. She oversees JSI's Washington, DC-based portfolio of global programs, technical competency centers for immunization, HIV and infectious diseases, health logistics, data and digital health, capacity development, and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health as well as the office’s corporate services teams. Most recently, she was Deputy Director of the MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience program, which works to improve health and resilience of individuals, communities and health systems in fragile settings. There, she oversaw global staff and regional and country-level partnerships to achieve country-level programming goals as well as JSI's work in child health, immunization, community health, health system strengthening, MERL, digital health, and supply chain management. She has over 27 years of technical and program management experience in family planning and reproductive health; maternal and child health; immunization; HIV, gender and youth programming; community health; capacity building; pharmaceutical management; and financial and operational management in multicultural settings. A Rhodes Scholar, Kate has a Master of Public Health in International Health, Master and Bachelor degrees in English, and certificates in finance and NGO management. She has worked in more than 15 countries, including in her home country, Nigeria and they continue to inspire her commitment to innovate with and galvanize nations, communities, families, and individuals to advance their skills and create lasting solutions to their priority health and development challenges.

Laura E. Stachel, MD, MPH, DrPH

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Laura E. Stachel, MD, MPH, DrPH

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Maame Afon Yelbert-Sai, MA

Board Chair

Maame Afon Yelbert-Sai, MA

Board Chair

Maame Afon Yelbert-Sai, M.A. Born and raised in Ghana, Maame is a consultant on international development, gender and leadership. She has worked as a Program Officer for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at the Global Fund for Women, and is Board Member and co-chair of the Bay Area Regional Advisory Committee for African Women’s Development Fund, USA (AWDF-USA). Maame is actively involved with the Global Women’s Leadership Network as a graduate, and coordinates the Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa program. She was the Africa Program Director for Women’s Earth Alliance, a program of Earth Island Institute. In addition to being a committed advocate and passionate leader, Maame is a dynamic singer and recording artist. She just released her second album, called Ekome. Maame holds a Masters Degree in Human Rights, Gender and International Policy Studies from Monterey Institute of International studies.

Matt Rinaldi, MS

Board Member

Matt Rinaldi, MS

Board Member

Matt Rinaldi is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Weiss Asset Management. Matt joined Weiss Asset Management in February 2006; he is the firm’s Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Compliance Committee, Valuation Committee, Expense Committee and Cybersecurity Committee. Prior to joining Weiss Asset Management, Matt held a top-secret clearance and worked on network encryption devices certified by the National Security Agency. He also studied System Design and Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Matt graduated summa cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross with Phi Beta Kappa honors. Matt is a board member of We Care Solar, a non-profit focused on reducing maternal mortality in developing countries.

Ndola Prata MD MSc

Board Member

Ndola Prata MD MSc

Board Member

Ndola Prata, MD, MSc, a public health physician and medical demographer from Angola, is currently the Director & Chair of the Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability. She is a Professor in Residence for Maternal and Child Health and co-directs both Innovations for Youth (I4Y) and the Center of Expertise on Women’s Health, Gender and Empowerment at the University of California, Berkeley. She began her career practicing medicine in Angola for 10 years and served as Head of the Social Statistics Department at the National Institute of Statistics of Angola. Shortly after moving to the US, while beginning her tenure as a researcher and lecturer at UC Berkeley, she served as a Demographer/Analyst for CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health for six years, a role she resumed briefly from 2010 to 2011. Her current research is based in sub-Saharan Africa, she is especially interested in women’s health and empowerment, and maternal mortality. She earned her medical degree from the University of Angola and an MSc in medical demography from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Pam Joyce

Board Member

Pam Joyce

Board Member

Pam has spent her career in non-profit management working with mission-driven organizations addressing critical social challenges. Her recent focus has been on educational access and skills development, especially for women and girls. As Executive Director of the Institute for Business & Social Impact at U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, she oversaw the work of 6 centers and programs, managed international partnerships and launched an online learning platform providing training for global non-profit leaders in developing countries. Previously, Pam was a Development Director at Room to Read, where she helped grow the funding base from $7M to $38M, securing investments for literacy and girls' education programs across 10 countries in Asia and Africa. She spent a decade with the Asia Society in New York and San Francisco, serving as the founding Executive Director of the Northern California Center, creating a forum for increased understanding and dialogue between the U.S. and Asia. Building on early work in humanitarian assistance in the Philippines, she began her career at the Asia Foundation’s Asian-American Exchange, managing leadership development programs. A Bay Area native, Pam received her bachelor's degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and master's degree in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of Michigan.

Priyanka Sharma

Board Member

Priyanka Sharma

Board Member

As Vice President of World Education, Priyanka Sharma oversees the U.S. education and global EdTech portfolio and co-leads Digital US, a national collective cross-sector impact initiative that is designing and implementing a learn and work ecosystem that fosters digital resilience for all. With her leadership at World Education, a Division of JSI, she supports the global organization’s dedication to enriching people’s lives worldwide through education, public health, and social and economic development programming. An expert in innovative project design, Priyanka continues to provide leadership to multiple national initiatives on college and career readiness, financial literacy, technology integration, and digital literacy. Priyanka brings over 18 years of experience in nonprofit leadership in education, and career and college readiness. She advises diverse digital initiatives, including leading employers, non-profits, and organization’s global projects. With a deep commitment to social justice and community involvement, Priyanka Sharma brings an equity-centered perspective to her work. As a first-generation immigrant, Priyanka has a firm belief in the transformative power of education and technology. Priyanka continues to develop and lead innovative projects that advance digital equity and leverage technology to increase the reach and impact of education and workforce programs.

Puon Penn, MBA

Board Member

Puon Penn, MBA

Board Member

Puon Penn is a private investor focusing on sustainability and impact investments especially in Southeast Asia. Puon spent over 20 years at Wells Fargo where he was most recently Executive Vice President and head of Wells Fargo’s venture investing business. Prior to that, he headed up the bank’s Technology Banking Group which provides expertise, financial services, and resources to help innovative companies advance new technologies and business models to solve complex global problems facing humanity, including population growth, climate change and environmental impacts, and the ongoing fight against diseases. In 2009, Puon started Wells Fargo’s Global CleanTech Group to help companies decrease the use of fossil fuels, fertilizers and industrial chemicals. Puon is currently on the advisory board for ImagineH2O, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting innovative water technology. He previously served on the board of Calstart, a non-profit dedicated to clean transportation issues, as well as the Water Council in Milwaukee which promotes water innovation and stewardship. Puon, a refugee from Cambodia, holds a BA from Reed College and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Wadson Muchemwa

Board Member

Wadson Muchemwa

Board Member

Wadson Muchemwa, CEO of ZimEnergy, lived without electricity for the first years of his life. He founded ZimEnergy to bring solar energy to Zimbabwe. Wadson has a strong commitment to ending poverty and community development. His nonprofit organization—ZimEnergy EcoFoundation—promotes renewable energy, community development, and environmental sustainability. Wadson has certificates in supply chain and storage, business management, and business administration. He is responsible for introducing the We Care Solar Suitcase to Zimbabwe in 2013 and working with We Care Solar and the Ministry of Health to help launch Light Every Birth in Zimbabwe.

Advisory Board

John Danner, J.D., M.P.H., M.Ed.
Senior Fellow, Lester Center of Entrepreneurship, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
Kathryn Johnson
Past CEO, Health Forum
Dan Kammen, Ph.D.
Director of Renewable Alternative Energy Laboratory, Professor of Energy and Resources, University of California, Berkeley
David Levine, Ph.D.
Professor of Business, Haas Business School, University of California, Berkeley

Stasia Obremskey, MBA
Management Consultant
Malcolm Potts, MB, BChir, PhD, FRCOG
Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability, University of California, Berkeley
Kandeh Yumkella, Ph.D.
Former Undersecretary-General of the United Nations, U.N. Special Representative to Sustainable Energy for All, Former Chair of UN-Energy, and Director-General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Karina Garbesi, PhD
Professor and Director of Environmental Studies, Co-Director, The Social Impact Solar Project, Co-Chair: Climate Action Plan – Implementation Taskforce (CAP-IT!), Department of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Studies, California State University East Bay