NY '13 Candidates Bios 6.3.13

The 2013 New York Institute for Social Innovation
Design for Social Innovation, School of Visual Arts
New York, NY 10011
June 6 - 10, 2013
Candidate Bios

136 West 21st St, 5th Fl, New York, NY 10011
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
StartingBloc, 349 Fifth Avenue, Suite 402 (4th Floor), New York, NY 10016 | www.startingbloc.org | tw ::
@startingbloc.org
Born and raised in India, Mr. A. Dhar is an Engineer by profession and a budding
Social Entrepreneur. He currently works for a startup in and also runs a non profit
with the goal of empowering the blind in East Africa. He has over 5 years of
experience in working with Social Enterprises with an emphasis on working with the
Visually Impaired. In addition, he also has 5 years of work experience in the tech
industry working at Fortune 500 companies as well as in Startups.
Akshai Prakash is a husband, father, technologist, consultant, budding (social)
entrepreneur, creature of the emergent, sports fan, music lover and wannabe
photographer. Originally from India, Mr. Prakash currently resides in Maryland with
his wife and 2½-year-old daughter. Mr. Prakash received a degree in Computer
Science from Virginia in 2005. Since then, he has been working as a consultant to
the Federal government. Mr. Prakash is currently employed by Deloitte Consulting
supporting projects across several government agencies, including an mHealth
project in Tanzania. Apart from being a dad, and having a full-time day job, Mr.
Prakash is dabbling in the entrepreneurship world as well – A social enterprise
focused on increasing the accessibility to education in the developing world, and
another venture to enable government and citizen engagement to solve local
issues.
Alex Dang was born and raised in Los Angeles, and currently lives in the San
Francisco Bay Area. Alex is a Business Development Officer at Opportunity Fund, a
non-profit microlender that provides financing to underserved microenterprises in
California. He is responsible for developing strategies, partnerships, and loan
products to reach the many healthy small businesses that are simply misunderstood
or undervalued. Alex studied at UCLA, where he was saved from going to law
school during a Global Brigades project in Honduras. Alex was helping a start-up
coffee co-op when he realized that similar microenterprises exist in California, and
they need help too. When he is not thinking about microfinance, Alex serves on
the board of directors of Global Brigades, a non-profit student-led global health
and development organization. And then when he is not doing that, Alex is
probably fishing or eating at a taco truck.
Alex Mazin is a consultant at Quintiles Consulting since April of 2011 and has been
involved in the global commercialization and market access strategy group where
he focuses specifically on personalized medicine, diagnostic platforms and life
science commercialization. Alex also has tremendous entrepreneurial experience
in the online e-commerce space, where his passion for start-ups has led him to his
second e-commerce venture in just three years time. Alex is passionate about
mobile health, life sciences and 3D-printing and where these industries can lead
him through e-commerce. Since 2010, he has been an annual guest judge at the
Leonard Stern Business School Entrepreneurship competition. Alex received his
Bachelors of Science in Business Management from Babson College in May of 2009
with a concentration in strategic management and entrepreneurship.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Alfonso Tinoco is an operations engineer and consultant taking his first steps as a
social entrepreneur. He believes in creating opportunities for Latin America through
social business and education, and is eager to make it happen. He enjoys
traveling, painting, good conversation, and an engaging book.
Andrew Ruigrok attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he
earned a BS in Business Administration and a BA in Environmental Studies. While at
UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, Andrew was selected to participate in the
GLOBE Program. This three-semester program allowed him to study in Copenhagen
and Hong Kong with a talented, diverse cohort. Andrew has a track record of work
with a variety of renewable energy firms. Most recently, Andrew worked with the
North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association through UNC's Developing Energy
Leaders Through Action (DELTA) Program. Prior to StartingBloc, Andrew spent a year
exploring South America so as to realize a long-time dream. Following StartingBloc,
he will work to become involved in impact investing and development finance.
Antoinette Harris currently serves as Grant Administrator for the Michael J. Fox
Foundation and plays a critical role in enabling research projects to move forward
as quickly as possible once funding decisions have been made. After earning her
B.A. from SUNY-Geneseo she joined Trinity Wall Street’s grant program where she
helped manage the domestic portfolio, coordinated and provided ad hoc
translation for the foundation’s Francophone consultation in Burundi.
Arjun Raj, an enthusiastic young engineer from Bangalore, India, graduated from
one of the top 15 engineering colleges in the country. He currently works with a
public sector company, BHEL - a power equipment manufacturing major in the
country. Apart from his work he is a motivational speaker and a public speaking
and leadership mentor to many people. He believes in creating an impact with
whatever he does. He was selected as a Yatri (Participant) for Jagriti Yatra 2012, an
entrepreneurship awareness journey exposing the participants to individuals and
institutions that are developing unique solutions to India's challenges. This was on a
train journey spanning 5000 miles across India for 15 days. His interests include
travelling, trekking, photography, reading and dancing.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Arpit Gupta works as Senior Consultant at a Boston-based health care consulting
firm and specializes in building custom software solutions, which leaves a lasting
impact. His completed projects have been featured in Boston Globe and health
care conferences. Arpit is also the Program Director at Global Medical Knowledge,
an all-volunteer non-profit organization focusing on improving the standards of
medical education, where he manages technology and marketing teams. In his
spare time, he enjoys reading new trends on social media marketing and promotes
social causes. Most recently, he ran the Twitter campaign for Generosity Day, a
unique idea to promote generosities on Valentine’s Day, and was able to reach
thousands of people from his tweets.
Ashis Himali is from Nepal land of Himalayas. As Founder/ Executive Director in
Dakshata, he works for economic empowerment and job creations. His ideas have
also been honored by the World Bank as the top eight finalists and 2nd runner up
for the World Bank Essay competition in 2008 and 2010 respectively. He was also
honored by Goipeace Foundation, Japan for his essay on youth entrepreneurship
in 2008. He is also the runner up of World Youth Summit Award 2010 for the category
‘Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger’. He is also a fellow of International
Research and Exchange funded by the US Department of State in the thematic
area of Conflict Resolutions in 2010. He did his BBA from Pokhara University and is
ongoing MA economics from Tribhuvan University. He believes those who dream
the most do the most. He also wants to work for improving quality of rural primary
education in Nepal coordinating with local community stakeholders. He likes
rafting, trekking and bungee.
Brad Vanderford is an aspiring social entrepreneur who is passionate about
international market-based development and entrepreneurship. He is currently
helping SMEs grow and improve operations through marketing and strategy
consulting. Prior to his work as an SME consultant, Brad was a founding fellow with
One Degree, an Echoing Green social enterprise startup. Before that he served as
a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay where he advised a regional financial
services cooperative, established several entrepreneurship education and
accelerator programs, and directed youth leadership and civic education
initiatives. He serves on the board of OneWorld Classrooms, a cross-cultural arts
education nonprofit. He is fluent in Spanish and speaks basic Guaraní. Brad is a
summa cum laude graduate in International Business, Marketing, and
Entrepreneurial Management of the University of South Carolina. He feels most alive
on international adventures and is an avid consumer of #socent, documentaries,
and TedTalks.
Born and raised in NYC, Brunnell Velazquez graduated from Amherst College in
2011 with a degree in English. He was afforded many opportunities due to his
enrollment in the TEAK Fellowship, a 5-year program that helps academically-
talented, low-income NYC students get into top high schools and colleges. As result
of his experience, Brunnell aspires to promote educational opportunities for youth
of socioeconomically disadvantaged communities by utilizing the tools of social
innovation and entrepreneurship. Brunnell is also a member of the NYC church
plant of King Jesus International Ministry, a ministry known to be for its exponential
growth and its powerful manifestations of the supernatural power of God. He
currently serves in the praise and worship team as the alto saxophone player. He
also plans to take the training he receives from StartingBloc to aid in the church
plant’s expansion, which is destined to draw multitudes from the tri-state area.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Bryant Yee is an environmental designer at the global interdisciplinary design firm
RTKL. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he currently resides in Washington,
DC. Bryant has always been committed to developing innovative, human-
centered solutions to real-world challenges. Current projects include designing a
floating greenhouse that cleans polluted rivers and designing toilets for use in
Kenya possible of generating energy. Additionally, Bryant’s work in packaging,
print, identity, and information visualization has proudly been published online and
in print, as well as awarded him numerous accolades. When he’s not designing,
Bryant can be found volunteering in the community or further developing his
strategic mindset and effective communication via clan leadership in Halo 4.
Cecily Mauran is a native Rhode Islander who re-located to Los Angeles after
graduating from Bates College in 2011. The summer after college, she co-produced
a documentary chronicling her friend, Sam Fox, who traversed the West Coast in
order to raise money for Parkinson's Disease. This journey left her with an unwavering
curiosity for adventure and a newfound direction towards social entrepreneurship.
After the filmed wrapped, Cecily remained in LA, and now works for a startup that
supports various causes through affiliate revenue and CPC earnings. Since working
for the company, she has become fascinated by the merging concepts of profit
and purpose. While she is rapidly learning the ins and outs of the startup world,
Cecily's background is in Art History and creative writing. In her spare time, she
contributes to her friends’ blogs and tries to get outdoors as much as possible.
Chelsea Brownridge specializes in organization culture development, focusing on
building innovative, creative and collaborative cultures for organizations in the
social impact space www.designforgrowth.org. She is the co-founder and COO at
Ignite Good, a nonprofit startup created to support millennial social entrepreneurs.
Prior to consulting, Chelsea worked at Ashoka - Innovators for the Public, a
nonprofit building the global citizen sector through a fellowship of social
entrepreneurs. As the operations and culture manager for Ashoka Changemakers'
program, she focused on organizational culture development, talent recruitment,
financial management and securing new business leads. Chelsea graduated from
UNC with a B.A. in economics and is attending NYU's Wagner Graduate School of
Public Service in pursuit of a Masters of public administration specializing in
management and organization development.
Chirag Swamy currently works as an independent Digital Marketing Consultant.
With a strong four-year technology foundation at Accenture, he moved to a small
digital marketing firm in August 2011. An interest in the area of branding and digital
marketing as well as a curiosity to work with small-medium enterprises inspired this
shift. Since then, he has consulted for a variety of start-ups and SMBs across industry
sectors as well as for global non-profits such as Ashoka with digital strategies. With
a set of diverse skills from technology to branding to marketing and advertising,
Chirag hopes to bring all these together on a digital social innovation he is
independently working on. Apart from using StartingBloc as a collaborative
platform for his own innovation, he also hopes to add to the StartingBloc network
with his digital marketing skills that could assist fellows to maximize the reach and
impact of their social innovations.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Chris Busker graduated from Loras College in 2012 with a double major in
Marketing and Psychology. After earning honors in Phi Beta Lamda’s national
retail management competition in 2012, Chris decided to attend school at
Western Illinois University and pursue a nonprofit administration focus in the
Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration graduate program. He currently is in
the processes of starting a nonprofit organization, 4 Peace, to empower youth
through the interaction with nature and art. By utilizing a music venue, he
connects youth to the healthy food and natural experiences with visual and
performance art forms. Please visit 4peace.me for more information.
Dane Wetschler currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand where he works for APM Group
– Thailand’s leading people and organizational development consulting firms. He is
the founder of NewGen, a business that aims to develop 21st century skills in young
generations of learners by transforming cultures of learning, engaging parents,
teachers, and students. Totally unrelated, he is also running Duck & Noodle, an
event-organizing and graphic design collective-thing in Bangkok. After graduating
from Brown University, Dane moved to Thailand as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in 2008
to teach English at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai. He worked in Bangkok
and has run the vocational gamut as an editor and photographer of an Asian
coffee magazine, journalist, Thai language interpreter, food critic, and student in
political science. Aside from issues in education and good music, he is interested in
social design, urban livability, and the increasing connectedness of everything.
David Friedkin (born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area) currently lives in
New York City and works as the Strategic Coordinator at the Nonprofit Finance
Fund, a national nonprofit and financial intermediary that unlocks the potential of
mission-driven organizations through tailored investment, strategic advice, and
transformational ideas. Previously, David worked as a consultant for World Learning,
an international development organization; as an analyst for a real estate
investment firm; and received the World Partners Fellowship from the American
Jewish World Service to spend a year in Mumbai, India working for Sankalp
Rehabilitation Trust, a grassroots NGO implementing a harm reduction strategy
within the HIV+ street-based drug using population. David graduated with a BSBA in
Finance and Arabic from Washington University in St. Louis and studied abroad in
Mexico and Morocco. Above all, David loves to cook, eat, and travel.
David Roebuck is an aspiring social entrepreneur, health advocate, and an
outdoor enthusiast. He cofounded Advocates for World Health, Inc. a 501(c)3
nonprofit and a Kairos 50 company that collects surplus medical supplies and
equipment and redistributes it to agencies working abroad. David completed a
dual degree from the University of Florida in 2011 receiving a B.S. in biology and a
B.A. in anthropology. In March 2012 he lead a health brigade to Guatemala where
his team of 20 treated over 1000 patients. In his free time, David loves to travel, trail
run, and go sailing.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Deborah McCoy is an Account Manager at Collective where she landed after
having lots of fun at start-ups within digital media. A native of Philadelphia,
Deborah graduated from Villanova University with a B.S. in Marketing and minor in
Real Estate. She has spent her early post-graduate years in attempt to connect the
dots between her handful of passions and staunchly believes, “One day, it will all
make sense!” Deborah is an active member of several social and civic
organizations, one in its infancy, which she hopes to be one of her successful
attempts at scaling an organization. Currently, she resides in New York City where
she can often be found meditating cross-legged, on an elliptical, contemplating a
move from Queens to Manhattan or testing hypotheses for the Dana Project.
Esteban Castellanos is an accomplished Air Force Officer with broad leadership
experience in operations, personnel, and project management. He is an 8-year
seasoned leader with a track record of success in planning, leading, and executing
military operations. Esteban is also a skilled flight instructor, team-building mentor,
and critical-thinking problem solver excelling in dynamic, fast-paced, collaborative
environments, to include "no-fail" combat air missions. Consistently selected for
high-profile assignments, such as Operation Willing Spirit, Op. Iraqi Freedom, Op.
New Dawn, Op. Enduring Freedom, Op. Unified Response in Haiti, and most recent
role with the Air Force Reserves leading flights in support of Air Force One, directing
crews of 5-6 staff.
Eve Espindola was born and raised in a small village in southern Brazil until she
came to the US in 2004. Daughter of poor, near illiterate parents, she had to learn
how to balance work and school at an early age, but is happy to never have to
jeopardize her education to support her family financially. She graduated in 2009
with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, has work experience in international
trade, logistics and business development in the private sector, not-for-profit
organizations and government agencies. Currently she works as program
coordinator for professional development programs at the College of Business
Administration at California State University, Long Beach in California. She has been
married to Edward Nguyen (son of Vietnamese refugees) for three years and lives in
Orange, CA with their two dogs. Her goal is to become involved once again in
international development, empowering women to have access to education and
micro-financing.
Felix Gil implements asset allocation strategies, researches investment
opportunities, and monitors investment performance for WE Family Offices. As a
Financial Associate, Mr. Gil conducts investment reviews, researches investment
strategies and advises UHNW domestic and international families. Prior to working at
WE, Mr. Gil was an Investment Assistant in JPMorgan Chase. Mr. Gil graduates cum
laude from Florida International University with a Master of Science in Finance, with
a focus on Investment Analytics, and a B.B.A. in Finance and International Business
with a Minor in Economics from FIU. Mr. Gil is an avid runner and has completed
several distance races, including the New York, Miami and Philadelphia marathons.
Mr. Gil is fluent in English and Spanish, conversational in Portuguese and speaks
basic Russian. He is a personal investor in microloans through Mircoplace.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Fermín Liu Ku is a member of Dartmouth’s class of 2015, and a Government and
Women and Gender Studies double major. He was born in Spain to Taiwanese
diplomats and has lived in Honduras, Paraguay, Taiwan, and the United States. On
campus, Fermín is an undergraduate advisor, a certified mentor against violence,
and a trained eating disorder peer advisor. He also serves as a DREAM mentor for
children of the Upper Valley region and an international student for Dartmouth’s
international class of 2016. Fermin is passionate about human rights and civil rights
movements and aspires to be a civil rights prosecutor to promote rights of minority
groups in the nation. He has interned with VOICE 4 Girls, a women-empowerment
NGO in India, and the Annie Kuster Congressional Campaign, and has served as a
Center for Women and Gender fellow in Cambridge, MA.
Gary Davis is currently the Associate of Alumni Giving with Teach For America. He
has experience in the college access sector with tenures at GEAR UP, College
Summit and iMentor. He is a co-founder of the University of Michigan Black Alumni
Network NYC and co-led an ACT prep and mentoring organization as an
undergraduate. His hobbies include journaling, cooking and learning, for to him, life
is the ultimate classroom.
Hannah Shirey currently works at The New York City Charter School, coordinating a
variety of programs that directly serve the transformation of New York City’s public
school system. Before her work in the public education sector, Hannah spent a year
creating space for experiential, multi-faith education in New York City as a Faiths
Act Fellow of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. As a fellow, Hannah worked to
mobilize over 2,000 individuals from a diverse set of New York City communities to
take inspired and quantifiable action on local and global social justice issues.
Working specifically within the Sikh community, Hannah witnessed the power of
collaborative models of social change. Hannah currently serves as an associate
advisor to the International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD).
She graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University in 2011 with a B.A. in
Anthropology and Middle East and Islamic Civilization Studies.
Hsiu Sho Chang was owner and general manager of a 100-room Days Inn in White
Mountain, NH from 2005-2011. He got his MBA from Plymouth State University in
2011. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2002, then joined Teach for
America. He stopped within one year and went back to NH to join his parents'
business. Since then he stayed in the for-profit sector. His parents immigrated to the
US in 1992. They could not find employment so they invested in downtown
apartments. They were low-income immigrants renting out to low-income
residents. Hsiu started seeing a vicious cycle with his 90 tenants: single mothers with
kids, struggling to pay rent, eventually had to be evicted. He knew some of the
mothers from 1992, and now their grown children are repeating the pattern. He
wants to help break this cycle.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Ian Tyson currently manages the volunteer program at Rising Tide Capital, a non-
profit organization based in Jersey City dedicated to rebuilding communities
through entrepreneurship. In his role as the Volunteer Coordinator, he leverages
corporate partnerships to connect skilled volunteers with low-income
entrepreneurs. Prior to Rising Tide Capital, he attended Rowan University, where he
majored in History with a concentration in East Asian studies. During his junior year,
he spent six months in China, where he studied Chinese and taught English. For his
senior thesis project, he researched grassroots organizations that resisted urban re-
development in the Philadelphia Chinatown during the 1970’s. In the fall, he will
join the Master’s of Public Administration program at the University of Pennsylvania.
After work hours, he runs to train for a half marathon. Feel free to reach out to him
with recipe tips, good book recommendations, or the occasional witty phrase.
Jagpal Johl, a California native, was raised in Yuba City, CA where he is a 4th
generation farmer. Jagpal is currently an undergraduate student at the University of
San Francisco. Johl is the founder of Paperless CC, a program that encouraged
and advocated universities across the nation to move towards paperless
classrooms. Along with this Jagpal is an Outreach Officer for The School Fund, a
nonprofit organization that connects funders throughout the world with students
throughout the developing world who are in need of funding for their education.
Johl is a three-time Clinton Global Initiative University delegate as well as a One
Young World candidate. Jagpal is eager to be apart of the StartingBloc Fellowship.
Jessica Shu is a human capital management professional with a strong interest in
the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse talent in the U.S. and the
global emerging markets. A recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a major in
Urban Studies, Jessica has worked in talent management in various capacities,
most recently as a Human Resources Graduate Trainee in Diversity & Inclusion at
UBS and as a Special Events/Research Intern at Catalyst Europe AG, both of which
she worked across sectors on developing strategies to expand opportunities for
women and minorities in business. She hopes to carry her StartingBloc education
and experience over to her family business and transform it into a social enterprise
with the mission of providing opportunities for women in immigrant populations in
the U.S. and the emerging economies. Currently living and working in New York,
NY, Jessica was raised in both Los Angeles, CA and São Paulo, Brazil. She has also
lived and worked in China, Taiwan, and Switzerland.
Joelle Gamble is the Deputy Field Director for the Roosevelt Institute | Campus
Network, an organization dedicated to engaging young people in the policy
writing and implementation process. She has also served as a civil society delegate
to the 51st session to the United Nations Commission on Social Development. Prior
to graduating from undergrad, as a student organizer in the University of California
Student Association, she worked on numerous political campaigns related to tax
reform and lobbied extensively. While a student, Joelle worked with the consular
community in Los Angeles for two years at the U.S. Department of State. She also
served as the a French language research assistant with the UCLA Department of
Economics, working on the history and development of North African trade routes.
She graduated from UCLA in 2012 Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in International
Development Studies.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Juan Taveras is a true New Yorker from Washington Heights. His parents migrated to
“The Heights” when he was three years old. Juan attained his education from the
wonderful NYC public school system; which prepared him to attend and ultimately
graduate from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Hospitality and Business
Administration and a minor in Finance. After graduation, Juan gained extensive
management and leadership experience from the hospitality field where he was
given the opportunity to work in the hotel, restaurant and retail industries. Most
recently, Juan combined his passion for service and management and joined the
education reform nonprofit Citizen Schools. He is currently serving as the Senior
Recruitment Manager for the Talent Team where he oversees the sourcing
strategies for the National Teaching Fellowship. Juan currently resides in Washington
Heights with his wife, Lauren. They can be found exploring the cities many
restaurants, salsa dancing, or going to the movies.
Justin Schafer grew up in rural Northern California, where he spent much of his
childhood raising dairy goats and tinkering with old Volkswagens. Oddly enough,
these pursuits created an interest in all things international in him, and when it
came time to go to college, he picked International Studies as his major and
focused on the former Soviet Union. He studied abroad in Russia and moved to
Germany after graduation to complete a fellowship in public policy. In the public
sector, Justin found himself unengaged and disinterested, so he began to search
for something new to catch his attention. It was then he discovered renewable
energy. He currently works for a renewable energy services company in
Washington, DC and is pursuing a Master’s in European Studies with a focus on
International Business at Georgetown University.
Karen Huang graduated in 2012 from Yale University in the Ethics, Politics &
Economics major, and currently works as a Research Associate at Harvard Business
School in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets unit. Drawing from research in
behavioral economics and positive psychology on happiness, values, and emotion
regulation, she supports teaching and research on how managers empathize with
and motivate others to engage in cooperative and value-creating behavior.
Karen’s background in working across multiple disciplines and sectors, bridging
academic research with design and implementation, has helped her develop an
interest in developing the organizational and market systems for entrepreneurship
and purpose-driven work. Over the long term, she wants to effect the moral
leadership and organizational capacities in support of an economy that promotes
sustainability and human well-being. She has lived in England, Holland, and
Germany, and currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Kathleen Adams is the co-founder of Momma’s Hip Hop Kitchen: The Soup Kitchen
for the Hip Hop Soul (MHHK), a multifaceted hip hop event designed to showcase
women artists, especially women of color. MHHK serves as a social justice
community-organizing platform that educates and empowers women of color on
issues that impact their lives, including HIV/AIDS and reproductive justice. Kathleen
double majored in women’s studies and urban studies with a concentration in
architecture and a minor in environmental policy from Fordham University. In May
2012, Kathleen graduated with her Master’s in Urban Studies from Fordham
University. Kathleen is very interested in the world of business, and intends to begin
business school in Fall 2014. Professionally, Kathleen wears many hats. She is a
consultant at Virtcom Consulting, a diversity and business strategy boutique-
consulting firm and also is the Marketing & Partnership Manager at Fusicology.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Kayla Matheus seeks to inspire and guide young innovators across the country as a
Design for America Fellow. A graduate from Yale University in both art and
mechanical engineering, she is passionate about the merger of the creative and
technical, the abstract and concrete, the emotional and logical. She is no stranger
to such dichotomies – growing up half-Puerto Rican taught her the value of
understanding multiple points of view. Ultimately, she believes that design has the
potential to touch lives in direct and meaningful ways and is excited to do so
through her work at DFA and beyond as a practicing designer.
Throughout his life Konrad Kutter has been very blessed to be able to travel all over
the world because of his parents’ work. Now that he is much older and has
matured a bit, he is starting to have larger dreams and plans for his future. He
currently studies Civil Engineering and German Studies at the University of Kentucky.
He has been very involved on campus, but also in bringing new opportunities to
Engineering students on campus. In the last year Konrad has been working quite a
bit with The GREEN Program. About one year ago he was fortunate enough to be
able to attend the renewable energy program in Costa Rica through The GREEN
Program. Every since my first journey to Costa Rica, his life has changed a lot. He’s
currently working with his University to work on a relationship between The GREEN
Program and UK so that more students will be able to have the opportunity of
experiencing Renewable Energy in Costa Rica. In the future he sees himself owning
his own business that would be focused on constructing net zero and carbon
neutral infrastructure.
Lauren Graham graduated last month from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental
Studies with her masters in environmental management. She focused on water
policy and international environmental governance, and was the co-director of
the Environmental Film Festival at Yale. Lauren spent last summer working with the
Kenya Red Cross Society piloting a climate change and malaria game
called Humans vs. Mosquitoes. The goal is for community health workers to use the
game to build their capacity for malaria education nationwide. Before Yale,
Lauren worked as a project manager for a green building startup. She served on
the Emerging Professionals National Board of the U.S. Green Building Council,
developing strategies to incorporate young people in the green building
movement. At Riverkeeper, she studied the potential impacts of hydraulic
fracturing on the NYC watershed.
Lindsay Young received her B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Spelman
College and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, she
worked as an associate in the Financial Services & Products Group at Alston & Bird,
LLP, in Washington, D.C. She concentrated her practice on banking law and
regulatory matters for large financial institutions. After practicing corporate law for
three years, Ms. Young chose to focus on a career in social justice. Ms.Young
began this transition by volunteering at the Scalabrini Center, a refugee and
asylum organization in Cape Town, South Africa. Ms. Young is now the Deputy
Director of Womanifesting, a non-profit empowering women and girls particularly
from traditionally marginalized communities. She is also the Women’s
Empowerment Coordinator for the Literacy Empowerment Action Project in Ghana.
For Ms. Young, the key to making lasting social change is to develop bold,
innovative strategies that engage in creative collaborations.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Mandeep Jangi looks forward to opportunities to challenge himself, learn and
grow, aspiring to maximize his potential and impact. Fascinated with the power
that diversity and inclusion has in the lives of people, Mandeep’s interests have
largely focused on community building and support for those who fit outside of the
mainstream. Having worked for one of the largest financial services organizations in
North America and seeing the impact that working professionals can have when
directed appropriately, Mandeep looks to further harness the power of corporate
citizenship to make long-term, meaningful impact in the global community, and
looks forward to learning how to spark innovation for sustained change. Originally
from New Jersey, Mandeep lives in Center City, Philadelphia. He enjoys making
new friends, any sort of movie or television show with zombies, indulging in his guilty
pleasure of reality television and tells awesome jokes (unfortunately, awesome is
open to interpretation).
Mario Varon is a mechanical engineer by training, designer by choice and a social
innovator by passion. Mario is co-founder of a social enterprise in India that is
reducing water borne disease by processing cesspit waste into compost and fuel
rather than disposing it unprocessed into rivers and fields. For 4 years, as Director of
Operations of Ahmsa, he combined his engineering background and his deep
compassion for underprivileged communities to develop inclusive, bottom-of-the-
pyramid focused enterprises in the slums of Bogota, Colombia. In 2011 as a Design
Impact Fellow, Mario worked in close collaboration with farmers in India
redesigning low-cost bicycle-based agricultural innovations. Working alongside the
poor has opened him up to their needs and aspirations and he is deeply motivated
to develop real and sustainable solutions in response.
Marvin Mathew is an occasional guess blogger and value creation nerd. He is an
aspiring social entrepreneur, activist and a former student body president. Marvin is
a philanthropist focused on a macro view of solutions and many micro ideas to
reach them. He integrated solutions through public and private partnerships and
loves transparency + metrics. With interest in education, tech, health, and
development he’s redefined leadership community based approaches. Among
other initiatives, Marvin launched BridgeSport in 2012 while studying abroad in
Rome. BridgeSport is a sports diplomacy network connecting young Americans
studying abroad to their local communities to foster dialogue and break barriers
through sports. Find more at marvinmathew.com
Matt Ronen, an Israel Defense Forces veteran, is both businessman & social
entrepreneur; by day he helps manage iconic brands for a multinational consumer
products company and by night he moonlights as the aspiring founder of a
national service movement. Matt received his MBA from Cornell University, where
he was President of the Jewish Business Association and Vice President of the
Veterans Club, and BA from Colorado College, where he was President of the
Student Government and Campus Marketing Manager for Teach For America. He
is from Cleveland, Ohio.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Meha Pandey is a healthcare consultant at Accenture, with 3 years of experience
in the hospital and pharmaceutical industries. Her project work includes leading the
EMR (electronic medical record) deployment of a specialty clinic as well as
developing a leadership program for a large non-profit organization. Meha's
interests include working on global health in the developing world. Prior to joining
Accenture, Meha had internships in India and Honduras, working in health
management for an NGO and volunteering as an engineer at an urban hospital.
Meha has a degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan,
where she led the Society of Women Engineers as Section President. She is fluent in
Spanish and Hindi. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, dancing, and watching
Bollywood movies.
Michael Lai is a Southern California native and a junior at Harvard College studying
government. Michael is passionate about public sector entrepreneurship--he was
part of the founding team for Townhall140, a civic engagement/government 2.0
startup, and worked this summer as the 1st employee for early stage edtech startup
TurnRight. Active in growing the entrepreneurship community at Harvard, he serves
as a representative to the University-wide Harvard Innovation Lab Student I-Council.
After teaching and tutoring in underserved Boston middle schools for the past few
years, he now runs the Harvard CIVICS volunteer program, which sends Harvard
undergrads into Boston middle schools to teach American government and civic
activism. In his free time, Michael plays golf for Harvard's Varsity Men's Golf Team
and occasionally starts flashmobs. One day, Michael aims to get up at 4:30 AM
every morning to surf before starting the day.
Michael Weston-Murphy is a fan of Thoreau's mantra of putting foundations under
castles in the air. He is the Spring 2013 New York City Organizer for the
Green Breakfast Club, a monthly NYC sustainability meetup. When Michael is not
enjoying coffee, discussing or tweeting (from @sustainterra) about sustainability,
cities, social enterprise, or cruising around the city on his bicycle, he is part of a
team working to restore St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown Manhattan. His
experience and interests have led him around the world to destinations such as
Kuwait, Morocco and Spain. While studying International Relations and the Middle
East at Boston College he co-founded and ran an undergraduate-led academic
journal on the Middle East and Islam. One day he hopes to lead a university. In his
spare time you will typically find him reading a good book, hiking in the
Connecticut forests or kayaking in Long Island Sound.
Minh Nguyen attended Davidson College and majored in anthropology,
developing a passion for social justice and impact work. After graduating, he
became a City Hall Fellow in Houston. Thereafter, he joined the Mayor’s Office at
the City of Atlanta to continue work to transform government culture to be more
accountable, transparent and innovative. In 2012, New American City magazine
selected him to their 40-person Next American Vanguard, recognizing him as an
emerging urban leader. He also served on the host committee for the White House
Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders-sponsored regional action
summit. He is currently a 2013 fellow at the New Leaders Council Institute, a
member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and volunteer with Junior Achievement at
KIPP-South Fulton. In his leisure time, Minh enjoys cooking, dancing, and reading.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Nohely Arteaga works as a Financial Data Associate at Moody’s Corporation.
Additionally, she serves on its Multicultural Employee Resource Group’s Steering
Committee where she coordinates professional development events for Moody’s
employees. Prior to joining Moody’s in 2011, Nohely earned a Bachelors of Science
in Business Management from Babson College. She was awarded a full-tuition
leadership scholarship to Babson through the Posse Foundation, where she now
volunteers as a Writing Coach. As a Junior Board Member of the newly founded
Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn, Nohely focuses on student learning in
both academic and co-curricular subjects, and developing community
partnerships with organizations that offer performing arts, athletics, civic
engagement, and other activities.
Noorjahan Rahman is a social activist, photographer, and dancer. From 2010-2011,
she lived in Beirut, Lebanon as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar where she worked
with migrant workers from around the world including Ethiopia, Sudan, and
Bangladesh to help build education programs, run local fundraisers, and an anti-
racism campaign. While attending the Ohio State University, Noor cofounded the
South Asian Student Association (SASA) and served as Vice President for the 2008-
2009 academic year. For her contributions, she earned the Asian Student Services
Award from the Ohio State University Multicultural Center. Noor taught as a Teach
for America corps member in an underserved community in northeast DC where
her third grade students scored above average on District-wide benchmark exams.
She currently conducts primary research at Advisory Board Company and
composes strategic reports for executives in the higher education industry. For
more information, visit Noor’s personal webpage at www.noorjahanrahman.com
Omotola Akinsola is a Master Candidate at the George Warren Brown School of
Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis; she earned a Bachelor's degree in
Social Work with a double minor in Leadership Studies and Psychology from
Columbia College. She serves on the Advisory Board for The F.A.I.T.H Initiative, a
youth-led nonprofit organization in Nigeria and as an ambassador for Young
Woman's Guide, an organization dedicated to the growth, mentoring, and
education of young girls. In 2012, she was named as a recipient of Who's Who
Among American Colleges & Universities Students. She was awarded the 2012
Outstanding Social Work Student of the Year & was inducted into the Circle of
Influence for Student Leaders by the Leadership Institute at Columbia College. She
served as a Congressional Fellow on Capitol Hill in the office of Sen. Boozman. She is
the graduate fellow for Campus Diversity Collaborative at Washington University in
St. Louis, she serves on the Student Coordinating Council for George Warren Brown
School of Social Work as the community service liaison, and she is one of the co-
chairs for African Students of Social Work Association (ASSWA).
Patkie Wong holds a BA in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of
California, Irvine and an MSc in Crime Science from University College London. She
is currently a Forensic Accountant in the Los Angeles area and enjoys being
involved in extracurricular activities, such as being a past participant in the CalCPA
Emerging Leaders program. In her spare time she loves discovering new tea/
coffee shops, practicing yoga, catching up with friends, and travelling, with her
most memorable journey to date being a road trip through South Africa.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Ravi Darda works as Project Services Engineer with Shell in Calgary. He is responsible
for providing scheduling, cost control and risk analysis expertise to execute
complex energy projects. Prior to his current assignment in Canada, he worked with
Shell in India and Netherlands where he completed a variety of assignments
ranging from developing plans for major capital projects to business analysis for
developing technical applications. Apart from Energy, Ravi is passionate about
making education accessible. He conceptualized Dream Connect, a program that
aims to empower the underprivileged youth with basic life skills. He worked with
education service providers to develop the content and raised funds to setup a
learning center, which now benefits more than 100 people every year. In 2010, he
participated in Tata Jagriti Yatra, where he traveled 9000 kilometers in train for 18
days across India. During the journey he learned and unlearned a lot about the
real middle rural India. Ravi holds Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering
from IIT Madras. He is also an Earthwatch Fellow.
Regina Smedinghoff has lived and worked all over the word, from Santiago, Chile,
to Bangkok, Thailand to Accra, Ghana. Her experience in these countries has not
been purely as a tourist, but as a student, intern, worker, and researcher. As a
global citizen, Regina has worked on a range of issues from human trafficking to
post-conflict economic development and corporate social responsibility. She
hopes to use her experiences and knowledge of global issues to work with others to
solve them. She has found that innovation, especially social entrepreneurship, is an
extremely important and successful way to chip away at societal ills. Regina is
excited to connect with a community of other passionate individuals who can and
will make incredible changes in our communities, countries, and the world. Regina
is a marathon runner, country music lover, and bleeding-heart Chicago Cubs fan.
Reynolds Taylor is a 22 year-old senior at the University of Oklahoma, and planning
to graduate in May 2013! She grew up in Dallas, Texas where the majority of her
family still lives. Her parents raised her two sisters and her to be passionate, and she
plans to carry this into each part of her life. She is determined to be significant in her
life and the lives of others. Whether through for-profit social endeavors, non-profits,
or film-making (anything!), she wants to give her energy to the continuous process
of global change.
Five years ago Richard McKinney began to realize the tremendous importance of
sustainability as a global socio-economic system and individual philosophy. Starting
with local community development initiatives, later in the international
development field, and most recently as a management consultant, the value and
urgency of adopting sustainable practices is Richard’s driving focus. In his free time
Richard has raced 6 marathons & Olympic-distance triathlons in 3 years and won a
rugby national championship; Richard is an avid follower of innovative water and
energy-related technology; a bungee jumping and skydiving enthusiast; he enjoys
poetry by Khalil Gibran and The Book of Flying by Keith Miller, which are among his
favorite reads; he speaks Arabic fluently after 27 months in a Jordanian orphanage.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Ronald Johnson grew up with having a committed dad who had a positive
influence by giving back to the South Central Los Angeles community, where he
grew up. Servitude was instilled in him as early as he can remember; his parents
worked as missionaries in impoverished communities throughout LA. He recalls
providing food boxes in the Imperial Courts housing projects of Watts to the
disadvantaged alongside his father. After seven years of community outreach, his
father eventually had to close down his ministry due to lack of monetary support. In
spite of the limitless hours his parents dedicated to their ministry, they still managed
to place a heavy emphasis on education at home. Having a sister already
attending Biola, he decided to also attend Biola. In addition to receiving a B. S. in
Business Management/Marketing with a Theology minor, there was much he
learned about himself. In May ‘08, he became the first person in his family to
receive a college degree.
Saba Dilawari is a recent graduate from American University's School of
International Service. A graduate of International Development and Global Health,
she hopes to gain experience in the field before getting her Masters in Public
Health. Saba has had experience in development/fundraising and research with
local non-profits in her hometown of Memphis, TN, as well as the Aspen Institute's
Global Health and Development in Washington, DC. While in her final year of
undergrad, she worked tirelessly to implement and direct the AU Village Savings
and Investment Institute--a microfinance-based institute dedicated to alleviating
poverty and gender-based discrimination in Washington, DC. While the project
never met success, Saba hopes to use her fellowship at StartingBloc to gain the skills
necessary to start the project again. She is excited for meeting other hardworking,
like-minded individuals at the NY Institute 2013!
Her real name is Samonwan Muangkeo, but everybody calls her Fon. Fon has a
passion for art and is dedicated to developing the arts industry in Thailand.
Currently she works for a non-profit called Cre8 Foundation, which provides
resources and a platform to run unique collaborative arts projects and workshops
with children, transcending borders - geographic and otherwise. In addition to
many experiences as a volunteer arts educator, she is the founder and director of
BKK ARTHOUSE, a non-commercial contemporary art gallery in Bangkok. In the past
few years she has organized over 40 exhibitions and events at her gallery and has
conducted research for the Thai Ministry of Art and Culture about how to develop
the contemporary art market in Thailand. She is interested in learning how to create
economic opportunities for emerging contemporary artists without resorting to
producing stereotypical and commercial Southeast Asian art.
Santhosh Velaga is currently a senior at Tulane University. He studies biochemistry
(Honors) and also conducts research in a cutting edge synthetic chemistry lab.
Santhosh holds leadership positions within many prominent organizations on
campus. He serves as a senator in the Undergraduate Student Government and
the Science and Engineering Student Government. He is also the founder and
president of the American Chemical Society Tulane Chapter, which is dedicated to
connecting undergraduates, graduate students, and high school students
interested in chemistry. The organization gets young people in the New Orleans
area interested in science via engaging hands-on demonstrations. After
graduating from college, Santhosh hopes to study medicine and eventually build a
private practice cardiology clinic.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Shira Beery is the Development Officer at Trickle Up, a nonprofit that helps women
in Central America, India and West Africa build businesses as a pathway out of
extreme poverty. In this position, she manages special events, fundraising appeals
and campaigns for the organization. Previously, Shira worked with numerous
nonprofits focused on social justice and conflict resolution in Israel and Palestine at
the New Israel Fund, a charitable foundation in New York, and at BenOr Consulting,
a strategic communications consulting firm in Tel Aviv. She holds a B.A. in
International Relations with a minor in Middle Eastern Languages, Literature and
Cultures from Stanford University and is the Chair of the Marketing and Outreach
Committee for the Stanford Women’s Network- New York. Shira is a New York City
native and a Hapkido instructor in her spare time.
Sid Radhakrishna is an Associate with PwC Boston’s audit practice, and is currently
pursuing his CPA license. He graduated from UMass Amherst with a BBA in
Accounting in May 2012. His passion for socially responsible enterprise was sparked
by reading How to Change the World, which inspired him to pursue a life path that
merges money and meaning. During his last year at school, Sid led workshops for
community-based organization staff in Holyoke, MA, and competed in case
competitions centered on sustainable business and socially responsible investment.
Sid’s other campus experiences center on the empowerment of others, whether
through consulting for a student-run cooperative, founding a student advisory
board, or tutoring writing. Sid comes to StartingBloc looking to connect with like-
minded individuals who strive to make a similar dent in the universe. He is a
dedicated runner, a lifelong learner, and someone always on the lookout for a
deep conversation.
Sophie Cooper holds an MA in Oral History from Columbia University, where she
focused on community histories and collective memory. She has previously worked
in politics and in the non-profit sector. She is interested in documentary film as a
medium for narrative and story telling. In addition to her MA, she holds a BA in
History from Yale University.
Stefanie Cohen was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. She was part of the
young national soccer league and was captain of her club's soccer team for three
years. She moved to the US and is currently enrolled at the University of Miami,
Florida. She is very interested in health and nutrition, and committed to help young
generations understand how a good nutrition will impact their overall health. A 2-
month volunteering experience in an orphanage in Nepal made her aware of how
much she can contribute in improving the lifestyle of others. She is the Chair of
Community for Vitality U, a student driven organization that promotes health and
well being through good eating habits. She hopes to be able to expand the
program through the support of food companies and government agencies, and
also focus on the problem of food deserts. As the famous Latin quotation goes: " A
sound mind in a healthy body", she wants to be part of the leading group that
supports and empowers children to become better adults.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Stephanie Austin - A Nebraskan and a Brit walk into a bar. 25 years of happy
marriage later, their daughter is honored to be a StartingBloc Fellow! Stephanie
Austin grew up in Northern California, graduated with honors from UC San Diego
and “studied abroad” in Oregon and England. She majored in History (focus on
war/revolution and social change) and Spanish literature and is still unsure of why
she took those calculus, physics and chemistry courses. After graduating,
Stephanie has worked for Portland State University (through the AmeriCorps VISTA
program), the Rotary Club of Portland, spent a year on a tech start up and is now
the Marketing Associate for Albertina Kerr- Oregon's second most admired non-
profit. In her free time, she runs a networking group "ResourcePDX", enjoys lyric
creation, plays with different grad school/future ideas and tries to post a daily pun
via @_Steph_Austin.
Suhail Kassim is a Private Sector Development Specialist and Task Team Leader with
the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, a technical instructor and
project advisor at MIT's D-Lab, and serves on the boards of several startups and
nonprofits. At the World Bank Group, he has worked on 12 lending operations
totaling over US$ 4 billion; 8 countries including 3 war zones; and 6 publications on
competitiveness, investment climate and microfinance. Prior to joining the World
Bank Group, Suhail was a private equity investor with Tata Industries, a manager
with the Tata Administrative Service, and an equities analyst with JP Morgan. He
has featured as a guest lecturer and business plan jury member in various
universities and forums. Suhail is an alumnus of the London School of Economics,
the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and BITS Pilani.
Syed Mafiz Kamal (fondly known as Onik) is a graduate student at New York
University's Center for Global Affairs. Alongside, he interns at the Bangladesh Mission
to the United Nations HQ. Prior to graduate studies he was the Global Logistics &
Youth Assembly at United Nations Fellow at Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. He
acted as the Team Support for the first TEDxUNPlaza. Syed completed his
undergraduate degree in International Relations from Earlham College, Indiana,
USA. While in college he founded Arts For Peace, an organization aimed to
integrate war-affected youth, in Sierra Leone, through art making. Syed completed
his earlier education in United World College in Hong Kong, Mayo College in India
and primary education in Bangladesh. Syed has worked and volunteered in various
projects in countries including Vietnam, China, Jordan, Thailand & Spain. Syed is a
Davis Foundation Fellow & a FEAST Fellow. Syed speaks 6 languages. In his spare
time Syed likes to paint & play/follow soccer.
When she joined Design for America in 2009 as a student, Thea found a wonderful
combination of most everything she loves - art, science, wonderful people, and
meaningful action. Over the past 3 years, she’s filled a wide variety of roles from
student coach to team cheerleader to studio lead, all experiences that she draws
upon to aid the success of today’s students innovators and their insightful solutions.
She will never pass up brainstorming, adventuring, and nerding out about design,
food, or nature. She's thrilled to be a part of StartingBloc NY '13!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
Tremaine Phillips is currently the Director for Innovation & Region Building for the
Prima Civitas Foundation and the co-founder/ partner of MiGrid, LLC. A graduate
of Michigan State University, Tremaine earned a degree in Environmental
Economics and Policy. Upon graduation, Phillips was honored with the distinguished
Richard Lee Featherstone Award for his leadership and intellectual curiosity outside
of the traditional university curriculum. Prior to his employment at Prima Civitas,
Tremaine worked as the Energy Program Associate for the Michigan Environmental
Council and as the Assistant Deputy Director for the Michigan Dept. of Energy
Labor & Economic Growth. Tremaine is a past fellow of the Audubon-Toyota
TogetherGreen and World Wildlife Fund–Nissan Environmental Leadership Programs,
and currently a member of the national Young Climate Leaders Network. Starting in
the fall of 2013, Tremaine will be pursuing his Juris Doctorate at The Ohio State
University Moritz College of Law.
Ulysses Ifill hails from Brooklyn, New York. Ulysses graduated from Northeastern
University in 2010 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a minor in
International Affairs. Ulysses has traveled extensively during his undergraduate
career. He studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa, participated in a Global Corps
Practicum to India and a Field Study Program Belize and the Dominican Republic.
He is heavily interested in international development, social entrepreneurship, and
believes in the service of others. He'd ultimately like to obtain his MBA in the next 5
years. Before joining StartingBloc, Ulysses served 1,716 hours as a 2011 -2012
AmeriCorps Volunteer for City Year New York. As a Corps Member, he provided in-
class support to a 5th grade special needs class. Currently, Ulysses works for the
Kaplan Educational Foundation. As the program associate he provides
programmatic support to the foundations and its initiatives. Fun Fact: Ulysses has a
twin brother!
Varun Gupta is an engineer, theatre artist, guest speaker, entrepreneur, trainer, to-
be author, a foodie, traveler (wanderer), an NLP-Neuro Linguistic Programming
Practitioner, among many other things. He currently holds the position of the
Associate Vice-President and a Partner at BlueTiger Learning Services Pvt. Ltd.
managing the Sales and the training for the company. He has worked successfully
in various spheres and different organizations, including co-founding a company at
the age of 19, which today is one of the biggest of its kind in Karnataka. He also
works as a business Consultant- one of the youngest in South Asia, having the
experience to have worked with clients like Bharti Airtel, Raymond Ltd, Akzo Nobel,
Gyan Vihar and has been a performance catalyst for several SME's across
Bangalore including Murray Culshaw Consulting, MCC, Altius etc. Today he is
making a dent on this world by transforming individuals and helping them take
control of their lives.
Wassie Goushe, a Virginia native, attended Virginia Commonwealth University from
2004 to 2008. After completing his undergraduate degree he was employed by
Capital One financial. Wassie left Capital One to pursue an opportunity abroad
with the French Microfinance Nongovernmental Organization Planet Finance. In
2011, he returned to the States where he completed a Master’s in Information
Technology at Virginia Tech, and has since launched a social enterprise of his own,
Collabovate.org. In addition to Collabovate, Wassie works as cyber security
consultant and has held positions with a handful federal government agencies.
Since August of 2012 he has been employed in Afghanistan where he works with
Afghan and western organizations on cyber security and telecommunication
infrastructure issues. Wassie is a native speaker of Arabic and Urdu.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
@startingbloc.org
StartingBloc
349 Fifth Avenue, Suite 402
New York, NY 10016
info@startingbloc.org
tw : @startingbloc

NY '13 Candidates Bios 6.3.13

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

Similar a NY '13 Candidates Bios 6.3.13

Similar a NY '13 Candidates Bios 6.3.13 (20)

Último

Último (20)

NY '13 Candidates Bios 6.3.13