Karabi Acharya
Karabi is leading Ashoka’s efforts to measure the impacts of Ashoka’s work. Prior to Ashoka, she worked with the Academy for Educational Development where she developed the SCALE™ approach, a whole-system approach that builds social capital by strengthening organizational networks. She believes passionately in the power of individuals and networks to effect lasting social change and uses systems thinking to document that change. She has a degree in Anthropology and a Doctor of Science from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and is a Donella Meadows Leadership Fellow. When not working she tries to keep up with her two daughters and an extremely entrepreneurial garden.

Tyler Ahn
Tyler Ahn is Changemakers' Outreach Marketing & Competitions Community Manager. She graduated with a Master of Public Policy at Georgetown University, focusing on International Policy and Development. She is a Southern California native and received a B.A. at UCLA in Political Science. She has also attended L'Universite de Toulouse, Le Mirail II to hone her French speaking and French living skills. Her experience ranges from the legal and medical fields to government transparency, econometric evaluation, gender & development, marketing and even bartending, though more recently she has been with the International Budget Project, and the World Bank.

Lisa Alworth
Lisa joined Ashoka as the ITI Director of Engineering in December 2008 after completing her MBA and Master of Engineering Management at Northwestern University.  She is primarily responsible for managing Ashoka’s integrated technology platform.  During her graduate studies, Lisa worked on the Northwestern Global Health Initiative, which is a partnership among private industry, non-profit donors, and academia focused on developing products to address health issues in underserved communities.  Before graduate school, she worked at Abbott Laboratories on complex manufacturing and supply chain systems.  Lisa holds a BBA in Management Information Systems from the University of Notre Dame.

Osman Ashai
Osman is a team manager on the Global Engagement Team and works closely with the Middle East, US, Canada, ITI, and FEC programs. He studied International Politics as an undergrad at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with a focus on trans-state actors. He also completed the Bridge Program at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Prior to Ashoka, Osman interned at the Saban Center for Middle East Peace at Brookings Institution. Osman was born in Kashmir and spent his early childhood growing up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia before moving to Maryland. While at Georgetown, he organized a summer program for volunteers from America to serve the healthcare, education, and economic development needs of Kashmir’s citizen-sector organizations.

Robert Benedict
Robert arrived at Ashoka June 2007 and is currently Ashoka’s Changemakers Metrics and Measurement Manager working on understanding Changemakers success. He has worked for the past year on web design, strategy, and user experience on the new Changemakers website launching spring 2009. Robert’s work seeks to understand the impacts of the competitions and translate them into actionable information for social entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors. His work at Changemakers has included Facebook application development, competition trend analysis, and data design, web design and technology project management. He believes that the great jumps in social innovation come from surprising places. Twitter LinkedIn

Jason Bernhardt-Lanier
Jason is serving as Ashoka’s Director of Learning, Integration & Change through the Integrated Technology Initiatives Team. Previously, he served as The Director of Operations and Development at Ashoka’s Youth Venture program.
Jason grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and graduated from Duke University's International Honors Program for Engineers with a concentration in Spanish. Jason spent summers traveling and developing institutional relationships for a specialized construction equipment manufacturer throughout Central and South America. After college he moved with his wife, Caroline, to Santa Cruz, Bolivia and opened a transitional home for street children. Thereafter Jason moved to Washington, DC where he served more than eight years as Director of Development at Samaritan Inns, an award-winning community-based nonprofit that offers recovery to persons homeless because of addictions to drugs and alcohol, founded by an Ashoka Fellow. Jason also holds a Masters of Science in Positive Organization Development & Change from Case Western’s renowned department of Organizational Behavior.
Presently, Jason and his wife live in Takoma Park, Maryland and enjoy raising four children: Thomas, Nicholas, Alexia and Celine. Jason is a youth travel team soccer coach and a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance, founded by an Ashoka Fellow.

Bruno Borges
Bruno joined Ashoka first as a volunteer (June 2007) and then as full-time staff (January 2008) with the Advocates for Social Entrepreneurs program. He now works with Ashoka Strategic Partnerships, managing Ashoka's relationship with Latham & Watkins LLP and McKinsey & Company, among others. Prior to joining Ashoka, Bruno worked for 7 years as an attorney in Brazil. As a senior associate with Advocacia J.R. Nogueira e Associados in Sao Paulo, Bruno developed and coordinated the firm’s pro bono program and served as the legal department manager of the Federation of Nonprofit Hospitals of Sao Paulo. Bruno is a member of the Sao Paulo Bar Association and holds a Master of Science in Organization Development from Johns Hopkins University, and certificates in nonprofit law and nonprofit management from the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo and Johns Hopkins University.

Charlie Brown
Charlie is the Executive Director of Ashoka’s Changemakers, an online community that “open sources” innovative social solutions and builds communities of action to support them. Before Changemakers, Charlie helped build the global community of Ashoka Fellows and directed three policy focused initiatives. In addition to Ashoka, Charlie has worked on the development of climate change strategies and spearheaded innovations for land management in the National Park Service and overhauled the management structure for Jamaica’s protected area system. Charlie is an avid outdoorsman and fan of Appalachian literature. Charlie received business degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Denver.

Tia Johnston Brown
Tia’s passion and expertise lies with empowering young people to make change in their lives and their communities.  Before coming to Ashoka Tia mobilized youth in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.  In 2003 she joined Ashoka’s Youth Venture where she helped expand YV to 19 countries- working hand in hand with Fellows to create unique and innovative program delivery methods. Tia currently focuses on Corporate Relationships (Starbucks, Nike, and Staples) as well as YV’s expansion strategy through global franchise development.  Tia graduated with her MBA in 2002 and is constantly striving to link the business and social sector towards a common good.

Abby Chroman
Before coming to Ashoka, Abby grew up in the woods in Northern California, studied International Relations at UC Davis, chaired the Davis chapter of the California Student Sustainability Coalition and helped launch a sustainable energy initiative for the university. During college, Abby moved to Central Europe to study post-communist transition and assist with rural development policy proposals at Demos, a think tank in Budapest. After graduating, Abby interned with the National Human Services Assembly in Washington DC, where she contributed to the publication of a national youth polity agenda and researched for policy development addressing the national housing crisis. She joined the Ashoka US Team in November, 2008.

Dessa Dal Porto
Dessa currently serves as Director of Operations and Culture for Ashoka’s Changemakers and has been with Ashoka since April 2006.  Dessa works to ensure that the Changemakers team is highly integrated with Ashoka and that the unique and personal nature of Changemakers is retained amongst the fast moving work environment.  Prior to Ashoka, Dessa worked for the Democratic National Committee, and the Smithsonian Institution. Dessa is a Washington State native and attended Washington State University for her undergraduate education and Georgetown University for her Masters. When not working, Dessa loves to travel, fly fish and enjoy old movies.

Darlene Damm
As a member of the Global Engagement Team, Darlene helps raise the financial resources necessary to support Ashoka. Prior to Ashoka, Darlene launched Asia Society Young Professionals for the Asia Society, helped open an experimental high school in Burma, managed cross-cultural leadership programs for Volunteers in Asia/Stanford University, developed an overseas education program for American teenagers in Vietnam and served as a Fellow with Japan-US Community Education and Exchange, studying public-private partnerships in Japan’s newly emerging nonprofit sector. She received her bachelor’s degree in History from Stanford University and completed her master’s degree in International Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Norma Dancis
Norma Dancis is the Manager of the Correspondence Office. The transcriptionists turn hand-written letters and dictation into correspondence, type articles, board minutes, and prepare presentations. Norma coordinates the work of the transcription staff. She previously worked for 25 years as a legal secretary. She received a master’s degree in linguistics from Indiana University. Outside of work, Norma tutors adults in English, teaches new volunteers how to do so, and writes a regular column and book reviews for a mystery review magazine.

 

Tom Dawkins
Tom has moved to Washington, D.C. from Sydney Australia last year. He was previously CEO of Vibewire Youth Inc., which he founded in 2000 whilst at university in order to create citizenship opportunities for younger Australians. In 2005 Vibewire was awarded the UN’s World Summit Youth Award for Community Engagement. Tom has received a YouthActionNet Fellowship from the International Youth Foundation, a Future Summit Leadership Award and is a board member of the International Institute for Communications Australia. He has worked on a wide range of media projects and events, has spoken at numerous conferences internationally and does a spot of freelance writing and DJing.

Simi Fasehun
Simi is a member of Ashoka’s Global Engagement Team. She has a background in research and social services. Prior to joining Ashoka in 2008, she was a Policy Associate with Women In Government, a non profit located in Washington D.C. She earned a Master’s Degree in International Development Studies with a focus on Women (’s) Studies and Public Policy, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Services, from Iowa State University. While there, her thesis focused on the effects corruption, policy mismanagement, poverty, and secondary status of women and children converge to create global issues related to human trafficking and child labor. Originally from Nigeria, she enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures. When not engaged in the process of changing the world, she loves to cook and volunteer as a conflict mediator.

Chloe Feinberg
Chloe joined the FEC team as Senior Intrapreneur on the lastmile health initiative where she evaluates low-cost diagnostic capabilities and will train business owners of healthpoints. In May 2009 she finished her master’s in International Science and Technology Policy at GWU, focusing on the links between technology and entrepreneurship in development. Prior to joining Ashoka, Chloe worked on the Biotechnology Engagement Program for Health and Human Services. She uses these experiences in her work at Ashoka as FEC leverages technology to bring access to rural areas via Hybrid Value Chains. Chloe studied the effects of ICTs, entrepreneurship and health in Azerbaijan and Kenya.

Lennon Flowers
Lennon Flowers works with Ashoka U, having previously spent time with Ashoka’s Global Venture program. She has been involved with youth social entrepreneurship since her college days, where she co-founded an organization built on the idea that mountain-climbing could serve as a source of empowerment and a tool for engaging students in environmental issues. Lennon later helped found the UNC-Duke-Bennett Millennium Village Project, the first student-led campaign to raise $1.5 million to sponsor a Millennium Village in Kenya. A native of North Carolina, Lennon is a dedicated outdoor enthusiast, and enjoys cooking, growing her library, and occasional forays into theatre.

Amelia Forrest Kaye
Amelia Forrest Kaye is a Projects Manager of Ashoka’s Changemakers, an online community that “open-sources” innovative solutions to entrenched problems worldwide. As a Congressional Hunger Fellow, Amelia developed a culturally-sensitive disaster-preparedness initiative in Kaua'i, led a DC-based universal healthcare campaign and co-founded a Diversity Taskforce. Her work experience includes program development at Global Policy Solutions, social policy research in Chile, ecotourism analysis in Tunisia, environmental advocacy, presidential campaigning, and experiential education. Originally from Boston, Amelia graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UNC-Chapel Hill in Political Science and Spanish. Amelia’s other passions include dance, water-sports, cooking, and theater.

Leah Fotis
Through Ashoka’s Global Venture, Fellowship and Globalizer initiatives, Leah focuses on analyzing the innovations and operations of leading social entrepreneurs worldwide and connecting them to relevant resources and opportunities to scale their impact. Before her work with Ashoka in Mumbai and Washington, D.C., Leah worked with early-stage entrepreneurs the Middle East through AMIDEAST, global student leaders in AIESEC and start-up businesses in Europe. Passionate about entrepreneurial solutions to today’s pressing environmental issues, Leah is engaged in a number of initiatives to accelerate the transition to a green economy and create opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive.

Dana Frasz
Dana Frasz is a Project Manager for Ashoka’s Changemakers.  She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College having focused on non-fiction writing, social justice and the development of “Empty Bellies” - a student-based fair food distribution program that collected leftover food from the campus dining hall and from local food establishments and then delivered it to nearby communities in need.  Her program received national recognition from the International Youth Foundation in 2006 when she was selected as one of 20 young leaders who were honored for their diligent social change efforts. Dana grew up in Northern Maine.

Kris Herbst
Kris Herbst is on the Community Creative Team of Ashoka’s Changemakers. Prior to joining Ashoka in 1998, he developed websites for clients including National Press Club and Biotechnology Industry Organization. Journalism experience: Saturday Review magazine assistant editor; BioCentury newsletter contributing editor; freelance journalist and television news producer for clients including Nippon TV Network and NHK Television, and print publications including Emerging Markets, Japan Times Weekly, New Scientist, and Datamation. After receiving a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, he worked for Ft. Collins Colorado’s City Manager's Office and Boston Housing Authority's Economic Development Office. 

Danielle Kichler
As part of the transcription team, Danielle works in the Correspondence Office, ensuring timely and accurate transcription for Chairman and CEO Bill Drayton. Danielle joined Ashoka in September 2006 with years of transcription and administrative experience in various fields. Originally from the Orlando, Florida area, Danielle has lived in the Washington, DC, area for over 10 years. Her outside interests include vegan activism, learning American Sign Language, and the practice of yoga.

Marina Kim
Marina Kim leads the University Program, bringing together university partners from around the world to increase the quantity and quality of social entrepreneurship education. Having been at Ashoka for four years, Marina helped to found the University Network for Social Entrepreneurship, and more recently, the Changemaker Campus Initiative. At Stanford University, Marina led both the Future Social Innovators' Network and the Social Entrepreneurs' Challenge, and co-founded the university’s first minor in social innovation. Her involvement with Ashoka dates back nearly a decade, when she spearheaded Ashoka’s first efforts to formalize outreach to universities. Marina has worked with the Nonprofit Enterprise Self-Sustainability Team (NESsT) and the Flora Family Foundation, and has been featured on Social Edge and change.org.

Erin Krampetz
Before coming to Ashoka, Erin served as Program Director for Escuela Nueva International, a partner of Ashoka Fellow Vicky Colbert’s Escuela Nueva located in over 14 countries in Latin America. Prior to Escuela Nueva, Erin evaluated program effectiveness for MobileMetrix, a community-based data collection company in Brazil, and as an Eben Tisdale Fellow, contributed to Hewlett Packard’s Global Citizenship Program.  Erin’s passion for experiential education and performance management drives her role at Ashoka as a co-leader for the Changemaker Campus Initiative.  Erin graduated from Stanford University with a BA in International Relations and an MA in International Educational Administration and Policy Analysis.

Romina Laouri
Romina joined Ashoka in 2005. Having worked with various Ashoka teams she now works with Youth Venture primarily helping strengthen its global network of young changemakers. She has a BA in Political Science, International Studies, &Spanish (Macalester College), and holds an MA in International Relations (University of Chicago). Originally from Cyprus, she is an active member of the peace movement and a co-founder of a local youth group. She has done extensive work and has published around the use of Structured Dialogic Design Process in conflict resolution. When not at work Romina enjoys reading, writing, swimming, dancing, travelling &throwing pottery.

Jenna Lawrence
Jenna Lawrence works with her intrepid teammates at Ashoka’s Changemakers to manage online competitions. Prior to Changemakers, Jenna spent six years in New York City working in social services. She watched the Twin Towers fall on September 11th and got involved in the disaster response efforts, helping to launch and run programs for those affected. Inspired by the collaborative response to 9/11, Jenna got hooked on working in the citizen sector. She graduated from Yale and received an MBA from Stanford. When not working, Jenna likes to be out of the country, preferably in Africa or on a tropical island.

Tito Modesto Llantada
Tito Llantada is a member of Ashoka's Changmakers'—an online community that "open sources" innovative solutions to problems worldwide; within Changemakers, Tito focuses on building and developing strategic partnerships. Previously, Tito spent 4 years with Ashoka’s Global Fellowship team, helping build the infrastructure behind a global network of 1700+ Ashoka Fellows.
Tito's previous experiences vary from tutoring with the "For the Love of the Children" program, to legal research for international law firms, to playing in international baseball tournaments. He graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and a concentration in International Economics.

Neema Mgana
Neema is a member of the Global Engagement Team and is responsible for fundraising and development of Ashoka’s engagement in Africa. She also manages Ashoka’s collaboration with the Young Presidents’ Organization, an organization comprised of business executives from around the world. In 2005, Neema was the youngest of 1000 women from around the world jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Neema is currently completing a PhD in International Relations and has a Masters degree in International Health and a Bachelors degree in Medical Informatics. She previously completed studies in Health Sciences and has certificates in Humanitarian Assistance and in International Peace Studies.

Stephen Outlaw
Stephen joined Ashoka as the ITI Web Developer/Administrator in May 2008. He is primarily responsible for managing Ashoka’s global and country office websites. Stephen has been working for social change and environmental protection for over a decade. Most recently he served as an information specialist at the Land Trust Alliance where he was responsible for reviewing, creating and disseminating information on a wide array of land conservation topics; managing content for a digital library and an online learning center; and designing a variety of print and online communications materials. Stephen realizes the important role technology plays in helping advance the goals of citizen sector organizations and he strives to provide technological solutions for social change. He also has a passion for travel, music, DJing and the outdoors.

Roshan Paul
From 2003-2006, Roshan helped launch Ashoka’s Youth Venture program in India, focusing in particular on strategy development and Fellow collaborations. In 2008, he rejoined Ashoka, with the Global Venture and Fellowship team, which manages the Ashoka Fellow selection process and expansion to new countries and areas of work. He also runs Ashoka's Fellow Security Program. Originally from Bangalore, Roshan has a Bachelor’s in International Relations from Davidson College and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. He is keenly interested in issues of conflict and disaster mitigation, and is particularly interested in launching/strengthening Ashoka’s work in some of the hardest parts of the world to be a social entrepreneur.

Abe Rafi
Abe  comes to Ashoka from the human rights and disability rights worlds, where he developed web-based initiatives to foster online communities and influence public policy. Prior to arriving in DC, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Novosibirsk, Russia, where he developed technology solutions to organize the operations of a language academy. There, he also contributed his part toward shrinking the digital divide by helping to establish a sustainable Internet café. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Abe studied philosophy while running grassroots students' rights campaigns.

Scott Rechler
Scott joined Ashoka in August 2004 after volunteering with Ashoka Fellows in Chile and Bolivia. A member of Ashoka’s Law for All Initiative, Scott leads the Fellow Security and Advocates for Social Entrepreneurs programs, providing security and legal support to Ashoka Fellows worldwide.  He graduated from Harvard University in June 2003 with a degree in social anthropology, having written his thesis on social entrepreneurship and social capital in southern Chile.  A native of Washington DC, Scott is Program Director for LearnServe International, a cross cultural leadership and social entrepreneurship program for DC area high school students.  In his spare time he can be found running, biking, cooking, and, of course, talking about social entrepreneurship.

Holly Roberson
Holly has spent the last decade starting, managing, and supporting social enterprises. In her home state of Missouri, Holly established and grew three social enterprises: Terra Bella Farm, a 160-acre organic demonstration farm; Ragtag Cinema, an independent film house and bar/café; and Uprise Bakery, an organic bakery/gallery. In 2004, Holly left Missouri and moved to New York City to co-convene two multi-year projects involving young leaders and social change. Since joining Ashoka in 2007, Holly has focused on bringing the work of Ashoka, its Fellows, & the field of social entrepreneurship to the Bay Area business, tech, philanthropic & Venture Capital communities.

Aditi Shekar
Aditi first joined Ashoka in 2008 and recently moved into her role with the People Team and News & Knowledge. She graduated from the  UNC  Chapel Hill (go Heels!) with a double major in Business Administration and Psychology. Before Ashoka, Aditi worked with Fellow Charles Best’s organization, DonorsChoose, as a Project Coordinator and then as Teacher Engagement Manager. Having lived and studied in six countries, her experiences, coupled encouraged her to be an active change agent and leader. In the future, she hopes to use a social entrepreneur's approach to tackling the treatment and safety of animals.

Danielle Solof
Danielle joined Ashoka as a coordinator/assistant to Ashoka’s Full Economic Citizenship Initiative.  Prior to Ashoka, Danielle studied International Affairs, International Development, and Anthropology at The George Washington University in Washington DC, and her love of language brought her to London to pursue an MA in Sociocultural Linguistics from Goldsmiths College, University of London.  Danielle also has a passion for the arts.  She enjoys creative writing and is an active member of Washington DC’s improvisational comedy scene.  She has lived in New Jersey, Washington DC, Amsterdam, Santiago de Chile, and London.

Tyler Spalding
Tyler Spalding is currently working with Global Marketing Team. Tyler graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University where he compared the shift from Communism to Globalization in China and Russia. He has traveled extensively throughout China and is a proficient speaker of Mandarin Chinese. While at Georgetown, Tyler was dedicated to improving campus safety and created and managed a coordinated set of safety/awareness initiatives. He also worked to expand free tax preparation for low-income residents of DC and piloted a free credit counseling program. Tyler is also very active in the DC performing arts scene.

David Stoker
David is a member of Ashoka’s Global Engagement Team serving as a liaison between Development and Finance. David comes with a strong background in research and data collection having conducted evaluations of public health interventions in Cambodia and Vietnam. He completed a Masters in Public Health and B.A. in International Studies at Brigham Young University with minors in Business and Asian Studies. His graduate work culminated in the design of micro-pharmacies in Ghana, making preventative health products available and affordable to rural communities.

Simon Stumpf
Simon Stumpf is the Africa and MENA representative on Ashoka’s Knowledge Team. Simon grew up in a large family in rural Minnesota.  In high school and college he helped start and lead two nationwide student movements – one against Big Tobacco and another for improved international children’s health.  He graduated from Yale University in 2006 with degrees in Anthropology and African Studies. Before joining the Ashoka team, Simon developed and led a vocational skills training program for street children in Mombasa, Kenya, worked as a National Organizer for Global Justice in Washington, DC, and helped develop a social enterprise in northeastern Laos.

Gretchen Zucker
Gretchen Zucker is the Executive Director of Youth Venture®.  She began her career focusing on development in Africa, first at USAID, then in the Ethiopian embassy in Washington, and later in the Ethiopian Investment Authority in Addis Ababa. Gretchen helped launch the US arm of Tigray Development Association, headquartered in Tigray, Ethiopia.  She was co-founder of Her House, which designed, financed and built houses by women for single mothers.  She was also a management consultant with McKinsey & Co.  Gretchen received a BA from Ohio State University, a Masters of Public Policy at Harvard University, and an MBA at MIT.