Team

Educate! Leaders

Angelica Towne Amporo

  • Angelica Towne Amporo started Educate! with her Co-founders based on the shared values of scale, sustainability, and the power of young people to change the world. Angelica built Educate! from scratch, combining her experience piloting youth programs in Jamaica and Ethiopia with her creativity and passion for spearheading the creation, development, and continued evolution of Educate!’s model. For the last six years, she has lived and worked in Uganda overseeing the implementation of Educate!’s programs in 250 schools. She also adapted Educate!’s course curriculum for use in the Uganda national curriculum and designed a new practical standardized examination, reaching 25,000 young people annually. Angelica’s goal is to transform traditional classrooms into training grounds for youth to learn the skills to end poverty in their own lives and their communities. In her words: “I know firsthand what it means to be literally saved by nonprofit organizations that embody creative solutions to society’s opportunity gaps. At Kyangwali Refugee Camp, I swapped stories with other youth who received “sponsorship” or scholarships to attend university and how it changed our lives forever. I felt such a beautiful solidarity with our students and reaffirmation of the necessity of this work.” Angelica was twice named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list of social entrepreneurs. She was honored with the Mulago Foundation's prestigious Rainer Arnhold Fellowship and the Global Good Fellowship in 2015. She holds a BA from Middlebury College. Angelica has been with Educate! since 2008.

Maggie Appleton

  • Maggie Appleton oversees operations and leads Educate!'s government engagement strategy and innovation in Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Formerly, Maggie was Educate!'s Program Director in Uganda, living and working in Kampala for almost six years. She led Educate!'s programs team through its first significant growth phase from 54 to 240 schools in 2014 and worked closely with the Global Director in designing Educate!'s programs and operational systems for scale. She is inspired most by Educate!’s proactive approach: “We all know about the problems that challenge our world, most especially Africa. I love Educate! because it empowers young people to think about solutions!” Maggie also graduated with a master’s degree in International Education at Columbia University, Teachers College in 2017. Maggie has been with Educate! since 2009.

  • Aissetou is a leader and expert in sales with close to 10 years of experience leading cross-functional teams. She has mastered managing diverse talents while paying attention to the end results. Before joining Educate!, Aissetou was a Managing Director where she doubled as a Chief Sales Officer in a leading FemTech company and even started her career in banking account management. She holds a degree in Business Information Management from Glasgow Caledonian University and an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University. She is also an alumnus of the Female Future Leadership Program. Aissetou is passionate about impacting people and growing them. She has done it all, from grooming junior employees to ascend for leadership posts to closing partnerships deals. Beyond work, she is your go-to problem solver, turning real-life challenges into success stories. Aissetou has been with Educate! since 2023.

Alex Kelly

  • Alex Kelly is the Director of Growth at Educate!. He also oversees the External Relations team, as well as directs the finance and operations of the US country team. His unique value add is being able to guide a program in short-term implementation excellence, while simultaneously setting it up to reach concrete improvement milestones that allow for healthy growth. Alex is an international development practitioner who has almost ten years of experience implementing programmatic work and overseeing growth-oriented strategy. He is excited to return to working on issues that directly impact youth, as he has always been perpetually impressed with the resiliency and potential of youth — and knows that with a little support they can do incredible things. Before joining Educate!, Alex lived in western Kenya for six years, where he worked for One Acre Fund (OAF) to help provide sustained food security and pathways to prosperity for smallholder farmers. At OAF, he was most recently the director of the Kenya Field Operations program. In this role, he focused on growing the team and increasing impact, eventually reaching over 450,000 farmers throughout the country. Prior to his time with OAF, Alex worked in field-based roles at development NGOs in Nepal and El Salvador. He is also a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Costa Rica, where he focused on children, youth, and family programming. Alex has been with Educate! since 2020.

Diane Kayigi Munezero

  • Diane Kayigi oversees the program teams in Rwanda that operate in all 30 districts of the country. Diane is passionate about creating opportunities that impact the younger generation through education, technology and mentorship. Prior to joining Educate!, Diane was the Country Operations Coordinator at Zipline Rwanda, an aerial logistics company using autonomous drones to deliver health commodities across Africa and the US. Diane is currently pursuing an MBA with a focus in Strategic Management from Rushford Business School, Switzerland. Diane has been with Educate! since 2022.

Phillip Okull

  • Phillip is a research and evaluation professional with experience in the non-profit sector. He has run multiple research and evaluation projects in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, with various organizations, spanning different sectors including education and skills development, financial inclusion, cash benchmarking and livelihoods among others. Prior to joining Educate! Phillip worked as a research manager with IPA, collaborating with renown researchers from various academic and research institutions to design and implement cutting edge studies aimed at influencing development policy. His passion is in data, research, evaluation and capacity development in these areas. Phillip has been with Educate! since 2021.

Emmanuel Kalyebi

  • Emmanuel heads LEEP (Learning, Experiments, Eco-System Documentation and Program Model Design). In this role, he designs Educate!’s experience curriculum and youth facing materials. Additionally, he guides the learning strategy with a focus on the youth experience and implements program experiments to inform product iterations. He has over 10 years experience working in and managing implementation of youth livelihoods, entrepreneurship and education programs. Emmanuel has been with Educate! since 2015.

Bersabel Mesgna

  • As Head of External Relations, Bersi oversees Educate!’s fundraising team and managing partner relationships. Prior to joining Educate!, Bersi worked in urban agriculture and youth development in communities across New York City and London, supporting a diverse set of projects. She is passionate about fostering agency amongst youth, especially young women and supporting inclusive methods to building equity. She aligns with Educate!’s diverse, flexible and solutions-oriented approach to driving real impact for youth on the continent. Bersi holds an MSc from Kings College London in Sustainable Development and a B.A. from American University in International Relations. She’s been living in Kampala for 3.5 years and in her spare time enjoys traveling, gardening and exploring her growing interests in beekeeping, coffee and hot sauce! Bersi has been with Educate! since 2021.

Rogers Patrick Kamugisha

  • Rogers oversees a dynamic, high-performing team that implements our Exchange Program in the 30 districts of Rwanda. Part of his role is to oversee program reporting, making sure that reports are prompt, regular, and contain useful and accurate information that can be validated and put into action. He is also influential in developing systems and structures that enable the Programs team to respond rapidly and efficiently to opportunities to scale. Rogers has a master's degree in business administration with a focus in marketing. He is an educator and an economist with over 10 years of experience working in the Rwandan education system. Rogers successfully supported the launching of Educate! In Rwanda in 2016. As a former National Program Manager, he helped Educate! develop and manage key relationships in government. Rogers loves working young people, and opening their eyes to new experiences. He believes that if the youths are given the right support and mentorship, the economy would have unique entrepreneurs and leaders. Rogers has been with Educate! since 2015.

Boris Bulayev

  • Under Boris’s leadership, Educate! has grown to become the largest youth skills provider in East Africa, meaningfully impacting over 390,000 youth across Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. With a team of over 250 staff and 300 youth mentors, the organization has received much acclaim for its work, including the 2018 Klaus J. Jacobs Prize and the 2015 WISE Award. Educate! was also highlighted by the World Bank’s S4YE's Impact Portfolio, The Brookings Institution as one of 14 case studies in their global scaling education learning initiative, the UN’s Generation Unlimited as one of 20 innovative youth solutions, and by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a Goalkeepers Accelerator. As an immigrant from Latvia and a refugee himself, Boris believes in the power of giving young people access to mentorship and transformative learning experiences - both of which allowed him to move from starting in the US on welfare and food stamps to where he is today. Before jumping into Educate! full-time, Boris worked at startup incubator Loeb Enterprises. Boris is a recipient of the 2011 Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize, and a two-time Forbes Top 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur. Boris has been with Educate! since 2004.

Charlotte Jones

  • Charlotte oversees design, innovation and scaling for our school system solutions. She is responsible for partnering with governments to put in place the systems and structures that empower teachers and leaders to change student lives. Charlotte joined Educate! from Education Development Trust from a senior leadership role where she was responsible for the company’s global portfolio of education products. Over her 10 years there she worked with partners including government ministries, FCDO, the Education Commission and IIEP-UNESCO to catalyse new innovations and thought leadership on ‘what works’ to lead educational change at scale. With a background in organisational effectiveness and change management at Korn Ferry, Charlotte is passionate about helping leaders turn their dreams into real impact on the ground. Her professional interests are behaviour change and collaborative leadership, and she is a published author and thought leader in this field. Charlotte is inspired by Educate!’s creative and focused solutions for youth employment, and commitment to scalable products that are designed to reach every single student and the very last mile. She loves meeting students and seeing the glint in their eyes as they talk about their new experiences. In her spare time Charlotte loves any kind of live music she can get her ears and eyes on, and can often be found in the tablaos de flamenco in Barcelona, where she currently lives. Charlotte has been with Educate! since 2022.

Ivan Ssenfuma

  • Ivan is a finance and operations professional, a graduate of Economics from the Egerton University, and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. Over his 14 years of practicing experience across East Africa, he has built a passion and record of robust systems in organizations in different industries, including audit, energy, international development, education, and healthcare. Ivan joined Educate! because of his passion for developing young people in Africa. He is inspired by Educate!’s unwavering focus on the youth of Africa, reflected in major and minor decisions in the organization. He organizes book gifting and reading visits to slum families in Kampala with his daughter to develop literacy among underprivileged families in his spare time. He is a self-proclaimed Tintin comic aficionado, songwriter, and guitar player. Ivan has been with Educate! since 2016.

Hannah Ornas

  • As Chief of Staff, Hannah works with Educate!’s teams across geographies to advance strategic initiatives and strengthen organizational capacity to support Educate! in achieving its growth and impact goals. Hannah is a global development professional with experience spanning public administration, strategic communications, fundraising and business development. Prior to joining Educate!, Hannah worked with the International Rescue Committee, where she supported refugee resettlement programming for arriving families and youth in the U.S. She is passionate about expanding opportunity for young people and promoting equitable and inclusive approaches to tackling development challenges. Hannah studied with the School for International Training in Tanzania and graduated with distinction from the University of Colorado Boulder with a B.A in Sociology and Public Health. She holds a Master of Public Administration concentrating in International Policy from Cornell University’s Brooks School of Public Policy. Hannah has been with Educate! since 2018.

Hawah Nabbuye

Meghan Mahoney

  • Meghan Mahoney oversees Educate!’s performance monitoring systems and strategic learning agenda: designing evaluations and data systems, managing their execution, and processing the resulting data for learning.

    Prior to joining Educate!, Meghan oversaw the youth and labor markets sector for the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT and evaluated a sustainable agriculture and micro-credit program in Nicaragua. Meghan also studied Development Economics and Program Evaluation at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and Economics and International Relations at American University.

    Meghan has been with Educate! since 2016.

Samson Mbugua

  • Samson sets up data systems within the organization and working to help deliver the information and insights teams need to deliver impact on a day to day basis. He is passionate about using technology and human centered design to deliver on this mandate. Prior to joining Educate, Sam worked with I&M bank as an Analytics Translator. In this role, he spearheaded a team of data scientists, developers and designers to deliver data science use cases for the bank. He has also worked in Komaza, a social enterprise headquartered in the coast of Kenya as a Data Design Associate. When he is not working, Sam enjoys cooking, supporting Arsenal, and binge watching the latest movies. Samson has been with Educate! since 2019.

Hellen Namisi

  • Hellen began her Educate! journey as the Senior School Coordinator, influencing program implementation in Eastern Uganda, and later stepped into the role of Design and Experiments Manager. Hellen has provided leadership to the Design and Experiments team, working with a experienced curriculum designers in developing strategy for product development and quick learning loops that yield proven solutions for youth empowerment at school level. She joined Educate! after the Skills for Effective Entrepreneurship development (SEED) pilot with Innovations for Poverty Action. Hellen has been with Educate! since 2013.

Sarah Ndinya

  • Sarah specializes in designing impactful youth employability learning programs that can leverage technology for scale and which target underserved communities. She holds a BEd. from Kenyatta University and an MSc. in Education for Sustainability from London South Bank University, UK. She is passionate about increasing educational and professional opportunities for youth, developing curriculum addressing today’s business and technical skills for the digital economy. She has harnessed a wealth of experiences from working in the academic, NGO and tech sectors where each context has presented a variety of competencies young people need to enhance their employability skills and opportunities. Sarah was drawn to Educate! because of its unwavering focus on the youth. She strongly believes that the key to addressing youth unemployment lies in tapping into their potential early during their formative years in school, and exposing them to opportunities that can help them identify and nurture their potential for leadership and entrepreneurship. Sarah has been with Educate! since 2019.

Tobias Mulupi

Natasha Mulenga Hornsby

  • Natasha is a strategic communications specialist and journalist with over 15 years experience. Her passion is using storytelling as a means to achieve social impact and equality. Prior to joining Educate!, she was an adviser to conflict prevention foundation International Crisis Group, with a focus on peacebuilding in Latin America and the Caribbean, new forms of armed violence and women’s activism. She also spent four years as a campaigns and advocacy officer for the UK’s Commission for Racial Equality, transforming businesses and public sector organisations by mainstreaming diversity. She has held senior management roles within the HELLO! / HOLA! global media group in Madrid, developing brand identity and content creation in coordination with teams across the world. Natasha initially trained as a journalist with two years at ITN, the home of ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News in the UK, and another two at Spain’s El País newspaper. Raised in Zambia, Nigeria and the UK, she takes a keen interest in the history and culture of the African diaspora. This led her to create the @1000blackwomen Instagram project, a series of interviews featuring women speaking from the heart about their lives and natural afro hair. Natasha holds a Master's Degree in broadcast journalism from Cardiff University and graduated with a degree in Classics from Oxford University. Natasha has been with Educate! since 2022.

Marica Rizzo

  • Marica describes her career as one that is best made sense of through Steve Jobs’ “connecting the dots backwards.” Each experience has enabled her to chase curiosities, explore different interests, and learn from new perspectives. She started in marketing and communications for a professional soccer/football team and then for Team Canada for the Paralympic Games, spent time on a research team for Vancouver’s Economic Development Commission contributing to the Mayor’s plans to “green” the city, followed by a few years as the operations manager for skoah, a growing retail skincare company, helping to expand stores across Canada and USA. From there, she made the jump into the social impact sector, working at Wedu to design a mentorship program for young women in Southeast Asia. In 2015, she joined the Innovation Team at Acumen where she developed online courses and programs to engage and equip a global community of volunteers, learners and fellows with the tools to create a positive impact in their communities. Her recent work was in facilitating internal change management as the team rebranded the online courses and fellowship programs under Acumen Academy in 2020. Aspects of her role included overseeing the central operations of the fellows programs and leading the development and delivery of a network engagement strategy to accompany the fellows in the growth of their impact, organizations and initiatives. Marica has a BComm from the University of British Columbia and is finishing her MSc in Digital Anthropology at University College London. When she’s not working you can find her at the (ballet) barre, browsing stationary shops in London, on FaceTime with her nieces and nephews. Marica has been with Educate! since 2023.

Sylvie Kinabo

  • Sylvie holds a legal background with an LLB degree from the University of Manchester, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from United States International University (USIU Africa). She previously worked as a Fee Earner for various Personal Injury Law Firms within the United Kingdom. She holds prior experience of working at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), gaining a vast wealth of experience in working within the international humanitarian systems. For 6+ years she successfully spearheaded the Program Support Department with GrowthAfrica Foundation based in Nairobi, Kenya. She later joined MFS Africa as a Senior Account Manager, based in Tanzania tasked with stakeholder/partnership management. She is extremely passionate about impact creation in Africa and specifically through youth empowerment. As the Head of Strategic Projects, her role is cross-cutting on various projects including ESS Tanzania expansion. Sylvie has been with Educate! since 2023.

Sylvia Mwangi

  • Sylvie holds a legal background with an LLB degree from the University of Manchester, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from United States International University (USIU Africa). She previously worked as a Fee Earner for various Personal Injury Law Firms within the United Kingdom. She holds prior experience of working at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), gaining a vast wealth of experience in working within the international humanitarian systems. For 6+ years she successfully spearheaded the Program Support Department with GrowthAfrica Foundation based in Nairobi, Kenya. She later joined MFS Africa as a Senior Account Manager, based in Tanzania tasked with stakeholder/partnership management. She is extremely passionate about impact creation in Africa and specifically through youth empowerment. As the Head of Strategic Projects, her role is cross-cutting on various projects including ESS Tanzania expansion. Sylvie has been with Educate! since 2023.

Shauna Davidson

  • As Institutional Partnerships Lead, Shauna tackles the research and strategy behind Educate!'s approach to business development through institutional funding channels. Shauna has over a decade of experience in non-profit fundraising and project management, including grant writing and reporting, grant compliance, financial reporting, and relationship management. Prior to Educate!, she was the Grants Manager for a shelter for homeless youth in Boulder, Colorado. Shauna has an MSc in Anthropology and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. in Anthropology and Studio Art, with a focus on oil painting. She also studied at the School of International Training in Senegal. Originally from the US, Shauna has made Uganda her second home. When she's not working at Educate! you can find her supporting the operations of the two primary schools she co-founded in Northern Uganda. Shauna has been with Educate! since 2015.

Evans Gakui

Innocent Ninsiima

Valentine Murgor

  • In her current role, Valentine leads the maintenance and improvement of HR systems and processes that support the organization's growth and ensure operational efficiency. She focuses on two key areas: maintaining core HR functions and building new systems to enhance employee performance and organizational development.

    Valentine is responsible for supporting HR Managers in implementing and solving issues related to maintaining accurate employee records, leading contract renewals, and overseeing the onboarding and offboarding processes. She works closely with the Head of People Programs and Engagement to improve systems for onboarding, professional development, 360 feedback, and employee engagement. Additionally, Valentine leads improvements in the HRIS platform (BambooHR) to streamline processes, ensure compliance with legal requirements, and manage compensation and benefits.

    In her drive to innovate, Valentine collaborates with cross-functional teams to build new systems for employee performance monitoring, career progression, and learning and development. She is also leading the creation of a Regional Employee Handbook for East Africa, a crucial project for Educate!'s expansion into new countries. By leveraging data-driven insights, Valentine ensures that HR processes are continuously improved to enhance decision-making and efficiency.

    Valentine brings over five years of HR leadership experience from her previous roles at Cellulant Limited, where she specialized in HR operations, policy development, and talent management across 18 African markets. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and is skilled in utilizing HR technologies to drive organizational success.

Joseph Ocailap

  • Joseph Ocailap is a seasoned finance professional with rich experience supporting SMEs across Uganda with investment readiness training, coaching, and deal structuring across multiple sectors including agriculture, technology, light manufacturing, healthcare, etc. Through his experience, he has trained over 300 businesses in group learning sessions on key financial management and investment readiness principles, supported at least 10 businesses with targeted 1-1 investor readiness support (including financial modeling, deal book structuring and advanced investor memo development) and facilitated negotiations with potential investors to unlock funding for over 5 Ugandan SMEs. Some of his proudest accomplishments to date include being part of the team that designed the business needs assessment, selection and due diligence process and selection for the Hi-Innovator program through which more than 300 Ugandan SGBs were awarded seed funding worth USD 20,000 each to enable them address their primary barriers to scale. He was also responsible for executing a program to leverage risk capital of over USD 250,000 to incentivise investment in selected agribusinesses across Uganda. As the Financial Planning and Analysis Lead, he is tasked with developing tools and processes to embed financial planning and analysis in strategic decision making, including product costs models and budget projections & templates. Joseph has been with Educate! since 2023.

Shamid Mukalu

  • Shamid has over 9 years experience in driving projects and initiatives geared towards youth and female empowerment in areas of digitalization, asset finance, and skilling. Before joining Educate!, he worked with the Ugandan Ministry of Works and Transport in the procurement department. Additionally, Shamid worked with Tugende Limited for 6 years supporting in different capacities ranging from credit management, scaling and expansion, and managing operations across Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. His most recent role was Director of Operations at KEIPhone Inc overseeing the development and commercialization of the operations strategy, streamlining operational processes, and managing partnerships and linkages in Uganda and Kenya. Shamid holds a Bachelor's Degree in Procurement and Logistics Management from Kyambogo University, Uganda and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Uganda Management Institute. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Leadership and Management from Amani Institute Nairobi, Kenya and a postgraduate certificate in Management for Microfinance Institutions, a certificate in Reconciliation and Reporting for Financial Institutions all from the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services, Uganda. He is also in the process of finalizing his certification in Lean Six Sigma GreenBelt (Services) from Dr. Mikel J Harry Six Sigma Management Institute. Shamid has been with Educate! since 2023.

Richard Luuba

  • Kamanda Kamiri is the Regional Director of Partnerships at Educate!, which prepares youth in Africa with the skills to succeed in today’s economy. Kamanda is passionate about impacting younger generations through quality education in preparation for future opportunities. As a beneficiary of community support for his education, he feels greatly indebted. He seeks to give back to the community by supporting education systems and reforms for the advancement of youth. Before joining Educate!, Kamanda was the Deputy Country Director at Gardens for Health International, where he attained deepened experience in HR Management, Operations, and Finance and Government Engagement. He holds a BBA degree in Finance from the School of Finance and Banking, Rwanda, and a master’s in Project Management from Mount Kenya University. He is also an alumnus of the Global Health Corps Fellowship and the Acumen Fund Regional Fellowship. Kamanda has been with Educate! since 2018.

Kamanda Kamiri

  • Kamanda Kamiri is the Regional Director of Partnerships at Educate!, which prepares youth in Africa with the skills to succeed in today’s economy. Kamanda is passionate about impacting younger generations through quality education in preparation for future opportunities. As a beneficiary of community support for his education, he feels greatly indebted. He seeks to give back to the community by supporting education systems and reforms for the advancement of youth. Before joining Educate!, Kamanda was the Deputy Country Director at Gardens for Health International, where he attained deepened experience in HR Management, Operations, and Finance and Government Engagement. He holds a BBA degree in Finance from the School of Finance and Banking, Rwanda, and a master’s in Project Management from Mount Kenya University. He is also an alumnus of the Global Health Corps Fellowship and the Acumen Fund Regional Fellowship. Kamanda has been with Educate! since 2018.

William Mukaria

  • William is a business leader and an entrepreneur with 10+ years of leadership experience in renewable energy, Retail, Wholesale, distribution, and INGO sectors. His expertise spans across the emerging markets in Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles Republic, and Tanzania, working majorly with startup and growing organizations. He has been at the center of setting up exciting business ventures, including Copia Kenya, LEE & MYLES Consulting, and T-MART Wholesale Nigeria Ltd, helping set up the operations processes, team recruitment & development, marketing, and building strategic partnerships. William is also an author of the book 'The Big Leap,’ which is set for launch in March 2021. This book gives upcoming young entrepreneurs insights into overcoming fear and launching their own businesses. This book borrows heavily from his personal experience working as a senior Executive in various startups across different markets in Africa. William is passionate about entrepreneurship and the opportunities that the nascent economies of Africa provide for the youth, especially in this digital age. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, Communications, and Media from Maseno University and is currently pursuing professional accountancy (CPA) certification. William has been with Educate! since October 2020.

Kayode Kolade

  • Kayode has spent the last 12 years building systems that enable organizational performance, operational efficiency and leading the execution of strategic projects across the industries of construction, ecommerce, business process outsourcing and education. He started out as a cost consultant and project manager, after which he joined Jumia market as a pioneer Business Strategist and left as the Head of Strategy, Projects & Field Sales. He worked with Teleperformance’s TLScontact for over 6 years, building its operations from scratch in Nigeria -providing direction for a team of 150 people serving the UKVI and the Australian DIBP clients while delivering world-class service through a daily average of 1,000 physical customer interactions in the role of Country Manager. He was most recently the Director of Enterprise Transformation & Strategic Operations at African Leadership University (ALU) overseeing both Mauritius & Rwanda. Kayode is an alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; who has also obtained executive education from MIT Sloan School of Management & University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School in Design Thinking & Digital Transformation Strategies respectively. He is currently doing his Executive MBA at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam and he is a Brain-Based Certified Coach with the NeuroLeadership Institute. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership & Management. He is passionate about working with the youth and working with Educate! brings together his passion and expertise over the years. His role at Educate! spans strategy & operations performance oversight, leading strategic initiatives and org-wide matrix coordination. Kayode has been with Educate! since 2022.

Kenley Jones

Missy Mwendwa Kago

  • Missy Mwendwa Kago is the Chief Product Officer at Educate! She leads the organization's Product Operation function and Out-of-School Youth (OoSY) solution strategy across East Africa. Missy spearheads the development of Educate!'s first OoSY product, NawiriPro, an African-led online skills learning, financing, and business advisory platform. Missy is passionate about scaling African technology worldwide and developing African economies through mobile technology. She has built numerous businesses and products in countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, and Somalia. Missy has partnered with regional and local telecoms such as Safaricom, Orange, MTN, Tigo, and Airtel to scale Eneza Education products to over 4 million African youth in four years. Her work in the product and geographical expansion of Shupavu 291 led Eneza Education to win the Best Mobile Innovation for Education category at the GSMA's Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards in February 2018. She is also the Co-Founder of the Nairobi EdTech community. In September 2020, Missy, in collaboration with Educate!, launched a new social enterprise unit called "NawiriPro" based in Kenya. NawiriPro currently serves the transport (boda boda) industry and has validated a 131% income boost for new youth business owners and a 36% income boost for existing boda youth business owners after using NawiriPro. This achievement was possible through partnerships with financial institutions, marketplace apps, and driving schools. Her work with Educate! was recognized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for progress toward decent work and economic growth in 2020. Missy has been with Educate! since 2019.

Florence Tesha

Mohammed Mohammed

  • In this role, Mohammed oversees the design and implementation of alternative education pathways for youth in the informal economy, ensuring that Educate!’s offerings empower young people with the skills needed for self-employment, particularly in rural areas.

    Mohammed’s focus is on building innovative product systems and refining existing ones to maximize scalability and impact. He collaborates with cross-functional teams to create user-centered products, lead product discovery processes, and adapt strategies to meet evolving market needs. His leadership is instrumental in driving product vision and ensuring the continuous improvement of Educate!’s education solutions, positioning the organization for future growth and expansion into new regions.

    With nearly a decade of experience in product management across multiple sectors, including technology and social impact, Mohammed brings a wealth of expertise in product strategy, user experience design, and data-driven decision-making. Before joining Educate!, he held senior product management roles at Nexleaf Analytics and Jenga Tech Solutions, where he led the development of scalable digital solutions and innovative product strategies.

    Mohammed holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and has a strong background in agile project management, product lifecycle management, and market research. His ability to blend technical acumen with strategic leadership enables him to lead product teams that deliver high-impact solutions for Educate!’s mission.

Marit Blaak

  • Marit offers leadership over the design and training function across Educate!'s product portfolio. With her team, she ensures Educate! designers and trainers are fully equipped to continuously build game-changing education products for in- and out-of-school youth. Passionate about fostering equity, Marit leads the gender equity product strategy while also supporting the education system and school solutions strategy. Marit holds a PhD in organizational learning and has previously held research, learning and design roles with various education organizations including Innovations for Poverty Action, VVOB - education for development and the University of Groningen. She's energized by Educate!'s commitment to measurable impact on young people. Marit has been with Educate! since 2013.

Simon Mtabazi

  • Simon works on Educate!’s Education System Solutions expansion in Tanzania, experimentation to validate product ideas and co-designing of product learning systems with governments. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, is an Ashoka Visionary Program and AIESEC Alumnus as well as a WEF Global Shaper Hub and Catalyst 2030 member in Dar es Salaam. Simon Mtabazi is a social innovation practitioner with over five years of experience designing and implementing innovation programs in East Africa. Simon’s expertise includes project management, strategy implementation and innovations design. Simon joined Educate! because of his passion for improving access to quality education, livelihood, and economic opportunities in Africa. In his free time, Simon enjoys cooking, cycling and being outdoors. Simon has been with Educate! since 2023.

Rama Katunda

Grace Nanyange

Roina Ochieng

Ian Githinji

Siler Bryan

  • Siler is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to joining Educate!, Siler launched a Social Enterprise called Better Minds Education in Western Kenya, with a mission of providing high quality digital learning experiences to youth in rural areas. Siler previously lived in Uganda for 4 years, where he lead the New Country Expansion department for One Acre Fund, launching new operations in Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Myanmar, India and Nigeria. He has also served as a secondary school teacher at the Abaarso School of Science and Technology in Somaliland, where he taught 11th grade writing and critical reading skills. Siler originally hails from North Carolina, and received his Bachelor's from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where he studied International Relations and Modern Middle East Studies. Siler enjoys cycling, running, playing basketball, tennis, and ultimate frisbee, and can usually be observed reading a good book in his hammock. Siler has been with Educate! since 2020.

Penina Twongeirwe

Patience Mathenge

  • Patience is a seasoned HR professional with over a decade of experience in HR business partnering and global talent acquisition. With a strong background in targeted sourcing, process design, and system implementation within the people space, Patience has also served as a consultant for a recruiting agency. Patience oversees the Talent Acquisition function at Educate!, and is deeply committed to shaping a people-centric strategy. Before joining Educate!, Patience made significant contributions to Komaza, a social enterprise located along the Kenyan coast. In her role as a recruiting associate, she played a pivotal role in scaling the company, achieving an impressive threefold increase in headcount. Patience's previous experience includes a stint at a subsidiary of Lafarge Holcim, Bamburi Cement, where she made valuable contributions to the HR department. Prior to that, she led the HR function at a civil and building engineering startup along the coast, successfully managing both field extension networks and office staff spanning six Kenyan counties. Patience holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management with a major in Human Resources from Moi University and is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of East London. Her vision revolves around leveraging organizational development frameworks to drive strategy through people. She excels in navigating complexities, championing organizational culture, and unlocking the full potential of individuals and teams. Beyond her professional endeavors, Patience is an avid traveler, a boxing enthusiast, and a budding blogger. Patience has been with Educate! since 2018.

Mollyne Gatobu

  • Mollyne has been with Educate! since 2020.

Aissetou Sanogo

  • From Kampala, Uganda, Hawah’s skillful versatility has led her to serve Educate! in various roles. Her talent for organization and impressive leadership were immediately evident when she started working with Educate! in 2008 as a Mentor to over 100 students in Kampala. Soon after, she was promoted to Senior Program Coordinator, and in 2013 she was named the Regional Manager, where she oversaw the implementation of the leadership and entrepreneurship program in Educate!’s newly-formed eastern region. Currently, Hawah works to support Educate! in various ways that allow the organization to enhance program quality and explore opportunities for expansion into new countries and communities. Hawah truly embodies Educate!’s mission to develop young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa. When asked why she works for Educate!, she says, "I love working with youth and knowing that I am creating a positive impact in the lives of youth." In 2012, she was certified as a business trainer by the International Labour Organization’s partner Youth Entrepreneurship Facility. She supported and trained over 40 widows and youth to start enterprises in their local communities. Again in 2013, she was recognized as an emerging female African leader, when selected as Educate!’s first Acumen Fellow. In her spare time, Hawah loves to read. Hawah has been with Educate! since 2008.

Simi Olabisi

  • Simi Olabisi oversees the day-to-day U.S. accounting operations and has responsibility for the overall accounting processes. She ensures Educate! has the systems and procedures in place to comply with practice international control standards, fulfill all U.S. nonprofit regulations, and conduct clean efficient audits. She also works closely with the East-African based accounting/finance teams to ensure seamless and accurate financial reporting and with the U.S. based revenue team to ensure accurate revenue recognition and reporting. Prior to joining Educate!, Simi worked in public accounting for 8 years as an auditor with a specialty in nonprofits. In this role she served as a supervisor for various nonprofit audits, while providing recommendations and general consulting services to management teams and different board committees. Simi is passionate about international volunteering, having previously volunteered in Fiji and has returning projects in Tanzania. In her free time, she loves to travel and experience new cultures. Simi holds a master’s degree in business administration from Shippensburg University in 2020. Simi has been with Educate! since 2021.

Aloysie Niyoyita

  • Aloysie is currently Head of the Performance Metrics function within the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) department. She plays a critical role in advancing data-driven strategies to optimize organization’s performance. Starting in the organization in 2017 as M&E senior officer, Aloysie was pivotal in ensuring the field team's data accuracy and timeliness through the effective tools creation and maintenance. This foundational role set the stage for a career marked by significant contributions to the development of global performance metrics standards, tools, systems and processes. Aloysie holds a bachelors’ degree in Applied Statistics and masters’ degree Economic Sciences from the University of Rwanda and Kigali Independent University respectively. Prior to joining Educate!, she served at the Centre for Integrated Development Research and Action (CIDRA), as a statistician. She is also an alumnus of the Unlock Impact fellowship which strengthened her leadership skills. She is so passionate to use data evidence to support team efforts, she embodies the combination of her analytical skills and visionary leadership to drive the Performance metrics function towards new heights of efficiency and impact. Aloysie has been with Educate! since 2017.

Richard Olupot Ogaino

  • Richard’s experience as a Graduate teacher of Economics and Geography, and the drive to see teachers adopt an experience based approach to classroom teaching and management inspired him to sign up for his first role as Teacher Support Coordinator with Educate!. Richard is a Certified Chartered Human Resource Business Partner and a Fellow with the American Academy of Project Management; holds a Masters in Management/HRM from Trisakti University, Jakarta, Indonesia, and is a Registered Teacher with the MOE&S, Uganda. Richard is inspired by and feels privileged to work with a talented & high performing team that is deeply invested in education outcomes. “During my training at University as a teacher, hundreds or even thousands of teacher trainees were exposed to the serious gaps in our education system. Working with people providing real solutions to real problems is humbling to me.” During his free time, Richard enjoys running, traveling, translating documents from Bahasa Indonesia to English, and engaging in Christian Ministry. Richard has been with Educate! since 2011.

Diana Mwai

  • Diana is passionate about and highly active in youth entrepreneurship, child protection, and livelihoods for vulnerable groups in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Diana joined Educate! in February 2013 as a Senior Program Manager. She has helped manage Educate!'s team to successfully deliver the program at scale in 250 schools in Uganda’s Central and Eastern regions of Uganda. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with an Economics degree. She received her Master’s in Public Management from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. After graduating, she worked as a National Program Coordinator at the African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN). Diana is passionate about working with young people and believes they are the solution to Africa’s poverty-related challenges. Diana has been with Educate! since 2013.

Fred Olaka

Zipporah Jean Alaroker

  • Zipporah has been with Educate! since 2015.

Educate! Managers

Angelique Mushimiyimana

  • Angelique has been with Educate! since 2020.

Edith Mukyala

  • Edith has been with Educate! since 2023.

Faith Nduku

  • Faith has been with Educate! since 2022.

Hazel Mugo

  • Hazel has been with Educate! since January 2024.

Jean d'Amour Habumuremyi

Irene Onyango

  • Irene has been with Educate! since August 2024.

Janet Namugaya

  • Janet has been with Educate! since 2015.

Prossy Arinaitwe

  • Prossy has been with Educate! since 2019.

Shaye Smith

  • Shaye has been with Educate! since 2023.

Victoria Kamau

  • Victoria has been with Educate! since 2021.

Ann Kabengi

  • Ann has been with Educate! since 2018.

Charity Mbabazi

  • Charity has been with Educate! since 2021.

Eunice Olembo

  • Eunice has been with Educate! since 2023.

Francis Kusiimwa

  • Francis has been with Educate! since 2023.

Immaculate Alapo

  • Immaculate has been with Educate! since 2019.

Catherine Muthoni

  • Catherine has been with Educate! since 2023.

Claire Nimusiima

  • Claire has been with Educate! since January 2024.

Fabiola Kabera Iradukunda

  • Fabiola has been with Educate! since 2022.

Jemima Mutegeevu

  • Jemima has been with Educate! since 2022.

Joseph Nshimiyimana

  • Joseph has been with Educate! since 2019.

Megan Vander Velde

  • Megan has been with Educate! since 2021.

Nicholas Musisi

  • Nicholas has been with Educate! since 2023.

Sereverien Ngarukiye

  • Sereverien has been with Educate! since 2023.

  • Jemima has been with Educate! since 2022.

Joseph Gatu

  • Joseph has been with Educate! since January 2024.

Lucy Macharia

  • Lucy has been with Educate! since 2021.

Muzito Anthony Kaiso

  • Muzito has been with Educate! since 2012.

Sarah Kenyi

  • Sarah has been with Educate! since 2023.

Twaha Waniala

  • Twaha has been with Educate! since 2015.

William Mjema Hardson

  • William has been with Educate! since 2022.

Dorothy Namubiru

  • Dorothy has been with Educate! since 2015.

Frank Omona

  • Frank has been with Educate! since 2017.

Veronica Mutavi

  • Veronica has been with Educate! since 2021.

Juliet Kyobweine

  • Juliet has been with Educate! since 2017.

Board of Directors

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Dzingai Mutumbuka

  • Dzingai has over 40 years of experience in education and development. He previously served as Chair of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) for nine years. Prior to that, he held various senior management positions in the education sector, at the World Bank from 1990-2007, and as the Minister of Education in Zimbabwe from 1980-1990. Currently, Dzingai sits on several boards involved with education, including RISE, Results for Development Institute, Teach for All, Big Win Philanthropy, Vitol Foundation, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), and Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program. He holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Sussex.

Jeff Aludo

  • Jeff’s experience in Africa and other emerging markets drives his passion for sustainable development on the ethos of shared value. He has a focus on organization and strategic transformation. He often shares his voice by penning columns in leading publications.

    His consulting and industry sector experience spans more than 20 years, with senior roles held at leading consulting firms such as Deloitte US and PwC, with additional experience leading international strategy and operations advisory firms. Additionally, he brings astute strategic communications, public affairs, and risk-advisory consulting experience to clients advocating for public and private sector participation for sustainable social impact.

    Jeff receives invites from leading corporates to provoke the thinking of board and senior management on topics such as corporate strategy planning, organization models, and transformational leadership. He is an adjunct professor and executive fellow at Strathmore University’s leading business school and sits on the boards of various organizations.

Amy Kates

  • Amy is an organization designer. She serves as a trusted advisor to business leaders in successful companies around the world, working with them to assess organizational issues, reshape structures and processes, and build depth of management capability. She was a co-founder of Kates Kesler Organization Consulting. Kates Kesler was acquired by Accenture in 2020 and Amy served as a Senior Managing Director for Accenture, growing a global practice. In addition to her consulting work, Amy taught organization design in the Executive MBA program at the Executive School of Business in Denmark and through Cornell University. Amy Kates is a co-author, with Greg Kesler, of the book Networked, Scaled, and Agile: A Design Strategy for Complex Organizations (2021) and Bridging Organization Design and Performance: Five Ways to Activate a Global Operation Model (2015). She is the author of three other best-selling books in the field and the developer of the LinkedIn Learning organization design video series. She is a past editor of the journal People & Strategy. The organization design approach and tools Amy has developed with Jay Galbraith and Greg Kesler have become the standard internal design methodology used in dozens of major corporations around the world.

    Amy also has a deep interest in regenerative farming and is developing a farm-stay resort in Rwanda, called Ishobe, that highlights the value of local and traditional farming techniques for today’s environmental challenges.

    Amy began her career as a planner and Urban Fellow with New York City. She has a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. Amy lives in New York City with her family.

Radhika Malpani

  • Radhika is a seasoned philanthropist, board member, and climate tech investor with a distinguished career in the technology sector spanning over three decades. Having held senior executive positions at renowned organizations like Google, Radhika has now shifted her focus to combating climate change.

    At Google, Radhika was a Senior Engineering Director and was responsible, over a period of about 20 years, for initiating and scaling up several critical products. Starting with leading Google Ads in 2000, Radhika built Google Images, growing it over a period of about 7.5 years to over 1B queries/day and ~70% market share. In addition to starting Google Local Search, she also led Google Travel Search to help users better plan their leisure trips.

    With a deep-seated interest in leveraging technology for social good, Radhika left Google in mid-2019 to focus full-time on helping mission-driven startups scale. Radhika now serves on multiple boards, including Educate!, Simprints, and Island Conservation. She also advises startup founders, drawing upon her extensive experience in building and scaling successful products and organizations. Her expertise enables founders to navigate critical strategic considerations.

    Radhika’s experience working in the social sector has propelled her towards a dedicated focus on climate change. She spent a year at Stanford as a fellow in Stanford’s Distinguished Career Institute, deepening her focus. She is a lecturer at The Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford, where she co-teaches entrepreneurship focused on climate change, and an associate adjunct professor at UC Santa Cruz. Radhika’s primary areas of interest lie at the intersection of oceans and climate change.

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Nikita Miller

  • Nikita Miller serves as Senior Vice President, Head of Product Management at The Knot Worldwide. In this role, Nikita leads the global Product Management team, focusing on product strategy and growth, across all brands.

    Nikita has spent her career in product management building great teams and creating products that users love. Most recently, Nikita was VP of Product at Dooly. Prior to that, she led product teams at Trello and Atlassian for five years. Nikita’s experience ranges from early-stage startups to multinational companies and from EdTech to Enterprise SaaS. Nikita is also an active startup advisor and angel investor.

    Nikita received her bachelor’s from Cornell University, studied at the London School of Economics, and earned her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. She lives in upstate New York with her family.

Boris Bulayev

  • Under Boris’s leadership, Educate! has grown to become the largest youth skills provider in East Africa, meaningfully impacting over 390,000 youth across Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. With a team of over 250 staff and 300 youth mentors, the organization has received much acclaim for its work, including the 2018 Klaus J. Jacobs Prize and the 2015 WISE Award. Educate! was also highlighted by the World Bank’s S4YE's Impact Portfolio, The Brookings Institution as one of 14 case studies in their global scaling education learning initiative, the UN’s Generation Unlimited as one of 20 innovative youth solutions, and by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a Goalkeepers Accelerator. As an immigrant from Latvia and a refugee himself, Boris believes in the power of giving young people access to mentorship and transformative learning experiences - both of which allowed him to move from starting in the US on welfare and food stamps to where he is today. Before jumping into Educate! full-time, Boris worked at startup incubator Loeb Enterprises. Boris is a recipient of the 2011 Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize, and a two-time Forbes Top 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur. Boris has been with Educate! since 2004.

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Eric Glustrom

  • Eric Glustrom is the founder and CEO of Watson Institute and the co-founder of Educate!. Watson Institute is dedicated to supporting next-generation entrepreneurs and leaders to forge impactful, successful careers by partnering with institutions to reimagine talent development systems.

    Graduate of Amherst College in Biochemistry and recognized as an Ashoka Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and one of Forbes 30 Social Entrepreneurs Under 30, Eric’s work is driven by a simple belief: For humanity to reach its fullest potential, the place to start is within the hearts and minds of the next generation.

Remembering Board Chair Rik Kranenburg

In January 2020 we were deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Board Chair Rik Kranenburg. Rik will always be a part of the Educate! family, and we are immensely grateful for his contributions to our mission.

Advisory Boards

Educate! Brain Trust

This advisory group supports the collaborative innovation and development of our new solution for out-of-school youth.

  • Dedo Baranshamaje, Director of Strategy, Segal Family Foundation

  • Devang Vussonji, Director, Elimu-Soko; Founder, Axum

  • Nadi Albino, Deputy Director of Partnerships and Resources Mobilization, Generation Unlimited

  • Nancy Taggart, Vice President, Making Cents International; Former Senior Advisor, USAID

  • Nick Burnett (Chair), Senior Fellow, Results for Development

  • Patrick Obonyo, Programme Manager, IKEA Foundation

  • Paul Atherton, Founder, AI-for-Education.org; Founder, Fab Inc.; Former Education Economist, DFID

  • Shubha Jayaram, Deputy Director of Strategy, Planning and Management, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

  • Teresa Mbagaya, Investor; Advisor

  • Xiaoyan Liang, Lead Education Specialist, World Bank