Originally from Lithuania, Aiste has a passion for human rights, international affairs and media. Prior to joining the Global Fund for Women, Aiste worked as Communication Affairs advisor to Lithuania’s Education Minister, where she played an active role in shaping the higher education and science sector reform and introducing it to the public. During her time as deputy editor at The Moscow Times daily, she shaped business coverage and led a team of reporters during the period of Russia’s record economic growth. Aiste also kept close watch on Eastern European politics and economy as an analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit in London. She is the author of a report on human rights and media in Lithuania for the Media Diversity Institute in the UK and worked as a researcher for the European Center for Minority Issues in Germany. Aiste pursued graduate studies at Cambridge University and the London School of Economics. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Vilnius University and also spent a year studying at Uppsala University. Aiste is fluent in Lithuanian, English and Russian and speaks basic German. She is an avid hiker and will never say “no” to contemporary jazz and good wine.

Sangeeta has over 20 years of experience in business and international development in the areas of economic and environmental justice. Her most recent work has focused on supporting community solutions to improving access to water and sanitation for those living in poverty. Most recently, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation she led a 30-city study focused on bringing sanitation services to underserved urban populations across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. At the Acumen Fund, Sangeeta headed a large Gates Foundation initiative that piloted solutions to improve access to safe drinking water across India and Kenya. During her time as Executive Director of League of Artisans, she worked to support livelihoods and traditions of local artisanal crafters in India and prior to that, helped CARE India launch an institution focused on developing the livelihoods and microfinance sectors in India. At the American India Foundation in New York, Sangeeta was involved in grant portfolio assessment and strategy development for their livelihoods grant-making. Sangeeta transitioned to the non-profit sector after spending several years in Silicon Valley's dynamic semiconductor industry. She holds a Master in Public Administration (Program in Economic Policy Management) from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She also has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and in Physics from Northeastern University.

Dianne earned her BA in English and American Literature and Spanish Language and Literature from Brandeis University. She spent six months living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, studying at local universities in conjunction with Butler University's Cooperating Programs in the Americas. Her professional background includes experience as an English teacher at Colegio Publico Federico Garica Lorca in Alcala de Henares, Spain, and as a teacher at Nature Nurture Adventure in San Francisco. Dianne also served as Workshop Coordinator and Facilitator at Leah's Pantry, Inc., a San Francisco non-profit organization. There, she facilitated bilingual nutrition and cooking workshops for children, teens, adults and senior citizens in San Francisco, and coordinated program logistics for over 70 nutrition education workshops serving over 700 low-income individuals throughout California. Before joining the Global Fund, Dianne assisted IDEX's Latin America Program with the translation of reports from grantee partners. She is fluent in Spanish.

Erika Guevara-Rosas is a feminist lawyer and human rights activist with over fifteen years of international experience in the fields of human rights and social justice philanthropy. She currently serves as the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Global Fund for Women, where she has secured and mobilized more than $13 million in support to women’s rights groups and networks across the region over the past six years. Before joining Global Fund, Erika served as Legal/Protection Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), managing complex operations in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Panama and Venezuela, mainly in border areas with war-affected populations. At UNHCR, she was actively involved in the formulation of policy and legal frameworks to ensure respect for human rights. Erika also has extensive experience working for non-governmental organizations in Mexico and Canada, including Sin Fronteras- a leading migration advocacy organization.

Erika has advised diverse philanthropic institutions on how to implement a more gender-focused and social justice approach to their international programming. She chairs and participates in numerous funders/donors networks and work-groups to influence and leverage more resources for human rights issues. Erika serves on the board of directors of the International Museum of Women and the Central American Women’s Fund and is a member of the Advisory Council of the Women’s Human Rights Education Institute in Canada. She has written several articles on forced migration, gender and women’s rights issues.

Erika has a Master in Women's Studies, and post-graduate degree on Migration and Refugee Studies from York University in Canada. She received her LL.B from Universidad de Londres in Mexico City. Erika is fluent in Spanish and English, and conversational in Portuguese.

Caroline likes asking questions and particularly enjoys asking questions of young women, feminist activists, entrepreneurs and people interested in gender and sexuality. She recently worked with Innovations for Poverty Action, where she managed field research projects on entrepreneurship in urban Ghana. She has also worked as an admission counselor at Knox College and has assisted several organizations in growth planning. Having grown up in the U.S. and several African countries, Caroline is of Ivorian and American heritage and identifies as Pan-African in identity and experiences. Caroline holds a B.A. in economics from Occidental College and she has two master’s degrees, in public administration and international relations from Syracuse University. She is passionate about food, girls’ education, entrepreneurship, sexuality studies and LGBTQI issues internationally; areas that she continues to explore and support through research and volunteer work. Caroline speaks French and would like to learn Portuguese.

Violeta joined the Global Fund for Women in September 2010 bringing more than 15 years of experience as a human rights advocate, gender-based violence counselor, non-profit management trainer, and video producer. She was born in Macedonia, grew up in Kosovo and Serbia, and has worked throughout Central and Eastern Europe and in the U.S. At the beginning of ’90s, Violeta worked as a gender-based violence counselor in the former Yugoslavia where she also organized outreach and humanitarian support services for women violence survivors and refugees, as well as campaigns to strengthen civil initiatives against nationalism and war. In the U.S., Violeta has conducted research and advocacy on the impact of U.S. foreign policy on women's human rights globally. Prior to the Global Fund, Violeta worked at WITNESS, an international advocacy organization which empowers human rights defenders to use video as a tool for justice. Violeta oversaw WITNESS’ program activities in Europe and the former Soviet Union, including partnerships with locally based human rights organizations and trainings through regional and thematic networks. Videos she has produced have been screened at the US Congress, the State Department, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and at advocacy events worldwide. Violeta holds an MA from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a BA in Psychology (Phi Beta Kapha), also from Columbia. Her native language is Serbian; she is fluent in Croatian and Bosnian, and proficient in Russian, Spanish, and Macedonian. Violeta is a certified yoga teacher who enjoys crocheting (on subways in New York) and sailing (in San Francisco Bay). Watch or read an interview with Violeta Krasnic »

Muadi brings a background of women's health, African politics and economic development in Africa and frequently advises donors on their Africa programs. She presents often, including at international conferences and media outlets such as NPR and Pacifica Radio Affiliates. She has contributed to several articles on women's rights and African development and regularly writes opinions pieces. Since joining the Global Fund in 2004, Mukenge has increased support in the areas of conflict-prevention, economic policy advocacy, empowerment of rural women, and expansion of grants to French-speaking countries. She has stewarded the deepening of support to the women's movement in the Great Lakes Region (DRC, Burundi, CAR), and facilitated GFW grantee convenings in DRC on ending sexual violence and advancing women's rights. Prior to joining the Global Fund in 2004, she served as Program Officer for Africa at the Pacific Institute for Women's Health, where she managed training and evaluation projects, and managed the Pacific Institute's grant-making program and communications initiative. At Coro Southern California, a leadership training institute, she produced communications materials and managed alumni fundraising campaigns. From 1993-1997, Mukenge worked at the African Studies Center at UCLA, where she assisted research initiatives, organized international conferences and the teacher training program, and produced research publications on political transition in Africa. Mukenge holds a Master's Degree in African Studies from UCLA. She is fluent in French and is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mukenge is active in volunteer organizations focused on African immigrant rights, foreign policy toward Africa, and promotion of human rights in the Congo. Mukenge is on the Boards of Priority Africa Network, New Field Foundation, and the African Studies Association.

Huong brings over fifteen years experience in international public health and community development to Global Fund. During her recent tenure with the Population and Reproductive Health Program at the Packard Foundation, she held a variety of positions, including Global Technical Adviser, Consultant, and Research Adviser. Huong coordinated working relationships between Foundation headquarters and country offices in India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Before joining the Packard Foundation, Huong was the Deputy Director/Director of Economic Development for the Vietnamese American Initiative for Development. She also held a number of professional consultancies with both NGOs and grant making organizations in the fields of public health and community development. Huong holds a Master of Science in Development Management and a Master of Public Health in addition to a Bachelor of Science from Tulane University with a double major in Psychology and Sociology.

Prior to joining Global Fund, Jane Sloane was Vice President of Development with Women’s World Banking in New York. She also worked as Executive Director of International Women’s Development Agency, supporting women’s rights organizations across the Asia Pacific. Jane has held executive positions with social sector organizations including World Vision, Marie Stopes International, Austrade, and the Social Entrepreneurs Network where she was the founding CEO. Jane holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney and a B.A. (Hons History) from the University of Adelaide. She is a recipient of a Global Ambassadors Award from the Advance Foundation, a Woman of Distinction Award from the Asia Pacific Women’s Business Council, a Churchill Fellowship, an Endeavour Fellowship from the Australian Government, a HumanRights Medal from the Vietnam Women’s Union, a Future Summit scholarship from the Australian Davos Connection, and a Vincent Fairfax Ethics in LeadershipFellowship. She serves on the Board of the International Women’s Funding Network and is a Patron of Marie Stopes International. Her blog is janeintheworld.com.

Over the past decade, Caitlin has worked to advance the human rights of women and girls' at the Global Fund for Women. Currently she serves as the Global Fund's Sr. Program Officer for Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation. Previously, she served as interim Director, Major Gifts and Sr. Officer for Philanthropic Partnerships and has traveled on behalf of the Global Fund in Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique. Caitlin is the Chair of the Board of Directors of IDEX, a nonprofit promoting sustainable solutions to poverty in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and has also served on the Boards of the Palo Alto Area Mills College Alumni Association, Mid-Peninsula Parents of Multiples, and as an Advisor to Akili Dada, a Kenya/US initiative for girls' education and leadership. Previously, she worked with the Mills College CARES Center on community service and service-learning programs, and as a volunteer for the East Bay Institute for Urban Arts and in the Oakland Public Schools. She has studied in Okinawa, Japan and Cape Town, South Africa and holds a BA in dramatic arts from Mills College where her thesis focused on women playwrights in the South African Freedom Movement.

Siri holds a B.A. in Sociology, Anthropology, and Studio Art from St. Olaf College. As part of her studies, Siri spent a semester in Tanzania where her research on cross-gender interactions allowed her to explore the perceived inequalities between men and women and the social constructs that help create them. After she graduated, Siri focused on promoting equal opportunity for oppressed populations, with a specific emphasis on education. She comes to the Global Fund for Women most recently from the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center and Up on Top, a tuition-free education-focused after school program in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Siri also volunteers weekly with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly.

A native of the East Bay, Margaret is passionate about generating positive change in the world at both the community and international level. Prior to joining Global Fund for Women, she served as the Program Manager for the Africa and Asia region at Opportunity International, a non-profit organization supporting microfinance institutions in over 20 countries around the world. During her time in Chicago, she was an active member of the Chicago Chapter of Women Advancing Microfinance since its founding in 2008. Margaret earned her master's in public policy from the University of Chicago and B.A. in global studies from UC Santa Barbara. She speaks French, a skill improved during her junior year while studying in Toulouse, France. Margaret eagerly seeks out opportunities to travel, even in the form of long walks around the neighborhood or swimming laps around the local pool.

Karolo is an experienced fundraiser for progressive social and environmental causes. Before joining the Global Fund, he led fundraising efforts for the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, International Rivers, Save The Bay and Global Exchange. Karolo has an M.B.A. from San Francisco State University, where he also earned his B.A. Karolo holds an M.A. in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University where he did field work in Guatemala and Mexico. He serves on the Program Committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter and helps coordinate training sessions for fundraising professionals. Karolo is Spanish-English bilingual and is conversant in French.

Janelle Cavanagh comes to the Global Fund for Women with over 17 years experience as a development professional. Her passion for the Global Fund for Women arose both from her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Thailand and from her seven years as Chief Development Officer for Girls Inc. Janelle has significant experience in building fundraising campaigns from her time at the United Way, as Executive Director of the University of California Press Foundation, and most recently, as Director of National Expansion at Coaching Corps. Janelle is on the Board of the West Coast Children's Clinic and mentors young women in her community.

Sara has a passion for connecting people, organizations, and resources to achieve common goals. After graduating from Brown University with a BA in Economics, Sara served in the Peace Corps in Jamaica. As a lifelong volunteer and advocate for increased opportunities for women and children, Sara developed a strong belief that the best way to improve the lives of children is through ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all women. Sara holds an MA in International Policy Studies, Development from the Monterey Institute.

Prior to joining the Global Fund, Eva was a Senior Leadership Gifts Officer at the International Rescue Committee, where she was responsible for stewarding relationships with the IRC's highest-level individual donors. Before embarking on a career in nonprofit fundraising, Eva was an independent feature film producer in New York. Most notably, she produced the film Boys Don't Cry, which won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2000. Eva holds a B.A. in psychology from Yale and she sits on the board of the Reproductive Health Access Project, which seeks to expand women's access to reproductive healthcare and abortion by integrating these services into primary care settings. Eva was named one of Crain's New York Business' “40 under 40” in 2002.

Taylor graduated from Chapman University with a bachelor's degree in psychology. At Chapman, she planned campus-wide events to raise awareness about student health and well-being, sustainability, cultural diversity, education, community service, women's rights, and more. Taylor is passionate about women's access to education, and in her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and practicing yoga.

Mary Magellan completed her Masters in International Policy Studies with a concentration in Conflict Resolution at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She developed a monitoring and evaluation system for Global Fund grantee partner, World Pulse, a media organization covering global issues from women’s perspectives. Passionate about gender and youth development, Mary has conducted research in Sierra Leone on the challenges to peace building, and worked at Search for Common Ground in Morocco, supporting youth mediation trainings, and coordinating monitoring and evaluation efforts. Mary is fluent in French.

Elaine’s position as Vice President of Development represents the intersection of her personal and professional passions: a commitment to women’s empowerment through high-level, dynamic fundraising. Elaine has lead efforts to build the philanthropic community in the UK, US and Asia. Her career has centered on the advancement of human rights through medical education, social justice, diversity policy, and advocacy using fundraising and political action. Elaine brings her experiences at Refugees International, King’s College London, the British Medical Association, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School to the Global Fund to work with philanthropists who are committed to growing our impact.

Prior to joining Global Fund, she lead the development team at Refugees International in Washington DC. From 2005-2008, she influenced the strategic vision behind King’s College London’s capital campaign, personally raising over $40 million towards medical research and healthcare projects in the UK, Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka and the U.S. She served as Head of Research Grants and Trusts at the British Medical Association and managed the work of a 20-member Board of Medical Education, crafting policy on patient rights and medical education.

Elaine double majored in Medical Studies and English Literature and Communications at Gannon University, and has a Master’s degree in Victorian Literature from the University of Leeds. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Women’s Foreign Policy Group and Women in Development. Read More »

Camille holds a M.A. in International Policy and Development from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She founded the campus chapter of Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood and is passionate about women’s health and reproductive freedom. Before joining the Global Fund, Camille worked as a Program Assistant for Grantmakers without Borders and as Grants Assistant with the Other Worlds are Possible Giving Circle, making grants directly to grassroots groups in Haiti. Camille spent her childhood summers in the Belgian countryside and lived in Nice, France teaching English to primary school children. Camille speaks French fluently and is improving her Spanish conversation. Camille first joined the Global Fund as an intern of the Sub Saharan Africa program in February of 2010.

Jenna is passionate about bringing people together around important causes. She has been organizing events for the past 10 years for various non-profits in the Bay Area. Prior to the Global Fund, Jenna worked as Program Director for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship and Inner City Advisors. Jenna is an advocate for human and environmental rights. She serves on the Board of World Bridges and Global Citizens for Sustainable Development and as an Advisor for the Bali Institute for Global Renewal. Jenna has a bilingual teaching credential and B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from UC San Diego. She loves to travel, and lived in South American for several years, where she worked with eco-villages and as a photographer for Fair Trade Brazil. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Renee is a passionate supporter of women's rights, with family origins in the Middle East. She earned a B.A. in International Studies, with a concentration in women's issues in the Middle East/North Africa, from UC San Diego. After graduating, Renee traveled to Muscat, Oman with the U.S. State Department's Critical Language Scholarship program. In Muscat, she studied Arabic language and culture, and experienced the challenges Omani women face in a strict gender divide. Prior to working with the Global Fund, Renee worked with Yelp! Inc. selling local advertising. Renee enjoys exploring San Francisco, baking, traveling, and Latin dancing.

Christine joins the Global Fund for Women with a passion for social change philanthropy and global gender equity. She has 13 years of fundraising and program experience internationally in both the public and private sectors. Christine was previously the director of development and external affairs at the International Museum of Women. Prior to joining IMOW, she was the director of corporate and foundation relations at the UC Berkeley Law School. In her previous positions, she directed UC Berkeley Extension’s International Programs, worked as consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund where she conducted an evaluation of the Partners in Innovation Program in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also worked as a management consultant at Accenture in Washington, DC, France and the Netherlands, and has worked for the U.S. Embassy in Paris and Madrid. Christine graduated with a Masters degree from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University where she studied international development and education with a focus on gender equity. A graduate of the University of Virginia, she also studied at the Sorbonne and at the Institut de Sciences Politiques in Paris. Christine is fluent in Spanish and French, proficient in Italian and Portuguese, and is currently learning Greek.

Devi believes private philanthropy is the key to sustaining grassroots nonprofits around the world. As a child of a diplomat from Cambodia, she learned from an early age the importance of gender equality and children's rights. She has over 10 years of experience in the public sector; most recently working at the UCSF as the Annual Fund and Reunion Giving Coordinator for the Schools of Dentistry and Pharmacy. Prior to UCSF, Devi worked with volunteers and community partners at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in New York City. She graduated from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service with a Master's in Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy. She also received a B.A. degree in Economics Management and Spanish from Ohio Wesleyan University. She is fluent in Khmer and conversational in Spanish.

Noelle Williams graduated from the University of Michigan in 2008 with a Bachelor's degree in English. After campaigning for Barack Obama in the 2008 election, she moved to Los Angeles to work for Ms. magazine and its publisher the Feminist Majority Foundation. At Ms., she expanded her knowledge of women's issues and wrote regularly for the magazine and its blog. She continues to freelance for the Ms. Blog and other online publications. A self-proclaimed grammar geek, Noelle is an avid writer and reader. She lives in Brooklyn with her fickle cat Marjorie.

Amelia joins the team with passion for fundraising as a vehicle for social change. She has over 15 years of both fundraising and program experience with a range of international nonprofit organizations, including Room to Read, the Asia Foundation, Give2Asia, and six years from 1999-2005 on the Programs side of the Global Fund for Women. Amelia believes that the Global Fund plays a special role in the international women’s rights movement and in the field of feminist philanthropy, which makes it a special place to do fundraising. Drawing on her experience as both a fundraiser and a programmer, she hopes to mobilize networks and resources worldwide to help the Global Fund and the international women’s movement achieve its goals. Amelia graduated with a masters in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she focused on international development and political economy, as well as a bachelor of arts in economics from Cornell University. She is also the mother of three girls, who keep her centered and motivate her work to make the world a better place for women and girls.

Christine writes and speaks regularly on human rights, globalization and militarism and has addressed the United Nations, Congress, and the South Korean National Human Rights Commission. She is a fellow with the Korea Policy Institute and Oakland Institute and a columnist with Foreign Policy In Focus. Christine has appeared on CNN, NBC, Al-Jazeera, NPR, and has published op-eds in the International Herald Tribune, Asia Times and other media. She edited Shafted: Free Trade and America's Working Poor and contributed to The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Nonprofit Industrial Complex. Christine produced Fashion Resistance to Militarism while program director at the Women of Color Resource Center. She was inducted into the OMB Watch Public Interest Hall of Fame and recognized as Rising Peacemaker by the Agape Foundation. She serves on the board of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. She has a Masters in public policy from Georgetown University.

Michele graduated with a BA in Development Studies from Brown University, where she wrote her senior honors thesis about the UN Security Council's approach to issues concerning women, peace and security. She has been involved in global affairs and human rights since high school, when she founded her school's chapter of Amnesty International. Her work at the Global Fund is rooted in her strong belief in the power of online technologies to build communities and incite activism. When she is not in the office, Michele is most likely dancing. She joined the Global Fund first as an intern in June 2010.

Zoe grew up in the Bay Area and attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where she earned her bachelor’s degree in American Studies with a Journalism emphasis. Her love of writing and storytelling was nurtured at the Santa Cruz Sentinel where she worked as journalist. After serving as marketing coordinator for Visa’s Olympic sponsorship, she followed her passion for writing and education to join the National Writing Project’s communications team. There she specialized in the production of multi-media communications collateral, highlighting the innovative work of dedicated teachers across the nation. Zoe is conversational in Spanish and has spent time traveling in Israel with Jewish American youth.

Deborah has a BA in Journalism from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Deborah has more than 30 years experience in media, healthcare, executive relations, internal/external communications, special events, and not-for-profit. As Senior Vice President at Fleishman Hillard International Communications, Deborah served a variety of clients the retail, healthcare, pharmaceutical, public health and technology sectors. In addition to serving as Global Co-Chair of the Multicultural Practice group, Deborah was also member of the firm’s Global Healthcare and Sustainability practice groups where she helped guide award winning programs and initiatives.

Prior to Fleishman-Hillard she served as Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Truman Medical Centers, an academic health system in Kansas City, Missouri. An accomplished television news reporter and analyst for more than 30 years, Deborah has worked for local and international news organizations. She has received numerous awards for investigative reporting and documentaries. Deborah is conversant in French.

Before her current role, Shalini Nataraj was Vice President of Programs at the Global Fund for Women, where she oversaw a grants program that disbursed nearly $9 million annually to support women’s rights initiatives worldwide. Prior to joining Global Fund, Shalini was Associate Director of the Reebok Human Rights Award Program, focused on highlighting the work of young human rights activists. Before joining Reebok, Shalini worked for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee as the acting Director of International Programs, supporting social movements to promote women’s health and reproductive rights as well as political and civil human rights. She has worked with community organizations in Asia, Africa and the United States on human rights and environmental issues.

Shalini has co-founded several advocacy organizations focused on human rights issues such as ending the practice of trafficking, and promoting human rights and democracy in Burma, Rwanda, Burundi and neighboring countries following the Rwandan genocide. Shalini has also worked on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

She serves on the boards of Grantmakers Without Borders and the Women’s Funding Network, among others, and serves on the advisory committees of several more social justice and human rights organizations.

Shalini possesses over 25 years experience in the fields of environmental justice, international development and human rights, working internationally as well as in the United States.

As of July 1, 2012, Shalini will be transitioning to a new role as Director of Advocacy and External Relations in our New York office as part of the Communications Team.

Laura has been designing and building for the web since 1996, primarily for non-profit organizations and educational institutions in San Francisco. She led Mother Jones through two redesigns in her six years there. Her roots are in feminist theater, and prior to her work on the web she directed plays, stage managed, administered, and fundraised for dozens of non-profit theaters in the bay area, including the Brava Theater Center and the Working Women Festival.

Eliza is a first-generation Filipina-American who grew up in Hawaii, the Philippines and San Diego. She holds a BA from San Francisco State University and an MFA (the first in her family!) from Mills College. Eliza has over a decade’s experience as a Newswire Editor and as a Help Desk Technician. Leaving her corporate position, she decided to travel to the Philippines, Argentina, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and Brazil for a few years where she became critically aware of a wide range of social justice issues and struggles around the world. A fervent geek, artist and volunteer with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, her interests include art, politics, bicycling, food and anything that expands her mind.

Olga is originally from the Republic of Tuva in Southeastern Siberia, Russia. She received her law degree at the Urals State Law Academy and B.A. in Development Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Her studies took her to West Africa, where she attended University of Ghana to learn more about their development processes. Olga is passionate about many different issues of justice: in addition to her work at the Global Fund, she volunteers to raise awareness about environmental issues in indigenous territories of Russia. When she’s not working, you can find her jogging the streets of San Francisco, or supporting Tuvan throat-singing bands during their US tours.

Wendi joins the Global Fund after working as the Operations Manager for the National AIDS Memorial, a living tribute to all lives touched by HIV/AIDS. She is a passionate anti-violence activist and self-defense instructor. Since moving to the Bay Area 12 years ago, she has served as a board member and teaching collective member for several feminist, anti-violence organizations. In 2007, Wendi had the life-changing opportunity to travel to Kenya to train self-defense instructors in Nairobi for "I’m Worth Defending," an innovative violence-prevention program that provides resources for survivors. Wendi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women’s Studies and a minor in Queer Studies from UCLA. Wendi believes it’s incredibly important to be out - as a survivor, a queer woman, and as a white and trans ally. A California native, Wendi lives in Oakland with her five-year-old mutt, Djuna. She speaks Spanish and would very much like to know more than a few phrases in Swahili one day.

Saideh holds undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Music Field Studies and a Masters in International Affairs. She joins the Global Fund from One World Children’s Fund, where she served as a fellow, focusing her efforts on expanding the organization's outreach. Saideh has studied in Mexico and Switzerland, and has worked at The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. She speaks Farsi, French and Spanish.

Amira is first generation Egyptian-American. She grew up in Montreal, Canada where she learned to speak English, Arabic, and French. Amira earned her B.A in Political Science from California State University Channel Islands where she developed a strong passion for women's rights which culminated in a thesis titled, "The Role of Gender in War." Her thesis explored and proposed gendered economies as being the main reason that women are disproportionately affected during times of war. After graduating college, Amira moved to San Francisco where she joined the Western Regional Office of Amnesty International USA as an outreach and administrative intern.

Sarita earned a B.A. in English with a minor in Women's Studies at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. A native of Berkeley, California, she volunteered from an early age with Narika, a helpline for South Asian survivors of domestic violence in the Bay Area. She also worked as a grant writer for the Niroga Institute, an organization dedicated to bringing transformative skills to underserved and incarcerated youth. Sarita is fluent in French.

Nada attended the University of Hassan II in Casablanca where she studied English literature and Linguistics. Before joining the Global Fund for Women, she worked for ZUMA Press, Inc., a photography and wire service agency in Southern California, as an Editor and Associate Manager. Nada recently obtained an Associate Degree in Art History at City College of San Francisco, and is a regular volunteer with the school district, teaching kids to read and write. She came to the Global Fund first as a volunteer out of her interest in working to empower women around the world and to help bridge the gender gap. Nada was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, and is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

Karen earned her undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies at UC Berkeley and has a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA. She spent a year in Japan studying at the International Christian University and later coordinated an exchange program bringing together nonprofit professionals in the U.S. and Japan. She has worked with various nonprofits in the Bay Area that focus on youth and financial literacy. Prior to joining Global Fund, she worked as a research associate with a consulting firm providing evaluation and information-based services.

Clare holds a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in African Studies from Colorado College. She spent a semester in Nairobi, Kenya studying development and public health with the School for International Training. She has traveled to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Spain to study anti-globalization and indigenous movements. Upon graduation, Clare was awarded a grant to film a documentary about Afro-Ecuadorian movements, environmental degradation and industrial shrimp farming in coastal Ecuador. Clare also collaborated with NGOs in Ecuador to direct a short informational film addressing social infrastructure and cultural norms surrounding trash collection. In San Francisco, she volunteered with the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation and interned with the Foundation for Sustainable Development. Clare is fluent in Spanish, and an avid reader, hiker, and lifelong student of dance and performance.

April Oertwig is an expert on foundation governance. She speaks mission statements, bylaws, and strategic plans. She also is adept at working with foundation leadership to ensure the organization is working towards its mission and vision. Prior to joining the Global Fund, April was the executive assistant and IT manager at the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. In addition to supporting the CEO, April coordinated the successful completion of a $15 million fundraising campaign and managed a skilled and diverse board of trustees. April also coordinated the Foundation's adoption of their Program Related Investment program and new strategic plan. April loves the outdoors and can’t wait to explore the outdoors in northern California.

Maria holds a B.A. in Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies, as well as a minor in African-American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She spent a semester abroad at the University of Ghana where she studied African foreign policy and development. With a passion for academic research, she traveled to Cambridge University to represent UC Berkeley at a global research summit focusing on political theory and international globalization. Before coming the Global Fund, she was a research assistant at Berkeley Law School where she studied the legal and social implications of Arizona’s SB 1070. Maria has interned for the International Rescue Committee and Human Rights Watch in San Francisco. Born in France and raised in the Bay Area, Maria speaks French and Farsi.

Elizabeth (Liz) Schaffer, M.N.A. is a nonprofit leader, consultant, trainer, and author. Immediately before joining the Global Fund, she was Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Funding Network – a worldwide partnership of women’s funds, donors, and allies. She is the co-author of Financial Leadership forNonprofit Executives: Guiding Your Organization to Long Term Success. Liz is a very popular trainer at CompassPoint’s workshops and conferences and lectures in Nonprofit Financial Management at The University of San Francisco, Stanford University , and University of California, Berkeley. In her consulting work, Liz coaches nonprofit leaders and helps organizations enhance their decision-making ability by improving the quality of their financial data and analysis.

Annalisa brings more than 15 years of non-profit and private sector financial management and accounting experience to her work as Director of Finance and New York Operations. Prior to joining GFW in 2004, Annalisa worked with other internationally-focused non-profit organizations. She earned her B.A. in Women’s Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia and undertook graduate research in Women’s Studies at UCLA. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in the Executive program at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Randy received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in computer science. He lived and taught in Denmark for three years where he learned the practice of participatory design from its Scandinavian founders. Randy has also lived in Vietnam and Brazil. He was born in the US and speaks English and Danish.

Orion is an organizer and activist and has led peace projects and marches in Marin County, where he lived for four years before moving to San Francisco in 2009. He loves to gather community into creative spaces and mobilize them to work for positive cultural change. Orion is a proponent of alternative energies like biofuels, with in-depth knowledge of sustainability issues. He runs his own car on waste vegetable oil. He is a certified permaculturist and sits on the board of directors for the Oakland permaculture non-profit Planting Justice. He holds a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of Oregon, in Eugene. He is an advocate for Bioregionalism; sustainability based on stewardship of the land and keeping it local. In this vein of minimizing his carbon footprint, he rides his bike to work.

A dedicated nonprofit professional, Gennie has served more than 20 years as the accountant for organizations varying in size, from start-ups to established foundations. For more than ten years, she managed the compilation services for clients of Ghaffari Zaragoza, LLP, a firm recognized for an outstanding record in the philanthropic field. Gennie graduated with honors from Mills College in Business Economics.

Katarina grew up in San Francisco and attended University of California, Santa Cruz where she earned a B.A. in Psychology. She is also has a certificate in Human Resources Management from the College of Extended Learning at San Francisco State University. Her love for travel led her to study abroad in South Korea. Prior to joining the Global Fund, she was an intern with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and volunteered throughout the Bay Area. She enjoys baking and exploring the Bay Area in search of new adventures and great food.

joins the Global Fund from AchieveMission, where she was a consultant and provided performance and talent management design and implementation solutions to organizations in the non profit sector. She has over 25 years of Human Resources experience spanning non-profit, entrepreneurial and global organizations. Previously, she was the Director of Human Resources at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, where she contributed to the creation and implementation of their HR strategy, practices and programs. Christine has extensive experience in human resources in the financial services industry. She is a member of the Advisory Board of AchieveMission; she is active with the Northern California Human Resources Association and is also a mentor for women interested in careers in Human Resources. Christine has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Counseling from San Francisco State University, and is conversant in French.