This lunch session will explore ways the next generation of social entrepreneurs are closing the distance between our collective challenges and sustainable solutions. Listen to diverse changemakers from around the world, selected as part of the 2018 Emerging Leaders Initiative. Together we’ll hear from these innovators who bring a profound appreciation of the current status quo—and how to disrupt it.
Priyanka majored in English from Delhi University and started her career at a buying house. In the last decade she has worked in sales, accounts, customer service, media, production and as a travel writer across India, New Zealand and the United States. She believes that the diversity in her career and the experience accumulated has helped build her communication, adaptability, management and interpersonal skills extensively. Priyanka joined the development sector two years ago as part of the media team at Breakthrough. Starting out as Manager for campaigns, she now heads the Media Hub for the organisation, a role she moved into a year and a half ago. As part of the current role, Priyanka along with her team is responsible for all the Mass Media and Digital work that is produced by the Breakthrough across various programs. This includes all media products such as films, radio, graphics design, IVRS in addition to all digital content. As part of the Senior team for the organisation, Priyanka's role also includes being part of and giving input on organisational strategy and other processes when requiredAn avid reader, she is a traveler at heart and when not working can be found curled up on the couch planning her next trip.
Kevin is the Co-founder and Project Manager for Ukulima Halisi- A social venture Project that has revolutionised tea farming in Kenya by adopting notifications and schedule planning between the tea farmers and the different tea factories via mobile phone. Prior to moving to South Africa, He worked for Equity Group Foundation under the Wings to Fly Program, a project that provides full scholarship funding for needy bright students in Kenya.
As the Project Manager for Ukulima Halisi project, Kevin’s mission is to create innovative Information Technology systems that will help streamline agricultural processes in Kenya and enable farmers to make a better living. Kevin is a Research Fellow for Foundation for Innovation and Technology -Africa, an organization that provides consultancy on Innovation Policies and Technology Management in Pretoria.
Kevin is also a MasterCard Foundation Postgraduate Scholar at the University of Pretoria, an Alumni of USAID scholarship in Kenya and alumni of The Common Purpose Future Leader's Experience in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kevin Asinde is the founder and Managing Director of Amarin Financial Group, a business and financial services company providing affordable business and financial support services to individuals and SMEs in Uganda. Amarin collaborates with Swisscontact, USAID Feed the Future CPMA, Bank of Uganda, the U.S. Embassy and Goal Uganda, among others, in offering business support services to over 2500 entrepreneurs (including 1500 young people) and 300 business entities. As a role model for many young entrepreneurs, she has worked with Swisscontact to also offer business support services and deliver motivational speeches to young people at business forums. Kevin is also a gender advocate and is part of a medical legal team that sensitizes professionals in the medical legal fraternity to improve treatment of survivors of sexual gender based violence. Kevin is a graduate in Economics from Makerere University.
Sarah Borgman is an Advisor to the Skoll Foundation. She was recently Vice President, Convenings & Community, where she had executive oversight for the Skoll Community of Awardees and Skoll’s high-profile platforms that accelerate entrepreneurial approaches to the world’s most pressing problems. As part of her responsibilities, she oversaw the Skoll World Forum, the premiere 1,200-person, week-long convening at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, U.K.
Sarah has more than 25 years of executive and general management experience, with a focus on marketing, communications and convening experience in the public, private and government sectors. Prior to joining the Skoll Foundation, she served as the VP of Communications at the X PRIZE, the VP of Communications at the Prostate Cancer Foundation and a VP at Porter Novelli where she directed numerous entertainment, Fortune 100 and advocacy accounts. Sarah also worked for the Clinton Administration as the director of marketing for the Peace Corps and also served as a communications officer at the National School-to-Work Office at the U.S. Department of Education.
Early in her career, Sarah gained significant broadcast experience as a weekly panelist on a national public affairs television show and has served as a spokesperson for several federal departments and non-profit organizations. She has participated in various speaking/ moderating/ steering committee roles in prominent organizations and gatherings such as the Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Global Leadership Network Action Forum, Opportunity Collaboration, Independent Sector, BSR, Wellbeing Project, among others. She is trained in the IFTF’s Foresight Programming Method and in the Aspen Institute’s intensive Moderator Program.
Sarah started her career as part of the communications team for Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) and earned a BA in political science and international relations from Boston College. She is currently enrolled in graduate school at Denver Seminary. In her off-time, she and her husband try to stay ahead of her 11-year-old daughter and twin, seven-year-old boys.
Jo is Head of PR in the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) Global Communications & Marketing Team. Jo oversees global PR, digital content and social media for the MSC, managing a team of four and coordinating activity across more than 15 countries. This is an often challenging role, requiring a thorough understanding of science, politics and complex stakeholder dynamics. Jo's genuine passion for her work and environmental conservation motivates those she works with to develop and deliver joint initiates. Jo has transformed the way the MSC responds to criticism, centralizing and coordinating responses to challenges from media and stakeholders. She has overseen the redevelopment of the MSC's flagship annual report, been instrumental in transforming the MSC's website and initiated new projects and services including story telling, monitoring and evaluation and agency recruitment. Jo's work has increased the efficiency, visibility and impact of communications within the MSC, helping to drive change within the seafood industry in order to protect environments and livelihoods. Leadership, establishing effective relationships and an eye for detail have been essential to Jo's success in delivering beyond her responsibilities. She has gained the trust, confidence and support of colleagues at all levels within the organization, including the Executive and Board.
Faith is a Zambian Youth Activist who believes that young people are the future of today.She’s a member of the MasterCard Foundation Youth ThinkTank,a project implemented by Restless Development Uganda & is leading research on innovations and technology and how they affect young farmers at different stages of the agricultural value chain.She’s also working with other Youth ThinkTank Researchers in East,West & Southern Africa,developing &adapting tools &guidelines that can support development stakeholders improve &increase engagement with young people in their programs.Furthermore,Faith is very passionate about Sexual Reproductive Health.Because of her passion,she co-found COPPER ROSE,a youth-led organization in Zambia that’s committed to educating adolescents &young people about their bodies,sexual rights & menstrual hygiene.She travels to remote areas of Zambia,managing projects focusing on girls in underprivileged communities.In the last 2years,she’s reached out to 12000+ girls teaching them about puberty &menstrual hygiene practices &intends to reach out to 1million women & girls by 2021.Faith has years of experience in Youth Engagement & Grassroots Organizing in low income countries in Africa.She’s a founding member of Project Forward an innovative,self-sustaining ecosystem that allows NGOs to indirectly incentivize volunteers.At its core,Project Forward facilitates the monetization of volunteer hours through a proprietary digital currency called Forward Coins.Faith is currently a National Youth Consultant with Swiss TPH evaluating the ACT!2030 Initiative,youth-led social action initiative which engages young people with advocacy &accountability around the SDGs.She has a BA in Business Administration &is working towards an Msc in Public Health/Public Policy &Global Affairs.In the next 5years,she intends to set up an industry manufacturing disposable &washable sanitary napkins which will provide jobs for thousands of young people in Africa.
Rwanda Chief of Staff & Head of Government Relations, One Acre Fund
Doreen is the Chief of Staff and Director of Government Relations for One Acre Fund in Rwanda. One Acre Fund serves smallholder farmers in East and Southern Africa, providing farm inputs, financing, and training that helps farmers to increase their yields and become more prosperous. Globally, One Acre Fund has 8,500 staff who serve more than 1 million farm families each year, with an additional 1 million households reached through private and public partnerships.
Doreen oversees One Acre Fund’s country-scale engagements and partnerships with the Government of Rwanda, as well the program’s policy, communications, and legal and compliance portfolios. She coordinates strategy setting for the Rwanda leadership team and leads key strategic initiatives, organizational campaigns, and external partnerships that improve organizational culture, policy and impact alignment, and program efficiency.
Doreen holds a B.A in International Relations from Tufts University and is a 2018 Skoll Foundation and Mastercard Foundation Emerging Leaders Fellow and an Opportunity Collaboration Global Skoll Foundation Fellow. Prior to joining One Acre Fund, Doreen worked on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Belize with the United States Peace Corps and has previously worked with the World Justice Project, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Rwanda, and Youth Action Africa.
Buvana has 12 years of working experience with in Indian and Bangladesh microfinance industry. She started her career in DHAN Foundation, a leading not for profit in India that focuses on community banking program. She supported 8000 affected families by Tsunami to restore the lives and livelihood of poor communities through Microcredit. Later, She joined in a leading Microfinance Institution (which is a small finance bank) where she built and managed microcredit portfolio of INR 50 million. In 2009, She worked as a microfinance consultant for an urban Not-for-profit based at Dhaka, Bangladesh to set up savings and credit program supported by Development Innovations Group (DIG). While supporting Dhaka project, Buvana has set up the micro-housing pilot project of DIG in Chennai, India. Buvana has been with Water.org for 4+ years bringing changes in the lives of household by creating access to water and sanitation facility. Buvana joined as a Program Manager and got elevated to Senior Program Manager last year. She leads a team of program managers who manages the smart subsidy program implemented by Microfinance Institutions, Banks and WASH supply chain institutions across India. She guides and supports the programs team on the program technical aspects and budget management. Buvana has been instrumental in organizing annual events for Water.org partners and other stakeholders. She holds Masters in Agriculture from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India and also a certificate course on Certified Microfinance Expert from the Frankfurt school of management and Finance, Germany.
