Our Team
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Dennis Whittle - Chairman and CEODennis Whittle is Chairman and CEO of GlobalGiving, which he co-founded in late 2000 after a career in the official aid sector. From 1997 to 2000, Dennis was part of a troika that led the World Bank's Corporate Strategy and Innovation units, where he co-led the team that created the Development Marketplace. From 1992-1997, he led a variety of initiatives in the Bank's Russia program, including housing reform and energy efficiency projects. From 1987-92, Dennis was an economist in the World Bank's Jakarta office advising the Indonesian Ministries of Finance and National Development, and managing projects in the agriculture and forestry sectors. Before joining the World Bank in 1986, Dennis worked in the Philippines with the Asian Development Bank and with USAID. Dennis graduated with honors in religious studies from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar, and did his graduate work in development studies and economics at Princeton University. Dennis also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. |
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Mari Kuraishi - President, GlobalGiving FoundationMari heads up the internal operations of GlobalGiving, which she co-founded with Dennis Whittle. Before GlobalGiving, she worked at the World Bank where she managed and created some of the Bank's most innovative projects including the first ever Innovation and Development Marketplaces, and the first series of strategic forums with the World Bank's president and senior management. Mari also designed a range of investment projects in the Russia reform program, including a residential energy efficiency project, structural adjustment loans, and legal reform project. In addition to her native Japanese, Mari also speaks Russian, Italian, and French. She has an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard University and did graduate work in Russian and Japanese history and politics at Harvard and Georgetown Universities. Mari also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. |
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Georg Apitz - User Interface & Usability Expert
Helping users to better interact with computers, by actually letting the computers and designers do the majority of the work, is Georg's take on interface design. In this spirit he works on constantly improving the GlobalGiving site to live up to this idea. Georg holds a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, where he is currently pursuing his PhD at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab. Before coming to Maryland he studied Computer Science at the University of Leipzig. Prior to his studies in Computer Science Georg studied Furniture Restoration and Craftmanship at the BCUC in High Wycombe, UK and completed an apprenticeship at Tischlerei Laue as cabinet maker in Berlin, Germany. Back in his High School days he was involved in organizing student exchanges between Germany and Poland and helped organize a charity to support orphanages in Romania.
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Donna Callejon - Chief Operating Officer
As COO, Donna oversees all strategies related to attracting, retaining and serving GlobalGiving's community of donors. This includes marketing, business and partner development, and development of technology and infrastructure for globalgiving.com and over a dozen custom websites. Donna also serves as the Board Chair of the Washington Area Women's Foundation and previously served for six years on the board of Business for Social Responsibility. In a prior life, Donna was a senior executive and member of the Operating Committee of Fannie Mae, a Fortune 50 company. From 1996-2000, she oversaw the company's strategic planning, business development and international consulting efforts, and prior to 1996 led the $1.2 billion annual net income core purchase and securitization business, including marketing, product development, customer technology and negotiated transactions. She holds a B.S. in Managerial Economics from UC Davis.
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Kevin Conroy - Senior Java Web Developer
Kevin works on improving and developing new features of GlobalGiving's technical infrastructure and enhancing the user experience on www.globalgiving.com. Previously, Kevin was a Senior User Interface Designer and Software Engineer for Hillcrest Labs where he designed award-winning, next-generation television user interfaces. He also worked as a Researcher in the Accenture Technology Labs where he developed new tools and techniques for software engineering, collaborative development, and service oriented architecture. Kevin graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Computer Science with Honors and a B.A. in Economics.
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Margaret Coughlin - Chief Marketing Officer
Margaret Coughlin is responsible for leading the development and implementation of all marketing strategies for GlobalGiving. Building the value of the GlobalGiving brand, striving for 100% donor satisfaction and greater donor acquisition and retention are the driving forces of her life at GlobalGiving. Margaret has extensive marketing experiences at companies like Procter and Gamble and with communications agencies such as BBDO and Hill Holiday. She has been the COO and President of two marketing communications firms in Boston, Cone Communications and Pamet River Partners. Margaret is currently on the board of the Dana Farber Executive Council, The Susan G Komen Foundation and Accion USA. She graduated from Skidmore College with a Bachelor in Economics and Psychology and holds her MBA from Babson College with a concentration in Marketing.
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Robert DuBois - Marketing Associate
Robert supports GlobalGiving's marketing and media functions, including online social media strategy, graphic design, web technology, and analytics. Robert graduated from the University of Northern Colorado as a member of the President's Leadership Program with a Business Administration degree in Marketing and Finance, and minors in Music and Spanish. He studied abroad in Granada, Spain and Paris, France, and brings a diversity of experience from prior positions in Northern Colorado's Publications department, and Burns Marketing, Colorado's fifth-largest marketing-communications agency.
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Stephanie Fischer - Chief Program Officer
Stephanie leads the supply team at GlobalGiving, finding, posting, nurturing, and getting donations to the fantastic projects you see on the site. Prior to joining GlobalGiving, Stephanie served as the Worldwide Director for Safe Kids Worldwide and was Associate Director of Global Fellowship at Ashoka: Innovators of the Public. Earlier in her career, she worked for the Advisory Board Foundation in Manila, Philippines, where she expanded a two-person, $50,000 operation to a 10-person staff with a $1 million budget and launched the first hospital-based program for abused children in the Philippines. She has also worked in the for-profit sector, managing a portfolio of $1m in revenues from fortune 2000 companies at the Advisory Board Company and consulting on corporate social responsibility programs in Mexico. She holds a B.A. cum laude in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College, an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and was a fellow of the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research.
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Suzanne Garza - Office Manager
Suzanne is seasoned Office Manager responsible for making things go faster, arrive less expensively, and run more efficiently. Prior to coming to GlobalGiving she worked as the Accounting and Office Manager at The Map Network, a publisher of online and print maps for tourism bureaus and special events throughout the US. While she was there this successful start-up experienced two corporate acquisitions - first by by NAVTEQ and a year later by Nokia. Before that she worked in the non-profit sector, including as an Advertising Coordinator for the American Psychological Association and in the Membership and Finance department of the American Society for Cell Biology. Suzanne graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with a BSFS degree in International Politics.
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Marisa Glassman - Business Development Manager
Marisa is responsible for helping facilitate new and existing business partnerships. She formerly worked in the marketing departments of both Penguin Young Readers Group and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in New York City. Before coming to GlobalGiving, Marisa received an MBA in Marketing and Sustainable Enterprise from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School and a BSBA in Marketing and International Business from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.
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John Hecklinger - Business Development Director
John establishes partnerships that increase the flow of donors and contributions to GlobalGiving projects. Before coming to GlobalGiving, John worked as Director of Data Acquisition for CARFAX Vehicle History Reports. Under John's leadership, CARFAX compiled over 4 billion vehicle records from over 7,000 data partners, making CARFAX reports an essential resource for consumers and businesses. John served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic, where he taught Literature and Linguistics at the University of Bangui. He holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Virginia and an MA in English Language and Literature from the University of Florida.
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Charles Koppelman - Java Web Developer
Charles moves GlobalGiving's technology forward by expanding its website and creating a better and more natural user experience. Previously, Charles helped create the internal website of Youth For Understanding USA, a high school exchange organization, where he integrated a complex communications system and created a more interactive and responsive website. He has also worked briefly as a community organizer, and taught computer skills to patients of a Beijing psychiatric hospital. Charles graduated with honors from the George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and a minor in Computer Science.
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James Krejci - Chief Financial Officer
James is a seasoned CFO with experience in both Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial businesses across Europe, the US, and the emerging markets of eastern Europe and Asia. James has extensive experience in the architecture of firms, raising debt and equity, and building international alliances. With Burson-Marsteller, a consulting division of the WPP Group (WPPGY), James led finance and operations for the Emerging Markets Group and was instrumental in growing the division by 300% in 3 years. James also held the position of CFO with TV3 Russia. James holds an MBA in Finance from the American School of International Management - Thunderbird.
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Marc Maxson - Manager of Performance Analytics
Marc is responsible for data analysis related to projects on GlobalGiving, including monitoring and evaluating project results, and identifying success metrics for fundraising on GlobalGiving. Before joining GlobalGiving, Marc developed his data analysis expertise as a Neuroscientist at Tulane University. Previously, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia and later returned to West Africa in 2003 as a Fulbright researcher to study the impact of computers and the Internet on rural schools in Gambia, Senegal, and Ghana. Marc has a PhD in Integrated Biosciences from Penn State and a BS in Chemistry and BioChemistry from Appalachian State University.
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Alison McQuade - Marketing Communications Manager
Alison is responsible for managing GlobalGiving's external and donor communications and providing support for GlobalGiving's online marketing activities. Before joining GlobalGiving, Alison worked in public affairs and consulted on a local political campaign, Lyddy for Council (Newtown, CT). Alison earned her Masters from the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, she completed her B.A. in Politics from Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Originally from Massachusetts, Alison remains a "wicked" diehard Red Sox fan.
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Manmeet Mehta - Program Officer
Manmeet Mehta is responsible for GlobalGiving's open access initiative and increasing the presence of youth social entrepreneurs on GlobalGiving. She also works to provide support to social entrepreneurs on the site. Previously, she worked as a Program Development Manager at the Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation designing and implementing a heritage conservation project in India and as a Sales and Marketing Associate for IHCL, a Tata group company. She's worked with Ashoka: Innovators for the Public and is on the board of Atlas Service Corps. Manmeet grew up as a nomad in India, and is always planning the next big trip. She holds an MA in International Relations from the Maxwell School, Syracuse University. She also holds an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of International Business, India and a BA in Economics from LSR College, Delhi University, India.
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Michael Nolan - Manager of Data and Analytics
Michael is responsible for leveraging different sources of data at GlobalGiving including donation activity and web analytics to enhance the donor experience and increase donor retention. Before joining GlobalGiving, Michael was the Director of Market Development at NuRide, the only online ridesharing company that rewards people for sharing rides, reducing traffic, pollution and global warming. Michael was responsible for increasing ridesharing via NuRide, resulting in 20 million miles of reduced traffic and 9,000 tons of reduced emissions. Before NuRide, Michael managed and measured the customer experience at Kinkos.com, executed market research projects at Freddie Mac, and helped run the Ohio State University Center for Survey Research. Michael has degrees in political science and public policy from George Washington University.
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Joan Ochi - Director of Marketing Communications
Joan is responsible for development and execution of GlobalGiving's strategies to attract and retain donors and ensure they have a superior customer experience. This includes strategic marketing planning, external communications and online marketing, public relations, product development and marketing, collateral creation, and customer service. Prior to joining GlobalGiving in 2005, she worked in finance and marketing for corporations including Fannie Mae and HP, in the U.S. and overseas, where her Foreign Service officer husband was posted on tours in Sweden and Kuwait. A native San Franciscan, Joan has an MBA from Columbia University and a BA in Economics from UC Berkeley.
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Steve Rogers - Director of Engineering
Steve is responsible for the Information Systems, Product Development and engineering processes at GlobalGiving. Prior to joining GlobalGiving, Steve successfully led the engineering team of a web-based software product company from conception, through initial product launch, and several product versions. Steve holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and has wide ranging computer experience, including mainframe, client-server, and web-based service-oriented expertise. He has worked in diverse industries such as banking, insurance, and real-estate.
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Wylia Sims - Director of Development Finance
Wylia has over ten years experience working in nonprofit organizations including corporate and private foundations, as well as serving as a board member for a community social services agency. She began her career as an assistant to Vernon Jordan, Jr. at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld and then worked in the Executive Office at the Fannie Mae Foundation. In New York, she worked in the Chairman's office of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Institute and was the Director of Finance & Operations at The Nation Institute. Wylia co-founded The Cause Group, a consulting firm that assists celebrities and athletes in their philanthropic efforts. Before moving back to DC, Wylia returned to Soros Fund Management as a project consultant. Wylia received a BBA from Howard University and a MS in Nonprofit Management from The Milano Graduate School of Management at New School University.
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Cecilia Snyder - Community Marketing Manager
Cecilia is responsible for developing and implementing project leader communications and skill building initiatives, including tracking best practices, role models, and challenges. Since 1992, she has worked in the international development field using electronic media and focusing on education and outreach through new technologies. Prior to joining GlobalGiving, Cecilia was Director of Communications and e-Initiatives at Our Voices Together, Director of New Technologies at the Communications Consortium Media Center and executive editor of several online news services for journalists, including PLANetWIRE.org, PUSHJournal.org and SavingWomensLives.org. Cecilia used websites, electronic listservs, RSS feeds and targeted email bulletins while working at Bread for the World Institute, the Panos Institute, the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), and the Population Council. She received a Masters of Liberal Arts from Georgetown University in 2002 (focusing on image ethics of nonprofit advocacy organizations) and a Bachelors of Science in Sociology from Virginia Tech in 1992.
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Saima Zaman - Program Officer
Saima is responsible for managing the general catalog of projects on GlobalGiving — ensuring quality, diversity, and fit with donor's interests. Previously, Saima worked at World Resources Institute for four years, and was a part of their fundraising efforts pertaining to bilateral and multilateral donors. She also worked in Islamabad, Pakistan with the Leadership for Environment and Development-Pakistan program (LEAD-Pakistan) where she worked on creating communications materials, managing the research paper series and working with LEAD Fellows on training and career development. Saima has a master's in public policy with a focus on public/private sector management from The George Washington University and a BA from Bryn Mawr College. She speaks Pushto, Urdu, English and French.
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