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Our People
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◦ Alex Counts, President
    ◦ Salvatore Pappalardo, COO
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    ◦ Si White, Acting CFO
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Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Our People : Staff : Grameen Technology Center

Grameen Technology Center Staff

Peter Bladin, Executive Vice President, Grameen Foundation and Founding Director, Grameen Technology Center

George Conard, Executive Director, Mifos Initiative
Elizabeth Berthe, Director, Village Phone
Matt Duncan, Director, Market Development, Mifos Initiative
David Edelstein, Director, ICT Innovation
David Keogh, Director, New Initiatives
Emily Tucker, Director, Program Management, Mifos Initiative


Thomas Bell, Village Phone Technical Project Manager
Jeff Brewster, Mifos QA Manager
Sam Birney, Mifos Engineering Manager
Edward Cable, Mifos Marketing Coordinator
Eric Cantor, Uganda Application Laboratory Manager
Lian Carl , Administrative Assistant
Kay Chau, Mifos Technical Program Officer
Sean DeWitt, Village Phone Technical Project Manager
Priscilla Dosiou, Mifos Program Manager
Scott Feldman, Mifos Program Manager
Adam Feuer, Mifos Software Developer
Whitney Gantt, New Initiative Technical Program Officer
Laura Hartstone, Mifos Administrative Assistant
Beth Mazur, Mifos Technical Program Manager
Van Mittal-Henkle, Mifos Senior Software Developer
Adam Monsen, Mifos Software Developer
Keith Pierce, Mifos Software Developer
Aliya Walji, Mifos Technical Program Manager
Lea Werbel, Village Phone Program Officer
Ryan Whitney, Mifos Technical Program Manager
Tim Wood, ICT Innovation Technical Project Manager
Kathleen Van Zutphen, Village Phone Technical Program Officer

E-mail: grameentechnologycenter@grameenfoundation.org

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Peter Bladin
Executive Vice President, Grameen Foundation and Founding Director, Grameen Technology Center

Peter Bladin is the Founding Director of the Grameen Technology Center and an Executive Vice President at Grameen Foundation. At the Technology Center, Peter leads the microfinance industry in driving relevant and appropriate technology innovation. He and his team are leading experts in ICT for development and work closely with technology companies to create business models that benefit people living at the “bottom of the pyramid”. Peter was a founding member of the MTN-Village Phone board, the first public-private partnership to extend telecommunications access to the rural poor. He is a frequent speaker at international telecommunication and microfinance conferences, and is an Executive Board Member of the International Telecommunications Union Connect the World initiative. Peter is also actively involved with various Seattle-based non-profits including Global Partnerships, NPower and Social Venture Partners. Peter has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Uppsala, Sweden.

Thomas Bell
Village Phone Technical Project Manager

Before joining Grameen Foundation, Thomas served as the Director of Technology and Communication for Digital Partners where he was instrumental in developing Digital Partners’ international programs, such as the Social Enterprise Laboratory and e-Inclusion Forums, and the technological systems that supported them. He has worked with the United Nations Information Communication Technology (UNICT) Task Force, the World Bank, USAID, as well as corporations such as Hewlett Packard and Microsoft and a variety of NGOs and social entrepreneurs operating around the world. He holds advanced degrees in information science and area studies.

Elizabeth Berthe
Director, Village Phone

Elizabeth leads the effort on catalyzing affordable communications in rural areas through Village Phone for the Grameen Technology Center. Prior to Grameen, she worked in various roles in corporate finance, strategic planning, negotiations and consulting in the U.S., China and France. She holds a Master’s of International Management from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management and a B.A in marketing from U.S.C. She is a member of the advisory council for Youth Assets, a non-profit empowering disadvantaged youth with information through technology in Swaziland and is a founding member and serves as the co-chair for Women Advancing Microfinance--Pacific Northwest Chapter.

Jeff Brewster
Mifos QA Manager

Jeff Brewster is responsible for software testing on the Mifos project. He has over 15 years of experience testing commercial software products at Boeing, WRQ, and Attachmate on teams based in the United States and Europe. He has performed testing and management duties on various enterprise applications including networking, integration, and security solutions. Jeff has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Idaho.

Sam Birney
Engineering Manager

Sam Birney was born and raised in Denver, CO. He graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Computer Science focusing on Artificial. Intelligence. Prior to joining Grameen Foundation, Sam was the co-founder, Director of Technology, and leading programmer at merced systems Inc. He also worked as an OLAP expert, leading the JasperAnalysis product development at Jaspersoft. He plays rugby, testified before the US Senate as a Constitutional Scholar and presided over statewide sessions of Model United Nations.


Edward Cable
Mifos Marketing Coordinator

Edward is responsible for building awareness of Mifos and strengthening our community primarily through outreach efforts on Mifos.org. Prior to joining the Grameen Foundation in February 2007, he graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE in Marketing & Management along with a minor in Hispanic Studies. There he fostered his passion for service through studying social entrepreneurship and leading the philanthropic efforts of several organizations across the university. He also led the marketing division of one of the nation’s largest student-run financial institutions. Edward will draw upon these experiences and his creative energy to help empower the Mifos community.

Eric Cantor
Uganda Application Laboratory Manager

Eric leads Grameen Foundation’s Application Laboratory efforts in Uganda. Before joining Grameen Foundation, he was with Acumen Fund where he worked on technology issues both internally and with a number of investees. Eric Cantor established, managed and advised startup Internet and technology companies; worked with non-governmental organizations in developing countries; and managed complex projects. In the mid-1990s, he started an Internet Service Provider in the Washington, DC area called Internet Interstate, which was acquired by Verio, Inc., and he later held a variety of positions in management and marketing for both large and small Internet companies. Eric has a BA in International Relations from Emory University and an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University, for which he completed a number of projects including analyzing the operations of a microfinance organization in Honduras.

Lian Carl
Administrative Assistant

Lian Carl is the Administrative Assistant for the Grameen Technology Center; she was previously an intern to the Village Technology team and then served as a consultant on the ground in Tanzania assessing the microfinance sector for a Village Phone program.

Prior to GTC, Lian worked for the Initiative for Global Development, a program started by Global Partnerships. She also spent over two years in the Peace Corps in Panama where she worked with community economic development in three rural villages. Lian graduated with a degree in International Relations from the University of Washington.

Kay Chau
Mifos Technical Program Officer

Kay is part of the Program Management team for the Mifos initiative. She has had 5 years of experience in software development and product analysis. Prior to joining the Grameen Foundation, she was Senior Business Analyst in IT for Premera Blue Cross’s sales applications. Kay holds a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Masters degree in Engineering Management from Duke University.

George Conard
Executive Director - Mifos Initiative

George Conard leads the Mifos initiative at Grameen Foundation, following nine months spent in Rwanda launching the Grameen Foundation Village Phone program in that country. Prior to joining Grameen Foundation, George spent 7 years at Microsoft in a variety of roles including international marketing, open source competitive analysis, and most recently program management on the Visual Studio and C# teams.

Sean DeWitt
Village Phone Technical Project Manager

Sean is focused on replicating and adapting the Village Phone model. Sean came to the Grameen Foundation after 10 years of work in the government, nonprofit and private sector. Sean worked as a project manager of technical initiatives at a nonprofit foundation called the Fund for the City of New York. Sean also performed engineering work in the private sector with the Intel Corporation and the Walt Disney Company, worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant, and worked in the public sector implementing technology projects in Africa, western Asia and the Caribbean for the US Department of State. Sean holds a bachelors degree in Engineering from Purdue University and a Masters in Development Finance from the University of London.

Priscilla Dosiou
Mifos Program Manager

Priscilla is responsible for the marketing aspects of the Mifos project. She first worked with the Grameen Technology Center in a voluntary capacity while undertaking her Masters in International Development at Deakin University in Melbourne. Before returning to university she worked as a communications manager for a division in Australia's largest commercial bank and in various contract roles in systems development and project management. Priscilla has also worked in marketing and business development roles for the Australian Tourist Commission in Sydney and Los Angeles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Matt Duncan
Director – Market Development, Mifos Initiative

Matt is leading the business planning, strategic relationships and market positioning for the Mifos initiative at Grameen Foundation. Previously, he spent 18 years in the high technology space developing go-to-market strategies, brand and product offerings for enterprise software leaders such as Oracle Corporation, to successful IPO starts-ups like Pivotal Corporation. Matt was the founder and CEO of Resolute, a management consulting firm focused on customer interactions and on-line business, which was successfully sold off to a national firm. Matt is an active participant in the Seattle non-profit arena holding a steering committee position with the Seeds of Compassion, an initiative to bring His Holiness Dalai Lama to the Northwest. Matt holds a bachelors degree from University of California, Davis and completed graduate studies at University of California, Berkeley.

David Edelstein
Director, ICT Innovation

David Edelstein is the Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovation at the Grameen Technology Center.  In this role, he guides efforts to develop, test, strengthen and scale mobile applications that offer the potential to improve lives and livelihoods.  David’s teams are exploring the potential of specific applications by working with networks of people in developing countries, such as Village Phone Operators, who provide access to mobile phones.  Additional information is available at www.applab.org.

Prior to joining the Grameen Technology Center, David spent three years at Microsoft designing innovative business models to provide affordable technology products for people in emerging markets. David also worked in Brazil for four years, with the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he developed business strategies tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses in emerging economies.

Previously, David conducted economic analyses and evaluated public policy with the White House Council of Economic Advisers and with Resources For the Future. He holds a Bachelors degree in Environmental Science and Economics from Colby College and a Masters degree in Economics and Public Policy from Princeton University.


Scott Feldman
Mifos Program Manager

Scott Feldman is responsible for developing the Latin America and India markets for the Mifos project. He has extensive experience developing early stage businesses, particularly in the mobile, Internet, and digital media industries. Prior to joining Grameen, Scott worked as a Product Manager at InfoSpace, where he was a member of a small team that launched the company’s first direct-to-consumer mobile business. He has also founded two companies and has worked for Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Scott holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and has lived in Spain, Israel, and Peru.

Adam Feuer
Mifos Software Developer

Adam develops software for the Mifos Initiative. He has more than 20 years of experience making business software, including 7 years on Agile software development projects, most recently at Amazon.com. He likes Free and Open Source software, Extreme Programming, sustainable business, meditation, cooking, hiking, biking, and juggling.

Whitney Gantt
New Initiative Technical Program Officer

Before joining Grameen Foundation, Whitney worked in the non-profit and government sectors on human rights and conservation issues in the US, Latin America, and Indonesia. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology and a Masters in International Public Affairs with a focus on rural development and natural resources policy. As a graduate student, Whitney focused her research on the effects of privatization and decentralization on women’s participation in water resources management. She also conducted field research on marine policy and community-led conservation strategies for The Nature Conservancy-Indonesia. Whitney comes to Grameen Foundation from Northern New Mexico where she developed a deep appreciation for cultural diversity, a passion for rural development, and an addiction to green chiles and alpine skiing.

Laura Hartstone
Mifos Administrative Assistant

Laura Hartstone works as the Administrative Assistant for the Mifos Initiative, providing organizational and development skills, as well as project support. She was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Arizona. Laura is passionate and driven towards issues affecting the African continent where she has gained extensive experience working with several non-profit organizations. She was a monumental team member in the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge, an event she helped create in an effort to reduce the impact of poverty in Africa, www.3peaks3weeks.org.

David Keogh
Director, New Initiatives

David graduated with an honors degree in Digital Systems and Computer Engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne Australia. He was subsequently awarded a fellowship that took him to the United States to work with Collins Commercial Aviation on electronic hardware design and software development. During that time, David received his Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He then returned to Australia, where he worked as a senior manager overseeing the Project Management department. Following work at an engineering consultancy and a wireless communications developer, he broke into the field of microcredit as an Associate Director working in business development and policy at FINCA International. At the Grameen Technology Center, David's focus is on connectivity issues and village technology, including Village Phone and related hardware.

Beth Mazur
Mifos Technical Program Manager

Beth helps manage releases and define product requirements on the Mifos Initiative. She has over 10 years of experience in software development, most recently in Product Management and Professional Services at JasperSoft. Previously, she worked at several companies, including Sapient Corporation and Merced Systems, in Professional Services and Product Management. She has experience working closely with a range of customers in the US and overseas. She is very interested in the intersection of technology and development, especially in microfinance and health care. Beth holds a degree from MIT in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, with a concentration in Economics.

Van Mittal-Henkle
Mifos Senior Software Developer

Van is focused on software architecture, design and development for the Mifos initiative. He has 20 years of experience in software development including work on machine learning, product life cycle analysis, bioinformatics, and most recently ecommerce at Amazon.com. Before joining the Mifos team, he worked on Mifos as a volunteer. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Symbolic Systems with honors from Stanford University.

Adam Monsen
Mifos Software Developer

Adam Monsen brings to Mifos an intense desire to help lift people out of poverty by engineering robust and efficient Free and Open Source Software. He is a GNU/Linux enthusiast, a horrible poker player, and enjoys cheesy classic Sci-Fi movies.

Keith Pierce
Mifos Software Developer

Keith Pierce has over three decades of experience with both academic and commercial software development. He has led the development of software projects in insurance, retail, and banking industries. Most recently he was a chief application architect at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, where he was instrumental in migrating the Fed's Automated Clearinghouse application from a legacy mainframe system to a Java/Oracle platform.

Emily Tucker
Director, Program Management, Mifos Initiatives

Emily has over 7 years experience in the technology sector, most recently at Amazon.com where she oversaw product development, marketing and strategic planning for the used product ("marketplace") business which achieved $81M of sales in the first year of operations. Prior to that, she worked at Wired Digital (on-line division of Wired Magazine) where she was the Senior Producer of Wired News. Emily has had a long love for India. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with a degree in Comparative Religion and South Asian traditions and spent her junior year of college studying at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India.


Aliya Walji
Mifos Technical Program Manager

Aliya Walji is part of the technology team for the Mifos initiative. She has had 6 years of experience in software development with companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Additionally, she has worked on community development projects in Guyana. Aliya holds an honors degree in Systems Design Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo.

Tim Wood
ICT Innovation Technical Project Manager

Tim specializes in applying information technology to address the problems of poverty and health in developing countries. After 12 years at Microsoft working on software development, Tim spent two years consulting with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation looking at the intersection of Information Technology and Global Health. He joined the Grameen Technology Center in 2002 and pioneered replication of the Grameen Village Phone program, launching sustainable initiatives in Uganda and Rwanda and co-authoring the Village Phone Replication Manual. Tim brings a broad range of technical and business expertise, and a valued perspective on technology initiatives for developing countries.

Kathleen van Zutphen
Village Phone Technical Program Officer

Kathleen (Kat) focuses on catalyzing and supporting Village Phone efforts around the world. An engineer by training, Kat spent 15 years designing and building wired and wireless networks in the telecommunications sector. She traveled globally with BellSouth International to bid on wireless licenses. After a winning bid, Kat moved to Brazil to help start up the new telco and eventually led the Engineering Network Design and Operations Department in her region. Upon return to the states, Kat took a brief leave to study the Lam Rim at a monastery in Kathmandu and reflect upon life. Making a change in career, Kat spent time with The Carter Center on projects in Mozambique and Ethiopia before joining the Grameen Technology Center. Kat holds undergraduate degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering, and an MBA from The Wharton Business School.

Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Our People : Staff : Grameen Technology Center