Meet Our Scouts, Pt. 4
Steven Hoberg
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: India
Village Capital Partner: Kinara
Growing up in the Chicago area Steve receivedhis B. S. in Applied Plant Science from Northern Arizona Universityin 1976 and then completed his M.B.A. at the University of Arizonain 1979. Steve went on to work for 8 years at Georgia Power Company doing financial planning and internal management consulting. Leaving in 1987, he then went on to found his own company, Glass Rite, In Albuquerque NM. Glass Rite manufactures and installs high efficiency windows throughout Northern New Mexico and Arizona . After almost 25 years, Steve turned his company over to his co-founder and joined Frontier Market Scouts seeking to begin the next phase of his career. Steve now live in Albuquerque New Mexico with his wife, Kim. They have three grown children and one grandchild. Personal interests are travel, mountain biking, Skiing, and whitewater canoeing.
Patrick Huang
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: India
Village Capital Partner: Village Capital – India
Patrick is a first-year Ross MBA student at the University of Michigan focusing on Finance and Strategy. For the summer, Patrick is focused on identifying high-potential, early-stage enterprises in India for Village Capital. Before starting at Ross, Patrick completed a pre-MBA fellowship with Vittana, an education microfinance non-profit, to design the first post-secondary education loan product for students in Rwanda. Prior to that, Patrick worked as a management consultant for IBM Global Business Services focusing on creating engaging customer experiences for Fortune 500 corporations. Outside of IBM, he also consulted for non-profits and social enterprises in the US and abroad. Patrick seeks to leverage his MBA and cross-sector management consulting experience to pursue a career in impact investing focused on the Base of the Pyramid. Patrick holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Odunayo Arwolo
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Kenya
Village Capital Partner: Growth Africa
Odunayo Arwolo grew up in Nigeria where she completed her primary, secondary and university education. Odunayo has a bachelors in Computer Science. Her interest in international development led her to pursue a dual masters degree in International Relations and Economics at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. Her regional focus is Africa and her concentrations include Global Development and Global Markets.
She recently completed the Frontier Market Scouts Program and was assigned to GrowthAfrica; Village Capital’s partner organization in Kenya. While on assignment, she will be working at the Growthhub, a platform, space and learning environment designed and delivered to incubate and accelerate startups to success. Odunayo will be assisting in recruiting prospective entrepreneurs that will participate in the Village Capital program.
Lisa Ravenel
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Village Capital Partner: HUB Bogota
Lisa has four years of professional experience working in corporate marketing with clients such as Ford Motor Co. and Microsoft. Through this time she worked to develop communications strategies that utilized the latest technologies in mobile, email and social communication. Additionally, Lisa is the owner of a small social venture company, Torch Illumination Co. Torch is an environmentally friendly candle company that uses only natural ingredients and donates a portion of all profits to environmental conservation funds.
She is currently working to receive a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington Evan’s School of Public Affairs where she focuses on International Development and Environmental Policy. She is dedicated to the work of improving people’s lives in the poorest countries in the world and believes that through business and entrepreneurship we can help provide large scale impacts in the world’s neediest areas. Finally, she loves the thrill of experiencing foreign cultures and people and has spent time traveling in South America, Europe and Australia. She is excited to take the lessons gained from these experiences to make the most out of her time as a Frontier Market Scout.
Kira Kramlich
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Village Capital Partner: HUB Istanbul
Kira, a traveler at heart, has professional experience in Thailand as an Amicus Foundation sponsored volunteer, in England as an intern at Create partners, and in Switzerland as an exchange student at Kantonsschule Enge. Most recently, she worked with a German company, Umiwi, to promote economic independence, entrepreneurial development, and sustainable growth in rural Thailand through a business venture involving students from School for Life and a local family of craftsman. Kira is also a California State Championship winning and Junior Olympic participating volleyball player. Kira describes herself as an eternal optimist determined to improve the world.
Kimberly Nobella
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: London, England
Village Capital Partner: HUB Westminster
Kimberly Nobella is a Masters Candidate in International Policy Studies with a focus in Trade, Investment, and Development at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Prior to joining Monterey Institute Kimberly worked with Article 3 Advisors, a Human Rights Consulting firm, cementing her commitment to human rights. Through Frontier Market Scouts Kimberly is fostering her belief that human rights are best achieved through market solutions. Kimberly holds a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. She lives in Monterey, CA with her husband and daughter.
Julie Lapidus
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Village Capital Partner: F123/Artemisia
Julie Lapidus is a recent graduate with a Master’s in Sustainable Business from HEC Paris and is currently completing an Executive MBA in Sustainability at Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil. She has a wide range of experience in the sustainability sector ranging from organic agriculture, eco-design, green building certification, CSR, and corporate sustainability strategy, amongst others.
She has traveled extensively and has studied abroad in Ecuador, worked on a renewable energy project with students from India, and is in the process of completing 2 graduate degrees at the top business schools in Brazil and France. As a former Google employee, she also has experience in the technology sector, as well as worked with other companies in a range of sectors in the fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. She is looking forward to starting her own business following her experience as a Frontier Market Scout.
Jonathan Waldroup
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Village Capital Partner: Growth Africa
Jonathan grew up in Atlanta and after receiving degrees in business and economics from the University of Georgia worked as a financial analyst for Kimberly-Clark Corp. for two years. This provided exposure to the business world and experience working through a wide range of business decisions. In 2011 he began a Master’s in International Affairs at American University in Washington, DC. He is very interested in international development, particularly education, water/sanitation, and social enterprise and hopes to work in these fields after graduating in 2013. He is married to his wife Ashley and enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and playing the piano.
John Lindquist
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Hong Kong
Village Capital Partner: Village Capital- China, One Earth Designs
John grew up in San Diego, California, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies with an emphasis in Chinese business. During his assignment, John will be co-facilitating a Village Capital social enterprise accelerator program and assisting venture-stage Chinese entrepreneurs. In his free time, John is an avid golfer and enjoys working on his Chinese language skills.
Jennifer Clessas
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Village Capital Partner: HUB Bogota
Jennifer is an MPA student at MIIS who graduated with a degree in International Economics from Valparaiso University in Indiana in 2008. She has worked in administrative services for international students studying in San Diego, California, and she looks forward to being on the other side of studying abroad once again.
Jennifer will be serving from June – August 2012 at the HUB in Bogota, Colombia. She looks forward to meeting social entrepreneurs in the Colombian capital and learning about the innovation occurring in Latin America.
Irene Garcia
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Village Capital Partner: New Ventures
Irene will work at New Ventures in Mexico. Prior to becoming a Frontier Market Scout, Irene worked at UBS Global Asset Management analyzing new investment opportunities and supporting the Transactions team with the set-up of new investment funds. She has a passion for social impact, and has been able to catalyze it by participating in “ESADE alumni solidario”, an alumni organization where she contributes to the completion of a strategic planning exercise for a non-profit organization.
Her background and previous experience also include working as the Finance Vice-president of AIESEC’s Madrid Committee, an international student run organization that promotes global understanding through international exchange, where she oversaw financial planning and management tasks. She holds a Masters in Corporate Finance & Law from ESADE Business School, Spain, and degrees in Business Administration and Law. She is a Venezuelan and Spanish national, and is fluent in Spanish, English and German.
Erin Chmelik
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: India
Village Capital Partner: ENZI
Erin Chmelik recently graduated from San Diego State University with her MBA. Prior to getting her MBA she was working in corporate America doing human resources and marketing. In going back to school she wanted to get more international experience as well as be able to explore different career fields. Erin was introduced to the idea of social enterprise in an International Business class. She fell in love with the concept because of the combination of the use of business practices with making a difference. Since then Erin have travelled to various developing countries and also wrote her master’s thesis on social enterprise. Through this experience she hopes to gain a better understanding of the impact investing industry as well as real experience in the field. Eventually Erin hopes to work in international development possibly teaching women business skills.
Elliot Rosenberg
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Village Capital Partner: Quadrado Mágico
Elliot is a rising senior at the University of Virginia where he majors in Business and Latin American Studies. He is President of SEED, a social enterprise consultancy that had 50 students advise 14 clients last semester, and he is also working to institutionalize social entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia. His first exposure to the social sector came when he deferred college admission to volunteer teaching English and technology to at-risk youth in Santiago, Chile. Last year he studied abroad in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and has overall spent a year and a half in Latin America. He is originally from Los Angeles, California.
Dana Warren
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Village Capital Partner: Pomona Impact
Dana is a Chicago native who recently completed her undergraduate studies at Kenyon College. She majored in International Studies with a concentration in Environmental Studies and a focus on Latin America. Dana has experience working in finance and in the non-profit sector and is excited to combine those skills as a Frontier Market Scout. She has studied Spanish for the past four years and spent five months living, studying, and teaching English in Quito, Ecuador. She is excited to enter the field and wants to pursue a career in impact investing with an environmental focus.
Christopher Hurtado
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: India
Village Capital Partner: Village Capital – India
Chris just graduated with a J.D. from Yale Law School and an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management in 2012. After taking the New York bar exam, he will be scouting new ventures in India with Village Capital. In the fall, he will return to New York and begin work at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Chris is also working on a concept for a publicly traded community development venture capital fund that is accessible to retail investors.
Earlier in his career, Chris worked as a consultant to nonprofits, private foundations, and public institutions at the Bridgespan Group in San Francisco. He started his career in corporate finance in the Silicon Valley. Chris is a southern California native and studied finance as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California.
Catherine Munyua
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Village Capital Partner: Invested Development
Catherine, a Kenyan national is currently pursuing an MS. in Environmental Policy at Bard College in New York. She graduated from Lafayette College with degrees in Economics & Business and Public Policy and a certificate in Financial Policy and Analysis. At Lafayette she participated in various activities including organizing a conference to discuss the potential of ICT in fueling development in Africa. She also made a commitment and attended the Clinton Global Initiative University meeting in Miami in 2010. She previously participated in Monterey Institute’s DPMI program in Washington, DC as a Davis Scholar.
Catherine attended the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy. Here she spent 2 years pursuing International Baccalaureate and interacting with young people from over 80 countries. Having traveled around Europe, United States and Trinidad and Tobago, she hopes to go back to Kenya and explore the beauty of Kenya.
As a Frontier Market Scout, Catherine will join Invested Development as an analyst in their Nairobi office. Her roles will include connecting Invested Development with entrepreneurs in Nairobi, with a focus on alternative energy and mobile technology enterprises. She is a strong believer in the potential of market-based solutions to improve the livelihoods of the world’s poor.
Catherine loves to travel, cook and hopes to learn to sew.
Gray Robinson
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Village Capital Partner: HUB Istanbul
Gray graduated this May with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Economics from Davidson College, where she focused her studies on international development and international political economy. Gray was also a founding member and the CFO of the Davidson Community Entrepreneurial Fund, a student-run organization providing microloans and business services to small business owners in the Davidson community. Last summer, Gray supported impact evaluations taking place around the world as an Intern at Innovations for Poverty Action’s Small and Medium Enterprise Initiative in Washington, DC.
Gray is excited to enter the field as a Frontier Market Scout in Istanbul, Turkey.
Carolyn Caton
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Village Capital Partner: HUB Istanbul
Carolyn Caton is a recent MS graduate of the Columbia University School of Social Work. Through her coursework at Columbia, and fieldwork at UNICEF Headquarters in New York, she studied international social welfare and economic strengthening for women and girls in emergency and development settings. Before graduate school, Carolyn managed resource and program development for Native Public Media (NPM), an organization whose mission is to promote independent
Native American communities through media access, control and ownership.
Aineth Torres
Summer-Fall, 2012
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Village Capital Partner: New Ventures
Aineth started to think about the catalyzing power of businesses since she was very young. She especially started to focus her attention on the impact of businesses from the perspective of sustainability while in college. With a major in Industrial Engineering and minor in Entrepreneurship from a public Mexican university and studies in innovation and natural resources, right now, as a PhD candidate in Industrial Engineering at Penn State, she hopes to generate practical alternatives that help organizations achieve sustainability.
By participating in FMS, she intends to enhance her skill set and effectiveness while networking with knowledgeable people in the area of impact investment but, most of all, through field experience.
In addition to helping businesses generate well-being through good management and operational efficiency, her dream life includes the creation of a few enterprises all of them with social impact.
Rachael Sanborn
Spring, 2011
Location: Tanzania
FMS Partner: Choice Capital Management – Dar es Salaam
Rachael Corinne Sanborn is focusing on Sustainable Development and Business Strategy in the MBA program at MIIS. Ms. Sanborn’s passion for International Development has led her to study sustainable business to aid social challenges in the developing world. Ms. Sanborn is please to serve MIIS as a distinguished Watson Fellow.
Ms. Sanborn has worked as an entrepreneur for the last 5 years in California and started two successful retail businesses and managed a start-up, import-company. Ms. Sanborn’s passion for international development is due to extensive travel and work experience in India, the Middle East and Central America. Ms. Sanborn has most recently worked with a consulting firm in Mainz, Germany where she helped develop and implement business strategy for a major pharmaceutical company. In 2010, she completed a long-term strategy for a major fresh foods distribution company. Ms. Sanborn is pleased to have completedan internship with Choice Capital, a finance and business consulting firm and Root Change, an international business development platform in Dar es Salaam as part of the Frontier Market Scouts pilot program.
Ms. Sanborn is particularly interested in the role culture plays in developing sustainable business strategy and empowering business leaders to create their dreams for a better future. After graduating from MIIS, Ms. Sanborn plans to continue working with business ventures in the developing world to encourage capacity building and creative solutions to big challenges.
Christine Robinson
Spring, 2011
Location: Nigeria
FMS Partner: Pan African University / The Nike Art Gallery
Christine Renee Robinson is 24 years old and is from Virginia. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish from Washington and Lee University. During her time in undergraduate school Christine studied the language and cultures of several countries through study abroad opportunities in Spain, Morocco, India, Jordan, and the Dominican Republic. Christine is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration and Arabic at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She is highly motivated to use language and culture to provide positive social impact through for profit models domestically and internationally.
As a Frontier Market Scout, Christine R. Robinson traveled to Nigeria and worked with two entities. She consulted for The Nike Art Gallery, and focused on streamlining the gallery’s function through business model refinement and human resource advising. She also worked for the Enterprise Development Centre at Pan African University, where she assisted the staff of that program in linking entrepreneurs to global markets and domestic training. She completed her FMS assignment in Lagos, Nigeria working with the Nike Art Gallery and the Pan African University.
Ravi Kurani
Spring, 2011
Location: Mumbai, India
Village Capital Partner: Dasra Social Impact
Village Capital Investee: Under the Mango Tree
Ravi Kurani is from Riverside, California and attended the University of California, Riverside (UCR). He received his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Energy and Environment. Ravi gained his interest in international development and business during two expeditions he took to Peru and Brazil, where he worked at an orphanage to provide basic medical care and educational supplies. Ravi then decided to attend the Monterey Institute of International Studies and graduated in May 2011 with his Masters in Business Administration in International Finance. At MIIS, Ravi was the student council MBA representative and helped spearhead the MBA Student Association (MBASA). After graduation, Ravi worked with HUB Ventures, in The Bay Area (SoMa), on refinement of stakeholders and development of the social enterprise space. With the completion of a Sustainable Energy and Storage Conversion Certificate from Stanford University, Ravi began to work for BuildingWise – a high performance energy efficiency engineering consulting firm in San Francisco.