Root Capital

Team

Executive Team
	Diego Brenes, Vice President of Lending, Origination Liam Brody, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Relations Bonnie Cockman, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations William F. Foote, Founder and CEO José Luis Rojas Villarreal, Vice President of Lending, Portfolio Management
Root Capital Team - U.S Headquarters
	Lindsay Baker, Lending Assistant Brandon Boyle, Director of Loan Operations Lara Cote, Director of Marketing and Communications Chuck Curti, Director of Human Resources and Administration Patricia Lee Devaney, Director of Impact Assessment Lubna Maria Elia, Director of Fundraising Operations Samantha Fernandez, Investor Relations Associate Katie Ferrari, Executive Assistant Noelle Fogg, Investor Relations Associate Catherine Gill, Managing Director of Investor Relations Carolyn Hwang, Human Resources and Office Manager Fredeline Joseph, Portfolio Servicing Associate Nery Joubert-Rivera, Accountant Emily Judem, Senior Marketing and Communications Associate Jesse Last, Lending and Strategy Associate Briana Malloy, Portfolio Analyst Mike McCreless, Impact Assessment Officer Brian Milder, Managing Director of Strategy and Innovation Saurin Nanavati, Managing Director of Advisory and Training Jennifer Neira, Senior Accounting Manager Luis Miguel Ormeno, Investment Officer Mia Roca Alcover, Operations Associate Joseph Sinatra, Investor Relations Officer Jen Stine, Director of Organizational Planning and Development Emily Turner, Business Development Assistant Karina Vadillo, Portfolio Servicing Associate Diego Valdivia, Investment Officer Renzo Verne, Advisory and Training Intern Bryan Woliner, Financial Analyst and Budget Manager
Root Capital Team - Field Locations
	Jerónimo Bollen, Regional Director, Latin America Julia Ricci Castellón, Office Assistant, Central America Rosario Castellón, Senior Monitoring Officer, Latin America Bamba Fall, Investment Officer, West Africa Laura Gordillo Gómez, Administrative Assistant, Mexico Fred Kiteng’e, Investment Officer, East Africa Stella Klemperer, Regional Office Administrator, Latin America Vincent Lagacé, Director of CAFÉ Livelihoods, Mexico Manel Modelo, Director of Advisory and Training, Latin America Olivia Margaret Omindo, Office Administrator, Africa Peter Onguka, Monitoring Officer, East Africa William Portilla, Senior Investment Officer, Central America Nathalie Prado, Investment Officer, Central America Olivier Ramírez Fernández, Investment Officer, Central America Aldo Risco, Investment Officer, South America Daniel Rivera, Investment Officer, South America Evelyn Rodas, Monitoring Assistant, Central America Frida Ruiz Fernandez, Investment Officer, South America Jacqueline Sánchez Mendoza, Monitoring Assistant, Central America Nate Schaffran, Regional Director, Africa Lilian Soch, Administrative Assistant, Central America Miriam Taquire, Monitoring Associate, South America Richard Tugume, Investment Officer, East Africa Cecilia Yáñez, Investment Officer, South America
Root Fellows
	Tyler Clark Daniel Glasser Emily Williams Katharine Wolf

Executive Team

	Diego Brenes, Vice President of Lending, Origination Mr. Brenes oversees the lending team, particularly focused on origination and evaluation of clients and deals. A Costa Rican national, Mr. Brenes worked as a financial controller and an investment officer with two venture capital funds in Central America prior to joining Root Capital. Before that, he worked in commercial banking as a branch manager, loan officer, and financial analyst. Mr. Brenes holds an M.Sc. in environmental science from Lund University (Sweden) and a B.A. in business administration from Universidad Autónoma de Centro América (Costa Rica). He is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

	Liam Brody, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Relations Mr. Brody builds relationships with key partners in the private sector and directs Root Capital’s business development strategy. Prior to joining Root Capital, he served as deputy director of Oxfam’s private sector department. Previously, he was the director of sustainable coffee at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and led Oxfam International’s campaign to end the global coffee crisis, which led to the introduction of Fair Trade-certified coffee by some of the world’s largest coffee sellers. Mr. Brody holds a Master of Education in Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.S. in Agricultural and Extension Education from Cornell University.

	Bonnie Cockman, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations Ms. Cockman directs Root Capital’s finance, human resources, information technology, legal, and planning and reporting systems. Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Cockman worked as the vice president of finance for Conservation International over an 8-year period when the organization grew from $30 million in annual expenses to $115 million. She also worked as director of finance for Georgetown University’s Center for Intercultural Education and Development. Currently, she serves on the boards of Foundations of Success and the Massachusetts Climate Action Network. Ms. Cockman is a CPA and holds an honors degree in business from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

	William F. Foote, Founder and CEO Mr. Foote began his career as a financial analyst in the Latin American Corporate Finance group at Lehman Brothers, and as a journalist in Mexico and Argentina. He was named an Ashoka Global Fellow in 2007, a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2008, and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) in 2009. Mr. Foote is on the executive committee of the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was a founding board member of the Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST) and currently serves on the boards of the Open Learning Exchange (OLE) and E&Co. Mr. Foote holds a B.A. from Yale University and a M.Sc. in development economics and economic history from the London School of Economics.

	José Luis Rojas Villarreal, Vice President of Lending, Portfolio Management As vice president of lending, portfolio management, Mr. Rojas oversees Root Capital’s lending program, particularly focused on monitoring, collections, and portfolio risk management. Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Rojas worked as an equity research associate at UBS Warburg in Mexico, as a pro-bono consultant at the Soros Foundation in Mongolia, a consultant at the United Nations in Ethiopia, and as an aluminum industry analyst/consultant at CRU International. He is currently a member of the Boston Securities Analyst Society, holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and serves in the board of directors of Equal Exchange. Mr. Rojas holds an M.I.A. in international finance and economic development from Columbia University, and a B.A. in international relations and economics from the University of Pennsylvania. A Mexican national, he is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.
Root Capital Team - US Headquarters
	Lindsay Baker, Lending Assistant Ms. Baker provides administrative support and executive assistance to Root Capital’s lending department. Prior to working for Root Capital, Ms. Baker taught English at a secondary school in Huércal-Overa, Almeria, Spain. Previously, she interned with Credivisión, a microcredit bank in Cusco, Perú, and also worked in the accounting department at Fleet Pride Inc., a national truck parts vendor. Ms. Baker holds a B.A. in foreign language (Spanish) and a B.S. in international business from Elmira College. She speaks English and Spanish.

	Brandon Boyle, Director of Loan Operations Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Boyle was a portfolio manager specializing in affordable housing at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. He previously worked for four years at the Capital District Community Loan Fund, where he was responsible for the lending and portfolio operations. Mr. Boyle holds an M.P.A. from the University at Albany's Rockefeller College and an M.B.A. from the University at Albany. Prior to his graduate work he was a loan officer for Washington Mutual Bank, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan and earned a B.A. in international studies from American University.

	Lara Cote, Director of Marketing and Communications Mrs. Cote oversees the organization's marketing, branding and communications initiatives. Prior to Root Capital, Mrs. Cote was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Year Up, a national education and workforce development program, and was responsible for branding, marketing, public relations and strategic corporate partnership initiatives. Previously, she was the Director of Marketing at ChildrenFirst, the nations leading provider of corporate-sponsored backup child care centers. Mrs. Cote holds an MS in Education from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and a BA from Boston College.

	Chuck Curti, Director of Human Resources and Administration Before joining Root Capital, Mr. Curti led the global staffing, training and development, internship programs, and human resources information systems at Oxfam America. He previously worked for Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, Bain & Company, and George Washington University where he was responsible for strategic staffing initiatives, employee relations, and total compensation programs. Mr. Curti holds a B.S. in business administration from Endicott College and is currently studying Spanish and Hindi.

	Patricia Lee Devaney, Director of Impact Assessment Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Devaney was an independent consultant, focusing on microfinance research. She previously worked for five years at ACCION International, where she was responsible for the organization’s start-up poverty assessment project and other quantitative and qualitative research in microfinance. Ms. Devaney holds an M.P.A. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. in international studies from Colby College.

	Lubna Maria Elia (formerly Nabi), Director of Fundraising Operations Ms. Nabi is responsible for overseeing Root Capital's fundraising operations and streamlining related systems. She comes to Root Capital from Design that Matters, where she led resource development and brand management. Before moving to Boston, she worked for the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where she taught economic justice and led programs at the University of Houston’s Newman Center. Prior to this, Ms. Nabi worked as director of development at Teach For America–Houston. She has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in economic development in Latin America, and an M.A. in international relations from Boston University. Ms. Nabi is fluent in Spanish and familiar with Portuguese. She is a first-generation American, has a Mexican mother and a Jordanian father, has traveled to 27 countries on six continents, and spent eight years of her youth living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

	Samantha Fernandez, Investor Relations Associate Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Fernandez was an associate consultant at The Bridgespan Group, a non-profit strategy consulting firm, where she conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses for strategic planning projects. In addition, she has had a wide range of experiences in the non-profit and philanthropic sector, including coordinating ESL tutoring programs for immigrant women and migrant farmworkers, volunteering at a South African AIDS orphanage, and interning at an education-focused New York City foundation. Ms. Fernandez holds a B.A. in economics and Latin American studies from UNC-Chapel Hill and has studied socioeconomic development abroad in Chile, Cuba, South Africa, and Tanzania.

	Katie Ferrari, Executive Assistant Before joining Root Capital, Ms. Ferrari spent a year teaching middle school English in Saint-Etienne, France. She graduated from Harvard College in 2005 with a B.A. in romance languages and literatures and spent her junior year studying at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina. After graduating, she served as student services coordinator at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard where she managed all student programs, including grants, study abroad, and internships. Ms. Ferrari is fluent in Spanish and French and has a working knowledge of Portuguese.

	Noelle Fogg, Investor Relations Associate Before joining Root Capital as investor relations associate, Ms. Fogg interned for the Root Capital executive office and worked as business development assistant. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2009 with a B.A. in economics and Africana studies. While at Wellesley, Ms. Fogg spent a semester studying economic development in Uganda, where her research focused on grassroots initiatives and water and sanitation projects. She is the founder of the Southern Michigan Chapter of the American Friends of the Kigali Public Library (AFKPL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and establishing Rwanda's first public library. She is fluent in French and proficient in Luganda.

	Catherine Gill, Managing Director of Investor Relations Prior to joining the Root Capital team, Ms. Gill was the director for the Capital Partners division of Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a national community development financial institution with a 30-year track record of improving funding and financing practices in the social sector. At NFF, Catherine also served as the site director for the agency’s New England region. She worked as a senior lender both at NFF and at SEEDCO in New York City, managing multi-million dollar loan portfolios to nonprofits across sectors. In addition to her background in financial analysis, Ms. Gill brings to Root Capital her experience as a fundraiser for Columbia Business School and as a consultant on economic development projects in Honduras. Catherine currently teaches the nonprofit financial management class at Boston University’s School of Management. She holds an M.B.A from IESE, Universidad de Navarra in Barcelona, Spain and a B.A. in ancient Greek from Wellesley College. She speaks Spanish and has a working knowledge of French.

	Carolyn Hwang, Human Resources and Office Manager Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms Hwang was an environmental education volunteer with the Peace Corps in Piura, Peru, where she worked with a municipal government to develop and implement its environmental initiatives. Ms Hwang also worked on the marketing team at an Outward Bound school in Costa Rica. She studied and interned in the Dominican Republic and Belize and was chair of her university's PIRG chapter. Ms. Hwang holds a B.S. in environmental sciences from the University of Michigan. She speaks Spanish and Mandarin.

	Fredeline Joseph, Portfolio Servicing Associate Before joining Root Capital, Ms. Joseph was a small business Peace Corps volunteer in Cajamarca and Lambayeque, Peru. She worked with artisan associations, small business owners, and educational institutions. She also studied at La Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain and interned with DaimlerChrysler in the post-sales marketing research department. Ms. Joseph holds a B.S. from Northeastern University in international business with concentrations in finance and marketing as well as an international affairs and Spanish minor. She speaks Haitian Creole and Spanish.

	Nery Joubert-Rivera, Accountant Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Joubert-Rivera worked in banks and CPA firms in Puerto Rico. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania. Ms. Joubert-Rivera holds a dual M.A in sustainable international development and conflict resolution and coexistence from Brandeis University and an M.B.A. from University of Puerto Rico. She is fluent in Spanish and English and conversant in Romanian.

	Emily Judem, Senior Marketing and Communications Associate Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Judem spent a year teaching English in Quito, Ecuador. She graduated from Colby College in 2006 with a B.A. in American studies and creative writing. After graduating, Ms. Judem worked at Colby College’s Office of Communications where she created the college’s first podcast, now an award-winning publication series. She also studied at La Universidad de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain and is fluent in Spanish.

	Jesse Last, Lending and Strategy Associate Before joining Root Capital, Mr. Last supported renewable energy and economic development efforts at the Office of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Previously at the World Resources Institute, he worked in the New Ventures program which facilitated the financing of sustainable enterprises in emerging economies. Mr. Last graduated from Pomona College with a degree in environmental analysis and received the Truman Scholarship in 2006. In 2010, he graduated as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Ecuador’s Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar with a degree in international relations. He is fluent in Spanish.

	Briana Malloy, Portfolio Analyst Ms. Malloy currently works on the portfolio management team at Root Capital, focusing in the areas of loan closings, client account management and portfolio analysis. She graduated from Tufts University in 2005 with a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish Literature and a regional concentration in Latin America. She has also studied at the Universidad de Chile in Santiago and the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain. Prior to joining the lending team in 2007, Ms. Malloy worked as a program associate in finance and administration at Root Capital. She is fluent in Spanish.

	Mike McCreless, Impact Assessment Officer Mr. McCreless has worked with the International Finance Corporation on impact assessment, and served as a summer portfolio associate at Acumen Fund. Prior to graduate school, he worked as a management consultant for Monitor Company in New York, London, Madrid, Paris, and Morocco, and as a research associate for Professor Michael Porter at Harvard Business School, where he wrote case studies and research notes about economic development in Rwanda, foreign aid, and other topics. He holds an M.B.A with distinction from Harvard Business School, an M.P.A. in international development from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a B.A. from Yale University.

	Brian Milder, Managing Director of Strategy and Innovation Mr. Milder coordinates organizational strategy and focuses on developing new markets and financial products to support Root Capital’s growth. Previously, he served as Boston site director for Project HEALTH, a national nonprofit organization that connects low-income families to the resources they need to be healthy. He also worked in Chile as an entrepreneur-in-residence for the Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-sustainability Team (NESsT), which operates a venture fund to incubate sustainable social enterprises. Mr. Milder holds a B.A. in social studies from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is fluent in Spanish and is on the Board of Directors of Patagonia Sur Foundation.

	Saurin Nanavati, Managing Director of Advisory and Training Mr. Nanavati supports Root Capital's Advisory and Training program’s efforts to create, test, and disseminate practical management tools targeting rural producer cooperatives. Prior to working for Root Capital, Mr. Nanavati spent seven years abroad. He coordinated and implemented a mobile phone based, agriculture extension system in Uganda (with project partners Grameen Foundation, IITA, MTN Uganda, and Agcommons), worked as the program director for Zameen Organic (a fair trade and organic cotton cooperative) in India, a technical advisor for USAID’s microenterprise development program in Armenia, and a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. In 2008, Mr. Nanavati received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. He holds an undergraduate degree in business from the Wharton School and an M.B.A from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He speaks Spanish and Gujarati.

	Jennifer Neira, Senior Accounting Manager Ms. Neira completed a master's degree in public policy & administration with a certificate in Latin American studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has experience working abroad with a nonprofit business incubator in Cuenca, Ecuador where she assisted programs supporting entrepreneurship, small business development, and tourism in rural indigenous communities. Prior to completing her graduate work, she worked in the Trust Accounting & Reporting Department at Investors Bank & Trust for five years. Ms. Neira holds a B.S. in business administration from Bryant University with concentrations in finance and international studies and studied abroad in Granada, Spain. She speaks Spanish and German.

	Luis Miguel Ormeno, Investment Officer Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Ormeno worked for several years on conservation and development initiatives in the Amazon and Andes regions of his native Peru and in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve. His work focused on helping communities improve their harvest and processing techniques; tap better markets for their existing products; and develop new products for export. Mr. Ormeno holds an M.A. in sustainable international development from Brandeis University. He is fluent in Spanish and English.

	Mia Roca Alcover, Operations Associate Before joining Root Capital, Ms. Alcover worked at a nonprofit organization developing projects in African nations to promote civic engagement and increase cross-cultural understanding. She moved to Cambridge from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she lived for six years and graduated with a B.S. from the Belgrano University in hotel and tourism management. Ms. Alcover's previous professional experience also includes event planning and market research for the Sociedad Hoteles del Perú (SHP), a society focused on local economic and social development through hotel and tourism activities. Raised in Peru and Spain, Ms. Alcover is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in English and Catalan.

	Joseph Sinatra, Investor Relations Officer At Root Capital, Mr. Sinatra builds relationships with a range of donor, investment, and external audiences to deepen Root Capital’s impact. Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Sinatra worked at Ashoka, where he successfully developed proposals and managed relationships with leading philanthropic organizations and investors, raising more than $20 million to finance social entrepreneurs worldwide. Most recently at Ashoka, he promoted the use of technology for crowdsourcing social innovation and problem solving. Mr. Sinatra holds a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland and a M.Sc. in development management from the London School of Economics. A native Washingtonian, Joseph has also lived in London, UK and Santiago, Chile and is conversant in Spanish.

	Jen Stine, Director of Organizational Planning and Development Ms. Stine began her career as a field researcher at the Harvard Business School, spending nearly a decade working for the MBA and executive education programs. In addition to publishing case studies about leadership and organizational behavior, Ms. Stine collaborated with Harvard business and education faculty to develop innovative leadership curriculum, helping to create the HBS Leadership Initiative and the Public Education Leadership Project. Following her work at Harvard, Ms. Stine helped to launch a nonprofit practice for The Ariel Group, an international training company based in Lexington, MA, and worked as a nonprofit recruiter for the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. She holds a B.A. in religion from Williams College and an M.A. in early adolescent education from Bank Street College.

	Emily Turner, Business Development Assistant Prior to joining the Business Development team, Ms. Turner began as an intern with Root Capital and also worked as a research assistant at the Harvard Kennedy School for the Program on Intrastate Conflict and the World Peace Foundation. She graduated from Northeastern University in January 2010 with a B.A. in international affairs and political science, concentrating on social entrepreneurship. She has studied in Geneva and Brazil, worked as a micro enterprise project coordinator in northern Thailand, and has also conducted field research on borrower repayment trends for Esperanza International in the Dominican Republic. She is proficient in Spanish and familiar with Thai.

	Karina Vadillo, Portfolio Servicing Associate Before becoming portfolio servicing associate, Ms. Vadillo interned at Root Capital, supporting the finance and administration team. She has volunteered with Global Learning, a non-profit organization that provides lessons to underserved public elementary schools, in San Jorge, Nicaragua. She has studied at the Universidad de Cordoba in Spain. Ms. Vadillo holds a B.A. in economics and Latin American studies from Wellesley College.

	Diego Valdivia, Investment Officer Mr. Valdivia, a Chilean national, holds a B.A. in business administration and a M.Sc. in finance from the Adolfo Ibañez University (Chile). Prior to joining Root Capital, he acquired extensive financial analysis and risk management experience through internships in the private sectors in both Chile and the United States. He has served as a volunteer in Chile, South Africa, and—currently—in Cambridge, where he participates in a Spanish language program for bilingual elementary school children. He is a native Spanish speaker and has developed English fluency through study abroad programs in England and at the University of the Witswatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

	Renzo Verne, Advisory and Training Intern Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Verne spent a year teaching English in Laon, France. He graduated from Boston University in 2009 with a B.A. in economics and international relations, concentrating on the Latin America region and economic development. Mr. Verne’s previous professional experience also includes teaching math to immigrants through the Intergenerational Literacy Program based in Chelsea, MA and a public security sector internship with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LiREC) based in Lima, Peru. Mr. Verne is Peruvian and grew up in the United States. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and French, and has a working knowledge of Portuguese.

	Bryan Woliner, Financial Analyst and Budget Manager Mr. Woliner is responsible for managing Root Capital's operating budget and for overseeing financial analysis and reporting. Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Woliner worked as a researcher and financial analyst for UNITE HERE Local 26, a labor union that represents hotel and food service workers. His prior professional experience also includes analytical research and financial analysis for Glass Lewis & Co., the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the MBTA. Mr. Woliner holds an M.B.A and an M.S. in information systems from Boston University, a B.A. in political science from Oberlin College, and studied abroad at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa.
Root Capital Team - Field Locations
	Jerónimo Bollen, Regional Director, Latin America Mr. Bollen most recently worked for Manos Campesinas, a premiere coffee cooperative in Guatemala, where he worked in sales, co-op management, farmer relations, and credit analysis. Mr. Bollen has served on various boards and councils devoted to advancing economic justice in Guatemala and has consulted to the Max Havelaar Foundation, one of Europe's leading fair trade certification organizations. Mr. Bollen holds an M.B.A. from the Universidad Rafael Landívar in Guatemala, as well as degrees in business communications and international marketing management from universities in The Netherlands. He is fluent in Dutch, Spanish and English.

	Julia Ricci Castellón, Office Assistant, Central America Before joining Root Capital as an office assistant based in Nicaragua, Ms. Castellón was an administrative advisor for a transportation cooperative and responsible for administrative management under the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. She has a B.A. in Pharmacology and Chemistry, and a degree in community development and accounting, with a focus in preventative and reproductive health, hygiene, and epidemiology.

	Rosario Castellón, Senior Monitoring Officer, Latin America Based in Managua, Nicaragua, Ms. Castellón is an agrarian economist who has served as, among other things, the general manager of PRODECOOP, a federation of coffee farmer co-ops in northern Nicaragua; the producer relations manager at Equal Exchange, the first US-based Fair Trade importer; and as project director for a coffee quality program jointly funded by Starbucks Coffee Company and Oxfam International in Mexico.

	Bamba Fall, Investment Officer, West Africa Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Fall was the Small Enterprise Program manager for the Peace Corps in Senegal. He is also the founder and past director of Sahre Kumba consulting group, a company providing business management consultancy services to small and medium enterprises. Mr. Fall is a certified financial management trainer and has taught accounting and managerial finance. He holds an M.B.A from the International School of Management in Dakar and an M.A. in economics from the Université Cheikh Anta Diop. He is fluent in French, English and Wolof.

	Laura Gordillo Gómez, Administrative Assistant, Mexico Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Gómez worked with smallholder producer organizations, including Dermac AC, preparing reports and projects related to strengthening businesses. She also served as manager of a national chain of hardware stories, where she was responsible for the purchasing department and attended to all administrative and business-related responsibilities. Ms. Gómez graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH) with a B.A. in economics.

	Fred Kiteng’e, Investment Officer, East Africa Mr. Kiteng'e is an Investment Officer for eastern and southern Africa. Before joining Root Capital, he worked as a senior business development manager with pan-African specialist small and medium enterprise (SME) finance and development company GroFin, where his portfolio included rural entrepreneurs. Prior to that, Mr. Kiteng'e spent 15 years with Standard Chartered Bank, holding the positions of loan officer, branch manager, and SME manager. Fred earned his B.Sc. in banking from University of Nairobi. A Kenyan national, he is fluent in English, Kiswahili, and one native Kenyan language.

	Stella Klemperer, Regional Office Administrator, Latin America Ms. Klemperer oversees administration and serves as a liaison for Root Capital's regional offices in Latin America. She graduated from Brown University in 2006 with a B.A. in development studies and economics. While at Brown, she was president of her campus chapter of Oxfam America and an active member of United Students for Fair Trade. Upon graduation, Ms. Klemperer was awarded a year-long fellowship in Amazonian Ecuador where she worked with the Kallari Association, an indigenous artisan and agricultural cooperative. She is fluent in Spanish and serves on the board of directors of Amazon Partnerships Foundation.

	Vincent Lagacé, Director of CAFÉ Livelihoods Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Lagacé worked for Développement international Desjardins (DID), a subsidiary of the Desjardins Group specialized in technical assistance and investment in the microfinance sector. As an advisor for DID, he worked on several agricultural financing projects both in Africa and Latin America and piloted a project on Fair Trade producer organization financing. Mr. Lagacé is currently a serving Board member of TransFair Canada, the Canadian nonprofit Fair Trade certification organization. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and is currently completing an M.A. in development studies at the University of Ottawa. He is fluent in French, English, and Spanish.

	Manel Modelo, Director of Advisory and Training, Latin America Mr. Modelo manages Root Capital's financial education project in cooperation with EARTH University. Mr. Modelo has worked in a producer support program at Twin/Twin Trading, a U.K. foundation and leading Fair Trade importer. Based in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mr. Modelo assisted small-scale coffee growers in southern Mexico and Nicaragua strengthening their financial, productive, organizational, and commercial capacities. Mr. Modelo has also worked for Setem, a non- profit organization that provides financial education to fair trade coffee growers in Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, while helping them access the Spanish Fair Trade marketplace. With significant experience in coffee exporting, micro-lending, and commercial banking, Mr. Modelo is a graduate of the Spanish National University where he majored in sociology and has done postgraduate work in international development and education. He speaks English, Spanish, and Catalan.

	Peter Onguka, Monitoring Officer, East Africa Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Onguka worked for Southern Credit Banking Corporation, a Kenyan commercial bank, as a credit risk officer. Before that he worked for microfinance lender K-Rep Bank for seven years as a microfinance officer and senior business development officer, developing new credit products for rural borrowers and opening new branches. Mr. Onguka holds a B.A. in economics and sociology from the University Of Nairobi and has undergone various short term banking courses organized by Kenya Institute of Banking.

	Olivia Margaret Omindo, Office Administrator, Africa Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Omindo worked for seven years with the telecommunications company Harris Stratex in two separate roles -- as office administrator and as project manager. During that time, Ms. Omindo took a leading role in successfully setting up the Nairobi office and recruiting new staff members, increasing staffing from 3 to 13 as the business expanded, not only in Kenya, but regionally as well. Ms. Omindo holds a B.S. in international business administration from the United States International University (USIU) and has also attended various courses in project management.

	William Portilla, Senior Investment Officer, Central America A Costa Rican national, Mr. Portilla worked for several years on conservation projects and has an extensive background in investments, banking, and finance. Prior to joining Root Capital Mr. Portilla worked as an investment officer for Mesoamerica at Verde Ventures Fund-CI. Mr. Portilla has also worked as a credit manager for commercial banks, deputy to the executive director for ICAFE – Costa Rica, and as an environmental project officer at various international organizations. Mr. Portilla holds an M.Sc. in agribusiness from Ohio State University. He is fluent in Spanish and English.

	Nathalie Prado, Investment Officer, Central America Ms. Prado has more than 10 years of experience working for various private sector firms in her native Costa Rica. Prior to joining Root Capital, she worked as a monitoring officer with EcoEnterprises Fund at the Nature Conservancy. She holds a B.A. in business administration from the Universidad Internacional de las Américas and a Licenciate degree in finance from the Universidad Interamericana. She is fluent in Spanish and English and conversant in Portuguese.

	Olivier Ramírez Fernández, Investment Officer, Central America Mr. Ramírez has a B.A. in business administration from the University of Costa Rica. He has more than fourteen years of work experience in different private financial institutions; his experience is based on corporate credit assessment, financial risks evaluations, and financial advisory, projects, and product evaluations for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Before joining Root Capital, he worked for Citibank of Costa Rica as an SME product manager, and for Cuscatlan Bank and Improsa Bank as a corporate credit analyst. At the beginning of his career he worked as a credit officer and microfinance coordinator in a rural agency.

	Aldo Risco, Investment Officer, South America Aldo Risco graduated from the Zamorano University in Honduras with a degree in agronomy. After graduating in 1997, he worked for the phytosanitary division of Bayer in Peru and later joined the Ceper Agricola company where he worked in the department of white asparagus production for export. After studying for an M.A. in business administration at the Business Administration Graduate School (ESAN), he entered the financial sector and worked at the LAAD Americas bank in Peru as an assistant manager, and was responsible for the analysis of agricultural projects in medium and large enterprises that exported various non-traditional crops.

	Daniel Rivera, Investment Officer, South America Mr. Rivera leads Root Capital's South American office. His experience and skills include financial analysis, project evaluation and monitoring, and economic research. Prior to joining Root Capital, he worked as a financial manager at Rainforest Trading, a consortium supporting the business interests of coffee farmers in Peru; he also worked as a loan analyst at Banco del Trabajo, in the microfinance industry. He holds a B.A. in economics from Catholic University in Peru.

	Evelyn Rodas, Monitoring Assistant, Central America Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Rodas worked for Manos Campesinas, a small coffee producer association financed by Root Capital, where she was responsible for internal control systems and third party certifications. Previously she worked for the community development organization, Asociación Patronato Vivamos Mejor Guatemala, as a field extension technician and for the Swedish Cooperative Center where she served as a project coordinator. Ms. Rodas graduated from San Carlos University in Guatemala with a degree in agricultural engineering focused on agriculture production systems.

	Frida Ruiz Fernandez, Investment Officer, South America Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Ruiz worked as senior regional advisor for SNV Latin America, developing inclusive business initiatives in agribusiness and generating deal flow for investors. She traveled around India working for the Center for Microfinance, collaborated with Ashoka Mexico on prospects in hybrid value chains, and was a fellow for the Spanish Saving Banks Union in Spain, and for Grameen Foundation. Previously, she advised the Peruvian Ministry of Economy on inclusive finance and was a financial analyst for the Financial Regulatory Agency, focusing on risk assessments of banks and microfinance. Frida holds a M.P.A in international development from the Harvard Kennedy School, an M.A. in finance from Universidad Pacifico, and a B.A. in economics from Universidad Catolica. She also co-authored “A Firm Level Approach to Majority Market Business”, and speaks English, French, and Portuguese.

	Jacqueline Sánchez Mendoza, Monitoring Assistant, Central America Ms. Sánchez received her B.A. in business administration from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) and her M.B.A from the Iberoamerican University (UNICIT). Prior to working for Root Capital, she worked as a microcredit facilitator for rice producers in the Sebaco Valley of Nicaragua. In the last few years she worked for the Nicaraguan Business of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (ENACAL) in the administration of commercial offices, where she was mainly responsible for customer service and loan recovery in urban and rural areas of Nicaragua.

	Nate Schaffran, Regional Director, Africa Mr. Schaffran is Root Capital’s regional director for Africa. He previously worked as a business accounts manager at TransFair USA, the U.S. certifier of Fair Trade products. Prior to that he worked in Nicaragua with Cooperativa Juan Francisco Paz Silva, a sesame production and export cooperative. Mr. Schaffran holds an M.S. in foreign service, with a concentration in international development from Georgetown University, and a B.A. in economics and political science from Swarthmore College. He is fluent in Spanish.

	Lilian Soch, Administrative Assistant, Central America Prior to working for Root Capital, Ms. Soch worked as an accountant for the Guatemalan company CORCABASA. She also worked as an assistant in the accounting department of Edire, Inc., a company in Guatemala that publishes a weekly bulletin, and as an adminstrator at a local shopping center. A certified accountant, Ms. Soch holds a B.A. in auditing and certified public accounting.

	Miriam Taquire, Monitoring Associate, South America Before working at Root Capital, Ms. Taquire was responsible for credit and payment at AICASA, a company dedicated to the international trading of coffee. Previously, she worked as a credit analyst at Derrama Magisterial and COOPAC Atlantis, financial services companies.

	Richard Tugume, Investment Officer, East Africa Mr. Tugume, a Ugandan national, is Root Capital’s investment officer for Africa. He previously worked as a Senior Financial Controller for Kilicafe, a Fair Trade-certified, coffee producing farmer association in Tanzania. Prior to that, he worked in Uganda as an external auditor with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and as a financial accountant with TechnoServe Uganda. Richard holds a Bachelors of Commerce (Accounting), ACCA, and is currently pursuing his MBA in international business management at the Nairobi University in Kenya. He is fluent in English, Swahili, and a number of native Ugandan languages.

	Cecilia Yáñez, Investment Officer, South America Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Yañez worked as a microfinance consultant in Africa and Latin America. She previously worked at One World Foundation in Spain, where she was responsible for micro lending projects in Latin America and business support for immigrant micro entrepreneurs in Spain. Prior to that, she worked as a financial analyst at Microrate Latin America focusing on rating evaluations of microfinance institutions. These experiences, along with an internship in Australia with Opportunity International, equip her with a working knowledge of English, Portuguese, French and Catalan in addition to her native Spanish. Ms Yañez holds a postgraduate degree in development studies from Barcelona University and an M.B.A from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid.
Root Fellows
	Tyler Clark Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Clark managed field financial operations for Healing Waters International, an organization that employs a micro franchise model to provide sustainable access to clean water in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, and Kenya. Previously, he worked as national campus coordinator for Pura Vida Coffee, a Fair Trade, organic coffee company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. He holds a B.A. in international business and an M.A. in transformational leadership from Bethel University. He is fluent in Spanish.

	Daniel Glasser Mr. Glasser is earning his M.B.A. at Boston University with dual concentrations in entrepreneurship and public & nonprofit management. He most recently worked in the Massachusetts state legislature as an aide to a State Representative. He led the Representative's legislative effort on issues such as promoting social justice, support for working families, and environmental conservation. He also managed constituent services and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the State House office. His prior professional experience includes electoral campaign operations and communications. Mr. Glasser holds a B.A. in English and American literature from Brandeis University. He is proficient in French and has a working knowledge of Italian.

	Emily Williams Ms. Williams is a graduate of Warwick University in the U.K., where she received both a B.A. and M.A. in mathematics. Her work experience includes the development and structuring of equity and fixed income strategies using financial derivatives and quantitative research analysis at Dresdner Kleinwort. She has also worked as a fundraiser and administrative volunteer at a national charity for the deaf and the blind.

	Katharine Wolf Ms. Wolf is a Root Fellow focused on researching the impact of women-centered rural enterprises in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, Ms. Wolf co-founded a microfinance bank serving female farmers in northern Vietnam for a French NGO, Entrepreneurs du Monde. Prior to living in Vietnam, Ms. Wolf spent four years with Deutsche Bank's leveraged finance group in New York and mergers & acquisitions group in Paris. She is a candidate for an M.P.A. in international development from the Harvard Kennedy School. Ms. Wolf holds an M.B.A from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Middlebury College, where she spent one year studying abroad at Sciences-Po in Paris. Ms. Wolf is fluent in French and familar with Vietnamese.