Root Capital

Team

Executive Team
	Liam Brody, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Relations Carlos Castello, Senior Vice President of Global Programs Bonnie Cockman, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations William F. Foote, Founder and CEO Brian Milder, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation
Root Capital Team - U.S Headquarters
	Lindsay Baker, Senior Lending Associate Betsy Boyle, Director of Operations, Investor Relations Brandon Boyle, Director of Loan Operations Annie Brennan, Global Programs Assistant Jorge Caicedo, Staff Accountant Aaron Charlop-Powers, Executive Assistant Tyler Clark, Project Director, Financial Advisory Services Michaela D'Amico, Business Development and Corporate Relations Assistant Patricia Lee Devaney, Director of Knowledge & Impact Lubna Maria Elia, Director of Legal Resources & Compliance Chris Engstrom, Online Communications Manager Alex Epps, Knowledge & Impact Associate Noelle Fogg, Senior Investor Relations Associate Catherine Gill, Vice President of Investor Relations Carolyn Hwang, Manager of Organizational Development and Operations Fredeline Joseph, Financial Advisory Services Associate Lizeth Karageorgos, Office Administrator Stella Klemperer, Budget Manager Dirk Koechner, Director of Information Technology & Global Systems Yesenia Laracuente, Junior Accountant Jesse Last, Senior Lending and Strategy Associate Briana Malloy, Portfolio Operations Manager Mike McCreless, Knowledge & Impact Officer Jeff Morse, Legal & Operations Associate Arjun Nair, Communications Associate Saurin Nanavati, Director of Financial Advisory Services - Project Management Luis Miguel Ormeño, Loan Officer Mia Roca Alcover, Investor Relations Associate Emily Romano, Portfolio Associate Martha Romero, Field Accounting Manager Darcy Salinger, Chief Credit Officer Diane Shohet, Vice President of Marketing and Communications Ottavio Siani, Junior Loan Officer Joseph Sinatra, Investor Relations Officer Brenda Smith, Vice President of Finance and Administration Elizabeth Teague, Strategy and Innovation Associate Emily Turner, Investor Relations Associate Diego Valdivia, Lending Analysis Manager Juana Velosa Guzmán, Human Resources Manager Robbie Witkop, Junior Analyst Bryan Woliner, Senior Analyst and Finance Manager Irma Zoepf, Senior Human Resources Associate
Root Capital Team - Field Locations
	Antonio Ancheyta, Financial Advisory Services Trainer, Mexico Christina Blot, Loan Officer, Haiti Jerónimo Bollen, Regional Director, Latin America Elicia Carmichael, Lending and Innovation Officer, Latin America Julia Ricci Castellón, Office Assistant, Central America Rosario Castellón, Senior Risk Officer, Latin America Odalier Chacón, Loan Officer, Central America Margarita Chojolán, Senior Project Manager, Financial Advisory Services Lucia Cruz, Administrative Assistant, Mexico Beatrice Githinji, Loan Officer, Africa Laura Gordillo Gómez, Financial Advisory Services Associate, Mexico and Central America Samuel Kariuki, Portfolio Associate, Africa Fred Kiteng’e, Loan Officer, East Africa Vincent Lagacé, Senior Project Manager, Finanical Advisory Services David Lozano Sánchez, Learning Methodology Coordinator, Financial Advisory Services Beatriz Ocampo, Loan Officer, Mexico and Central America Ashley Olson, Lending and Innovation Officer, Africa Christine Omindo, Field Accountant, Africa Olivia Margaret Omindo, Office Administrator, Africa Peter Onguka, Risk Officer, Africa Hubert Peri, Knowledge Manager, Financial Advisory Services William Portilla, Credit Manager, Central America Olivier Ramírez Fernández, Loan Officer, Central America Marcela Rivera, Information Associate, Latin America Evelyn Rodas, Monitoring Assistant, Central America Diaka Sall, Loan Officer for francophone West Africa Jacqueline Sánchez Mendoza, Monitoring Assistant, Central America Allan Santamaría, Portfolio Associate, Central America Nate Schaffran, Regional Director, Africa Sharon Serrano, Financial Analyst, Central America Rocio Tasies-Riba, Regional Administrator, Latin America Richard Tugume, Loan Officer, East Africa
Root Capital Partners
	Daniel Rivera, General Manager, ACCDER Mariella Aréstegui, Administrative Assistant, ACCDER Gilbert Bustamante, FAS Coordinator, ACCDER Aldo Risco, Loan Officer, ACCDER Fernando Tamayo, Financial Analyst, ACCDER Miriam Taquire, Monitoring Associate, ACCDER Renzo Verne, Junior Loan Officer, ACCDER Cecilia Yáñez, Loan Officer, ACCDER

Executive Team

	Liam Brody, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Relations Mr. Brody is responsible for raising capital for the fund, brand management, and private sector collaboration. Liam has spent the past 15 years working in rural economic development and agricultural value chains in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Prior to joining Root Capital, he was a program manager and campaign director for the global humanitarian agency Oxfam. He also served as director of sustainable coffee for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Liam holds a Master of Education in Social Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education from Cornell University.

	Carlos Castello, Senior Vice President of Global Programs Mr. Castello has primary responsibility for the development and management of Root Capital´s programmatic operations, including all lending, risk management, and advisory and training activities. Prior to joining Root Capital, he worked with ACCION International for 25 years, most recently as executive managing director of Global Programs. In this position he was responsible for the management and coordination of ACCION's technical assistance and management services to its more than 30 microfinance partner institutions in Africa, China, India and Latin America. He also represented ACCION on the boards of several regulated microfinance institutions. As member of ACCION´s Senior Management Team, Mr. Castello helped shape the organization´s strategic direction over the last decade. In the early 1980’s Mr. Castello served as the Latin American representative for PACT, Inc., responsible for all grant making and support operations for the region. A native of Colombia, Mr. Castello holds an M.A. in economics and an M.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University as well as a B.A. in international administration from Union College. He is fluent in Spanish and English, and near fluent in French.

	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 Finance 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.

	Brian Milder, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation Mr. Milder leads Root Capital’s strategy, knowledge and innovation department and is the director of Root Lab, which houses the organization’s research and development on new markets and financial products. Prior to joining Root Capital in 2006, he served as Boston site director for Project HEALTH (now Health Leads) and was an entrepreneur-in-residence for the Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-sustainability Team (NESsT), which operates a venture fund to incubate sustainable social enterprises in Chile. 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.
Root Capital Team - US Headquarters
	Lindsay Baker, Senior Lending Associate 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.

	Betsy Boyle, Director of Operations, Investor Relations Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Boyle was a senior manager at Ceres, where she ran the real estate program and oversaw the planning and execution of Ceres' annual national conference. Previously, Ms. Boyle directed the first phase of development of Nexus, a green building resource center in downtown Boston, and worked as the director of operations at Ceres, responsible for managing the finances and administration for the organization. Before that, she worked at the Harvard School of Public Health for seven years in development and administration. Ms. Boyle received a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where she was a Public Service Fellow.

	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.

	Annie Brennan, Global Programs Assistant Prior to working for Root Capital, Annie was the Public Affairs Intern for the Girl Up campaign with the United Nations Foundation in Washington D.C. Before that, she spent summers interning at U.S. Embassies and USAID offices in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Annie grew up moving around Latin America. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and Child Development from Tufts University, and she is fluent in Spanish.

	Jorge Caicedo, Staff Accountant Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Caicedo worked as a loan originator with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Shamrock Financial, where he specialized in helping minority applicants with the home loan process. Mr. Caicedo also taught algebra and computer science at a primary school. Mr. Caicedo holds a B.A. in finance from George Mason University and a M.S. in accounting from the University of Massachusetts. He is fluent in Spanish and English.

	Aaron Charlop-Powers, Executive Assistant Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Charlop-Powers worked in New York at the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti, where he provided administrative support to senior staff, assisted with post-earthquake logistics and procurement, and provided project assistance to private sector partners. Mr. Charlop-Powers has also worked as a Food Security Analyst at the World Food Programme Regional Bureau for Asia in Bangkok, Thailand and as an occupational health advocate for low-caste sewage workers in Gujarat State, India. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Mr. Charlop-Powers has a working knowledge of Spanish and is an aspiring bike mechanic and surfer. In addition to his work at Root Capital, he also advises the Kenya-based non-profit, Carolina for Kibera.

	Tyler Clark, Project Director, Financial Advisory Services Mr. Clark is directing a three-year initiative in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank / Multilateral Investment Fund and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to expand access to financing and strengthen internal credit systems of agricultural cooperatives in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Prior to joining Root Capital, he managed field financial operations for Healing Waters International, an organization that employs a franchise model to provide sustainable access to clean water in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, and Kenya. Previously, he worked for Pura Vida Coffee, a Fair Trade, organic coffee importer headquartered in Seattle, Washington. He holds a B.A. in international business and an M.A. in leadership from Bethel University. He speaks English and Spanish.

	Michaela D'Amico, Business Development and Corporate Relations Assistant Ms. D'Amico provides administrative support and executive assistance to the Business Development and Investor Relations Teams. Prior to this, Ms. D'Amico worked as a Spanish translator at Root Capital. She has also worked in Ecuador supporting communications for an international human rights and environmental justice lawsuit with two organizations, Amazon Watch and Frente de Defensa da la Amazonía (the Amazon Defense Coalition), and in the speaker’s bureau at Global Exchange in San Francisco. Ms. D'Amico graduated from Northeastern University with a B.A. in international affairs, concentrating in social entrepreneurship, sociology, and Spanish. She has studied in Chile and Spain, and conducted microfinance and micro-enterprise field research in South Africa, the Dominican Republic, and Belize. She speaks Spanish and is learning French.

	Patricia Lee Devaney, Director of Knowledge & Impact 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, Director of Legal Resources & Compliance Ms. Elia manages legal resources and strategic initiatives in relation to professionalizing Root Capital's operations as the organization grows. She has nine years of fundraising experience in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors and she came 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 formation programs at the University of Houston Newman Center. Prior to this, Ms. Elia worked as director of development at Teach For America - Houston. She has a B.A. in Humanities Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in international relations from Boston University. Ms. Elia 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 30 countries on six continents, and spent eight years of her youth living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

	Chris Engstrom, Online Communications Manager Chris manages Root Capital's website, multimedia and email communications. Before joining Root Capital he was a senior web developer/analyst in the Oxfam communications department. In this capacity he lead the redesign of oxfamgifts.com and several major upgrades to Oxfam America's website and social media sites. Prior to this Chris worked at JPMorgan as the vice president of user experience and as a contract web developer for several large technology firms. He brings to Root Capital online expertise in both non-profit and banking systems. Mr. Engstrom grew up in both the Untied States and France and is fluent in French.

	Alex Epps, Knowledge & Impact Associate Prior to working as the budget and analysis associate, Mr. Epps interned at Root Capital in the finance and operations department. Previously, Mr. Epps lived in San Jose, Costa Rica, where he filmed a documentary about the local peace culture. He also studied environmental sustainability in Australia. A native of New York City, he holds a B.A. in economics and health policy from Brandeis University. He is conversant in Hebrew.

	Noelle Fogg, Senior 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, Vice President 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, Manager of Organizational Development and Operations 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, Financial Advisory Services 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.

	Lizeth Karageorgos, Office Administrator Lizeth is responsible for the daily administrative operations of the office and provides support to the human resources team. Prior to joining Root Capital, she worked at several firms in the Boston area providing administrative support and as an office manager and volunteered at the General Consulate of Mexico in Boston. She holds a B.A. in business administration from the Sonora Institute of Technology.

	Stella Klemperer, Budget Manager Ms. Klemperer is responsible for managing and maintaining Root Capital's operating budget. 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.

	Dirk Koechner, Director of Information Technology & Global Systems Mr. Koechner brings 15 years of senior information technology development and leadership experience to Root Capital. Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Koechner architected and managed IT systems for clients as diverse as the Royal Dutch Navy, Daimler Benz, Petróleos Mexicanos, Microsoft, Embratel, EMC, and Compuware. He has worked throughout the U.S., Europe, and Brazil and has served as technical adviser for a variety of local non-profits since 2002. Mr. Koechner is PMP certified and holds a Masters degree in engineering from Cornell University and a Masters of Studies degree in public policy from the London School of Economics. He speaks fluent German and is currently learning Spanish.

	Yesenia Laracuente, Junior Accountant Before joining Root Capital, Ms. Laracuente worked in the hospitality industry in various operational and management roles. She also worked for five years as an accountant in Florida and New York. Before moving to the United States, she worked in the Dominican Republic for four years in non-profit organizations as a customer service representative. She has a B.A in Hotel Administration from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in Dominican Republic, and she is fluent in English and Spanish.

	Jesse Last, Senior 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 the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar program and is a candidate for his M.A. in international relations from Ecuador’s Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar. He is fluent in Spanish.

	Briana Malloy, Portfolio Operations Manager Ms. Malloy oversees loan documentation, administration, and compliance in close coordination with Root Capital’s regional offices. 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. Ms. Malloy joined Root Capital in 2006 as a program associate providing support to the finance and operations team prior to joining the lending team in 2007. She is fluent in Spanish and familiar with Portuguese. She also serves on the board of directors of the LivableStreets Alliance, a Boston-based non-profit organization advocating for a multimodal, balanced urban transportation system.

	Mike McCreless, Knowledge & Impact 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.

	Jeff Morse, Legal & Operations Associate Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Morse interned at the Washington Office on Latin America, where he worked on Central American citizen security and expanding trade/travel rights between the U.S. and Cuba, and at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, where he helped develop a public relations plan. Mr. Morse graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in spanish and anthropology. He spent part of his time at UVA studying Spanish literature and Latin American history and economics in Santiago de Chile.

	Arjun Nair, Communications Associate Originally from New Delhi, India, Mr. Nair graduated from Clark University in 2010 with a BA in Political Science and Foreign Languages, spending six months of his junior year in Santiago, Chile, where he conducted research on the environmental consequences of the Chilean economic model. He completed his Master's Degree in Public Administration from Clark in 2011. While completing his graduate degree, he interned for a year at the Knowledge Management Unit at ACCION International, working closely on projects with the Global Programs and Communications divisions. He has also interned in the past three years with numerous non-profits in India and South America focussing on development. Mr. Nair is fluent in Hindi and English and is proficient in Spanish.

	Saurin Nanavati, Director of Financial Advisory Services - Project Management Mr. Nanavati supports Root Capital's Financial Advisory Services 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.

	Luis Miguel Ormeño, Loan Officer Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Ormeño 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. Ormeño holds an M.A. in sustainable international development from Brandeis University. He is fluent in Spanish and English.

	Mia Roca Alcover, Investor Relations 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.

	Emily Romano, Portfolio Associate Ms. Romano joined Root Capital as a Portfolio Associate in September 2011. Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Romano acquired extensive experience working on community development projects in Latin America. She volunteered for Amigos de las Américas, a nonprofit organization that focuses on sustainable community development and youth empowerment in the Americas, in Costa Rica and Honduras, and has taught English in Peru. She has also worked as a Research Assistant at the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida. Ms. Romano holds a B.A. from Rice University in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Policy Studies with an area of focus in International Affairs. She has also studied at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a fluent Spanish speaker.

	Martha Romero, Field Accounting Manager Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Romero worked with Yves Rocher de México for five years as business controller. She has also worked as an internal audit supervisor with Iusacell, accounting and treasury associate for Química Flúor Grupo Dupont, and she was a senior auditor with Price Waterhouse Coopers in Mexico. A native of Mexico, Ms. Romero holds a Master's degree in business from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and a Bachelor's degree in accounting with honors from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

	Darcy Salinger, Chief Credit Officer Ms. Salinger is responsible for overseeing Root Capital’s credit origination and approval processes. Her previous experience combines eleven years in commercial banking and fourteen years in microfinance. As a commercial banker, she worked for TD Bank, RBS Citizens, and Bank of America, where she was responsible for underwriting and managing credit portfolios across a wide spectrum of middle market and corporate industries, including manufacturing, business services, retail, not-for-profit healthcare and education, and municipal and state governments. Prior to entering commercial banking, Ms. Salinger worked at ACCION International, where she held numerous positions, including director of credit and investment analysis and director of financial analysis. While in those positions, she was responsible for analyzing the performance and creditworthiness of microfinance institutions, managing the administration of a loan guarantee fund, as well as preparing and managing departmental budgets. Ms. Salinger holds an M.B.A. from Simmons College. She is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of French.

	Diane Shohet, Vice President of Marketing and Communications Ms. Shohet is responsible for Root Capital’s marketing and communications functions. Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Shohet served as Director of Communications at Oxfam, where she led a global brand repositioning, launched an e-commerce program, and provided strategic leadership for an integrated marketing program. She has also worked as Associate Director of Project Management at Digitas, where she managed integrated marketing and communications programs for General Motors, FedEx, and Delta. Ms. Shohet began her career as an executive producer of educational and consumer interactive products for WGBH, Prentice Hall, and Hasbro, where she worked with major brands such as Candyland, Scrabble, Nickelodeon, Lucas, and Sony. She holds a Master of Education in educational technology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

	Ottavio Siani, Junior Loan Officer Mr. Siani currently works with the lending team at Root Capital on the origination and monitoring processes of the North American and European portfolio. Before joining Root Capital he worked for an asset management firm specializing in fixed income securities. In 2009 Mr. Siani founded the short-lived grilled cheese company, Cheap and Cheerful, in Toronto Canada. Prior to that he worked for La Universidad de Guatemala del Valle--Altiplano in Sololá, Guatemala, teaching basic business education classes to the Grameen Bank's microfinance clients. He holds a B.A. in political science from Stanford University and is proficient in Spanish.

	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.

	Brenda Smith, Vice President of Finance and Administration Ms. Smith brings 17 years of financial management experience in the nonprofit sector to Root Capital. Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Smith worked as the CFO/COO of Physicians for Human Rights. She has also worked as Vice President of Finance & Administration at The School for Field Studies, Merrimack College, Bradford College, and Casa Myrna Vasquez, a provider of support and shelter to victims of domestic abuse. Earlier in her career she spent eight years working for USAID with postings in Pakistan, Bolivia, and Barbados. Ms. Smith was also the Controller and a white water river guide for OARS Inc. and Sobek Expeditions, and she guided trips on Ethiopia’s Omo River, Tanzania’s Rufugi River, and many rivers in the southwestern United States. She became a CPA in 1979 while working for Arthur Andersen. She holds a B.S. in accounting from Bentley University and a Masters in philanthropy and media from Suffolk University. Her video documentaries have won numerous awards, including a Telly award.

	Elizabeth Teague, Strategy and Innovation Associate Lizzie researches new industries and issue areas for the Innovation Fund and manages information and processes related to pipeline generation and external stakeholder engagement. Previously, she worked as an agricultural assistant with a nonprofit training center in Japan that provides rural leaders from Asia, Africa, and the Pacific with skills in sustainable agriculture and community development. Lizzie holds a B.A. in history from Dartmouth College.

	Emily Turner, Investor Relations Associate Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Turner 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.

	Diego Valdivia, Lending Analysis Manager 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.

	Juana Velosa Guzmán, Human Resources Manager Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Velosa worked with ACCION International for three and a half years, most recently as principal manager of human resources. She has also worked as human resources administrator with Freed’s Bakery, LLC, and, in Colombia, as financial analyst with CODENSA S.A. and director of finance and administration with ATR S.A. Ms. Velosa was also a micro-entrepreneur for nine years, operating a bakery in partnership with her mother. A native of Colombia, Ms. Velosa holds a B.S. in business from Universidad Externado de Colombia and a specialization in strategic marketing from CESA. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

	Robbie Witkop, Junior Analyst Mr. Witkop supports the strategic decision-making of the Lending Team by providing financial analysis of the team's portfolio. Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Witkop worked for three years at L.E.K. Consulting, where he performed due diligence for private equity clients and assisted in the development of business strategies for Fortune 500 companies. While obtaining his B.A. in economics at Cornell University, Mr. Witkop spent a summer in Nicaragua, teaching music and working for a coffee cooperative.

	Bryan Woliner, Senior Analyst and Finance 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.

	Irma Zoepf, Senior Human Resources Associate Ms. Zoepf began her career as a quality engineer at Ford Motor Company in Mexico. She has since focused on providing human resources, finance, and operations support to small firms in both the U.S. and Latin America, working with companies in fields as diverse as publishing, biotech, and automotive to streamline their operations and internal processes. She has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Sonora in Mexico and an MBA from Universidad de Catalunya in Spain. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Root Capital Team - Field Locations
	Antonio Ancheyta, Financial Advisory Services Trainer, Mexico and Central America Antonio Ancheyta graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo, where he received a Masters of Science in Rural Regional Development. He has worked professionally to promote rural development, providing training, coordinating projects, and working in lending at a local microfinance institution. In 2007 he began working as an auditor for the certification of Sustainable Products and Processes with the Sustainable Agriculture Network at the Rainforest Alliance, coordinated by PRONATURA Sur. He was directly involved in the management of administrative, accounting, and financial systems and in applying business diagnostics for the Root Capital projects PorFin and Café Livelihoods. Antonio believes that providing technical assistance services on financial topics to small-scale producer organizations is an opportunity to give them the tools they need for success and development.

	Christina Blot, Loan Officer, Haiti Prior to joining the Root Capital team, Ms. Blot worked for six years at Banco de Reservas in the Dominican Republic as a credit officer and customer service supervisor. She has also worked as a tour operator for ecotours between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. She holds a Masters in international business from l'Université de Provence in France and a B.A. in tourism and hotel management from La Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican Republic. Ms. Blot is a native Haitian and speaks Haitian Creole, French, Spanish, and English.

	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.

	Elicia Carmichael, Lending & Innovation Officer, Latin America Ms. Carmichael is part of Root Capital’s strategy, knowledge, and innovation team, focusing on new markets and clean technology in Latin America. She started working with agricultural issues in 2000, conducting field research on the Kamaiya bonded labor liberation movement in Nepal, and interning at Equal Exchange. Since then, Ms. Carmichael has served as the Executive Director of Friends Forever, a community-building organization for teens from conflict regions, and as Director of Strategy and Development for Latitude, a research firm specializing in media and innovation. Ms. Carmichael holds a B.A. in international studies from Colby College and an M.B.A. from the Johnson School at Cornell University. She is proficient in Spanish and Nepali.

	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 Risk 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.

	Odalier Chacón, Loan Officer, Central America Mr. Chacón has ten years of experience in financial analysis and credit evaluation of small and medium-sized organizations in rural areas. He worked as finance manager at COOCAFE, a second-level cooperative comprised of more than eight multi-service cooperatives and 4,500 producers. He later worked for Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica as manager of financial administration. Mr. Chacón has a B.A. in public accounting and is currently studying business management.

	Margarita Chojolán, Senior Project Manager, Financial Advisory Services Ms. Chojolán coordinates projects for the Advisory & Training team in Guatemala as a continuation of her work with Root Capital’s PorFin project that concluded in 2010. She has extensive experience leading financial education, training of trainers, and organizational capacity building programs, primarily in rural areas of Guatemala. Prior to Root Capital, she worked for numerous national and international organizations, including: the microfinance institution CADISOGUA on a Communal Banks Program; GTZ on financial education and capacity building programs; CECI Canada on women´s credit training programs and project evaluation; and World Neighbors on rural community development programs. Ms. Chojolán holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. A Guatemalan national, she is an active member of her community and has a passion for poetry. She speaks Spanish and is currently studying English.

	Lucia Cruz, Administrative Assistant, Mexico Lucia Cruz graduated from the Instituto y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM Campus Chiapas). She worked as an Account Payable Analyst at Cemex USA and Cemex México (Concrete and Cement plants) in Monterrey, Nuevo León. While working at Cemex, she was in charge of payments provided to transport, maintenance and raw material suppliers. At the Root Capital Mexico office, she will support both administrative and technical activities while facilitating logistical operations. In her free time, she likes go to the movies and spend time with her family.

	Beatrice Githinji, Loan Officer, Africa Ms. Githinji brings six years of commercial lending experience to Root Capital, having worked at Equity Bank covering small and medium enterprises and corporate lending for Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. She holds an MBA from Kenyatta University and speaks English and Swahili.

	Laura Gordillo Gómez, Financial Advisory Services Associate, Mexico and Central America 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.

	Samuel Kariuki, Portfolio Associate, Africa Samuel Kariuki joins us from Standard Chartered Bank, where he worked for two years as a Credit Documentation Officer with responsibilities including preparing and registering loan contracts and security documents. He later worked in the bank's trade services division, where he gained exposure to trade finance and trade payments systems. Sam holds a BA in Business Administration and Management from St. Paul's University in Limuru, Kenya, and is currently pursuing an MBA in Finance from the University of Nairobi. Sam has completed section four of the Kenya Certified Public Accountant's examination. Samuel speaks English and Kiswahili.

	Fred Kiteng’e, Loan Officer, East Africa Before joining Root Capital, Mr. Kiteng'e 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.

	Vincent Lagacé, Senior Project Manager, Financial Advisory Services 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.

	David Lozano Sánchez, Learning Methodology Coordinator, Financial Advisory Services David Lozano assists with the design of educational tools for Root Capital clients, field consultants, and other members of the Financial Advisory Services team. Before joining Root Capital, Mr. Lozano collaborated with multiple social organizations and rural businesses on various education and social communication projects, including CADECO A.C./ACNUR, CISC A.C, Proyecto Porvnir Financierco, and CLA@SE. Mr. Lozano has also worked in graphic design and multimedia production, and is a co-founder and active member of the Colectivo La Puerta Negra in Chiapas, a pioneer group in the study and education of masculinity from a gender perspective.

	Beatriz Ocampo, Loan Officer, Mexico and Central America Beatriz Ocampo has a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro. For several years she worked in lending at the Banamex Action Fund, in particular on the analysis and evaluation of credit projects, contracts, and disbursement of credit to rural enterprises in Mexico. She has also collaborated on technical assistance for organizations in the coffee sector in Mexico and Peru and on conservation and environmental development projects in Chiapas, Mexico. Beatriz is a native Spanish speaker and also reads English.

	Ashley Olson, Lending and Innovation Officer, Africa Ms. Olson works with the Strategy, Knowledge & Innovation team based in the Nairobi office. Ms. Olson joined Root Capital as a Root Fellow to assess new opportunities in food security lending, identify new clients and develop local lending strategies in Africa. Ms. Olson continues to build upon this portfolio diversification and work with the bigger team on company-wide strategy. Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Olson worked for General Mill as an Ingredients Buyer and later moved into economic development with TechnoServe in Uganda working closely with the Horticulture team. Ms. Olson holds a B.S. in Management and Finance from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from IESE Business School, Universidad de Navarra in Barcelona, Spain.

	Christine Omindo, Field Accountant, Africa Ms. Omindo began her career as a management trainee at the microfinance lender K-rep Bank for four years, covering all areas of banking before settling as an Operations Officer, managing all the operational aspects of a banking unit. Prior to joining Root Capital, she served at Edwin Associates, where for three years she specialized in offering financial advisory services to small and medium sized entrepreneurs. Ms. Omindo holds a B.A. in Education (Math & Accounting) from University of Nairobi and an MBA from Strathmore Business School, Nairobi.

	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.

	Peter Onguka, Risk Officer, 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.

	Hubert Peri, Knowledge Manager, Financial Advisory Services Mr. Peri has worked with Root Capital as a project consultant since 2008. He worked for Root Capital’s PorFin project, where he designed and implemented technical assistance sessions and workshops in order to strengthen small-scale producer organizations in Central America. He also trained Root Capital’s Latin American consultant team; led project monitoring and impact activities; and coordinated the systematization of training, technical assistance, and project management methodologies. After working on PorFin, Mr. Peri managed “Hazlo con Cla@se”, a Root Capital knowledge management project launched in coordination with EARTH University and IDB/MIF. Mr. Peri graduated from Bolonia University in Italia with a degree in Economics, and he holds a B.A. in International Development, focused on the NGO sector, from the Polytechnic University of Catalunya in Spain. Mr. Peri also holds a diploma in Human Rights from the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights. He speaks Spanish, English, French, Italian, and Catalan.

	William Portilla, Credit Manager, 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.

	Olivier Ramírez Fernández, Loan 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.

	Marcela Rivera, Information Associate, Latin America Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Rivera worked in several nongovernmental conservation/investigation organizations such as MarViva Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and the Organization for Tropical Studies. She has more than ten years of experience in project management, having participated in the planning, executing, controlling, and closing of environmental projects. She holds a MPA in Project Administration from University for International Cooperation and a B.A. in Political Sciences from University of Costa Rica. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

	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.

	Diaka Sall, Loan Officer for francophone West Africa Ms. Sall is responsible for Root Capital's portfolio of loans in francophone West Africa. Ms. Sall previously spent five years as a credit analyst and relationship manager with Citibank Senegal, where she conducted credit analysis of Senegalese and multinational corporates and served on the bank's credit committee. She has also held consulting assignments with the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and Aventura Investment Partners, and worked with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Cambodia on implementation of a national food security strategy. Ms. Sall began her career as an assistant manager for Setexpharm, a Senegalese firm exporting local agricultural products to Europe, North America and Asia. She holds an MA in Applied Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a BS in agricultural economics from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and has received numerous academic awards including election to Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society of agriculture. Ms. Sall is a fluent speaker of French, English, and Wolof.

	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.

	Allan Santamaría, Portfolio Associate, Central America Prior to joining Root Capital, Mr. Santamaría worked for five years at a cooperative that specializes in personal loans where he was responsible for administration. He is currently studying business management with specializations in banking and finance. Mr. Santamaría is from Monte Verde, Costa Rica where he originally worked for four years in the tourism industry. He is a native Spanish speaker and is developing English as a second language.

	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.

	Sharon Serrano, Financial Analyst, Central America Ms. Serrano supports the lending activities of the Costa Rican office. Prior to joining Root Capital, Ms. Serrano worked for Scotiabank, Cathay Bank, and Master Credit International. She brings over eight years of financial experience to the team. A native Costa Rican, Ms. Serrano holds a B.A. in business administration from the University San Marcos in Costa Rica.

	Rocio Tasies-Riba, Regional Office Administrator, Latin America Mrs. Tasies-Riba oversees administration of the Costa Rica office and serves as a liaison for Root Capital's regional offices in Latin America. Prior to joining the Root Capital team, Ms. Tasies-Riba worked for more than 12 years as an office manager for several multinational corporations, including CriTech Research, Emerson Electric Costa Rica, and Biomet. She is fluent in English and also works as an English teacher and studies psychology at the Universidad Católica de Costa Rica (Catholic Univeristy of Costa Rica).

	Richard Tugume, Loan Officer, East Africa Mr. Tugume, a Ugandan national, is Root Capital’s loan 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.
Root Capital Partners
	Daniel Rivera, General Manager, ACCDER Mr. Rivera leads the ACCDER office in Peru. His experience and skills include financial analysis, project evaluation and monitoring, and economic research. Prior to joining ACCDER, 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.

	Mariella Aréstegui, Administrative Assistant, ACCDER Ms. Aréstegui is the Administrative Assistant in the ACCDER Lima, Perú office. Ms. Arestegui possesses more than 14 years of experience in development organizations with social missions. She is an executive assistant who has taken many complementary courses in accounting and administration. She is proficient in English, and her native language is Spanish.

	Gilbert Bustamante, FAS Coordinator, ACCDER Prior to joining ACCDER, Mr. Bustamante worked in the Producer Partnership Program developed by Twin and the National Coffee Board, where he provided training and technical assistance related to business management tools to organizations of small coffee producers. Before that, he worked for 18 years on development projects for rural producers of coffee, mango, and honey in the northeast region of Peru. Gilbert Bustamante received a degree in zootechnical engineering from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Lima, Peru, and later received his specialization in Agribusiness Administration and Management. He also studied at the Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional in San José, Costa Rica. Mr. Bustamante lives in Lima with his wife Lucila and his son Luis Dhabit.

	Aldo Risco, Loan Officer, ACCDER 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.

	Fernando Tamayo, Financial Analyst, ACCDER Prior to joining ACCDER, Mr. Tamayo worked as a consultant at Penn Microfinance and participated in a social-entrepreneurship study-journey around India. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics from the University of Melbourne, Australia; he also studied at the University of Pennsylvania through the Whitlam International Undergraduate and the Melbourne Global Scholarships. While at the University of Melbourne, Mr. Tamayo founded and managed the Melbourne Microfinance Initiative, the first student-run microfinance organization in Australia. Mr. Tamayo is fluent in Spanish and in English.

	Miriam Taquire, Monitoring Associate, ACCDER Before working at ACCDER, 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.

	Renzo Verne, Junior Loan Officer, ACCDER Mr. Verne works with ACCDER’s lending team based out of Peru. His previous professional experiences include a public security sector internship with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LiREC) in Lima, Peru and a year of teaching high school English in Laon, France. He graduated from Boston University in 2009 with a B.A. in Economics and International Relations and is currently pursuing the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation. Mr. Verne speaks English, Spanish and French.

	Cecilia Yáñez, Loan Officer, ACCDER Prior to joining ACCDER, 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.