PYXERA GLOBAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Global Pro Bono
Alex Smith-O'Connor is an Associate Director of Global Pro Bono at PYXERA Global, where she works with corporate clients in the design, execution, and amplification of Global Pro Bono programs. Over the past few years, Alex has managed Global Pro Bono projects in emerging markets for companies such as JPMorgan Chase, SAP, Dow Chemical, and Moody's. She is passionate about environmental sustainability and leads the organization's environment working group.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Alex worked in Operations for a global Tech/Finance firm where she increased team collaboration and efficiency through process improvements and systems change. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, Alex focused on women's empowerment and strengthening community engagement by building sustainable cross-sector partnerships with local counterparts.
Alex holds an MA in International Affairs from the New School, with a focus on the intersectionality of conflict & security and private sector sustainability.
Job Titles:
- Accounts Payable Specialist
Amira holds a degree in finance and accounting from Old Dominion University. Originally an intern at PYXERA Global, she has a passion for international travel and a desire to help underserved communities.
Job Titles:
- Engagement Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Ana Fraisse-Tilden works in the Strategic Initiatives department working alongside the VP of Strategic Initiatives on Shared Value Implementation and M&E Strategy & Alignment Advisory services, Circular Economy, and Energy Poverty initiatives, as well as business development. Previously, she worked in the Enterprise and Community Development department focusing on SME capacity building and managed the MBAs Without Borders Program. She is a member of the PYXERA Global Environment Working Group and leads the zero plastic waste initiative.
Prior to working at PYXERA Global, Ana worked in corporate social responsibility and international sales at an international vegetable seed company. She also spent time working for a local organization helping businesses and individuals reduce their carbon footprints.
Job Titles:
- Country Director, Nigeria
Over the past five years, Ann Oden has served as PYXERA Global's Country Director for Nigeria, where she manages global pro bono programs and oversees PYXERA Global's overall portfolio in Nigeria. Ann has over 20 years of experience in international development spanning through her work with USAID in Nigeria where she served as Senior Program Management Specialist for Education. Ann is a dynamic, creative, educationist, project and program management, training and international development specialist with profound expertise in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development program, institutional strengthening and organizational development.
Anna Koval is the Accounting Manager at PYXERA Global. She has been with PYXERA Global for over nine years, starting as an intern while in college.
Prior to PYXERA Global, Anna interned at IRI, an international political development non-profit in Washington, D.C. Anna has a BA in International Studies from American University, where she had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and lead two trips to the Thailand-Burma border.
Arely Hernandez is the Senior Accountant at PYXERA Global.
Arely holds a BBA in International Business with a concentration in Finance from James Madison University. Prior to joining PYXERA Global, she studied abroad in Spain where she interned for Elit Internacional, giving her exposure to financial activities in a multinational setting. She also interned as a market specialist for FedBid, a marketplace for federal procurements. Arely is also fluent in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Country Director for Ghana
Barbara Gbologah-Quaye is the Country Director for Ghana at PYXERA Global. Barbara is responsible for building and managing partnerships in the private, public, and social sectors in Ghana. She has been responsible for establishing new growth opportunities for business locally and promoting PYXERA Global programs across its two major practice areas.
Barbara has over twelve years of development experience working with small and medium enterprises in Ghana and in other West African Countries. Prior to joining PYXERA Global, she managed two USAID funded technical assistance programs in Ghana - the Africa Fast Track Trade Program (AFTT), which supported selected exports into the US market under AGOA and the Global Trade and Technology Network Program (GTN), a business linkage program connecting Ghanaian enterprises with business opportunity in over thirty countries.
Beth Milne is a Program Manager at PYXERA Global where she assists in the management and implementation of Global Pro Bono projects.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Beth worked as an Office Manager with a small nonprofit, Global Camps Africa. In this role, she supported fundraising and programs focused on empowering HIV/AIDS-affected and vulnerable youth in South Africa through camp and bi-weekly youth clubs. In 2015, after teaching English at a public high school in a low-income neighborhood of Madrid, Spain, Beth joined the national strategy team of 50CAN, a D.C. headquartered nonprofit, to support education equity and policy reform in the United States.
Beth holds a BA in History from the College of Wooster and an MA in International Education with a concentration in development from George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Chief Financial Officer of Deep Labs
Bill Maw is the Chief Financial Officer of Deep Labs, a persona-based artificial intelligence company. He spent four years as CFO at Covius Holdings, Inc., a technology and service provider in the mortgage sector. Prior to Covius, Bill spent more than a decade as CFO and a Member of the Executive Committee at Liquidnet Holdings, Inc., a global financial technology company that facilitates equities and fixed income trading for leading asset management firms. During his time at Liquidnet, Bill led the company's capital-raising process, oversaw acquisitions, and was responsible for financial operations, forecasts, business performance analysis, and reporting. Bill also spent ten years at GE Capital and time at Price Waterhouse, where he held a series of senior finance positions.
Bill is a former member of the Leadership Council at the MIT Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is passionate about helping connect, invest in, and advise entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures.
Bill was educated in the UK and is a Chartered Accountant. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife Tara and two sons, Henry and Wills.
Job Titles:
- Country Office Finance & Operations Manager
Carlos Penagos works at PYXERA Global as the Country Office Finance and Operations Manager.
Carlos previously worked as the Senior Field Office Accounting Manager at the American Institutes for Research, a nonprofit, nonpartisan behavioral and social science research, evaluation, assessment, and technical assistance organization based in Washington, D.C. where he had the opportunity to work in over 30 countries, overseeing the financial operations and providing guidance and assistance to help improve financial and operations systems.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Regional Pro Bono Manager, Latin America
Joining the PYXERA Global Team in 2016, Carolina Gowland manages Global Pro Bono (GPB) Programs in Latin America. Carolina has strong communication skills and solid experience in stakeholder engagement involving the private, public, and social sectors. In her experience functional, win-win partnerships depend on people connection at the human level and sharing a common understanding. As a Regional Pro Bono Manager for PYXERA Global based in Buenos Aires, she was able to work co-managing the IBM Corporate Service Corps and SAP Social Sabbatical Programs in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Perú.
Carolina is a psychologist and has a degree in nonprofit management. Previously, Carolina worked for the San Andrés University, coordinating various initiatives for the Innovation Social Center, which included the development of case studies for the Social Enterprise Knowledge Network, corporate volunteer programs coordination for Telefónica, and implementation of the Philanthropy Workshop and Social Responsibility Seminar in partnership with the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations. Carolina is passionate about reading, nature and an advocate for breastfeeding and respectful parenting.
As Program Manager for the Enterprise and Community Development practice, Chhitij Bashyal draws upon his diverse experience working with the World Bank and other development partners in project design, implementation, process innovation, monitoring and evaluation, and data analytics. He began his journey in sustainable economic development in the foothills and mountains of Nepal, helping start social-public-private partnership enterprises, leading to more recent work in agribusiness incubation and SME value-chains, agriculture and nutrition security, and community-driven development. He is passionate about exploring mutually beneficial solutions that leverage shared-value opportunities between the public, private, and social sectors. He holds an MPA in Development Practice from Columbia University and a BS from Yale University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Coordinator
Claudia is a Senior Program Coordinator at PYXERA Global where she offers support in managing projects in the Global Pro Bono Department.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global Claudia was an Operations Manager for a leading global wellness brand where she oversaw their U.S. East coast clinics and focused on commercial strategies. In 2015, Claudia served as an economic development Peace Corps volunteer in Peru where she implemented projects with the goal of improving household incomes within the community. Claudia received her Bachelor's degree in business administration graduating with a double major in management and marketing. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management. She is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Congming Jiang is a Senior Program Manager at PYXERA Global where he assists in managing and implementing Global Pro Bono projects.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Coordinator
Danielle Zehnder is a Senior Program Coordinator at PYXERA Global on the Global Pro Bono team, where she supports program management throughout the practice area.
Prior working at PYXERA Global, Danielle was an intern for an NGO in Saragur, India where she worked in the community outreach department in a rural hospital. She specialized in education, communication, and outreach between local communities and the hospital regarding child and maternal health. She has also spent a semester studying abroad in Morocco. Danielle holds a B.S in Global Health Studies from Allegheny College where she also completed a minor in Religious Studies and a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Deborah Drew is a Senior Program Manager for PYXERA Global where she supports clients and manages Global Pro Bono projects.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Deborah worked with companies and governments on social impact, sustainable consumption, and climate action at the World Resources Institute, a global research organization based in Washington, D.C. Her experiences and previous research focused on the private sector's role in environmental sustainability, peacebuilding, and social change.
Deborah holds an MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a BA in History and French Grand Valley State University.
Deirdre White is a globally recognized leader in building tri-sector partnerships to address the world's most pressing challenges. As CEO of PYXERA Global, she has led the transformation of the organization to one that maximizes impact through strong and strategic partnerships. Deirdre's expertise spans private, public and social sector experiences. Her social sector tenure at PYXERA Global is complemented by early career roles at the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) and American Councils. She has also served on the Boards of Directors of the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) and the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy (now a signature initiative of PYXERA Global.) Prior to joining PYXERA Global in 2002, Deirdre was a Senior Manager in the Public Sector Practice at Arthur D. Little, Inc., leading projects focused on strategy and organization for the US Agency for International Development, the US Trade and Development Agency, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, along with numerous government agencies across Eurasia. Deirdre began her career in the private sector, working with Welt International, a niche consulting firm engaged in non-conventional means (barter and countertrade) of financing international trade ventures. She later expanded her private sector experience as a Senior Manager in Arthur D. Little's Moscow office, leading post-privatization restructuring efforts for large manufacturing enterprises in Russia and Ukraine. She also served as an organizational development advisor to several of the Eurasian oil and gas sector's largest firms.
Widely cited for her thought leadership, Deirdre has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, The Huffington Post, and The New Global Citizen; she has contributed to MarketWatch, the Council on Foreign Relations Development Channel, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. Deirdre is a member of the MIT Ideas Global Challenge Advisory Board and the Bretton Woods Committee, and is an alumna of the Aspen Institute's Socrates Program. She continues to be recognized for her impact in the field and CR Magazine lauded her as a CR Superstar in 2014.
Deirdre drives the discussion of new strategies for global engagement and has been a featured speaker at the Shared Value Leadership Summit, Wharton Africa Business Forum, Wall Street Journal's CFO Network, and US Department of Commerce's Discover Global Markets. She has served for multiple years as regional judge for the HULT Prize, a competition dedicated to launching the world's next wave of social entrepreneurs. Previously, Deirdre was co-facilitator of the Clinton Global Initiative's Employee Engagement Action Network. She also participated in Rockefeller Foundation's renowned Bellagio Initiative and the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread's Leadership Forum for Global Citizen Diplomacy.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager of Impact & Learning
As Senior Manager of Impact & Learning at PYXERA Global, Diane works cross-departmentally to conduct human-centered research and M&E to assess impact, improve learning, and drive positive social change.
Prior to working at PYXERA Global, Diane led quantitative and qualitative research and consulting projects with think tanks including Samuel Hall, Arqaam, and ThinkPlace, with a focus on migration and food security in conflict and post-conflict environments. She's led and contributed to research projects for the EU, WFP, ILO, IOM, UNICEF, DFID, Mercy Corps, NRC, GAIN, CARE, and more, including the design of large-scale M&E systems for humanitarian programs with up to $40M in funding. She also has experience at USAID.
She previously lived in Kenya, and has worked in or traveled to over 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. She holds a BA, summa cum laude, in International Studies from the University of Washington and is currently an MBA candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Dr. James Calvin joined the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in 1996. He is a Professor of Management and Organizations with expertise in the areas of leadership development, community economic development and nonprofit organizations. James is member of the Board of The Center for Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins.
He has broad global experience in the areas of community development, organization development, leadership development, executive coaching, diversity and inclusion, and negotiation. He worked directly with William S. Woodside former CEO of American Can and founding CEO of Sky Chefs; and James J. Renier former CEO of Honeywell. Dr. Calvin has consulted with business, education, nonprofit, government, and in the international sector with a number of organizations including: The World Bank, DFID, Fannie Mae, Verizon, T. Rowe Price, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, J.P. Morgan Chase, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, PepsiCo, Target, The Kellogg Foundation, The Kettering Foundation, The Foundation for the National Capital Region, the states of Arizona, Mississippi, New Jersey and North Dakota, the cities of Chicago and Newark, The Treasury Executive Institute (TEI), The Global Center in Kuwait, and ISPA in Lisbon, Portugal.
He is a keynoter to associations, business, government, education and NGO groups across the United States and internationally in Australia, Cameroon, Shanghai, China, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, St. Lucia, Scotland, and the United Kingdom.
Ellen Waggoner Roeder is a Program Coordinator at PYXERA Global where she provides program management and logistical support for Global Pro Bono projects.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Ellen worked on issues related to religious and political violence in Brazil. She served as Executive Director of a small grassroots organization dedicated to preventing assaults on practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions. She also worked as a Marketing Analyst at a global law firm in Rio de Janeiro. Ellen holds a BA in Portuguese & Spanish from Tulane University and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Ellie Jorgensen is a Key Client Manager for PYXERA Global where she supports clients and manages both international and U.S.-based projects within the Global Pro Bono practice area. She previously managed multi-year programs focused on post-harvest loss reduction and enterprise development. Ellie began her work at PYXERA Global within the Center for Citizen Diplomacy, supporting efforts to promote and celebrate person-to-person interactions across cultures in mutual exchange and shared understanding.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Ellie worked in the international conflict resolution space at the U.S. Department of State in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations and Seeds of Peace, a peace-building organization based in New York. Ellie received an MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a BA in Law, Politics, and Society from Drake University.
Elyse is a Program Manager at PYXERA Global where she offers support in managing projects in the Global Pro Bono Department.
Throughout Elyse's academic and professional careers, she has been passionate about the international development sector. Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Elyse acted as liaison between two social enterprises, COMACO and Lifeline Energy, in Zambia where she led the implementation of a radio education initiative in an effort to support farmer cooperatives across the Eastern province. Elyse received her Master's degree in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development from a joint program between the American University of Paris and l'Université Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne. She is professionally proficient in French.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Regional Pro Bono Manager, Latin America
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Global Pro Bono
Gavin Cepelak is the Senior Vice President of Global Pro Bono (GPB) at PYXERA Global where he leads teams in developing and overseeing the proper implementation of multiple corporate GPB programs throughout the world. Gavin has experience in team leadership, client management, and implementing corporate leadership, CSR, and business development programs in Asia, Sub-Saharan, and North Africa. He has worked at PYXERA Global since 2009 on program design, management, business development, and plays a lead role in managing and building the Global Pro Bono practice.
Prior to working at PYXERA Global, he was a United States Peace Corps volunteer assisting small businesses in Morocco and a Business Development Manager and World Bank Liaison at the Australian Trade Commission where he assisted Australian firms to win development contracts and establish partnerships with US-based prime contractors. Gavin has worked or lived extensively in a number of countries including Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, Sri Lanka, China, and India.
Mr. Krasowski is a program and business development manager with over ten years of experience in managing large-scale projects in technology entrepreneurship and international trade. He is currently a Program Manager of the USAID INNOVATE Activity in Belarus.
Helen joined Keep America Beautiful as President and CEO in May 2017 with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the areas of international diplomacy and development, youth engagement, environmental education, disaster resilience, global leadership, volunteerism, social justice, and human rights.
From 2010 to 2017, Helen served as an appointee of the President of the United States in the senior foreign service and the senior executive service. Prior to joining Keep America Beautiful, she was Director-Individual and Community Preparedness at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, D.C., overseeing programs to increase citizen and community preparedness while encouraging disaster and crisis resilience.
Previously, she served in a variety of roles with the Peace Corps, directing Peace Corps' largest U.S. headquarters' office and working with leadership on strategic reforms related to volunteer recruitment and admittance. She earlier served as Regional Director for Europe, Middle East, and Asia, Peace Corps' largest geographic region.
Earlier in her career, she managed environmental education events and initiatives with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). While in Texas, she served on the Board of Directors of two Keep America Beautiful Affiliates: Keep Austin Beautiful and Keep El Paso Beautiful. Helen, who speaks four languages, is a graduate of Austin College and received her Master's degree in International Economics and Development from the University of Denver, Joseph Korbel School of International Studies.
She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Antioch University, Graduate School of Leadership and Change. She is a Board member of PYXERA Global and was a Peace Corps volunteer for three years in Thailand.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Senior Leader
Ian Cornell is a Senior Leader in the US Government. He is a Chief Data and Intelligence Officer in Newark, New Jersey where he leads Intelligence and Data Analytics Programs focused on anticipating future risks and positioning the US Government and its partners to mitigate those risks in order to protect American citizens and organizations. He specializes in strategy development, analytics, and risk management. He began his government service in 2005 as an Intelligence Analyst, first serving in Washington, DC, and then in New York, NY.
Prior to his current career, Ian was an Americorps volunteer in Atlanta working with community leaders and non-profit CEOs to address local environmental challenges, as well as provide science education to middle-school students. He holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a BS in Biology from the College of William and Mary.
As Strategic Advisor to PYXERA Global's Executive team, James works with the leadership and wider PYXERA Global team to help define and then realize the current ambitions of the organization's global strategy.
James joins PYXERA Global following a professional journey that could be described at best as unusual and, in reality, more eclectic. Following 12 years on the world stage in the Royal Navy as a Mine Clearance Diving Officer, James was then lucky enough to join the Ellen Macarthur Foundation-a global thought leader in circular economy. During his three and a half years, James spent most of his time with the corporate community, discussing their aspirations and helping them to understand how to turn their circular economic journey into reality. As the world grapples to create both impact and growth, James has worked with leading brands and industries to start their journeys.
In truth, James spends most of his time speaking to people and telling them stories. James has tried to help organizations not only to find their "why"-be that economic, social, or environmental-but, more importantly, help them take the first steps to create systems that are both purposeful and profitable. The evolution of this journey naturally led him to PYXERA Global. Having worked with the team for a couple of years, it was a natural step to broaden his economic focus to include the social and environmental justice components.
As an advisor to the CEO and Executive team, James is very fortunate to be both close to the strategic thinking and the practical conversations with the wider PYXERA Global community.
Job Titles:
- Program Coordinator
- Program Coordinator for Global Pro Bono
Jeni is a Program Coordinator for Global Pro Bono, organizing logistics and providing support to virtual, national, and international impact programs with 3M, Anglo American, SAP, and FedEx.
Prior to PYXERA Global, Jeni worked for the Center for Creative Leadership as a Program Coordinator after her return from Brazil as a Fulbright Scholar where she taught American English and culture at a federal university. She is also experienced in public relations working with Walt Disney World International PR and Kelly Kass PR.
Jeni is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese with proficiency in French. She brings enthusiasm for international impact, dedication to continuous improvement, and passion for language and culture to her role.
Jennifer is the Program Manager for PYXERA Global's Strategic Initiatives practice area supporting the organization in ideating, convening, and co-creating inclusive circular economy solutions for Circular Advisory Services, Zero Waste Communities, and Circular Cities initiatives.
Prior to her work at PYXERA Global, Jennifer led a non-profit community collaborative focused on accelerating regional circular solutions in North Carolina called Circular Triangle. She is also trained in Lean Six Sigma organizational change management methodologies, advanced evaluation techniques, knowledge management, and community organizing. Jennifer is passionate about outdoor recreation and access to green space, and spends a lot of time hiking, rock climbing, and kayaking.
Jennifer received her Master's in Public Health from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill with a focus on behavior change.
As Chief Revenue Officer of JPMorgan Chase's Commercial Real Estate Digital business, Jennifer Parker is responsible for Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success teams, ensuring the delivery of a strong customer-centric experience.
Prior to this role, she served as the Chief Revenue Officer at WePay, a Chase company, where she was responsible for the Integrated Payments business' overall revenue and volume growth goals while leading Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Integration Engineers, Customer Success, and Revenue Operations teams.
With over 10 years of industry experience, Jennifer has led world-class revenue teams with a strong focus on scaling hyper-growth businesses, as well as startup organizations. Jennifer is a member of the JPMC Northern California Market Leadership Team. In this capacity, she and her colleagues work together to deliver the firm locally and grow their community presence. She is a member of the firm's Black Executive Forum, a member of the BOLD organization, and served as an Executive Mentor for the Financial Solutions Lab.
In her free time, Jennifer is an avid runner and a former collegiate athlete who loves spending time with her family. Jennifer graduated cum laude from Texas Southern University with a B.S. in Accounting through the Frederick Douglass Honors Program. Originally from Michigan, Jennifer now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.
Jess Himelfarb is a Program Manager at PYXERA Global, where she supports business development as well as a variety of projects in the Enterprise & Community Development practice area.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Jess worked at American University where she helped start and manage a new campus-wide race relations initiative. Before moving to D.C., she spent three years working in various locations along the Thai-Myanmar border with community-based organizations supporting Burmese refugees. From 2014-2016, Jess taught high school English classes and focused on women's empowerment as a Peace Corps volunteer in western Ethiopia.
Jess holds an MA in International Peace & Conflict Resolution with a concentration in peacebuilding and dialogue from American University and a BA in Anthropology & Sociology from Lewis & Clark College.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
John Holm is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at PYXERA Global where he spearheads the organization's new ventures in circular economy and zero waste communities. He has spent the majority of his career pioneering new markets for global brands, leading the market entry of the Subway chain in Hungary and Libri in Romania, while also advising Starbucks and IKEA on their respective market entries in Central & Eastern Europe and the Balkans (Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia). Additionally, John also serves on the Hoops4Hope board and is a senior adjunct lecturer for Maastricht School of Management in The Netherlands on Shared Value and Circular Economy. While facilitating cross-sector partnerships is his primary job function by day, John also enjoys spending time exploring new terrain and kayaking with his wife and dog.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Party, INNOVATE
- Senior International Development Specialist
- Senior Manager for Deloitte Consulting
Ms. Westergaard is a senior international development specialist with more than 25 years of experience in managing economic growth projects for international development organizations. She is currently Chief of Party (COP) of the USAID INNOVATE Activity in Belarus.
Previously, as a Senior Manager for Deloitte Consulting, Karen led several USAID economic growth projects in economic policy reform and private sector competitiveness in Serbia and in the Kyrgyz Republic. She was the key client manager for implementing two complex World Bank Institutional Strengthening Projects for two large, government-owned banks in China and Turkey. She spent seven years as a resident manager in Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan, providing financial market development services for USAID in Ukraine and serving as Vice President of a Moscow-based private equity investment firm. Prior to her overseas residency, Karen worked for Citibank in New York to provide trade finance to multinational clients and enterprises in emerging economies. She is proficient in Russian and has an MBA and a BS in journalism from Northwestern University.
Katharine Fraser is a Senior Designer at PYXERA Global where she creates purposeful visual collateral for all communication channels across programs and signature initiatives.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Katharine worked for a variety of clients including small businesses, non-profit organizations, advertising agencies, and design firms. Katharine holds a degree in History and Photography from the University of Virginia and a degree in Communication Design from Northern Virginia Community College.
Katie Hinojosa is a Program Coordinator at PYXERA Global where she provides program management and logistical support for Global Pro Bono projects--including virtual, national, and international.
Prior to joining PYXERA Global, Katie worked with a refugee agency in Brussels focusing on federally funded youth education projects along with advocacy and communications responsibilities. Additionally, she holds nearly two years of experience with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in service-learning and leadership programs; enhancing the community's civics education and global awareness with programs around the U.S. Other experiences have included: International Special Projects Assistant with an NGO in Sweden, program design within international youth leadership camps, and a congressional campaign.
Katie holds a B.A. in Journalism and Media Studies, along with her M.S. in Communications with a concentration in New Media and Society which allowed for an understanding of media policy, technological innovation, and international business.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Public Affairs
Katie is the Vice President of Public Affairs at PYXERA Global. She designs communications and press strategies to empower nonprofits and corporations that are impacting positive social change through their programming and their business. In addition, Katie led the design and implementation of PYXERA Global' Story Sharing package. This empowers companies and individuals to share their stories of leadership, volunteerism, and change through multi-media.
Before PYXERA Global, Katie founded the nonprofit communications consultancy, Wake Up for Good, where she worked with organizations including American Diabetes Association, Smithsonian Institution, Catchafire, and saveup.com. Prior to that, Katie managed business development at Carat, one of the country's top ten media and advertising agencies. There, she worked closely with a team of communications mavericks to develop strategies that led to new accounts including The Home Depot, Disney, Nokia, and Nivea.
Kaylee is a Program Manager at PYXERA Global where she manages and implements projects within the Global Pro Bono Department.
She previously served as the Program Director at the American Council of Young Political Leaders, where she facilitated professional exchange programs funded by the U.S. State Department, globally but with a focus on Southeast Asia. In this role, Kaylee led a team of program officers, managed relationships with international program partners, and served on the organization's senior leadership team. Her other work experiences include administering leadership development programs for students and professors studying the Middle East in addition to event planning.
Kaylee earned a BA in Music and Politics with a distinction in Opera Performance from Converse University, formerly an all-women's college in South Carolina.
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Enterprise & Community Development
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- Project Director for YieldWise, Nigeria
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Global Pro Bono
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Vice President, Finance & Administration
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- Vice President, Program Innovation
Job Titles:
- Director, Global Pro Bono, India