Mary Otieno, the founder of SIPROSA School, is a Professor of Education Planning and Policy Studies and a Coordinator of the Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development at Kenyatta University. She is an alumni of the Echidna Global Scholars Programme on quality education for girls in developing countries, sponsored by the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA. Mary is a mentee of the Cherie Blair Foundation Mentoring Programme and a volunteer member of many NGOs working on girls education challenge to improve learning outcomes within and outside Kenya. As an educator, Mary desires to give back to society quality education through SIPROSA School to underprivileged girls and boys. Her expertise and experience in teaching and teacher education will add immensely in driving SIPROSA School to greater heights.
Christina Mott is the Innovation Leader at Marsh where she is responsible for developing the innovation strategy and program. Before joining Marsh & McLennan Companies and Oliver Wyman, Christina established the US presence for a Swiss-based firm as Chief Operating Officer of Think Tools, Inc. and also worked in product management at Pitney Bowes. Christina has an MBA from IMD in Switzerland, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from University of California, Berkeley. Christina became involved in Siprosa through mentoring Mary through Cherie Blair Foundation.
Yalda Modabber is Golestan’s co-founder and Executive Director. As such, she is currently responsible for the organization’s strategic planning and operations. She spends about 50% of her time working on Colab related projects and programs. Yalda, is a former molecular immunologist, and later consultant to for-profit and non-profit organizations. As an undergraduate, she majored in Psychology, with an emphasis on Child and Developmental Psychology, finishing a dual degree in Experimental Psychology and Human Biology. Yalda went on to pursue a career in biomedical research and spent 8 years at Harvard Medical School, first as a research associate and later as a graduate student. In 2000, Yalda changed career paths and became a consultant for startups, Fortune 50+ corporations and non-profit organizations as a strategist and evaluator. Yalda was hired as Golestan’s full-time Executive Director in 2008.
Maryam Atai is the Associate Director and Colab Manager at Golestan. She has a Masters of Business Administration and over 8 years of experience in organization development and Change Management consulting where she provided organizational development consulting, training, and development services to various multinational and international organizations. Maryam started as a volunteer at Golestan in 2014 and was so inspired by the warmth and philosophy of the organization that she decided to shift her career path to enter the world of education and nonprofits. She has been at Golestan ever since.
Mariya Tarakanova is the Innovation practice leader within Mercer’s Global Technology organization. Mariya recently worked in Mercer’s Innovation Hub focusing on disruptive innovation as the Technology Lead. She has held various roles spanning digital technology, strategy, and design worlds as Product Manager, Software Engineer, Programmer, and Graphic Designer. Mariya studied Mathematics and Computer Science in University of Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and received BS in Engineering Math and Computer Science from UofL, Speed Scientific School in Louisville, Kentucky. Mariya is leading the graphic design and web development work for Siprosa.
Rudabeh Pakravan is the principal of Sidell Pakravan Architects, an architecture and design firm. Rudabeh received her Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, and has practiced architecture for over fifteen years. Her built work includes a wide range of commercial, residential and civic projects in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris. She has taught at the USC School of Architecture and currently teaches undergraduate and graduate architecture design studios at the University of California, Berkeley. Rudabeh is leading the design of the first Siprosa School in Nairobi, Kenya.