Alex joined SEEP in 2019 as Executive Director. In this capacity, he supports SEEP’s committed and talented team in the execution of programs and initiatives, keeping focus on innovation and transformation of the SEEP Network, building on its proud history and current work.
Prior to joining SEEP, Alex served as the Chief Innovation Officer at CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation, a 6000+ global network of civil society organizations and activists. He led key initiatives at the intersection of data, technology, and civil society advocacy and strengthening. Prior to this, Alex worked at Counterpart International, where he held a variety of leadership positions for more than a decade, including overseeing the organization’s $60-million programs portfolio in more than 25 countries, partnering with 3,400 organizations, as its Vice President of Programmes.
Born in Iran, he and his family have benefited first-hand from the important role citizen action and community organizations play in improving lives especially at times of crisis. Alex spent a good part of his adult life in Armenia—his ancestral homeland—where he worked with and learned from local leaders as they forged a new path after independence from the Soviet Union. He is passionate about figuring out how human beings can have a louder, more powerful voice and unhindered agency in what happens to their lives and in their communities; he firmly believes to never ask for permission when what’s at stake is ensuring human dignity.
Mashal supports the strategic implementation of SEEP’s communications plan and manages email campaigns, social media, the SEEP blog, conference apps, and outreach relations. She also supports event management for SEEP conferences. Prior to joining SEEP, Mashal lent research and editing support to a variety of books and publications in international politics at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, where she also received her Master’s degree in International Affairs. She has experience working in consular affairs with the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad. Mashal also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Mashal is passionate about learning by traveling, and one of her greatest adventures was climbing the Great Wall of China.
As the Conference Assistant for the Member Affairs and Global Communications team, Janey supports the overall planning and coordination of the SEEP Annual Conference. In this role, she manages registration, scholarships, hotel relations, and volunteers. Prior to joining SEEP, Janey graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York with a BA in International Relations, and a minor in Development Studies, concentrating on political economy and development in the context of the Middle East and North Africa. While at Hobart and William Smith, Janey lived in Amman, Jordan for a semester where she studied Jordan’s national response to global refugee crises and conducted research on the socioeconomic implications of microcredit loans on women borrowers. Janey is continuing to improve her French and Arabic language skills and, when she is not at SEEP, enjoys staying up-to-date with global news and exploring D.C. with her roommates.
As the Member Affairs and Global Communications Director, Carla de Chassy oversees the implementation of SEEP’s member engagement strategies, digital communications on our global platform, and planning and production of the SEEP Annual Conference. Prior to joining SEEP, Carla served in the role of Employment Counselor and Bilingual Interpreter for asylum seekers at Northern Virginia Family Service. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce, and has worked in the U.S. and France in various business development capacities. Carla has an MBA from HEC Business School and a BA in International Relations from Pomona College. She enjoys sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with her family.
Fabiola Diaz is the Program Manager for Women's Economic Empowerment & Savings Groups. In this role, she is responsible for managing the Women’s Economic Empowerment Global Learning Forum and the Mastercard Foundation Savings Portfolio Partnership. She works with senior management to cultivate strategic alliances and support learning initiative design and implementation in the thematic areas of Women’s Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion through Savings Groups. Prior to joining SEEP, Fabiola worked at RESULTS Educational Fund as a Program Manager for the Microcredit Summit Campaign advocating for financial inclusion to improve the lives of the poor. She is originally from Venezuela and holds a BS and MS in Economics and Latin American Studies from the University of Cologne, Germany. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and German.
Mbayang Diouf Diop is the Director of Finance at the SEEP Network. She is responsible for the financial, accounting and administrative operations of the organization, and is a certified public accountant with more than 15 years of experience in non-profit financial management. She has a proven track record of driving sustainable growth in partnership with senior industry board members, is conversant in all aspects of operations and grant management, and has successfully led the preparation of multiple organization-wide audits. Prior to assuming the position of SEEP’s Director of Finance, Mbayang served several non-profits in the DC area. Mbayang has a deep interest in women economic empowerment in developing countries. Like Kofi Annan, she believes that “there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”
As Program Coordinator for Women's Economic Empowerment & Savings Groups, Bri Fierro works on several initiatives focusing on financial inclusion through Savings Groups and women’s economic empowerment. She currently supports the Savings Groups Evidence and Learning Initiative (SGELI), the Mastercard Foundation Savings Learning Lab, and the Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF) as well as SEEP’s Savings-Led and Women’s Economic Empowerment Working Groups. In this role, Bri assists in the development and preparation of all respective learning products and events, including conferences, trainings, Peer Learning Groups, and webinars. Bri graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Political Science and Spanish, and a minor in Chinese Language and Culture. She speaks English, Spanish and Mandarin.
Amanda Guthu is the Conference Assistant for the Savings Groups team and supports the overall planning and coordination of SG2020: The Future of Savings Groups. In this role she manages registration, scholarships, hotel relations, and sponsorships. Amanda graduated from Portland State University with a BA in Spanish and International Development. Her interests lie in the intersections between sustainable development and education. She spent an academic year in Alicante, Spain and a summer as an educational volunteer in Granada, Nicaragua with Granada Esperanza. When not at SEEP, Amanda enjoys exploring DC’s food scene and planning her next research project.
Straton Habyalimana is the Senior Program Manager for the Responsible Finance through Local Leadership and Learning (RFL3) Program, based in Kigali, Rwanda. Prior to joining SEEP, Straton has led programs focusing on capacity building for local development actors in East and Central Africa. In his 30 years of experience, Straton has worked for many international NGOs where he contributed to poverty reduction through microfinance, agriculture value chain development, and organizational development. Straton has completed his MBA in Project Management from the Maastricht School of Management outreach program in Kigali, Rwanda, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Kigali Independent University, and an Associate Bachelor’s degree in Microfinance and Community Economic Development from Uganda Martyrs University. He is fluent in both English and French, and is a passionate fan of soccer.
Shafayat Hussain serves as the Staff Accountant for the SEEP Network. In this role, he supports the Director of Finance in all accounting functions including accounts payable/receivable, financial reporting, and treasury duties. He is also heavily involved in SEEP’s human resources and office management duties where he is responsible for benefits administration, the on-boarding of new staff and other administrative duties as needed. Prior to joining SEEP Shafayat worked as a Staff Accountant for Drivestream, INC, an IT consulting firm in Sterling, VA. Shafayat holds a BS in Accounting from George Mason University and is currently pursuing his CPA license. In his spare time, Shafayat likes to go on hikes, drink black coffee, and explore new neighborhoods via biking through them.
Bintou Ka-Niang is the Program Director for Responsible Finance and has been at SEEP since 2013. She is a Senegalese national with more than 20 years of experience in international development, especially microfinance and enterprise development: She has worked for organizations in the US, Africa, Central America, and Europe, including the Switzerland-based Argidius Foundation, AfriCap, a private equity fund targeting commercial microfinance institutions in Africa, Save the Children/USA in Mali, Women’s World Banking, and USAID/Senegal. Bintou holds an MBA in Finance from the City University of New York and a BBA from the University of DC, Washington, DC. Bintou juggles a double life, working alternatively from SEEP offices in Dakar and Washington. Both of her daughters are also active in SEEP, having each volunteered during a SEEP conferences.
David Panetta leads the SEEP Network’s portfolio in the area of Savings Groups. With 14 years of experience in international development, he has worked with numerous donor agencies, consultancies, academic institutions and NGOs in over 25 countries, focused on access to finance, inclusive market systems, and knowledge management. David has led the development of Savings Group initiatives in 19 countries – working with the Aga Khan Foundation, DFID, Plan International, Mercy Corps, VSL Associates, World Vision, and over one hundred local NGOs and governments. He has a Master’s in Economics from McGill University and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish. David was introduced to Savings Groups in the Jamuna river basin in northern Bangladesh in 2006, and inspired by the words of Stuart Rutherford: “The ability to save and borrow frequently in small, flexible amounts will not propel a household out of poverty. But it’s pretty darn useful.”
Sonya leads SEEP’s Resilient Markets thematic area. Her work with SEEP focuses on initiatives that aim to build resiliency for people in fragile environments through market systems approaches. Sonya is perennially curious about how to scale transformative change – thus her career has been shaped by work in international development, global health, inclusive security, women’s empowerment, andragogy, instructional design, social work and even construction work. She has 16 years of experience designing, implementing and managing innovative programs that contribute to social change and environmental sustainability. Sonya has lived, worked and traveled in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, East Africa, New Zealand and the United States. Sonya holds a master’s in International Sustainable Development from the School for International Training’s Graduate Institute, a master’s in Educational Leadership from Portland State University, and a bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from Vermont College. When Sonya is not busy managing programs that advance global social justice, she’s walking in the woods, experimenting with vegan recipes or planning her next crazy adventure.
Grant Whittington is a Program Assistant with the Member Affairs and Global Communications team. In this role, he supports membership services and outreach, data tracking, social media, and conference management. Prior to joining SEEP, Grant spent several months in Yerevan, Armenia, where he worked as a program policy volunteer with the United Nations World Food Programme and a field and office volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Armenia. Grant graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Government and Politics and spent a semester studying humanitarianism and globalization at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Grant takes pride in working in a meaningful nonprofit alongside such intelligent and inspiring people, and truly hates when his officemate, Shafayat, works from home on Wednesdays.
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