Regional Director of Program Implementation

Richard’s role entails program strategy oversight for program implementation in areas of implementation structures, systems, policies and resource efficiency that will enhance program quality in schools. He also plays a pivotal coordination role in aligning implementation and supporting departments to coordinate feedback, system alignment and communication, coupled with ensuring design oversight to meet school beneficiaries needs.

He is an MBA graduate who launched his career at Educate! as a mentor in 2010, after completing his undergraduate studies in Procurement and Logistics Management. His passion for community development motivated him to contribute to Educate!’s mission and has held various roles in the Programs Department, namely: Mentor, Alumni Coordinator, Program Manager, Head of Programs and now Director of Program Implementation.

Richard successfully led the program expansion strategy in the post-war Northern Uganda region in 2015 in his capacity as the Programs Manager. He has been at the helm of programs system development and improvements in program management capacity for the team to scale with minimal differences, from 400 to now over 800 schools of operation since 2016.

Richard is passionate about community empowerment and development and is grateful to Educate! for giving him the opportunity to contribute to this impact.

Richard has been with Educate! since 2010.

Director of Technology and Performance Metrics

Samson sets up data systems within the organization and working to help deliver the information and insights teams need to deliver impact on a day to day basis. He is passionate about using technology and human centered design to deliver on this mandate.

Prior to joining Educate, Sam worked with I&M bank as an Analytics Translator. In this role, he spearheaded a team of data scientists, developers and designers to deliver data science use cases for the bank. He has also worked in Komaza, a social enterprise headquartered in the coast of Kenya as a Data Design Associate.

When he is not working, Sam enjoys cooking, supporting Arsenal, and binge watching the latest movies.

Samson has been with Educate! since 2019.

Director of Field Operations

Shamid has over 9 years experience in driving projects and initiatives geared towards youth and female empowerment in areas of digitalization, asset finance, and skilling. Before joining Educate!, he worked with the Ugandan Ministry of Works and Transport in the procurement department. Additionally, Shamid worked with Tugende Limited for 6 years supporting in different capacities ranging from credit management, scaling and expansion, and managing operations across Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. His most recent role was Director of Operations at KEIPhone Inc overseeing the development and commercialization of the operations strategy, streamlining operational processes, and managing partnerships and linkages in Uganda and Kenya.

Shamid holds a Bachelor's Degree in Procurement and Logistics Management from Kyambogo University, Uganda and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Uganda Management Institute. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Leadership and Management from Amani Institute Nairobi, Kenya and a postgraduate certificate in Management for Microfinance Institutions, a certificate in Reconciliation and Reporting for Financial Institutions all from the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services, Uganda. He is also in the process of finalizing his certification in Lean Six Sigma GreenBelt (Services) from Dr. Mikel J Harry Six Sigma Management Institute.

Shamid has been with Educate! since 2023.

Director of Marketing and Communications

Natasha is a strategic communications specialist and journalist with over 15 years experience. Her passion is using storytelling as a means to achieve social impact and equality.

Prior to joining Educate!, she was an adviser to conflict prevention foundation International Crisis Group, with a focus on peacebuilding in Latin America and the Caribbean, new forms of armed violence and women’s activism. She also spent four years as a campaigns and advocacy officer for the UK’s Commission for Racial Equality, transforming businesses and public sector organisations by mainstreaming diversity.

She has held senior management roles within the HELLO! / HOLA! global media group in Madrid, developing brand identity and content creation in coordination with teams across the world.

Natasha initially trained as a journalist with two years at ITN, the home of ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News in the UK, and another two at Spain’s El País newspaper.

Raised in Zambia, Nigeria and the UK, she takes a keen interest in the history and culture of the African diaspora. This led her to create the @1000blackwomen Instagram project, a series of interviews featuring women speaking from the heart about their lives and natural afro hair.

Natasha holds a Master's Degree in broadcast journalism from Cardiff University and graduated with a degree in Classics from Oxford University.

Natasha has been with Educate! since 2022.

Director of Program Implementation, Skill Up

Hellen began her Educate! journey as the Senior School Coordinator, influencing program implementation in Eastern Uganda, and later stepped into the role of Design and Experiments Manager.

Hellen has provided leadership to the Design and Experiments team, working with a experienced curriculum designers in developing strategy for product development and quick learning loops that yield proven solutions for youth empowerment at school level.

She joined Educate! after the Skills for Effective Entrepreneurship development (SEED) pilot with Innovations for Poverty Action.

Hellen has been with Educate! since 2013.

Director of Impact Evaluation

Phillip is a research and evaluation professional with experience in the non-profit sector. He has run multiple research and evaluation projects in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, with various organizations, spanning different sectors including education and skills development, financial inclusion, cash benchmarking and livelihoods among others.

Prior to joining Educate! Phillip worked as a research manager with IPA, collaborating with renown researchers from various academic and research institutions to design and implement cutting edge studies aimed at influencing development policy. His passion is in data, research, evaluation and capacity development in these areas.

Phillip has been with Educate! since 2021.

Director of People, Talent and HR

Marica describes her career as one that is best made sense of through Steve Jobs’ “connecting the dots backwards.” Each experience has enabled her to chase curiosities, explore different interests, and learn from new perspectives.

She started in marketing and communications for a professional soccer/football team and then for Team Canada for the Paralympic Games, spent time on a research team for Vancouver’s Economic Development Commission contributing to the Mayor’s plans to “green” the city, followed by a few years as the operations manager for skoah, a growing retail skincare company, helping to expand stores across Canada and USA. From there, she made the jump into the social impact sector, working at Wedu to design a mentorship program for young women in Southeast Asia. In 2015, she joined the Innovation Team at Acumen where she developed online courses and programs to engage and equip a global community of volunteers, learners and fellows with the tools to create a positive impact in their communities. Her recent work was in facilitating internal change management as the team rebranded the online courses and fellowship programs under Acumen Academy in 2020. Aspects of her role included overseeing the central operations of the fellows programs and leading the development and delivery of a network engagement strategy to accompany the fellows in the growth of their impact, organizations and initiatives.

Marica has a BComm from the University of British Columbia and is finishing her MSc in Digital Anthropology at University College London. When she’s not working you can find her at the (ballet) barre, browsing stationary shops in London, on FaceTime with her nieces and nephews.

Marica has been with Educate! since 2023.

United States Controller

Simi Olabisi oversees the day-to-day U.S. accounting operations and has responsibility for the overall accounting processes. She ensures Educate! has the systems and procedures in place to comply with practice international control standards, fulfill all U.S. nonprofit regulations, and conduct clean efficient audits. She also works closely with the East-African based accounting/finance teams to ensure seamless and accurate financial reporting and with the U.S. based revenue team to ensure accurate revenue recognition and reporting.

Prior to joining Educate!, Simi worked in public accounting for 8 years as an auditor with a specialty in nonprofits. In this role she served as a supervisor for various nonprofit audits, while providing recommendations and general consulting services to management teams and different board committees.

Simi is passionate about international volunteering, having previously volunteered in Fiji and has returning projects in Tanzania. In her free time, she loves to travel and experience new cultures. Simi holds a master’s degree in business administration from Shippensburg University in 2020.

Simi has been with Educate! since 2021.

Head of Strategic Projects

Sylvie holds a legal background with an LLB degree from the University of Manchester, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from United States International University (USIU Africa). She previously worked as a Fee Earner for various Personal Injury Law Firms within the United Kingdom.

She holds prior experience of working at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), gaining a vast wealth of experience in working within the international humanitarian systems.

For 6+ years she successfully spearheaded the Program Support Department with GrowthAfrica Foundation based in Nairobi, Kenya. She later joined MFS Africa as a Senior Account Manager, based in Tanzania tasked with stakeholder/partnership management.

She is extremely passionate about impact creation in Africa and specifically through youth empowerment. As the Head of Strategic Projects, her role is cross-cutting on various projects including ESS Tanzania expansion.

Sylvie has been with Educate! since 2023.

Head of Talent Acquisition

Patience is a seasoned HR professional with over a decade of experience in HR business partnering and global talent acquisition. With a strong background in targeted sourcing, process design, and system implementation within the people space, Patience has also served as a consultant for a recruiting agency. Patience oversees the Talent Acquisition function at Educate!, and is deeply committed to shaping a people-centric strategy.

Before joining Educate!, Patience made significant contributions to Komaza, a social enterprise located along the Kenyan coast. In her role as a recruiting associate, she played a pivotal role in scaling the company, achieving an impressive threefold increase in headcount. Patience's previous experience includes a stint at a subsidiary of Lafarge Holcim, Bamburi Cement, where she made valuable contributions to the HR department. Prior to that, she led the HR function at a civil and building engineering startup along the coast, successfully managing both field extension networks and office staff spanning six Kenyan counties.

Patience holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management with a major in Human Resources from Moi University and is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of East London.

Her vision revolves around leveraging organizational development frameworks to drive strategy through people. She excels in navigating complexities, championing organizational culture, and unlocking the full potential of individuals and teams.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Patience is an avid traveler, a boxing enthusiast, and a budding blogger.

Patience has been with Educate! since 2018.

Head of External Relations

As Head of External Relations, Bersi oversees Educate!’s fundraising team and managing partner relationships.

Prior to joining Educate!, Bersi worked in urban agriculture and youth development in communities across New York City and London, supporting a diverse set of projects. She is passionate about fostering agency amongst youth, especially young women and supporting inclusive methods to building equity. She aligns with Educate!’s diverse, flexible and solutions-oriented approach to driving real impact for youth on the continent.

Bersi holds an MSc from Kings College London in Sustainable Development and a B.A. from American University in International Relations. She’s been living in Kampala for 3.5 years and in her spare time enjoys traveling, gardening and exploring her growing interests in beekeeping, coffee and hot sauce!

Bersi has been with Educate! since 2021.

Head of National Programs, Community Service Learning

Sylvia is an education practitioner with experience drawn from the government and development sectors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and an ongoing Masters’ in Public Policy and Administration. As a government officer, she worked in the departments of education administration and advisory, supervising implementation of education programs in Nairobi. During this period, she worked with different government agencies implementing education programs targeting various education stakeholders at the national level district level.

Sylvia’s interest in literacy development saw her participate in the curriculum review process where she was a member of the Literacy panel that developed the scopes and sequence and curriculum designs for Early Years Education.

While working with the government, her interaction with civil societies led her to transition to the development sector to work with the marginalized communities. She has worked in the informal settlements of Nairobi, rural areas in Eastern Kenya and the Coast region. Her interest is in creating opportunities for children and youth that will impact the livelihoods of their communities.

Sylvia is a believer that the future of Africa lies in the youth and is committed to supporting initiatives that will create lasting opportunities and interventions.

Sylvia has been with Educate! since 2022.

Head of Performance Metrics

Aloysie is currently Head of the Performance Metrics function within the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) department. She plays a critical role in advancing data-driven strategies to optimize organization’s performance. Starting in the organization in 2017 as M&E senior officer, Aloysie was pivotal in ensuring the field team's data accuracy and timeliness through the effective tools creation and maintenance. This foundational role set the stage for a career marked by significant contributions to the development of global performance metrics standards, tools, systems and processes.

Aloysie holds a bachelors’ degree in Applied Statistics and masters’ degree Economic Sciences from the University of Rwanda and Kigali Independent University respectively. Prior to joining Educate!, she served at the Centre for Integrated Development Research and Action (CIDRA), as a statistician. She is also an alumnus of the Unlock Impact fellowship which strengthened her leadership skills.

She is so passionate to use data evidence to support team efforts, she embodies the combination of her analytical skills and visionary leadership to drive the Performance metrics function towards new heights of efficiency and impact.

Aloysie has been with Educate! since 2017.