Contributors

by The SEEP Network on Aug 9, 2011

Gianluca is based in London, UK.	Gianluca Nardi Senior Private Sector Engagement Advisor, CARE International UK Gianluca Nardi is CARE’s private sector engagement advisor for Latin America. He is based in Brazil and since 2006 has advised CARE’s market facilitation projects in Latin America. He also promotes knowledge management and capacity building of CARE staff and partners in the region. He graduated from Milan Bocconi University and holds a masters in international cooperation from the University of Ferrara.
Sonya is based in Washington, DC.	Sonya Bearden Associate Consultant, ShoreBank International Sonya Bearden works at ShoreBank International’s DC office, where she serves as a company-wide microfinance coordinator and ADC implementation lead. As part of this position, she coordinates strategy, operations, project implementation, and business development for the two practices. She also leads project management for a $9.5 million portfolio of projects in microfinance, small business finance, non-credit services, and alternative delivery channels (branchless banking) projects in MENA and South Asia, serving 17 commercial bank and microfinance institution clients.
Shital is based in Washington, DC.	Shital Shah Associate Consultant, ShoreBank International Shital Shah’s work focuses on alternative delivery channels. She also serves as a managing editor for ThinkChange India, a blog tracking social innovation and social entrepreneurship in India, and is an alumna of Indicorps. In the past few years, she has worked with the UN, Oxfam International and the World Bank. She completed her MPA in international development from NYU Wagner and lives in Washington, DC.
Alexis is based in Coventry, UK.	Alexis Morcrette Research Assistant for the International Programme for Markets and Livelihoods, Practical Action UK Alexis’ primary responsibility is to coordinate learning and capacity building in areas of market facilitation, participatory methods, and value chain monitoring and evaluation in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Alexis’ current areas of work include synergies between extreme poverty graduation and market development programs, tacit knowledge in value chain monitoring, and market institutions in Bangladesh.
Rosita is based in Washington, DC.	Rosita Najmi Independent Consultant Rosita Najmi has worked in international development since 2001, including Accion International, Mercy Corps and the World Bank. Her research and publications include findings from West Africa and India. In her personal capacity, Rosita co-founded a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and NGO in Benin. She served as its executive director and board member for three years.
Marcus Jenal is based in Graubunden, Switzerland.	Marcus Jenal Consultant, Get Sound Systems Marcus Jenal has a background in environmental science and over six years of experience in international development, specifically in market and private sector development. He has been involved with projects in Kosovo, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Marcus applies systems thinking and the method of System Dynamics Analysis to his international development work in order to analyze development contexts and derive systemically sound interventions for development projects.
Monique is based in Washington, DC	Monique Cohen Founder and President of Microfinance Opportunities Monique Cohen is a leading international authority on the use of financial services by the poor. Dr. Cohen spearheaded the groundbreaking Global Financial Education Program which builds the financial capabilities of the poor using a range of media tools and workshops. She currently supervises a team which employs the innovative Financial Diaries methodology to assess financial behaviors and preferences in Kenya and Malawi. Dr. Cohen is on multiple advisory committees, speaks regularly at microfinance conferences around the world, and is widely published.
Margaret is based in New York City.	Margaret E. Richards Independent Consultant; Co-Facilitator of SEEP’s Poverty Outreach Working Group (POWG) Margaret Richards is an education and learning expert with nine years of experience working across development sectors to facilitate and improve the way organizations and individuals teach and learn. She is a facilitator of SEEP’s POWG where she works with MED professionals around the world to improve the way financial services are delivered to the ultra-poor. She is a trainer, e-learning developer, M&E specialist, mathematics professor and Ironwoman triathlete. She has lived in Korea and Micronesia and worked in most regions of the world. She has a BA from Johns Hopkins in math and writing and an EdM from Harvard in international education.
Rebecca is based in Washington, DC	Rebecca Waskey Spradlin Director of Communications at MicroRate Becca Waskey Spradlin joined MicroRate at the beginning of 2008 as the Director of Communications. She manages MicroRate’s marketing activities, research, and special projects. Becca previously worked for Atlas Economic Research Foundation and currently serves on the Board of David’s Hope International. She holds a master’s in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins, a BS in Business Management & Economics and a BA in Communications from Grove City College.
Luis is based in Washington, DC	Luis A. Viada Executive Vice President at MicroRate Lou Viada joined MicroRate in 2010 to head the Luminis initiative and serves as the Executive Vice President. Prior to joining MicroRate, Lou had a long international business career working at Citibank, Standard & Poor’s and The McGraw-Hill Companies. Lou served on the Board of ProMujer Inc., and is currently on the Board of the US-Mexico Foundation. He has a BA from Tufts University and a Masters degree from Georgetown University. He served in the Army Security Agency and is bilingual in English and Spanish, with conversational knowledge of Mandarin, French, and Italian.
Sarah is based in Albany, New York	Sarah Ward Enterprise Development Technical Advisor at International Rescue Committee Sarah Ward is a post-conflict and market development specialist with more than 15 years technical experience adapting market development approaches to some of the world’s most challenging contexts. She has experience with capacity building for government ministries, local partners, and INGOs. Currently the Technical Advisor for Enterprise Development at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) , she was most recently the Director of Market Development for Mercy Corps. She has lived in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Benin and worked in counties across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. “To this day I am amazed by people’s resilience and bravery. I have done this work for many years, and now that I do it as a parent it feels different, somehow changed. I feel more urgency to get it right, to learn, and to respect what other parents are capable of.” – Sarah
Cara is based in Washington, DC	Cara Forster Program Manager for the Association Development Community of Practice at the SEEP Network Cara is a Program Manager for the Associations Development Community of Practice and coordinates projects on social performance and client protection. She studied sustainable development with a focus on Latin America and has performed poverty, network capacity, and client protection assessments in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. “I want my career to serve as a bridge between the rapidly commercializing microfinance industry and the end clients, whose well being is the reason why I decided to dedicate myself to microfinance. I want to help ensure that providing opportunities for and protecting the rights of the end clients are always the first considerations in providing financial services to the poor.” – Cara
Nina is based in Cochin, India	Nina Nayar Independent Consultant Nina is an independent consultant with a range of experience including policy and advocacy, human resource development, institutional development services, strategic planning, product design, and social performance management in over 30 countries worldwide. She currently serves on ECLOF International’s Board of Directors, and provides advisory support to network strengthening initiatives of SEEP and ADA.
Lindsey is based in Washington, DC	Lindsey Longendyke Communications Associate at the SEEP Network Lindsey helps connect microenterprise development stakeholders to the people, information and perspectives they need to best support the industry. She also works with these stakeholders to articulate their mission to wider audiences. “Explaining how microenterprise development works can be challenging, but explaining its purpose is easy. We all deserve the chance to provide for ourselves and our families.” – Lindsey
Supriya is based in Washington, DC	Supriya Sinhababu Member Affairs and Global Communications Intern at the SEEP Network Supriya works on social media, blogging, and other communications channels for the SEEP Network.