Brian Beard
Lead Trainer and Help Desk Facilitator, The IRIS Center
Brian Beard has twelve years of experience in the field of microenterprise development. He is currently the Lead Trainer and Help Desk Facilitator for the USAID Poverty Assessment Tools project at the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland. In addition to leading regional trainings around the world and providing technical assistance via the Help Desk, he provides input on tool design and is also overseeing the development of an e-learning portal for the project. Brian’s work at the IRIS Center also includes providing training and technical assistance for other projects related to poverty and impact assessment of microfinance clients, as well as market research for new product development. Previously, Mr. Beard developed and tested an evaluation monitoring system for FUNDAP, a large NGO in Guatemala that provides a wide range of technical assistance and training services in addition to microfinance.  He also developed, tested, and trained staff to use a monitoring system to assess client-level poverty, impact, and satisfaction for the Opportunity International Network, a large NGO with 40 international affiliates.

Mr. Beard is fluent in Spanish and has worked in over 20 countries around the world.  He currently serves on the advisory committee for the Microcredit Summit Campaign’s “Movement Above the US$1 a Day Threshold Project” and on the advisory board for the Ford Foundation/ACT’s “Consumer Report for Social Performance Assessment Tools Project.” In addition, Brian is an instructor for the Gemstone Honors Program at the University of Maryland.

Christian Pennotti

Chuck Waterfield

Chuck Waterfield has over 20 years of experience in microfinance.  During a portion of that time, he served as microenterprise director for MEDA and for CARE International. He has developed Microfin, the most popular financial planning software in the microfinance industry and teaches business planning courses around the world, with more than 3,000 microfinance professionals having been trained in his courses.  His current work as an independent consultant includes clients such as The SEEP Network, SIDA, the Ford Foundation, CGAP, Opportunity International, and Aspen Institute. Most recently he has founded MicroFinance Transparency, a global agency to publish the true prices (APR) of microfinance loans offered by all microfinance institutions around the world. 

Currently on faculty of the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, he was formerly on the faculty of the Boulder Microfinance Training Program for 10 years and of Southern New Hampshire University’s Microenterprise Development Institute for eight years. Mr. Waterfield has developed a broad range of products and publications including the SEEP FRAME Tool, the CARE Credit and Savings Sourcebook, and the CGAP Handbook on Management Information Systems. 

Eileen Miamidian
Senior Technical Officer, CHF International
Ms. Eileen Miamidian is a Senior Technical Officer for CHF International’s Office of Development Finance, providing oversight for our programs in Ghana, Liberia, Iraq and Palestine, as well as assistance with overall business development and expansion activities related to ODF.   Ms. Miamidian came to CHF with over thirteen years of experience in development finance, ranging from Senior Manager of a MFI, transformation advisor to technical and Director of a Project Management Department for a consulting firm overseeing for microfinance sector development programs.  She has managed successful projects both on-site and off-site.  Ms. Miamidian managed the turn-around and spin-off of an MFI in Mozambique, during which time a separate institution was established, portfolio quality improved from PAR 60% to less than 3%, and profitability increased five-fold.  She provides off-site management to a microfinance sector development projects in Sierra Leone that has enabled five MFIs to reach sustainability, leverage $5 million in private equity into the sector, increase client outreach by four times and the initiation of a new regulatory framework, and has supported the establishment of a similar facility in DRC.  

Ms. Miamidian’s solid experience as a practitioner enables her to oversee work both technically and from a management perspective.  She is also a capable trainer and technical advisor in microfinance topics ranging from loan officer training, delinquency management, internal controls, financial management to marketing, product development, human resources and governance. 

Gary Woller
President, Woller & Associates
Dr. Gary Woller is President of Woller & Associates, an international development consulting firm specializing in MSME development, value chain development; impact assessment, social performance assessment, and monitoring and evaluation. He is currently the Project Manager of the Private Sector Development Impact Assessment Initiative and facilitator of the Social Performance Working Group at SEEP.  Dr. Woller is working on developing a social rating and social audit for USAID, directs the work on the Social Performance Mapping Project for SEEP, and has been an active participant with the CGAP-Ford Social Performance Task Force since its inception.

Jan Maes
Independent Consultant

Jan Maes is an international microenterprise development consultant and facilitator for The SEEP Network Poverty Outreach Working Group (POWG).  Mr. Maes has spent the last 10 years of his career in microenterprise development, having worked previously in the biotechnology sector.  After working as Program Officer for Asia at Trickle Up, he has taken on various assignments with CARE, Pact, IDEAS, The SEEP Network, Alternative Credit Technologies, and IFC.  His recent work includes designing and conducting outcome assessments for Trickle Up and facilitating the USAID-funded Building More Effective Learning Organizations network.

Lendell Foan
Director of New Business Development & Operations, Making Cents International

Lendell Foan is an experienced business development services expert committed to the eradication of poverty through the strengthening of micro to small businesses by increasing access to markets, to information and to training to improve their business skills. As the Director of New Business Development and Operations at Making Cents International, he directs new business initiatives, including strategic business opportunities and manages existing client and partner relationships.  He has conducted long-termed technical assignments in Asia, Africa and Central Europe in the area of BDS development, value chain analysis, program design, and practical ICT applications for business training centers and small business.  Mr. Foan background includes managing long-term business services projects in Bosnia, Thailand, Zimbabwe and Timor-Leste and has conducted numerous short termed assignments in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. 

Prior to joining Making Cents, Mr. Foan was a Development Specialist at Development Alternatives, Inc. for 12 years, most recently serving as their Deputy Chief of Party on the USAID Private Sector Development Program in Timor-Leste.

Lourdes Maria Gomez

Lourdes Maria Gomez is a student at the University of Queensland, Australia undertaking her Masters of Development Practice. She is currently Interning at The Foundation for Development Cooperation. Her involvement in the conference was to edit and format numerous transcripts. She has traveled to India where she was involved in volunteer work with two NGOs teaching English and working to support environmental and social justice concerns.

In 2006, she completed her Bachelor of International Relations at Griffith University, Australia.

Jeremy Coon, Independent Consultant
Jeremy Coon is currently an independent consultant working with the World Bank, the SEEP Network VALUE Initiative, and Social Compact where he is addressing how cities, regional communities and their businesses reduce poverty while remaining competitive in the global marketplace.   Previously, Jeremy co-founded the Trade Capacity Building Institute in New Orleans, LA and consulted for the City of New Orleans on a range of trade and small business development related projects.  His specialties include MSME development, local economic development, trade capacity building and strategic planning. 
He has worked in Central and South America and speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.  Dr. Coon has worked for the World Bank's Latin American branch, managed several different USAID contracts, served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay, and designed and implemented technical short courses for small and medium businesses, international mid-career professionals and graduate students. 

Nicole Pasricha

Ruth Dueck Mbeba
Senior Microfinance Consultant and Project Manager, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)

Ruth Dueck Mbeba is a senior microfinance consultant and project manager with MEDA.  Ms. Dueck Mbeba has over 20 years’ experience in accounting, public accounting, as a controller, and as a microfinance practitioner and consultant.  She has extensive international experience in building capacity at all levels of an MFI and in the development and implementation of appropriate systems, internal controls, and internal audit departments.  Ms. Dueck Mbeba is the facilitator for The SEEP Network Financial Services Working Group (FSWG).

Sabina Rogers
Senior Program Associate, The SEEP Network

Sabina Rogers is Senior Program Associate for Member Services at The SEEP Network supervising SEEP’s member-driven working groups.  In this position, Ms. Rogers is responsible for developing and maintaining an overall strategy for sharing knowledge and disseminating SEEP’s learning products through the implementation of a cohesive marketing and communications strategy.  In addition, she is part of a team that maintains relations with SEEP’s membership by assessing member needs and interests and engagement in the working groups.  Prior to her work at SEEP, Sabina served three years in the Peace Corps in Togo as a Girls Education and Empowerment Extension Agent, helped found the Union for the Empowerment of Women, a local non-governmental organization, which conducted a prefecture-wide awareness-raising tour and community training for the promotion of girls education.  More recently, she was program manager for a small US-based NGO, the Afghan Youth Sports Exchange, which uses sports as a catalyst for change in the lives of Afghan youth. 

Ms. Rogers holds a MS in Development Management from the School of International Service at American University and speaks fluent French.

Tala Abbasi
Technical Officer for Financial Reporting, CHF International

Tala Abbasi is the Technical Officer for Financial Reporting of the Office of Development Finance at CHF International.  She is responsible for budgeting, compliance, overseeing the collection, analysis and financial reporting on financial and portfolio performance of CHF lending programs and institutions worldwide, in addition to serving as legal liaison.  Prior to CHF, Tala served as the Chief Financial Officer of KIPP Los Angeles Schools, a network of non-profit charter schools serving underresourced communities. 

Ms. Abbasi has an MBA from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business and a BA in Economics from the University of California, San Diego.  Ms. Abbasi speaks fluent Farsi and conversational Spanish.