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Mark

Mark Gelfand

FOUNDER

Mark Gelfand created STEMpower (and its predecessor the Gelfand Family Charitable Trust) because of a passion for science&engineering, as well as a desire to give forward. His mission is to see all students have access to the same kind of quality STEM education experience that he had in the United States.

 

After witnessing deserving students achieve success at Yemin Orde Youth Village in Israel, he knew that if given the opportunity, students in developing nations could thrive and become scientists and engineers in their communities.

Mark is also involved in helping build the industrial capacity of Ethiopian exports though TodayTomorrowVentures. 

Mark is earned his B.S. in Physics at Carnegie-Mellon University.

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Kidist

Kidist Gebreamlak 

DIRECTOR I PRESIDENT

Kidist Gebreamlak serves as President on STEM power's Board of Directors and as an Executive Director.

 

Prior to these roles, Kidist had been a program specialist at the Center for Global Health Impact and the Institute for Leadership Impact at Southern Methodist University. Before that, Kidist worked in project development at the Corporation for National & Community Service, and in consulting and program support for the World Bank Group. She also served as a research assistant at George Mason University and at the Institute for Security Studies.

Kidist earned her B.A. in International Development at George Mason University and her M.A. in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Liberal Studies (D.L.S.) at Southern Methodist University. Her research focuses on human-centered design thinking for sustainable development in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.

Kidist loves Mediterranean cuisine, almost as much as she enjoys injera be wot (a traditional Ethiopian food).

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Mike

Mike Castricone

DIRECTOR I TREASURER 

Mike is a certified public accountant with years of experience in finance, administration and operations. Mike has served as Chief Financial Officer of various technology companies, such as Guardium, Inc. and WebLayers.

Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in financial operations, strategic planning, and international finance

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Shachar

Shachar Zahavi

DIRECTOR I SECRETARY

A veteran humanitarian aid expert experienced in disaster response and sustainable development, Shachar has led relief missions and built sustainable long-term programs since 1994.  His passion and work has impacted communities in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Shachar’s first exposure to humanitarian emergencies was during the Rwanda genocide of 1994, when he led the largest Israeli civilian national campaign to help the Rwandan refugees. 

Shachar was among the founders of Latet’s (the Israeli "To Give" not-for-profit) international arm. Shachar was also the founder of IsraAID, an international aid agency which he led as Founder, Chairperson and CEO for 16 years. Recently he
founded iAID, a global tech aid agency which integrates technology to help communities globally.

During these past 25 years, Shachar has also been consulting to various governments and institutional aid agencies around the world and has published articles on foreign aid.

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Abebe II

Abebe Girmay

DIRECTOR

Abebe Girmay is Countrymanager-Mastercard-EastAfrica in Nairobi, Kenya. Abebe is responsible for country management, business development and expansion and relationships to support business strategy by identifying and introducing innovative payment solutions across the Horn of Africa markets.

Before joining Mastercard, Abebe  Vice President for Information Technology at Dashen Bank in Ethiopia. He previously worked in Switzerland Payment Technology Company as Sub-Saharan Africa Project Manager and Information Technology Academia.

He holds Master of Science Degree in Software Engineering from HiLCoE School of Computer Science and Technology, and an MBA (GeneralBusiness) from Jimma University, Ethiopia. He graduated with Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from American Academy of Project Management (AAPM®) as well as Certified Bankcard Manager from London Business School in the UK.

His more than 20 years’ experience in financial Institutions, technology and the Payment industry helps him create strong business in the region -- maintaining and establishing strong relationships with governments, regulators, financial institutions, technology companies, and merchant stores in driving the digital and innovation agenda.

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Tamrat

Tamrat Berhanu

DIRECTOR

Tamrat is an Israeli-Ethiopian technologist and entrepreneur, who has established many agriculture projects in Ethiopia, including our Green Mark Herbs farm, one of the most successful and state-of-the-art farms in Ethiopia.

 

Tamrat is a pioneer in promoting Israeli technology and know-how in Ethiopia, and has experience finding the right technological fit, coupled with a knowledge of transfer and foreign direct investment, the result of numerous ventures in Africa.

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Helen

Helen Mesfin

DIRECTOR

Born and raised in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, Helen Mesfin moved to the United States at the age of 17 to pursue higher education. She worked her way through college, earning a degree in Business Management, and launching her professional career in the Hospitality and Tourism industry.

 

A multi-faceted Destination Sales, Marketing and Business Development professional, Helen has over 18 years of experience in the Tourism and Destination Management industry representing major US cities like Washington, DC and New Orleans. She couples her extensive experience with a passion for excellent service, and places values on continuously delivering value long after the deal is closed.

Helen is an active member of numerous professional association in the Tourism and Meetings industry, and holds leadership roles on various boards and committees in the Washington DC area.

Furthermore, Helen hosts a weekly Amharic talk-show on the Ethiopian Broadcasting Services (EBS) station. The Helen Show is a focused on celebrating and inspiring Ethiopians and Ethiopian Americans in the diaspora by facilitating honest and candid conversations to inspire, entertain, and empower the community at home and abroad. With wit and compassion, Helen engages her guests to share their thoughts and expertise on relevant every day issues.

A Life-Style show currently in its 15thseason, the Helen show is a top rated program on the network, and has provided an excellent platform to engage and influence over 25 million viewers weekly through direct transmission, subscription on Roku, and on YouTube. The show is one of the most trusted voices in the Ethiopian community.

In 2017, Helen launched the Empower the Community Weekend. An extension of the Helen Show, the event brings together the largest East African community in the Washington DC area. The event is designed to prove entertainment, discussion platform, and information on education, finance, civic engagement, health and wellness.  The event provides valuable resources, information, family centric activities to empower and strengthen the community.

In addition to all her professional accomplishments, Helen is a longtime resident of Washington DC with her husband and their two children.

 

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Tim

Tim Veldman

DIRECTOR

Tim has been a presence in the field of impact investments since 2003, primarily with Dutch ventures in Africa. During Tim's seven recent years in Ethiopia, he helped to develop and operate successful companies in the agricultural and manufacturing spaces.

Tim is also involved in the education field, where he and his wife-colleague founded the successful Interlakes International School, 45 km south of Addis Ababa.

 

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