A world beyond ultra-poverty.

Katie Macc has degrees in Physics and Economics from The University of Virginia, has lived in Europe, the US, and Africa, and has executive experience across for-profit and nonprofit sectors as an entrepreneur, operator, board member, and funder. Katie currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the Sorenson Impact Institute. Sorenson’s mission is to expand the market for Impact Investing through innovation, thought leadership, and fund management. Prior to that, Katie founded Juntos Global, a fintech company that served over 5 million customerscacross three continents before being acquired by Nubank in 2021. Katie also spent three years at the Dovetail Impact Foundation doing grantmaking and impact investing. Katie currently serves on the Board of The Park City Education Foundation and the Raising The Village Board of Directors.

Joel Lamstein brings over 40 years of leadership experience in international public health, education, and organizational management. He is the founder and president of John Snow, Inc. (JSI), a global public health consulting firm dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved and vulnerable populations. Joel also serves as president of World Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on advancing education, economic opportunity, and social

development for disadvantaged communities. Throughout his career, Joel has advised numerous public health programs worldwide on strategy, leadership, and management. He is a senior lecturer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a visiting professor at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He serves on advisory boards for the Boston University School of Public Health and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He is also a board member of Seed Global Health and the Center for Health Equity at Dartmouth College.

‍

Lydia holds the Regional Finance and Operations Lead position at Dalberg Advisors, overseeing the Africa business. Previously, she managed the Talent division for Dalberg Africa, focusing on enhancing relationships between employers and employees. Before her role at Dalberg, Lydia served as an Auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Chief Finance Officer at Sanlam General Insurance Uganda, and Chief Operations Officer at Financial Sector Deepening Uganda.

With over 14 years of experience as an accomplished executive and a robust educational background encompassing an MBA, ACCA, and CPA qualifications, Lydia brings a wealth of expertise in financial management and talent development across various sectors in Africa. She is an independent board member of the Financial Sector Deepening Tanzania. Leveraging her deep understanding of Uganda’s employment landscape and financial regulations, Lydia offers invaluable local insights concerning Uganda and the broader East African region.

‍

Jim is a senior partner in the financial services audit practice at KPMG LLP. He is currently the lead audit partner for Scotiabank and, previously, the Bank of Montreal. Jim is also Co-chair of KPMG’s Board Leadership Centre, which delivers insights and experiences with a focus on innovation in its many forms – all through a board lens. He is a member of the organizing committee for the CPA Canada Conference for Audit Committees and Corporate Governance and developed and delivers the CPA Canada Audit Committee Certificate program. He was formerly on the Ontario Chapter Executive of the Institute for Corporate Governance and previously chaired the board and the audit committee for Diabetes Canada.

‍

Viraj Desai’s 25 years+ management and consulting experience spans leadership and consulting roles in healthcare organizations, in Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations consulting practice and at her own consulting company “CIM Professional Services Inc”. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, operational and program reviews and corporate performance measurement across industry areas including public sector, retail, infrastructure, and telecommunications. Viraj currently sits on the Board of a large regional healthcare facility. She also provides mentorship to entrepreneurs with mental health challenges as part of a Rotman program. Viraj was born in Uganda. This combined with her familiarity with the developing world and her vast business experience led her to join the RTV Board.

Tom has over 24 years of professional experience as an operator, investor and advisor in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds. His current advisory work includes engaging clients on what’s possible with their philanthropic and impact investing resources, advising portfolio companies on building impactful +sustainable organizations, and advancing the field of social entrepreneurship. He received his Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and economics from Boston College.

Shawn Holden Cheung is the Founder and CEO of Raising The Village. Since 2005, Shawn has been focused on improving livelihoods and finding solutions to the problem of ultra poverty in rural Uganda. Shawn holds a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from McMaster University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Read more of Shawn's story here. (could link to Shan's bio)

Bertrand is an Associate Partner with Dalberg Advisors, where he leads initiatives to address Africa's economic and social development challenges in areas such as climate change, the digital economy, and private sector development. Born and raised in Côte d'Ivoire, Bertrand acquired extensive experience as a management consultant with top-tier advisory firms in North America before choosing to advise leading African businesses and institutions as part of the World Economic Forum and the Africa CEO Forum. Bertrand has 18 years of professional experience, including 15 in management consulting and a decade as an executive. He holds an MBA and a BBA from York University's Schulich School of Business and is fluent in English and French.

John Phyper has over 30 years of experience managing high-growth software companies specializing in environment, health and safety, and cybersecurity. Additionally, John has co-authored several books relating to environmental issues and chaired the sales and marketing roundtable for PeerScale, a Peer-to-Peer organization for tech leaders. He is currently semi-retired and provides consulting services to early-stage software companies.

Zedek Maithya brings more than 19 years of experience in humanitarian and development operations across complex contexts. He has held senior leadership roles with organizations including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, and Médecins Sans Frontières, overseeing large-scale programs and partnerships. At RTV, he supports operational excellence, government engagement, and regional scale. Zedek holds a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyatta University and a Master of Public Health from Umeå University.

Timothy Ahumuza leads Venn, RTV’s data, evaluation, and learning ecosystem. With more than a decade of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and analytics, he supports program quality, evidence generation, and country expansion. Timothy brings expertise in data systems design, statistical analysis, and team leadership. He holds degrees in Economics and Statistics and Monitoring and Evaluation, and is completing an MBA at the University of East London.

Robin Cho supports organizational strategy, coordination, and impact as Chief of Staff. With more than 16 years of experience in international development, she previously served as Head of Impact at the Who Gives A Crap Foundation, working closely with nonprofit partners and internal teams. Robin brings expertise in strategic planning, partnerships, and systems change. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Business and a Master’s in International Development.

Rahul is a technology leader with deep experience in enterprise platform modernization and digital transformation. He previously served in senior engineering roles at TD Bank and Pillar To Post, leading large-scale system modernization, cloud migration, and the integration of advanced analytics into production environments. At Raising The Village, Rahul leads the Software Engineering function within Venn, supporting scalable, reliable technology that strengthens data-informed program delivery.

Jean-Paulin Mutatsineza leads program implementation in Rwanda, supporting effective delivery, monitoring, and scale. With more than two decades of experience in the NGO and education sectors, he brings deep expertise in program design, strategic planning, and organizational leadership. His work focuses on ensuring impact, accountability, and strong partnerships. Jean-Paulin holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of East London.

Hala Nasrallah leads people and organizational effectiveness initiatives at RTV, supporting teams across multi-country operations. With more than a decade of experience in the humanitarian and development sector, she has held senior HR leadership roles, including Human Resources Director at the International Rescue Committee. Her work focuses on building fit-for-purpose systems that enable clarity, accountability, and sustainable performance. Hala is based in Toronto.

Disan Kasozi oversees program delivery across Uganda, ensuring quality, coordination, and adherence to implementation timelines. With more than 20 years of experience in the NGO and education sectors, he brings strong expertise in project design, planning, budgeting, and monitoring. His leadership supports effective field operations and sustained outcomes at scale. Disan holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Uganda Christian University.

Daniel Odinga is a senior leader in agricultural and market systems development with more than 18 years of experience across Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. He brings deep expertise in income growth, inclusion, and large-scale program design and implementation. At RTV, Daniel supports regional programming and technical leadership. He has led complex, multi-country initiatives focused on smallholder livelihoods and food systems.

Christina Palassio leads marketing and communications at RTV. She brings more than  25 years of senior leadership experience in communications, marketing, and stakeholder relations in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, including at Right To Play and Right To Food. A Maytree Policy Fellow, Christina holds a graduate degree in journalism and was co-editor of the award-winning uTOpia civic engagement book series. 

Allison Coady leads RTV’s philanthropy strategy, supporting donor partnerships and long-term revenue growth. She brings extensive experience from roles at MSF Canada, Partners In Health Canada, and MSF USA, where she led major gift and foundation portfolios. Allison brings a strong global perspective, having worked in South Africa with Rights & Democracy and the Denis Hurley Peace Institute and as a 2021 Hilton Humanitarian Prize Scholar. She holds a Master’s in Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree from Mount Allison University.

Alex Akiri leads RTV’s technical teams and special initiatives, supporting program innovation and cross-cutting delivery. With experience across community development, livelihoods, and humanitarian programming, he brings strengths in strategic planning, compliance, stakeholder engagement, and team management. Alex holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management, a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Community Development, and a Master’s in Management Studies.

David has more than 3 decades of experience in the investment management industry. He is Chairman of Russell Investments Canada Ltd., where he served as President and CEO from 2010 to 2017. He continues to work in an advisory capacity with a select number of investment companies. Among his not-for-profit engagements, he is currently Chairman of The Peter Cundill Foundation, a Bermuda-based purpose trust with a mission to improve the well-being of young people and is a board member at McMaster University.

Hany Nowair leads RTV’s financial strategy, systems, and controls, supporting organizational growth and program scale. With more than 25 years of experience across Sub-Saharan Africa, he has held senior leadership roles in both non-profit and for-profit organizations, including Save the Children Canada and GE. His expertise spans financial management, compliance, and process improvement. Hany holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and professional certifications, including Internal Auditor and CPA (Canada).

Soofia Mahmood provides strategic leadership as a member of RTV’s executive team, overseeing organizational planning and key operational functions. With 15 years of experience working with vulnerable communities in Pakistan and Canada, including roles with UNICEF and USAID, she brings deep expertise in large-scale programming and communications. Soofia leads Human Resources, Knowledge Management, and Communications, and supports organizational strategy. She holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan.

Shawn Cheung is the founder and CEO of Raising The Village, where he provides strategic leadership to advance scalable, data-informed pathways out of ultra-poverty for last-mile communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under his leadership, RTV has grown into a nationally scaled organization in Uganda, reaching over two million people through a model that combines advanced analytics, community partnership, and cost-effective delivery. Shawn brings a management consulting background and deep experience in data and public sector strategy, shaping how RTV and the broader sector design, measure, and scale impact. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, and was recognized in Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 for driving systemic change in poverty alleviation.

‍