Meet Our Team

Nicole oversees the day-to-day execution of the Wells Mountain Initiative’s vision and development goals. Her career is inextricably linked to her belief in advancing access to education, the right to quality healthcare, gender equity, and poverty alleviation. Since joining WMI in 2013, Nicole has been integral to the organization’s strategic growth. She has been a driving force in building robust and metrics-driven programming that delivers sustainable impact to our scholars and their communities. With her support, our Scholar population has increased by over 1200%, from 59 in 2013 to 806 in 2024. In addition, Nicole has spearheaded efforts to expand WMI’s international team from zero to eight members, who are regional professionals who understand the unique needs and talents of the young leaders served by WMI.

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Jennifer brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector to her role at WMI as Development Director. She began her career running direct service programs and soon discovered the transformative power of fund development and community engagement in advancing educational equity. Her work aligns closely with WMI’s mission to foster education, opportunity, and community-led transformation.

Jennifer has raised over $100 million for mission-driven organizations throughout her career. She brings extensive experience in grant writing, strategic fundraising, individual giving programs, and volunteer engagement. At WMI, she leads the development and implementation of a scalable, long-term fundraising strategy with an emphasis on organizational goal alignment and diverse revenue streams.

A lifelong learner, Jennifer holds advanced degrees in Political Science, Sustainability, and Education Innovation. She continues to grow professionally through ongoing training and hands-on learning. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking new trails, and sharing life’s adventures with her husband and their children.

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Elizabeth manages the WMI scholarship program and scholar programs. She has an expansive professional background in scholarship management. In addition to 15 years of program management and administration experience stemming from roles held at the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, Cooperative Bank Foundation, Rikolto (Vredeseilanden) East Africa, Help Self Help Centre, Kickstart International and Safaricom Ltd. Elizabeth holds a MBA in Strategic Management from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, a Bachelor of Agribusiness Management from Egerton University and a Diploma in Management of Information Systems from Kenya College of Accountancy.

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Bonny Mark has significant grant management experience as a three-time beneficiary of the WMI Community Development Grant program which were pivotal in establishing and expanding Nissi High School in his home community. The secondary school currently enrolls 178 students and employs 26. Bonny Mark is also the founder of a thriving business and an NGO dedicated to supporting women, orphans, and vulnerable children. His extensive leadership experience includes many roles with Rotary International, including Regional Grants Support Officer for Eastern Uganda. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in human resource management from Bugema University and will complete his masters of business administration from Uganda Christian University in 2023.

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Rachel comes to Wells Mountain Initiative with an abiding belief in the power of education and bottom-up community transformation, as well as a diversity of professional experiences. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (’07) with a dual bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social & Cultural History. After graduation Rachel served as a Peace Corps Youth Development Volunteer in Ukraine from 2009-2011 and got her first “taste” of international humanitarian support during that time. Consequently Rachel pursued an MBA at Seton Hill University (’13) and began her non-profit career shortly after graduation.

Rachel brings experience in Grant Writing & Fundraising, Public Relations, Communications, and Program Development.

In her free time Rachel enjoys cooking, reading, running, traveling, and spending time with her beautiful family.

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Success is driven to support the professional development of others. She is also passionate about revolutionizing healthcare and lifestyle practices of young people and is currently in the start-up phase of De-Bloom Medicare. Success served on the Global Advisory Board and has held the position of Regional Coordinator for West Africa. She is also a recipient of a Community Development Seed Grant which supports patients who are screened and diagnosed cervical cancer to be seen by specialists for early treatment. As the Leadership Skills and Development Coordinator, Success designs leadership skills opportunities for scholars throughout the world and actively supports the development team. She graduated with a degree in biological sciences from the University of Port Harcourt in 2021.

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Mala Deep Upadhaya is eager to assist WMI Scholars throughout his region and has actively supported the WMI Nepal Fellowship in its continued development. He also works as an independent consultant for several national and international organizations, focusing on data visualization, analysis, and web development projects. His current research integrates methodologies from data visualization, human-computer interaction, machine learning, visual analytics, and data mining to address issues within social contexts. Mala completed his bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Kathmandu University in 2020 and earned his master’s degree in Data Science from Coventry University, UK, in 2024.

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Joyce has 10+ years of experience in social behavioral research and works full-time with KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program. Joyce has served as a WMI Kenya Fellowship leader, implemented a WMI COVID-19 Response Grant and has been a Community Development Seed Grant awardee. She is the founder of the Giving Back Initiative, an organization that empowers underprivileged adolescent girls and young women in remote parts of Kenya on sexual and reproductive health management, working to reduce school dropouts of young women by introducing reusable, affordable and environmentally friendly sanitary pads to address the menstrual health gap. She graduated with a degree in development studies from Mount Kenya University in 2019.

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Phoeby is a strong leader and advocate providing representation and opportunity for young women and girls within her region. Her background within the nonprofit sector focuses on international development and the eradication of gender based violence. She currently works as consultant and trainer of gender based violence prevention and management and child protection. She previously worked as the operations and development manager for Freely in Hope in Zambia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on advocacy through education and leadership development for survivors of sexual violence and with Women and Law in Southern Africa supporting women and children’s socio-economic rights. Phoeby is a co-founder of Building Resilience Helping You Thrive Foundation; an organization that provides social services to survivors of gender based violence. She graduated with a bachelor of laws degree from the Zambian Open University.

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Isaac is a trained physician and currently works in the Department of Surgery at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Ghana. He is interested in pursuing continued studies in public health and is an advocate for improving health conditions, working to influence health policy at the local and nation level. One way he accomplishes this is through the Bold Step Foundation, a youth-led organization which he founded in 2020 that promotes adolescent sexual and reproductive health education in rural and deprived communities. Isaac served on the WMI Global Advisory Board for two years and is currently the President of the WMI Ghana Fellowship. He graduated with a medicine and surgery degree from the University of Health & Allied Sciences and has a certificate in Water and Sanitation from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

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Liz is inspired by youth leadership and driven by a strong belief in the transformative power of local efforts to effect positive change in both individual lives and the broader environment. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development from Daystar University in Kenya in 2022. With a specialization in Gender and Development, Liz has served as a Program Officer, where she passionately contributed to the integration of gender perspectives with development initiatives aimed at uplifting communities. Moreover, she is a co-founder of Tujiinue, a social program dedicated to providing enterprise development training to youth. Liz has served as a leader with the WMI Kenya Fellowship and as a Global Advisory Board Member.

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Maria manages the finances for Wells Mountain Initiative as well as the human resources for U.S. employees. Her career spans more than three decades working for non-profits, community foundations, marketing corporations and manufacturing companies. She enjoys both the financial and the employee engagement side of her work and believes the best place to work is where every employee knows exactly how their position helps to move the organization’s mission forward. “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” – Simon Sinek

GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD

The Global Advisory Board is comprised of WMI Scholars and Alumni who are invested in the scholar experience and exemplify the values of partnership and community leadership. Board members provide insight, direction and recommendations for the growth of our organization and are integral to ongoing program development and implementation. Each member works 10 hours a month and serves a two year term.

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Ginika Ejimgini is a WMI Alum. She graduated with a Bachelor of medicine, Bachelor of surgery (MBBS) from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. Ginika is a physician, strong leader and advocate providing representation and opportunity for young women and girls within her region.

Ginika is a volunteer, teacher and Nigerian liaison to African Menstrual health initiatives that aim to combat period poverty and stigma through education, sustainable product distribution, and infrastructure improvement in Africa.

She is also a volunteer at International Healthcare Volunteers (IHCV), a not- for-profit organization that conducts medical missions to provide healthcare to women and their families in underserved areas as well as continuing medical education to healthcare professionals in these areas.

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Somtochukwu Oputa is a WMI Student Scholar pursuing a BSc. in Nursing Science at Ebonyi State University, Nigeria. He has a strong interest in healthcare and technology, particularly in how both can be combined to improve lives and strengthen communities. As a Wells Mountain Initiative Scholar, he has grown through the Scholar Journey by engaging in leadership development, mentorship, and community-based initiatives.

He serves as the Director of Academics for the Department of Nursing Science at Ebonyi State University and as Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SCORHS) under Nigerian Universities Nursing Students Association National, where he works on initiatives that promote better health outcomes among young people. He is also an active Rotaractor, contributing to service-driven projects and youth development.

As a member of the Global Advisory Board, he hopes to initiate collaboration among scholars and support initiatives that leverage both healthcare and technology to create meaningful impact in communities.

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Ahmad Abdulgafar is a Medical Laboratory Scientist from Nigeria with a focused interest in molecular science, genomics, and global health systems. As a WMI Scholar, he has distinguished himself through leadership, innovation, and a strong commitment to community-centered impact.

During his scholar journey, Ahmad was selected for the WMI Online Academy, where he emerged as the top pitching scholar, securing competitive funding to advance his community-based initiative, HEAL Diagnostic Centre. His work is driven by a vision to improve access to quality diagnostics and strengthen health outcomes in low and middle-income settings. He has also played a pivotal role in advancing scholar engagement in Nigeria, contributing to the activities of the WMI Nigeria Scholar Fellowship.

Ahmad has held multiple leadership roles across student and professional communities, including serving as Co-founder and President of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Young Antimicrobial Resistance Stewards (UDUYARS) and Academic Director within national student associations. His leadership reflects a consistent focus on collaboration, capacity building, and sustainable impact.

As a Global Advisory Board Member, Ahmad is committed to strengthening cross-regional engagement, enhancing knowledge-sharing platforms, and supporting scholars in translating innovative ideas into scalable, community-driven solutions.

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Sylvia Peace Njeri is a WMI Student Scholar studying Public Health at the AMREF International University and strongly believes in the transformational impact of preventive healthcare in alleviating society’s healthcare challenges. She has served as a student leader and as a Secretary General at the IEC Board where she gave oversight to the student representative leadership. She has served the WMI Kenya fellowship in different capacities as a Secretary, Vice Chair and most recently as the Chairperson where she spearheaded multiple community initiatives.

Sylvia Peace is a passionate youth leader who leverages her strength in leadership, management, administration and problem-solving skills to deliver long-term institutional impact wherever she serves. She has a strong interest in healthcare research and entrepreneurship.

At the GAB, she is looking forward to partnering with like-minded leaders to provide creative ideas to elevate the scholars' experience and leave a lasting impact on them. She aims to bring an evidence-based approach to the Board, using her research experience in adolescent health and education to inform recommendations and support data-driven initiatives. Whether reviewing programs, evaluating impact, or suggesting improvements, she hopes to ensure that decisions are both practical and grounded in real-world insights. She also aims to improve scholar engagement by emphasizing equity and seeking to onboard the more marginalized areas.

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Theodora is a medical doctor who earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from Mulungushi University, where she also served as President of the Debate Club, helping students strengthen their public speaking skills and build confidence.

As a Wells Mountain Initiative (WMI) Scholar, she volunteered at Libuyu Clinic, Zambia supporting children living with HIV, addressing their mental health needs and combating stigma in the community. She also taught at local schools and churches, focusing on confidence building and mental health for children under 12. Currently, she serves as Communications and Publicity Secretary of the WMI Zambian Fellowship, working to strengthen networks and visibility among scholars.

Having recently graduated and been inducted into the medical profession, Theodora is eager to begin her medical journey. She is committed to using her knowledge to improve both the physical and mental health of patients in her community. As a Global Advisory Board Member, her goal is to deepen scholar engagement and networking, creating a sense of ownership and belonging. For her, WMI is more than sponsoring education—it is a family and a community where no scholar is left behind.

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Tatyana Magoba is a WMI Student Scholar pursuing the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree at Makerere University, Kampala, with a strong passion for social justice and human rights advocacy. As a WMI Scholar, she is committed to amplifying the voices of the marginalized and contributing to impactful initiatives.

Currently, Tatyana volunteers with PRONEC – Program for Nutrition and Eye Care, an NGO that provides nutrition and eye care services, along with education and sensitization programs, to rural communities in Eastern Uganda, where she supports community outreach, assists with sensitization workshops, and helps document cases to advocate for better access to health services.

She also serves as a Global Advisory Board Member, facilitating cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge sharing among scholars to drive innovative solutions to global challenges and foster a community of change-makers.

Upon completing her studies, she aims to continue championing the rights of the oppressed through legal practice and policy work.

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Sihlobo Khumalo is a WMI alumnus and holds a BSc in Environmental Health from Solusi University, Zimbabwe. He currently serves as an Environmental Health Officer with the City of Bulawayo. He is the founding Chairperson of the WMI Zimbabwe Fellowship.

With a strong interest in fundraising, he has contributed to the Fellowship Development Fund award and secured both the Community Development Seed Grant and Growth Grant. Passionate about education, Sihlobo supports students with uniforms and stationery and regularly speaks in local schools. He has also mentored in the WMI Mentorship Programme and was a panellist at the 2018 WMI Dream Big Conference.

As a GAB member, Sihlobo is committed to advancing the sustainability of WMI’s culture of education for community empowerment by fostering a vibrant, connected alumni network.

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Gaston is a passionate young leader pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Rwanda with a deep commitment to public health, particularly in empowering youth and adolescents to understand their overall health. Gaston has served in different student associations, particularly the Medical Students’ Association of Rwanda (MEDSAR) as Vice President where he dedicated his time to organizing community projects and radio talks, reaching thousands of young people with SRH education. He firmly believes that sexual and reproductive health is closely connected to mental health, as many young people navigate emotional and psychological challenges during this critical stage of life. His goal is to ensure that youth not only understand their reproductive health but also receive the mental health support they need to make informed and confident life choices. As GAB member, Gaston envisions making a broader impact by supporting WMI scholars and other youth and adolescents globally through Youth health webinar series and mentorship, helping them become health champions of their own and their communities at large.

MEDICAL SCHOLAR BOARD

The Medical Scholar Board is composed of WMI Scholars and Alumni who are university students or professionals within the field of medicine and healthcare. The board’s mission is to strengthen support of the growing WMI Medical Scholars community through professional development activities, networking events and the sharing of relevant resources. Each member dedicates 10 hours a month and services for a one year leadership term.

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Israel is a WMI Medical Scholar and a medical doctor at the Ho Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Having graduated from the University of Health and Allied Sciences, he has a strong foundation in clinical medicine, health advocacy and community-based outreach. Israel is driven by personal experiences witnessing preventable illnesses and deaths in underserved communities.

Israel has long been committed to advancing health equity. Throughout his medical journey, he has actively participated in, and often led, numerous health outreaches across rural and peri-urban areas in Ghana. These experiences have sharpened his medical expertise while enabling him to contribute directly to improving access to healthcare.

In this new role, Dr. Gidigasu brings a blend of lived experience, global exposure, mentorship insight and strong communication skills to create enriching learning opportunities for both student and graduate scholars navigating diverse medical career paths. He remains actively involved as an executive board member of the WMI Ghana Fellowship, where he continues to support mentorship and capacity-building among young professionals.

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Angella is a WMI Medical Scholar and a final-year student studying Medicine at Kabale University in Uganda. She is passionate about advancing equitable healthcare and creating opportunities for others to learn and grow together. Throughout her medical journey, Angella has found joy in supporting her peers and encouraging open, meaningful connections. She strongly believes that sharing knowledge and experiences is key to building a stronger healthcare community.

Angella is dedicated to lifelong learning and loves creating safe, welcoming spaces where people feel seen and valued. She believes that a community that supports each other grows together, and she sees WMI as that very community - a place where scholars can uplift one another and grow both personally and professionally. She is always eager to help others feel empowered and connected in their professional paths.

In her new role focused on Medical Professional Networking, Angella will develop and host bimonthly online meet-ups for scholars. These sessions will give participants a chance to introduce themselves, learn about each other’s backgrounds, explore opportunities for collaboration, and celebrate their successes and challenges together. By bringing people together in this way, she hopes to strengthen bonds and inspire a spirit of shared growth and support.

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Justice is a WMI Medical Scholars with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Benin, Nigeria. He is passionate about academic research and digital literacy, and actively advocates for health and well-being across communities. He channels this passion by volunteering with leading health and youth development organizations to drive impact at the grassroots level.

He is a Millennium Campus Network Fellow and held various leadership positions during his undergraduate years. He is currently interested in creating innovative solutions to chronic diseases through the intersection of research, technology, and health advocacy. Justice has also spearheaded impactful initiatives such as the Digital Skills Library which is a digital literacy and opportunity platform.

As a member of the Medical Scholar Board, Justice seeks to amplify the board’s impact by creating monthly email blasts that highlight opportunities for online training, certifications, grants, calls for papers, medical conferences, graduate school opportunities, and access to free research articles. He shall also collaborate with other team members to develop initiatives that further the development of all WMI medical scholars.

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Deeksanta is a WMI Graduate Scholar and a medical doctor currently specializing in Dermatology and Venereology. A dedicated scholar, Deeksanta was awarded the Academic Excellence Award during his undergraduate medical studies at Chitwan Medical College for his outstanding academic performance.

His passion for research has led to impactful work in both clinical and public health domains. He received the Early Career Research Grant from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for his research on adolescent obesity. In addition, he was awarded the WMI Community Development Grant for leading a school health initiative aimed at reducing non-communicable disease risk factors from early adolescence.

With several publications to his name, Dr. Sitaula is committed to advancing equitable healthcare through evidence-based medicine. As this year’s WMI Medical Scholar Board member, he will be facilitating sessions focused on building foundational research skills and sharing opportunities to inspire fellow WMI medical scholars to embark on their journey in medical research and evidence-based medicine.