
STAFF

Lisa MeadowcroftExecutive Director

Jordyn WellsSenior Advisor
As WMI’s Senior Advisor, Jordyn assists the Executive Director in the execution of WMI’s vision. Jordyn is a WMI co-founder and served as WMI’s Executive Director from September 2017-June 2023. Previously, Jordyn worked for Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a Kenya-based NGO, from 2011-2016, most recently as the Chief Program Officer, where she led the design and implementation of SHOFCO’s operational, financial, and evaluation systems. Prior to SHOFCO, Jordyn served as the Chief Program Officer at DoSomething.org. Jordyn has a BA in cultural anthropology from Bard College and a MSW, with a concentration in nonprofit management and international social welfare, from Columbia University.

Nicole Schmitz
Director of Global Operations
Since 2013, Nicole has served in numerous roles at WMI, working to expand the WMI Fellowship network, Community Development Grant program, Scholar Ambassador program, Global Advisory Board, and Scholar Review Board. She also leads the planning and logistical coordination of Dream Big Conferences and the WMI Academy and provides operational support across the organization.
Previously, Nicole served as the International Student Advisor and Scholar Services Coordinator at Mercer University and as a Program Assistant for Project Harmony International.
Nicole earned her BS in international business from Champlain College.

Maria Hoaglund
Director of Human Resources and Finance

Lisa McLaughlin WyncoopEducation Manager
Lisa manages our education programs, which involves communicating directly with our student scholars and assisting them in their academics and community service, as well as overseeing the scholarship application process. She helps plan and creates content for the WMI Academy. She also works with the WMI Global Advisory Board as staff liaison.
She has worked extensively with international students at the secondary and tertiary education levels. A former associate professor at Columbia University in New York City, she has taught English language skills to international students and refugees living in the United States, as well as teaching English as a foreign language in Spain.
Lisa graduated from Boston College with a double major in English and philosophy and has a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language from St. Michael’s College.

Katie Martinez
Development & Communications Manager

Bonny Mark Alinga
Community Development Grants Coordinator
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.

Success Odoemenam Eugene
Leadership Skills & Development Coordinator

Mala Deep Upadhaya
Asia & Oceania Regional Coordinator

Phoeby Musonda
Central & Southern Africa Regional Coordinator

Joyce Shikuku
East Africa Regional Coordinator

Isaac Yeboah
West Africa Regional Coordinator

Fred Okech
Scholar Programs & Digital Media Assistant
GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD
The Global Advisory Board is comprised of WMI Scholars 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.

Purity JangayaComputer Science Student, University of Nairobi Kenya
Purity’s journey as a WMI Student Scholar pursuing a BSc. in Computer Science at the University of Nairobi in Kenya has been fueled by her passion for using technology to empower individuals and communities. She took the initiative to establish a community tech hub called Slum Tech, where she teaches web development to the youth in her community, demonstrating her commitment to making a positive impact through technology.
Through her participation in the Global Mentorship Initiative supported by WMI, Purity recognized the profound impact of mentorship on personal and professional growth. This experience further strengthened her belief in the power of mentorship as a transformative tool.
As a member of the GAB, Purity envisions collaborating with her fellow board members to drive the success of initiatives within GAB, especially the mentorship program. Her goal is to contribute to the launch and success of the program by ensuring that all student scholars receive mentoring from graduate scholars at least once before they graduate. Leveraging her technological expertise, Purity aims to develop applications that streamline and automate the mentorship process, creating a seamless experience for all participants.

Raj RauniyarGraduate ScholarNepal
Raj Prasad Rauniyar is a WMI Graduate Scholar. He received his Bachelors of Commerce degree with honors from the University of Delhi. He is a skilled Business Executive Consultant with a wealth of expertise dealing with the top banks around the globe. Raj’s professional career is marked by his expertise in strategic execution, project and change management, and customer relationship management.
Raj is also a leader in promoting corporate social responsibility in India and Asia-Pacific region through Sparsh. His commitment to creating a positive impact in the communities where he works is a testament to his values and commitment to making a difference.
As a member of the Global Advisory Board, he aims to create specialized divisions for all scholars based on their fields of study. He believes that by creating a solid network of scholars, all scholars could benefit from opportunities like research activities, attachment placements, internships, job referrals, references, and worldwide networks.

William AliraAgriculture Student, Uganda Martyrs University South Sudan

Dr. Hellen KihoroMedical OfficerKenya

Moisés GutiérrezMedical Student, Autonomous University of Nicaragua
Moisés Gutiérrez is a medical student at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, originally from a rural community in the southeast of Nicaragua. After his secondary education he worked in the Ministry of Education as an English teacher in three rural schools. He has been keenly interested in supporting social causes, and began to collaborate closely with the Peace Corps and later with the Red Cross. He twice attended the National Young Leaders Camp in Nicaragua and was a mentor at the CHACA National Camp, which is focused on gender equity and sex education. He is a former SUSI Scholar for Student Leaders of the Western Hemisphere of the United States Department. He joined the Global Advisory Board with an interest in supporting and amplifying the voices of WMI’s Spanish-speaking scholars.

Mariam Sulleiman
Engineering GraduateNigeria
Mariam is a final year student at the Federal University of Technology Minna, majoring in electrical and electronic engineering. She co-founded Females in Clean Energy Foundation and serves as secretary of the foundation, the goal of which is geared towards realizing gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as increasing access to affordable and reliable renewable energy in rural communities in Nigeria. Currently, she works as a research assistant at Advanced Engineering Innovation Research Group. She is the first female president of WMI Nigeria Fellowship. As a board member, she is most interested in promoting the success of WMI by strengthening the relationship between scholars of different countries through a cultural immersion series program.
FORMER GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Isaac Yeboah
Ghana, Medical Doctor, Eastern Regional Hospital
Alpha Bangura
Sierra Leone, Executive Director, Sustainable Education Africa
Charles Uwambajimana
Rwanda, Pharmacy Graduate
Dr. Melisa Bhebe
Zimbabwe, Medical Doctor
Success Odoemenam Eugene
Nigeria, Leadership Skills & Development Coordinator
Brian Juma Omala
Kenya, Executive Director, BoldStep Initiative
Jawaria Shahzad
Pakistan, Biotechnology Graduate
Dr. Ephranzia Chao Malindi
Kenya, Radiologist Specialist
Sujan Gautam
Nepal, Graduate Student, Erasmus Mundus emPLANT
Thomas Servodzi
Ghana, Finance Manager, Asante Kotoko Sporting Club
Jeremiah Thoronka
Sierra Leone, Graduate Student, Durham University
MEDICAL SCHOLAR BOARD
The Medical Scholar Board is composed of WMI Scholars 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 Scholar 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.

Dr. Onesai ChiguvareZimbabwe
Onesai Chiguvare is a WMI Graduate Scholar and currently works as the head of managed care at the First Mutual Health Company in Zimbabwe. She obtained her bachelor’s in medicine and surgery at the University of Zimbabwe in 2017 and is particularly passionate about sexual and reproductive health, wellness, and wellbeing. Onesai served as a government medical officer in a provincial hospital where she developed a strong passion for health provision to the underprivileged in society as a way to facilitate future societal growth. Onesai then went on to complete a masters in sexual and reproductive medicine from the University of South Wales and is currently finishing her MBA at the University of Zimbabwe. She has become a notable advocate for accessible and affordable fertility care in her nation with the All Things Fertility medical business. Her mission on the WMI Medical Scholar Board is to create professional development activities and networking events.

Morie KoromaSierra Leone
Morie is a medical student at the University of Sierra Leone College of Medicine and Allied Health. At university he has served as the public relations officer for the student union government. Morie was part of the founding group of the WMI Sierra Leone Fellowship and has held the positions of outreach coordinator and secretary general. As a way to give back to the community, he led a team that conducted awareness campaigns about COVID-19 in the western districts of Sierra Leone. Morie was introduced to the idea of Global Health Strengthening, an approach that teaches young people about health in a way that is both scientifically sound and relevant to their area, and then incorporates community service to help them become leaders. Serving on the Medical Scholar Board he will be charged with instituting a monthly email blast promoting opportunities and providing oversight for medical and health focused community development grant applications.

Dr. Yvette NkurunzizaRwanda
Yvette Nkurunziza joined WMI in 2018 and graduated from the University of Rwanda with a bachelor of medicine and surgery with honors in 2021. Yvette currently works as an intern medical doctor at Rwamagana Provincial Hospital. In university, she had various leadership positions including the vice guild president of the College of Medicine and Health Science. Yvette served as a leader of Rwanda Girl Guides Association, touching the lives of many young women, and as a prenatal health project leader at Rwanda Village Community Promoters. She was a Wavumbuzi Entrepreneurship Program ambassador with the Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropy and is a certified young leader by Young African Leaders Initiative. Yvette has a strong interest in career guidance, mentorship and intergenerational experience sharing. As a board member she will be leading professional experience sharing events.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gwenael Apollon
Secretary General, YMCA Haiti
Didier Blesin
International Training Consultant & Coach
Rick Claydon
CEO Emeritus, Ridgewood YMCA
Jag Dalal
Management, IT Expert and Public Speaker
Bob Dill
CEO, R2D2 LLC
Kenneth Forester
CEO, Meridian Air
Rick Kushel
Co-Founder & General Partner, Fintop Capital
Christopher Lutz
Senior VP of Investments
Lisa Meadowcroft
Executive Director, WMI
Gail Nystrom
Founder & Executive Director, Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation
Dr. Mary Clark Romney
Retired, Medical Doctor
Jordyn Wells
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor, WMI
Thomas Wells
Founding Partner, Wells, Jaworski & Liebman
& Founder & Board Chairman, WMI
ADVISORY BOARD
Marianne Dill
Retired Director of Operations, The Rink
Brent Edmonds
President and Founder, Edmonds Contracting
Susan Hunt
Occupational Therapist
Bob Jones
CEO Emeritus, Children's Aid and Family Services
Ernie Lamour
President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Rochester
Seta Nazarian
Nonprofit Organizational Management Consultant
Denis Salamone
Retired CEO, Hudson City Savings Bank
Leanne Tingay
Senior Associate for Programs, Orton Family Foundation
Carol Vitz Wells
Operations Director, Bristol Suites & Vermont Marketplace
Philip Wells
Architect, Wells Architecture