Russ tiene una larga carrera en la promoción del sector privado como motor clave para la seguridad alimentaria y el crecimiento económico. Su trabajo abarca desde el diseño y la gestión de programas de investigación agrícola, extensión y finanzas rurales en el extranjero, hasta la evaluación del impacto de los proyectos y el asesoramiento a agencias donantes internacionales y gobiernos extranjeros sobre cómo estructurar las prioridades de política, los marcos regulatorios y los programas que movilizan capital privado e incentivan el crecimiento económico. . A Russ le apasiona el papel de las pequeñas y medianas empresas en la promoción del espíritu empresarial, la innovación y la inversión privada que alimentarán a la población mundial y crearán riqueza para quienes viven en la pobreza. Un sólido jugador de equipo y un líder eficaz, Russ tiene un historial probado en la gestión de carteras, desarrollo de personal, gestión de relaciones con los clientes, comunicaciones públicas, análisis de mercado y desarrollo empresarial.

Roberta comenzó su carrera sirviendo en el Cuerpo de Paz como agente de extensión ganadera para el Ministerio de Agricultura de Guatemala. Esta experiencia alimentó su pasión por ayudar a los agricultores y empresarios de la agroindustria, en particular a las mujeres y los jóvenes, a mejorar sus operaciones comerciales, la viabilidad financiera y el acceso a los mercados. Con competencias básicas en planificación de la producción y gestión de la cadena de suministro en ganado, aves, hortalizas, café y cacao, y otras cadenas de valor. Roberta ha diseñado, administrado e implementado programas agrícolas que promueven los ingresos y los medios de vida rurales, al tiempo que contribuyen a sistemas alimentarios sostenibles, seguros y nutritivos. Es una técnica veterinaria certificada, habla español con fluidez y tiene una amplia experiencia en gestión de programas con múltiples organizaciones donantes, empresas y fundaciones en 39 países.

Thoric, que se muestra a la izquierda (en el sombrero) hablando con un colega en Guatemala, es un defensor de los enfoques impulsados por el mercado para reducir el hambre y la desnutrición. Tiene experiencia en el diseño, implementación y evaluación de programas que involucran a instituciones públicas, privadas y de la sociedad civil y actores clave en la construcción de sistemas alimentarios sustentables, comercialmente viables, seguros y nutritivos. Thoric, un reconocido analista de investigación y estratega de programas, incluye el desarrollo de intervenciones basadas en efectivo para los medios de vida rurales, la realización de evaluaciones participativas de seguridad alimentaria, el diseño de programas de capacitación y desarrollo de capacidades de las partes interesadas y la realización de encuestas antropométricas. Desde sus raíces, creciendo en una granja lechera familiar en Missouri, Thoric pasó a trabajar extensamente en América Latina, África, Asia Central y Asia del Sur. Tiene títulos en Antropología del Desarrollo, Antropología Médica, Economía Agrícola y Arqueología, habla español y portugués con fluidez y conversa en francés.

Sarah es una entusiasta del sistema alimentario sostenible, conservacionista de la naturaleza y ha trabajado para aliviar la pobreza a lo largo de su extensa carrera. Ha implementado trabajo de campo en África, Medio Oriente, América Latina y el Caribe para organizaciones sin fines de lucro y el sector privado. Comenzó su carrera en el desarrollo comercial del sector de la pesca artesanal para la FAO en Cabo Verde y durante los últimos años ha supervisado programas en la agricultura impulsada por la nutrición y la construcción de comunidades resistentes a los impactos climáticos y otras crisis. Sarah ha diseñado y gestionado programas en agricultura sostenible y seguridad alimentaria, recursos naturales, cadenas de valor, formación y comunicaciones interculturales. Sarah tiene una Maestría en Administración Internacional de la Escuela de Graduados SIT, una licenciatura de la Universidad de Virginia y estudió en la Universidad Americana de El Cairo.

Victor has led the technical design and operations of startup programs, notably in Vietnam and northern Ghana. He joins FES after serving as technical advisor in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems for over 7 years. He brings skills in enterprise development and business services provision to small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as experience in applied research and project monitoring, evaluation and learning. Having spent roughly equal times in both field and headquarters-based management and technical positions, he now focuses on advancing market solutions that ultimately contribute to safe, nutritious and appealing foods in local markets. Victor holds master’s degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois focusing on trade and policy, and Economics from Rutgers University majoring in finance.

Mr. Abasin Nawan is an international development practitioner with 15 years of experience in socio-economic development, building rural livelihoods, and developing agriculture and financial infrastructures to support the sprouting and flourishing of entrepreneurship and businesses in marginalized and underdeveloped societies. Mr. Nawan worked as Monitoring and Evaluation Manager with DT Global and AECOM International Development and supported various initiatives to facilitate better agriculture services for public and private sector activities in Afghanistan. Previously, Mr. Nawan served as a technical advisor, technical deputy chief of party, and M&E and Communications Director of the Financial Access for Investing in Development of Afghanistan (FAIDA) project in Afghanistan, funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International. Mr. Nawan holds a master’s degree in project management and entrepreneurship. 

Jenna joins FES with over 20 years of experience interpreting and communicating complex and technical concepts in a sponsored research administration setting. This ability is reinforced by her background in natural and social sciences with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Fisheries Ecology and Marine Resource Management, respectively. Through employment with the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS), Oregon Sea Grant, and five years serving as the Associate Director of Research and Communications for the USAID-funded Aquaculture and Fisheries Innovation Lab, she has prepared reports of accomplishments and metrics for sponsors and partners, authored peer-reviewed and technical publications to advance science, and produced posters and infographics to inform the broader public. Her writing has covered a broad range of topics including nutrition and food security, capacity building to empower women and youth, sustainable aquaculture and fisheries practices, ocean policy and management, and climate change adaptation.  

Shola has vast and varied experience serving on USAID and USG contracts and cooperative agreements. He has managed finance, accounting, and operations on several USAID funded projects in the US and overseas in several Sub-Saharan African countries - Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, DR Congo Kinshasa, and Tanzania. An innovative, multi-tasking, multi-talented, versatile, and entrepreneurial international development professional, Shola has extensive practical hands-on experience ensuring compliance with USAID rules and regulations both at the field office and headquarters levels. Previously, Shola served on a USAID (FFP) Regis-Ag, Agriculture Value Chain project covering the two French speaking countries of Niger and Burkina Faso. Shola is a polyglot with a near-native fluency in French along with several other native and international African languages. Shola’s experience, technical knowledge, versatility, and willingness to serve in challenging locations have contributed immensely to the successful implementation of US government projects and contracts in which he has served.

Mariama es una experta en comercio y desarrollo con quince años de experiencia profesional que consiste en la gestión de programas de desarrollo sensibles al género que cubren varios países de África Occidental con financiamiento de donantes. Ha estado a cargo de programas regionales de micro y pequeñas empresas agrícolas y pesqueras con el objetivo de aumentar los ingresos y mejorar el acceso al mercado a través de mejoras de calidad. Es una agente de campo experta, adepta a la creación de redes basadas en valores comunes. Antes de unirse a FES, se desempeñó como Gerente del Programa de Política Pesquera de África Occidental (REPAO) para ENDA Tiers Monde. También colaboró con la Confederación Nacional de Empleadores de Senegal como Asesora en Servicios de Desarrollo Empresarial antes de su puesto más reciente en la Agencia de Cooperación Internacional de Japón como Oficial de Programas para el equipo de agricultura y pesca y Oficial de País para Gambia. Tiene una maestría en Estudios de Desarrollo y un Certificado de Educación Continua en Emprendimiento y Promoción de Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas del Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies en Ginebra y una licenciatura en Negocios y Comercio Internacional de la Universidad Gaston Berger of Saint -Louis en Senegal.

Astou specializes in strategic research, business strategy, marketing and marketing communication. She is a certified expert in United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) upgrading and diagnosis; and has served as a promoter of export consortia and a trainer in marketing communication, luxury marketing, and project management. She has 13 years of experience in strategic research and planning of marketing and communications as part of projects conducted by UNDP (Study of the shea butter sector and promotion of women producers), QTV Gambia (Marketing and communication plan of a media company), the Ministry of Industry of Senegal (Study of agro-food sectors and local development), UNIDO in The Gambia (Institutional Partnerships),  Enda Tiers Monde Senegal (Market analysis, marketing plan and training of agro-food SMEs), the Senegal Upgrading Program (Market analysis, marketing and communication plans of agro-food SMEs), German Cooperation GIZ (Study of the agro-food sector and packaging), among others. She has a DESS (Diploma of Higher Specialized Studies) in Marketing from ISMA/ENEA and a certificate in International Trade from ISG/University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar. She speaks Wolof, French, English and some German. 

Assane is a health economist and a development economist with over 11 years of experience in program management and monitoring and evaluation, with many of those years serving as Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in USAID and USDA funded projects. He began his career at the community level with a community-based nutrition program where he learned and practiced malnutrition prevention and management, community-based health, behavior change communication, water- sanitation and hygiene, and community-based monitoring and evaluation systems among other topics. Thanks to his experience in multisectoral projects, He has a good knowledge of food security, agri-business and nutrition areas specifically regarding monitoring and evaluation aspects. He has developed skills in data visualization, survey design, data collection with smartphones, and database design and management. He holds a master’s in Development Economics and a master’s in Health Economics - both from Clermont Ferrand University in France - and a master’s degree in Economics from Gaston Berger University in Senegal. Assane is fluent in French and Wolof, proficient in English, and speaks a little bit Arabic and Fulani.   

Babacar is a recognized expert in the field of food safety. He started his career in 1997 in an agri-food company, and successively served as quality manager and director of production. For 10 years, he served as the president of the Senegalese Association for the promotion of food safety in the fisheries sector. Babacar has extensive experience in working with small and medium-sized food companies. Before joining FES, he was an independent food safety consultant. In 2011 he conducted an assessment of the Senegalese sanitary control system for fishery products and made recommendations to preserve the export authorization granted by the EU. Babacar also has substantial experience in capacity building. He has been a Training Manager for a training organization and an expert in the European program "Better Training for Safer Food" Africa. He has designed and implemented numerous trainings for professionals in the agri-food sector and competent authorities in charge of food safety control and certification in African countries. Babacar is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, holds master's degrees in Business Administration and Total Quality Management, and has a Quality Auditor's certificate.

Makhtar, a passionate advocate for business development in Africa, has over 30 years of multi-sectoral fisheries and agriculture experience from work in the private sector and from overseeing donor programs in Senegal and West Africa. As Director of the Dakar office of USAID's West Africa Trade Hub (WATH) project under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from 2007 to 2013, he liaised with senior officials of export promotion agencies, regional and local government ministries, regional organizations, donors, private sector, and the U.S. Embassy and federal agencies (Peace Corps, USDA, APHIS, etc.). Within this framework, he has created business opportunities and provided technical assistance and training, particularly in food safety (HACCP, FDA, labelling, certification), to a wide variety of export-ready companies in various sectors in 21 countries in West and Central Africa.

He has worked on cross-cutting issues of facilitation and improvement of the trade environment in the West African sub-region and helped set up the Observatory of Abnormal Practices to fight against corruption on the corridors and various alliances for sustainable development. He has produced several studies on value chains of seafood products in Senegal, on the financing of perishable goods, and launched the first sustainable fishing label in West Africa (Beg Ellek). He holds an MS Certificate on pollution of water and air from the University of Paris VI, JUSSIEU, (France), an Executive MBA with Delta International University (DIU) of New Orleans and is completing an Executive Doctorate in Business administration with the Paul Valery University of Montpellier (France). He is fluent in French, English, Wolof, fair in Fulani, and Spanish.