Meet Indego Africa’s Spring 2011 Interns and Fellows

It is truly our pleasure to introduce to you a dynamic quintet of key spring additions to the Indego Africa team.

Interns

Kate Head (Fundraising & Development): As a prelude to entering the MPH/MBA joint degree program at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business in the fall, Kate joined Indego Africa with an eye toward leveraging her considerable domestic microenterprise-focused experience on a dynamic international development platform. During her two-and-a-half year tenure at Seedco, Kate worked with community-based organizations in New York City to implement and operate Opportunity NYC, the first conditional-cash transfer project in the U.S. Kate received a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Columbia University, where she was the Columbia Outdoor Orientation Program Coordinator. Kate volunteers as a math tutor and remains an avid outdoor enthusiast, always ready to pick up her skis, tennis racket, hiking boots or kayak at the drop of a hat.

Dorea Jackson (Sales & Marketing): Fresh off a productive internship at the Institute for Democratic Governance in Ghana, Dorea is a second-year MPA candidate at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. As her recent experience would suggest, Dorea is no stranger to African development issues and Indego Africa’s mission immediately resonated with her longstanding interest in social enterprise in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dorea holds a B.A. in Political Science from Notre Dame, is a veteran of the NYU Office of the General Counsel and, prior to enrolling at NYU Wagner, worked at African Refuge, an organization facilitating access to legal, health and educational services for refugees. Outside the classroom and the office, Dorea co-chairs the Community Development and Outreach Committee for NYU Wagner’s Black Student Association and is learning to play the guitar.

Kristen Waeber (Entrepreneurship): Armed with a B.S. in Finance and International Business from the University of Maryland, Kristen is a first-year MPA candidate at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service where she specializes in International Finance. With a background in international economic development, particularly within the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, Kristen immediately identified with Indego Africa’s outcome-based approach to economic empowerment and sought out this opportunity as a way to gain firsthand experience working in the trenches for an international nonprofit organization. Prior to joining Indego Africa, Kristen logged considerable time pushing forward microenterprise development projects in both Cameroon and Kenya and teaching public health, with a focus on HIV/AIDS, in high-risk regions of Kenya. In her free time she enjoys flying, traveling, photography and playing golf.

Columbia Law School Fellows

Brendan Hamill: Currently working toward a Certificate in Law and Finance at Oxford, Brendan is a third-year student at Columbia Law School. Prior to joining Indego Africa, Brendan worked for the Equality Federation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a grassroots civil rights movement for issues affecting the LBGT community, and came to truly appreciate the blend of passion and dedication required to bring about meaningful social change. Originally drawn to Indego Africa’s model and impact, Brendan hopes to bring that same combination of energy and commitment to his role on the Indego Africa team. Brendan earned a B.A. in Sociology from Bucknell University. A Baltimore native, he loves his local sports teams and passes the balance of his free time listening to music, cooking and trying out new food and restaurants.

Shanita Nicholas: Shanita is a first-year student at Columbia Law School, where she serves on the board of the Science Law and Technology Society, competes on the Frederick Douglas Moot Court Team, and participates on the multicultural committee. Also holding a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, Shanita’s previous experience includes several social enterprise and entrepreneurial projects, one of which entailed creating and implementing a business plan for a community-based job placement program for Harlem residents. Having learned about Indego Africa and its business-minded approach at an on-campus social enterprise information session, Shanita knew instantly that she wanted in and has proven a great pickup for the Indego Africa team. Shanita believes in nourishing her mind, body and spirit, choosing to divvy up her free time among reading philosophy novels, running and practicing the keyboard.

Please join us in welcoming this bumper crop of talented interns and fellows!

-Conor French and Ben Stone