Team
Our team has broad diversity of educational and professional backgrounds—all bound together by a shared passion for problem solving and a drive to make a significant impact in the world
Jason Fairbourne
Tiffany Ivins
Daniel Mensah
Peter Harris
David Keogh
Michael Pezone
Troy Holmberg
Jenny Clawson
Natasha Birchard
Michael Gray
Richard McClendon
Benjamin Stevens
Jason Fairbourne
Founder- Education
- MSC in Development Management, London School of Economics; BS in Sociology, Utah Valley University
- Publications
- Microfranchising: Creating Wealth at the Bottom of the Pyramid, A Good Business for Poor People, The Microfranchise Toolkit
- Past Positions/Boards
- Accion Center for Financial Inclusion, Faculty Counsel; Asante Foundation; Ruma
- Hobbies
- Skiing, Hiking, Biking, Tennis, Canoeing, Rock Climbing, Surfing, Working
- Favorite Quote
- “Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard
Tiffany Ivins
Training Specialist- EducationAll Posts
- PhD Instructional Psychology & Technology, Brigham Young University; MS International Education, University of Oxford, Magna Cum Laude; BA Humanities & English Literature, Brigham Young University, Cum Laude
- Hobbies
- Throwing rocks in the creek with my kids & quality dialogue over exquisite homemade food
- Regional Expertise
- Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America
- All-time favorite project
- Literacy for Conflict Resolution in Sudan
Daniel Mensah
Regional Director- Education
- MBA, University of Ghana Business School; BS Pharmacy, University of Science and Technology
- Hobbies
- Traveling and sight seeing
- Past Positions/Boards
- Executive Director, HealthKeepers Network, Accra, Ghana (Current Position); Microfranchise/Ghana Country Manager, Freedom from Hunger, Davis, California; USA Board Member, Foundation for Sustainable Social Initiatives
- What inspires your work?
- Finding success in creating contributions to livelihood empowerment and community development.
- Favorite Quote
- “You cannot keep a good idea down.” -Chris Dunford
Peter Harris
Consultant- Education
- Honors double major in Economics and International Business, Brigham Young University
- Hobbies
- Camping, hiking, rock climbing, gadgets, movies, martial arts
- Languages
- Spanish
- Regional Expertise
- Africa
- What inspires your work?
- Children in developing countries
- What’s your all-time favorite project?
- Helping a multinational corporation launch a microfranchise business in Ghana.
David Keogh
Consultant- Education
- BS Digital Systems and Computer Engineering, Honors
MBA-International Business, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne - Publications
- Village Phone Replication Manual, Grameen Foundation USA
- Positions
- Founder and CEO, Concero Connect
Director of New Initiatives, Grameen Technology Center
Co-founder and Board Member, MTN-Village Phone
Co-founder and Board Member, Village Phone Rwanda SARL - Favorite Quote
- “Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the result is tied to logical structure.” -Albert Einstein
Michael Pezone
Consultant- Education
- MBA, Johnson School, Cornell University; BA Economics, University of California, San Diego
- Languages
- Spanish
- Regional Expertise
- South Asia, West Africa, Latin America
- Positions/Boards
- Consultant for World Bank—Private Sector Development; Peace Corps Volunteer
- Favorite Quote
- “Sometimes it’s easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking, than it is to think yourself into a new way of acting.” -Jo Berry
Troy Holmberg
Project Manager- Education
- MBA, Johnson School, Cornell University, with distinction; BS Finance/Spanish, University of Utah, Summa Cum Laude
- Hobbies
- Hiking, tennis, golf, playing with my children, travel, skiing
- Languages
- Spanish, plus some French, German and Kiswahili
- Regional Expertise
- East Africa and Latin America
- Positions
- Yehu Microfinance Board Member and Executive Director
Coast Coconut Farms Kenya Co-founder
Basa Body Co-founder - What inspires your work?
- Seeing people get the tools and skills they need to help themselves out of poverty.
Jenny Clawson
Project Manager- Education
- MBA, Brigham Young University; BA, International Studies, Brigham Young University
- Hobbies
- Cycling, golf, weightlifting, blogging, hiking, triathlons, teaching, business start-ups
- Languages
- Slovenian, German
- What inspires your work?
- Helping people live creative and self-actualized lives
Natasha Birchard
Consultant- Education
- Master of Public Health, Brigham Young University; BS Geography and Anthropology, Utah State University, Cum Laude
- Publications
- Who sleeps under bednets in Ghana, Malaria Journal, 2006; Microfinance against Malaria, Credit with Education Impact Review
- Regional Expertise:
- Africa and Southeast Asia
- What inspires your work?
- Seeing the light of understanding and confidence enter another’s eyes and actions
- Favorite Quote:
- “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Kahlil Gibran
Michael Gray
Project Manager- Education
- MPA Financial Management Analysis and International Development, Brigham Young University; BA Middle East Studies/Arabic and Political Science
- Languages
- Arabic and Spanish
- Regional Experience:
- Middle East, Africa, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, India, Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, Kenya
- Positions
- Director of Operations, Quiet Way Social Innovation Program Manager, Brigham Young University Ballard Center International Affairs and Trade Team Analyst, US Government Accountability Office
- What inspires your work?
- People that demand more out of life!
Richard McClendon
Statistician- Education/Degrees
- Ph.D. Sociology, Brigham Young University
- Hobbies
- Hiking, biking, guitar, photography
- Regional Expertise
- West Africa, South-East Asia, Latin America
- Positions
- Research Director, BYU Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance
- What inspires your work?
- Seeing lives change for the better
- All-time favorite project
- Working on a three-year longitudinal study in Guatemala and Ghana as part of our microfranchise research in developing countries
Benjamin Stevens
(SME) Business Designer- Education
- Major in Business Strategy, Minor in Non-profit Management, Brigham Young University
- Hobbies
- Soccer, basketball, rock climbing, cycling, swimming, trail running, slacklining, growing facial hair
- Languages
- Haitian Creole
- Regional Expertise
- Caribbean, Latin America
