Leadership

Program

John Gachunga - Regional Director, Western Kenya A native Kenyan, John graduated with an accounting degree and held a managerial post at a microfinance institution, Equity Bank, before joining our operations. He is responsible for all Western Kenya operations, and co-founded the program in Kenya.
Jean-Baptiste Kagabo - Field Director, Nyamasheke District, Rwanda Jean-Baptiste joined One Acre Fund in October of 2007 as a member of office staff. His intelligence, charisma, and natural leadership ability were integral to One Acre Fund's successful first pilot season and subsequent scale-up in Rwanda. Jean-Baptiste was promoted to Field Director of Nyamasheke District in April 2008. Prior to working with One Acre Fund, Jean-Baptiste founded and was president of J.A.Co.C., a local organization which today continues to address the problem of youth unemployment in the community.
Patrick Keya - Field Director, Webuye District, Kenya Patrick Keya was trained as a general agriculture student at Sangalo Institute of Technology. He previously served with the organization Farm Inputs Promotion Services. He started at One Acre Fund as a pest and disease manager, and now is the field director for Webuye District, Kenya.
Isaac Misko - Field Director, Bungoma District, Kenya Isaac Misko is a farmer who originally started in the One Acre Fund program. He was soon hired as a field officer, rose to the rank of field manager, and now is the Field Director for Bungoma District, Kenya.
Gladys Musyoka - Field Director, Chwele District, Kenya Gladys Musyoka has a diploma in business management from Graffins College and previously worked at the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). She was one of One Acre Fund's original three field officers, and is now the field director for Chwele District, Kenya.
Daniel Okongo - Field Director, Kakamega District, Kenya Daniel Okongo has a bachelors of science in horticulture from Egerton University. He previously served with the organization Farm Inputs Promotion Services. He started at One Acre Fund as a field officer, and rose quickly to become the Field Director for Kakamega District, Kenya.
Jean Pierre - Field Director, Rusizi District, Rwanda Jean Pierre is a farmer, recently honored by the mayor for being one of the best farmers in Rusizi District, Rwanda. Since joining One Acre Fund in June 2008, his sector has consistently over-performed on all key performance indicators. He was recently married; he and his wife Marie are excited to be part of the One Acre Fund family.
Eric Pohlman - Senior Partner / Rwanda Country Director Eric joined One Acre Fund in 2007. He studied at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and the University of Cheik Anti Diop in Dakar, Senegal. Eric began his work in development in Mbale, Uganda where he redesigned household biogas digesters for a Ugandan NGO. From 2004 - 2006, Eric served the Cameroonian village of Tourou as a Peace Corps Volunteer, where he and his counterpart started a local NGO that continues work today in well-construction and water sanitation. Eric founded the program in Rwanda.
Jake Velker - Chief Financial Officer Jake Velker, Chief Financial Officer, joined full-time in 2007. Jake graduated from Yale cum laude and served for a summer at the US State Department in Morocco before joining One Acre Fund.
Margaret Vernon - General Partner / Director of Operations, Rwanda Margaret graduated cum laude from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where she was a Managing Editor for the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and setter for the women's volleyball team. She served in Burkina Faso with the Peace Corps from 2005 - 2007, working in public health, water & sanitation, and microfinance. Margaret joined One Acre Fund in January, 2008.
Andrew Youn - Senior Partner / Executive Director Andrew Youn, Senior Partner / Executive Director, started One Acre Fund in 2006. Andrew graduated from Yale magna cum laude, is a former management consultant, and received his MBA from Kellogg School of Management. Andrew co-founded the program in Kenya, and lives in Western Kenya.

US

Tony Kalm - Director of Development Tony Kalm graduated from Cornell University and received his MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sri Lanka, and worked in the HIV/AIDS program of the Medical Research Council of South Africa. He has managed fundraising and communications operations for such organizations as the Global Crop Diversity Trust, African Wildlife Foundation, and Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Stephanie Hanson - Director of Policy and Outreach Stephanie Hanson joined One Acre Fund as the director of policy and outreach in 2009. From 2006 to 2009, she covered economic and political development in Africa and Latin America for CFR.org, the website of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2008, she won a News and Documentary Emmy for Crisis Guide: Darfur, an interactive media guide that explores the history and context of the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Katie Hubner - Manager, US Operations Katie Hubner first became acquainted with One Acre Fund while working as an Evaluation Coordinator for JPAL and IPA analyzing the impact of various development programs in Western Kenya. Her research has also taken her to the jungles of Panama and slums of India while completing her M.A. in International and Development Economics. Prior to graduate school, Katie worked as a Disaster Relief Specialist and Program Manager for the American Red Cross, where she also chaired the local ARC International Services Committee.
Matt Forti - Founding Board Chair Matt Forti has been One Acre Fund's Board Chairman since the organization's founding in 2006. Matt has served on several nonprofit boards and consults to nonprofits full-time through his work with the Bridgespan Group, a 501c3 that helps nonprofit and philanthropic leaders develop strategies to achieve breakthrough results. Matt received an MBA with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management, where he received a Dean's Distinguished Service Award and co-chaired Kellogg's Pro Bono Consulting Club. Matt graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University with a BA in economics and sociology.

© 2010 One Acre Fund