Nyla Rodgers, Founding Director
nyla@mamahope.org
Nyla Rodgers is the founding director of Mama Hope. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in Global and International Studies. During her senior year Nyla did internships at the International Peace Bureau and UNESCO's International Bureau of Education in Geneva, Switzerland where she conducted an independent research project, "Children as Emissaries of Change: Peace Education in Post Conflict Societies." Nyla then completed a Master's Degree at the European University of Peace Studies in Austria, where she held a graduate research position at Education for Peace International in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Later, Nyla was employed as the Program Director of the Pacific Rim Foundation (PRF) in San Francisco. At PRF she directed day-to-day operations and worked with diplomatic organizations from five continents to secure participation in international peace events. In 2007, Nyla was the Africa Program Coordinator for the UN Environment Program's San Francisco Delegation to Kenya. It was during this trip that Nyla decided to create her own organization to provide resources to community based organizations in the developing world.
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Amy Vaninetti, Operations Director
amy@mamahope.org
Amy Vaninetti is the Community Development and Event Coordinator for Mama Hope. Amy graduated from the Universtiy of California, Davis, where she received dual B.A. in Psychology and Communications. Amy has worked with many non-profit organizations throughout the years, which all share her same passion for the developing world. She is very dedicated to Mama Hope because her views are consistent with Mama Hope's mission, and she believes in Mama Hope's approach to social sustainability through community-based projects.
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| Khary Dvorak-Ewell, Development Director Khary Dvorak-Ewell is the Development Director with Mama Hope. He is currently an MBA candidate focusing on Social Entrepreneurship at San Francisco State University. Khary received his B.A. in Sociology from DePaul University, Chicago. His work in non-profits began with community development in the Chicago-land area. Since moving to the Bay Area Khary has worked with multiple organizations, both for and non-for-profit, developing and implementing solutions to effectively engage all stakeholders in the deliver of services.
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Bryce Yukio Adolphson, Visual Journalist
bryce@mamahope.org
Bryce Yukio Adolphson grew up in the vineyards of California's San Joaquin valley and is currently working on a B.A. in Visual Journalism at Brooks Institute of Photography in Ventura, California. His specific interests include the potential of visual media to create empathy, awareness, cross-cultural pollination and social change. Bryce has a great deal of experience producing, editing, and directing documentary films with an international focus. For example, in 2007 he coordinated with the International Rescue Committee in San Diego to produce and direct a documentary about the Somali refugee community. In collaboration with Jordan van Rijn, Bryce directed, filmed, and edited a documentary about how microfinance improves the lives of impoverished people in Nicaragua. In order to share what they had learned in Nicaragua, in 2006 Bryce and Jordan gave a workshop entitled "Microfinance as Empowerment" at the Bahai Conference on Social and Economic Development for the Americas. Bryce traveled with Mama Hope to Kenya in the summer of 2007 and produced a documentary about the important work of our partner organization, Winds of Hope in the Arid, which can be seen on the home page of Mama Hope's website.
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Suzanne Lettrick, Board Member
Suzanne Lettrick, M.Ed comes to Mama Hope with over ten years of experience in non-profit work in the field of global education. Her organization, The Global Education and Action Network (GLEAN) provides opportunities, training, support, and expeditions for teenagers researching and advocating for world issues and cultures. Many of her students and staff members have created their own global projects through GLEAN that empower the world's people and strive to take care of the planet. Her desire to work with Mama Hope stems from the fact that it was founded by a young person and that its mission is to listen to the voices of local people to know what they want and to help them obtain sustenance for the long haul. Suzanne also owns a successful education company in Mill Valley, California. She lives with her husband and dog in the lovely town of Fairfax.
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Elaine von Blohn, Advisor
Elaine von Blohn is our newest team member and is an Advisor to Mama Hope. Elaine brings twenty-five years of experience in the financial and investment industry. After graduating with a Business Administration Degree from the University of Southern California, Elaine earned her CPA while working with Price Waterhouse. A few years later, she earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School and worked in the Treasury Department of Charles Schwab & Co. in San Francisco. During these formative years at Schwab, Elaine was instrumental in developing and implementing Schwab's investment policy. Before becoming an Advisor to Mama Hope, Elaine was a Wealth Manager for Northern Trust Bank in Marin County, where she enjoyed helping people with high net- worth integrate the many facets of their financial health. She thoroughly enjoys her role as Chairman of the Grants Committee of the Marin Charitable Association, a nonprofit focusing on the needs of teenagers at risk in Marin County. Elaine lives in Mill Valley with her husband and two children. She enjoys swimming and running the gorgeous trails in Marin. When she slows down, she takes pleasure in spending quality time with her family and new granddaughter. Elaine is thrilled to add the joy of assisting Mama Hope to her list of favorite things to do.
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