Staff
NPOKI staff is comprised of an inter-disciplinary team with a unique combination of experience delivering international health programs in low resource settings, as well as design and implementation of performance and knowledge management systems.
All NPOKI projects and programs receive support from its member organizations, and are managed by a core team:
William (Bill) Lester is NPOKI’s Executive Director. A visionary in use of Information and Communications Technologies (particularly in low-resource settings), Bill is well-known in the nonprofit knowledge management and technology communities, and is a popular speaker at many industry gatherings. As Chief Information Officer for EngenderHealth for 15 years, Bill was instrumental in capturing and sharing the organization’s operational and programmatic best practices and lessons learned. In 2007, he was honored with NTEN’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bill was elected to the Board of ASPIRATION in 2009, and currently sits on the board of InsideNGO. He was a NTEN board member from 2000 – 2007, participates on the advisory committees for NPOWER and KABISSA, and is a NPOKI founding member. A strong proponent of social entrepreneurship, Bill works worldwide to promote and encourage problem-solvers. His personal mission is “Imagine • Build • Connect”.
Mary Kathryn (MK) Cope(Director of Business Development) manages NPOKI’s growth and sustainability. Building on her experience in designing and managing field based programs throughout Africa, MK brings an innovative, practical approach to NPOKI’s new business development activity. She is recognized for her skills in integrative program strategy, always seeking new ways to cross the boundaries between traditional sectors of international development.
As Vice-President/Africa (field-based) for the International Executive Service Corps (IESC), MK designed/managed activities in 40 of the 48 countries in Sub Saharan Africa. Key among these activities is her work with the development of BizAIDS, a cross sectoral methodology (health/business/legal) designed to mitigate the economic impact of HIV/AIDS on micro/informal businesses, their employees and their communities. She was also instrumental in positioning IESC Geekcorps programs for information technology/knowledge management/business development in the countries of Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Ghana. Her areas of expertise include: economic growth, new business development, innovative program design, responsible program management/oversight, strategic planning, budgeting, poverty alleviation/livelihoods, diaspora, responsible/pro-poor tourism, volunteer services, bilateral/multilateral donor negotiations, public/private partnership development, HIV/AIDS and business.
MK relocated from Africa to North Carolina late 2008 and brings a commitment to a strategic focus for development work based on meaningful public/private partnerships, as well as the integration of socio-economic factors in the overall context of health, governance and education.
Surya Ganguly (Director of Consulting) directs operational strategy and manages NPOKI’s global roster of consulting projects, including special projects like MERIT and SBP. Previously, Surya led the infrastructure consulting practice at NPower NY, including redesigning and teaching the technical curriculum of the award winning workforce development program Technology Service Corps (TSC), and leading the successful integration of TSC graduates into the managed service, infrastructure and database consulting practices. He also spent a year directing information services for a 400-staff Manhattan nonprofit offering housing, support services and HIV counseling to 1600 seniors.
Before moving to New York, Surya worked as Internet Architect at a Canadian financial services firm in Denver, CO; and as CTO of a managed security software startup, as part of the founding team that took it to acquisition in two years. After graduating the dot com world, for three years he worked as an international eRider, consulting for nonprofits, NGOs and the U.S. Government, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Earth Charter Initiative in Costa Rica, the Carnegie Endowment, WCLU in Seattle, Indicorps.org, Anti-Racist Action and the Austin Wireless Alliance; leading technology strategy, training and project management. His focus in three years of authoring and deploying grassroots technology policy, was on appropriating and localizing technology. One example is a store-and-forward wireless mesh network that employed a mule (later upgraded to a Vespa), solar power and inexpensive wireless laptops to enable email communications, remote diagnostics and medical billing at a community health center in rural Costa Rica. During his undergraduate years Surya worked for Microsoft and McKinsey & Company. He attended Whitman College for a B.A. in Mathematics, New York University for a J.D. in public interest law, and holds MCSD, CISSP & PMD-Pro certifications. Surya likes most vehicles on two wheels, has ridden a motorcycle in 26 states and 5 continents, and rides his Triumph to the NPOKI offices in mid-town Manhattan, when the bike’s engine computer will start.
Gregory Cohen (Director of Organization Development) is responsible for outreach to the NGO and donor communities, member relations, administrative and fiscal coordination, and agency operations. He coordinates NPOKI’s many activities with its partners and funders. Greg is based in Brooklyn, NY. Greg is also a Senior Associate with Cause Effective, a nonprofit resource development group and consults in in organizational development, fundraising, nonprofit start-ups and planning. He founded and served as Executive Director of Comprehensive Development, Inc. (CDI), a youth services organization. CDI was his fifth nonprofit start-up. CDI provides supports to 800 students a year, using over 200 volunteers. Manhattan Comprehensive and CDI have been the focus of a front page story in the New York Times and PBS’ NOW With Bill Moyers. Previously, Greg ran the housing development program at the New York Urban Coalition. Greg is a trainer in nonprofit ethics with the Institute for Global Ethics and a Guest Instructor for, “Fundraising For New Nonprofit Ventures” at NYU. He is a Vice Chair of the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of NY and was a participant in Coro’s Leadership NY II.
Rodolfo Melia (Director of Programs) is responsible for the assessment of NPOKI members’ systems, scoping, design and costing out of systems and solutions, as well as identifying trends in technology and new media. Rodolfo’s work includes the design of a global performance management tool (MERIT), supporting ERP selection and implementation, technology assessments (Sierra Club, PSI), and overseeing & advising all NPOKI technology projects.
Rodolfo has been involved in the field of Information Management within nonprofit organizations for over twenty years. While living in Venezuela in the early 90s, he implemented financial, inventory and client management modules for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) across Latin America. He also created an Internet Service Provider for non-profits in Caracas, Venezuela. Working at IPPF, Rodolfo was involved in the upgrade of their financial systems, the re-design of the network across their 5 international offices/250+ users, and led the development, build and deployment of the eIMS system (IPPF’s Integrated Management System). The system allows each individual country to manipulate their work plans, budgets, results and other data, and still serves over 100+ country associations.
More recently (2008-ongoing), Rodolfo has been working with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative on the revamping of their operational systems, including an ERP implementation as well as the roll-out of their internal Sharepoint intranet, and in planning the migration of many of those systems to the Cloud. When not working, Rodolfo is to be found on the beach playing with his two kids, or if windy and not too cold, kite surfing. Rodolfo lives between London and Southern Spain.
Jillaine Smith(Senior Consultant) has over 20 years’ experience in leadership positions in both nonprofits and foundations. She pioneered early use of nonprofit Internet communications while at the Institute for Global Communications (1989-1996); developed and led the Benton Foundation’s program in “Strategic Communication in the Digital Age;” designed and facilitated action learning peer groups and skill-building programs for Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (2006-2009); has written and spoken extensively about trends in nonprofit communications, management and capacity building as well as grantmaking practices that support nonprofit effectiveness.
As an organizational development consultant, Jillaine coaches nonprofit leaders to assess, build and strengthen the organizational readiness to implement their initiatives. Her services include: designing and facilitating strategic retreats, peer learning opportunities and workshops coaching leaders and other individuals through organizational, professional and personal change conducting environmental scans / stakeholder analyses researching, writing and editing trends reports.
In addition to a BA in Communication from UC San Diego, Jillaine holds a certificate from Georgetown University in Organization Development and she completed the Coaches Training Institute. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including Green Media Toolshed, the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, the Institute for Global Communications and iEARN-US: the International Education and Resource Network.
Kari Thorstensen(Senior Consultant) Kari’s passion is helping companies bridge the communication gap between business/marketing and IT. Combining her technical knowledge with her experience in market research, user interface design, and project management, Kari helps her clients develop innovative and effective applications that meet the market’s needs, match with internal business processes, and provide a positive user experience.
Kari’s twelve years of experience come from both sides of the desk: internally as a senior executive of product management for a software start-up, and externally as the director of client strategies for a Web development and design firm. She has helped develop new internet technology products and solutions for some of the world’s leading corporations — including Global Crossing, Microsoft and Frank Russell — resulting in streamlined operations, improved customer relationships, expanded sales opportunities, and their entrance into new markets.
Kari has worked with clients from a broad set of industries including gaming, ecommerce, not-for-profit, technology and telecommunications. Her clients include IAVI, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Global Crossing, IPC, Muzak, Westcom, the Surdna Foundation and AT&T Wireless.
Matt Kershnar (COHORT Project Manager) started his technology career at a healthcare dot com in San Francisco. After moving to New York City, he worked for NPower, a nonprofit whose mission is to help other nonprofits align their technology needs to their mission. As a project manager at NPower, he worked with dozens of nonprofits on projects ranging from project management for web and application development, to network infrastructure renewals. His clients included Community Access, Uncommon Schools, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), Yorkville Common Pantry and Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2006 he started Komodo Systems, which focuses on providing quality IT services to nonprofits in the New York City area. Matt has traveled to various countries in Europe, North Africa, Central America and Asia. In his free time you will find him at the Prospect Park Tennis Center, at a city mini-golf course, or stuffing his face at the great restaurants in New York City.
Stacey McKeever (Project Associate) strategizes proofs of concept for new NPOKI projects and organizes NPOKI’s Current Developments in Global Public Health presentation series. She most recently worked on the Global Pediatrics Team at the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative to increase access to quality care and treatment for HIV affected children worldwide. She has also worked at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in the Patient Centered Care department, where she served as an internal consultant.
Stacey holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and an MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health. Prior to graduate school Stacey served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa, where she helped build her community’s first secondary school.
Larisa Bomlitz(Project Associate) manages NPOKI projects and internal and external communications with our members, partners, clients, and the international health community. She also supports NPOKI’s development strategy. Prior to joining NPOKI, Larisa provided technical assistance to a local health and development organization in south west China. She has worked with international clinical mentoring programs designed to strengthen the knowledge and skills among the local healthcare workforce in developing countries.
Larisa holds an MPH from the Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine from the Hebrew University and an MS in International Affairs from The New School.
