Meet The Team

SUWHA HONG

SUWHA HONG

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Suwha Hong joins Indego Africa with 17 years of experience in fashion, consumer and retail industry where has held leadership roles in both entrepreneurial start-ups as well as in established companies. Suwha was drawn to Indego Africa for its mission to support the most vulnerable artisans and was also inspired by the beauty of crafts produced. Suwha holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and a B.A. from Middlebury College.
MODESTE NGABONZIZA

MODESTE NGABONZIZA

COUNTRY DIRECTOR RWANDA
Modeste joined Indego Africa in June 2013 as the Kinyarwanda trainer for Ejo Hazaza cooperative. In February 2015, Modeste assumed the role of Education Associate, serving as a Teaching Manager at the Leadership Academy and the Head Teacher for all of Indego Africa's basic training programs. Prior to joining Indego, he worked for UAP Insurance Rwanda Ltd as a Marketing Executive for the Direct Sales Unit. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Kigali Independent University.
LOUISA ADU

LOUISA ADU

COUNTRY DIRECTOR GHANA
Louisa Adu graduated in 2011 from University in Tamale, Ghana and in received a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Tampere in Finland. A women’s empowerment and health care advocate, Louisa has worked as a trainer for socioeconomically marginalized women in Ghana’s northern region, teaching soap-making, sewing, and entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, she has held roles as a Junior Nutrition Officer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and as a Field Officer for Development Studies in a rural Ghanaian community.​
DENISE MARONEY

DENISE MARONEY

DIRECTOR OF DESIGN & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Denise Maroney joins Indego Africa as the Director of Design and Development with over 15 years of experience working cross culturally in arts and design. She has worked directly with weavers and embroiderers in Guatemala, Lebanon and New York, bringing to market rugs, furniture, textiles , and knitwear. Maroney teaches at FIT and holds an MFA in textile design from RISD.
SARA WOHLERS

SARA WOHLERS

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Sara comes to Indego Africa with nearly 15 years of media and marketing experience. During her tenure at top New York agencies, she worked with a range of organizations from Fortune 100 companies to scrappy start-ups, touching everything from brand strategy and communications planning to media buying with a specialty in digital platforms. Sara discovered a love for artisan-made products and the stories behind them on a trip to Peru in 2012. Introduced to Indego Africa through a friend living in Rwanda, she was drawn to its mission of female empowerment and the preservation of traditional techniques. Joining the New York Regional Volunteer Board in 2016, Sara was an active member and leader of the group until joining Indego Africa full time in 2023.
CHANTAL MUSABIMANA

CHANTAL MUSABIMANA

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Chantal Musabimana joined Indego Africa in July 2015 as its new Production Manager. Previously, she worked for two years as the president of Ibyishimo Cooperative, one of Indego's partner co-ops, and also served as the Business Development Officer at Inkomoko Business Development. She holds a BSc. in Business Information Technology from the National University of Rwanda.
GODWIN MUSONERA

GODWIN MUSONERA

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
Godwin joined Indego Africa in January 2016 as a trainer for the Basic Business Training program at AJ Cooperative before working as a Finance Intern at Indego Africa’s Kigali office. Today, Godwin oversees the organization's financial and administrative operations in Rwanda. Prior to joining Indego Africa, Godwin worked with FAO, Laterite, Sanejo, and Kepler. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Statistics.
NICOLE HUERTAS

NICOLE HUERTAS

WHOLESALE ACCOUNT MANAGER
Nicole joined Indego Africa in July 2023 as Wholesale Account Manager. She is passionate about supporting and empowering women, values ethically and sustainably created products, and understands the importance of preserving traditional crafts. With nearly a decade of experience in client relations and consumer products, Nicole is excited to bring her industry knowledge to the role. She holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Florida.
SOLOMON TANDOH

SOLOMON TANDOH

COUNTRY ASSOCIATE
Solomon studied at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. Before joining Indego Africa, he worked with the Forest Services Division in Sunyani as a Field Personnel. Solomon also served as a Delivery Officer at Vodafone Ghana for two years. In March 2016, Solomon joined Indego as a Production Intern in Kumasi and was quickly promoted to Country Associate in which he assists with all production and education projects in Ghana.
EMELIENNE NYIRAMANA

EMELIENNE NYIRAMANA

PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE
Emelienne is one of Indego Africa’s first artisan partners, the founder of Cocoki Cooperative, and a former Education Associate at our Leadership Academy in Kigali. She is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative, a Peace Through Business business plan competition winner, and an influential mentor and leader in communities across Rwanda.
YVES NSHIMIYIMANA

YVES NSHIMIYIMANA

EDUCATION ASSOCIATE
Yves joined Indego Africa in 2013 as a teaching intern for Ejo Hazaza Cooperative before finding employment with Cogebank. He rejoined Indego in 2015 as a full-time Education Associate, providing business instruction and guidance to our artisan partners and students across Rwanda. Yves holds a Bachelors Degree in Business and Economic Studies with a specialization in Accounting from Kigali Independent University. He also holds a secondary school certificate in trade and accounting.
GIFTY ANYOKA

GIFTY ANYOKA

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Gifty is based in the north of Ghana and works closely with our team in Kumasi, following production orders and conducting quality control with the artisans collectives in Bongo and Bolgatanga. Gifty comes from Kassena - Nankana District with Navrongo as its capital. She attended the University of Cape Coast (Distance Learning) and graduated in 2019. She holds a Diploma in Basic Education. Gifty is interested in teaching and does farming at times to support her family.
LEXI CASTELLANO

LEXI CASTELLANO

FULFILLMENT AND OFFICE MANAGER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MATTHEW MITROCHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER

Matt Mitro is currently the global head of campus recruiting at Citadel which he joined in August 2020. In this role he takes responsibility for driving the firm’s strategy to find, engage and recruit exceptional student talent globally. Matt served in a similar role at JPMorgan Chase from 2017-2020 where he led innovations related to diversity recruiting and the use of neuroscience assessments. From 2011 to 2017, Matt led a variety of university recruiting and programmatic efforts at Google that focused on technical and non-technical students throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. During his time at Google, Matt also oversaw the software engineering intern program and Google’s signature partnerships with HBCUs. Matt’s career also included time spent as a social entrepreneur and attorney. In 2006, Matt founded Indego Africa. Matt began his professional career as a practicing attorney in Washington, DC where he advised on infrastructure projects in developing countries. Matt graduated with a law degree from American University and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Washington University in St. Louis.

LINDSAY ABRAMS

Lindsay Abrams is an experienced sales and merchandising professional with a background in the fashion industry and nonprofit sector. She currently leads sales and outreach for the Little Market, a nonprofit fair trade shop featuring ethically sourced, artisan-made products. Lindsay also serves as Executive Director of the Bruce C. Abrams Foundation which is dedicated to supporting mental health research and development worldwide. She holds a Master of Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business as well as a BA in Human and Organizational Development and English from Vanderbilt University.

CHRISTOPHER BIROSAKVICE CHAIRMAN

Chris Birosak has over 30 years of Investment Banking, Leveraged Finance, and Private Equity investment experience. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of Indego Africa's Board of Directors (August 2017-present) and a Senior Advisor and Investment Committee member of Star Mountain Capital, an investment firm focused on growth capital investments in small and medium sized US businesses. His career includes former work as Managing Partner of North Cove Partners and as Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity where he served on the investment committee and was responsible for investments in the Health Care and Energy sectors. Across his career, Chris has worked with early-stage businesses, middle-market companies as well as Fortune 500 companies having completed over 150 transactions. In addition to his corporate board experience, Chris has extensive experience in the non-profit sector and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York and the Board of the Student Partner Alliance, an organization enabling inner-city youth to attend parochial schools. As a long time resident of Summit, NJ, Chris formerly served on the Board of the Summit Area YMCA and was a former President and Board member of the Summit Educational Foundation. Chris graduated from Wayne State University with a BA in economics and from the University of Detroit Mercy with an MBA in finance.

DANA COPPOLINO

Dana has spent over 20 years working in the fashion industry, focusing on design, product development, and brand building. She began her career designing at Ralph Lauren before launching her own golf and resort clothing brand. Subsequently, she collaborated with Greg Norman on the relaunch of his clothing brand, and worked with UNTUCKit in the areas of design, production, and marketing, contributing to the company's growth. Most recently, she served as the Design Director at Definite Articles, a sustainable performance wear line that she helped launch. Dana holds a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Lorenzo de’ Medici, as well as a B.S. in Marketing from Fairfield University. 

CONOR B. FRENCH

Conor is in his second invigorating decade of being a business lawyer, social entrepreneur, and policy wonk. He currently serves as General Counsel at Zipline International, the world’s first commercial drone delivery system to operate at a national scale in both Rwanda and Ghana. Conor previously led legal, regulatory, and government affairs as GC of Funding Circle, the world’s leading lending platform focused exclusively on small business. Conor also spent four years helping to build and scale Indego Africa, where he served in various roles as CFO, COO, and eventually CEO. He began his career as a corporate finance attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP. Active in the policy community, Conor is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, Truman Security Fellow, and has helped found the Marketplace Lending Association (a trade association supporting responsible financial innovation), the Responsible Business Lending Coalition (which authored the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights), and the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise (a global initiative supporting the artisan sector). He currently serves on the alumni board of NYU Law and the financial institutions committee of the CA bar, and was recently recognized as 2017 Bay Area Corporate Counsel of the Year. Conor received his JD from NYU Law and his BA from Georgetown. He is admitted to the CA, DC, MA and NY bars.

HELEN GUGEL

Helen Gugel is a partner in the litigation & enforcement practice at Ropes & Gray LLP. Her work involves representing companies, investment advisers, executives, and boards of directors in both civil and criminal proceedings and investigations. Beyond her regulatory work, Helen conducts internal and independent investigations into allegations of serious wrongdoing, including unlawful or unethical business practices, workplace harassment and other misconduct. She maintains a robust pro bono practice focused on criminal defense and criminal justice reform. Helen previously served as a Special Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, New York and clerked for the Honorable Shira A. Scheindlin in the Southern District of New York. She has also worked with several nonprofits in India, Nepal, and Rwanda focused on empowering women, including as a Legal Fellow at Indego Africa. Helen holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

ALEX KENNEDY

Alex Kennedy is a vice president in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. She currently serves as the secretary to the Goldman Sachs Firmwide Commitments Committee, the committee which approves and oversees underwriting and distribution activities with respect to equity and equity-related products, and sets and maintains policies and procedures designed to ensure that legal, reputational, regulatory and business standards are maintained on a global basis. Previously, she worked in the Compliance and Legal Divisions of Goldman Sachs. From August 2010 to June 2011, Alex worked in Rwanda as in-country coordinator for Indego Africa. Alex graduated from Smith College with a BA in African Studies, The University of London with a MA in African Studies and holds a JD from The Ohio State University.

SIERRA VISHER KROHA

Sierra Visher Kroha, a leader in the San Diego nonprofit community, is the current Chief Executive Officer of San Diego Social Venture Partners, a nonprofit that provides pro-bono consulting to local organizations to strengthen their impact. She has experience in international development having held a range of leadership roles in microfinance organizations, refugee services and business development programs in Latin America and East Africa where, notably, she helped to start, scale and manage a national public health program in Kenya with Innovation for Poverty Action that dewormed 5.9 million children annually. She has previously chaired the board of the Karen Organization of San Diego supporting Burmese refugees in San Diego, and currently serves on the board of the Point Loma Association. She was recently recognized as a finalist for San Diego Business Journal's Top 40 Business Leaders under 40. Sierra holds a BA from UCSD and an MPA from New York University where, during her studies, she first fell in love with Indego Africa while working an intern.

JUSTINE LEE

Justine is an early stage venture capital investor, focused on climate and technology, and a Senior Advisor at Hines Global Ventures and at 25madison, a NY-based venture studio. From 2019-2022, Justine served as a managing partner and Chief Operating Officer of 25madison. Prior to 2019, Justine held executive leadership positions at Lyft (micromobility) and at Citibike, the country's largest bikeshare operator. She began her career as a mergers & acquisitions lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell. She is a board member and advisor to a number of venture-backed portfolio companies, and serves on the board of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Justine holds a B.A. from Yale University, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

RYAN LESTER

Ryan is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, where he currently serves as the Americas Head of the Regulatory Practice Group - Securities team. Based out of New York, Texas, and Utah, Ryan's team manages the firm's interactions with its non-prudential regulators, such as regulatory exams and inquiries. Before joining Goldman, Ryan practiced law with the Litigation Department of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in New York. Prior to joining Orrick, Ryan worked with several international governmental organizations devoted to international lawmaking, governance and enforcement, including the United Nations Liaison Office of CARE International in New York, the Center for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in New Delhi, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. Ryan holds a B.A. from Vassar College, an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

ELIZABETH LYNCH

Elizabeth Lynch is Global Head of Event Marketing for the Global Corporate Banking business at JPMorganChase. She has worked for over 20 years in mission-driven organizations, with a focus on empowering women and generating wealth for low-income households. She served as Head of Executive Coaching and Mentoring for Creative Metier, focused on leadership development and coaching for senior leaders in the East African financial sector. Prior to that, she held a variety of roles at Women's World Banking (WWB), one the largest global microfinance networks, most recently as the Head of the Center for Microfinance Leadership, where she was responsible for WWB’s global work in leadership development. Elizabeth holds an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in History from Haverford College. She lives in New York with her husband and two daughters.

PUNEET MANSHARAMANI

Puneet Mansharamani has more than 15 years of investment experience. He has served as a Partner and Portfolio Manager at LSV Asset Management since 2006 and a Quantitative Analyst since 2000. As part of the quantitative and implementation team, Puneet is responsible for the day-to-day data management, portfolio implementation and ongoing enhancement of LSV's models and systems. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from Delhi University, Delhi College of Engineering and an M.S. degree in Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, Case School of Engineering.

JOE OWENS

Joe comes to Indego Africa after over 30 years at American Express where he held leadership positions in finance, business transformation and reengineering, and revenue development. Most recently, he was Vice President, Strategic Transformation for American Express Global Business Travel, one of the largest corporate travel management companies worldwide. Prior to that, Joe was CFO of Global Business Travel. He has held cross product line CFO positions in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. During his career with American Express, he has lived in Bangkok, Rome, London, Frankfurt and Miami, as well as his base in New York. Joe holds an MBA in finance and accounting from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, and a BS in Economics from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Joe is a member of the Advisory Board of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and the Board of Advisors for the School of Economics at Georgia Tech.

DANIEL SACKS

Daniel Sacks is a philanthropic advisor and consultant based in Washington DC, where he met his wife, Vanessa, while planning an Indego Africa fundraiser. They now have two elementary school-aged daughters, Georgia and Emma. Dan has spent 15+ years working in nonprofits on topics ranging from agriculture in Africa, to criminal justice reform, to mental health and wellness. Dan grew up in North Vancouver, Canada and graduated from McGill University in Montreal studying political science, economics and psychology and playing rugby. He rides his bike for exercise and mental clarity.

DOMINIQUE SCHULTE

Dominique Schulte is an advisor to Janel Corporation, a publicly traded holding company. She served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair of Janel Corporation from 2018-2022. She began her career as a securities and capital markets attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Dominique serves as a trustee of Grace Church School. She also serves on the board of The GO Project and Banner Lake Club. Dominique holds a B.A. from the University of Kansas, and J.D. from Columbia Law School.

SELOM TETTEH

Selom is a Vice President in the Technology Division at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He has extensive experience in management consulting having served clients for Ernst & Young LLP, Capgemini and Deloitte Consulting LLP. His industry experience spans across Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Energy and Consumer Business advising and executing on Transformation and Integration initiatives. A native of Ghana, Selom has always had a keen interest in giving back to his country and the continent as a whole and brings a unique perspective to programs and strategy. Selom obtained a BSc. in Computer and Electrical Engineering, an MSc. in Electrical Engineering from the Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science and an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

KAREN YELICKEMERITUS CEO

Karen Yelick joined Indego in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer after a 24-year career in Investment Banking at Merrill Lynch. Karen was drawn to Indego Africa for its mission, which intersected with her passion for education and financial independence for women. Karen was promoted to CEO on January 1, 2014, leading the organization for the next 10 years. Karen was instrumental in building a local team on the ground in Rwanda and leading Indego's expansion to Ghana. Major programs developed and launched during her tenure include Indego Africa's Leadership Academy, Vocational and Business Training for artisans and unemployed youth, Economic Inclusion for Refugees and Indego Africa's Artisan Small Business Incubator. Karen received an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia and her B.A. from the University of Michigan.

EMERITUS ADVISORY BOARD

Ambassador Michael R. Arietti

Kathleen Cronen

Katharine Crost

Arthur and Margaret Grandy

Thomas Mitro

Benjamin Stone

BRAND ADVISORY BOARD

Melissa Sexton

Isabel Buntain

Ellen Press

Steph Stephenson

Terri Wolfe

Katherine Kozack DuBois