Yann Borgstedt is a Swiss entrepreneur who manages a range of businesses in real estate development, relocation and storage in England, France and Switzerland. He studied in the USA and then worked for a venture capital fund for 6 years in London. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO) in Geneva and London and is involved in the YPO’s Economic Development Network and Disadvantaged Kids Network.
In 2005, Yann started the Smiling Children Foundation, which focuses on women’s education, training and development in Afghanistan, Palestine, Israel and Morocco. In a further evolution of the work in favour of women’s progress, the WomenChangeMakers’ program launched in 2009 identifies social entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to women’s empowerment. The program was inspired by the Ashoka model, which Yann became familiar with over the past years, notably through his participation to the Ashoka Support Network in Switzerland and France where he mentors two fellows, Abdellah Aboulharjan and Francois Marty.
Yann is also a board member of the Center for New Diplomacy and collaborates with Videre a non-governmental organisation that focuses on documenting human rights violations around the world through cameras.
Kathryn Imboden is presently working as a consultant for FIDES, a Swiss-based microfinance company. She also acts as a policy advisor to the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and sits on the board of administrators of BlueOrchard (Member of the Audit Committee). Mrs. Imboden began working in the field of economic development with organizations such as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Chad, the OECD Development Centre, the Club du Sahel, and the U.S. Treasury Department. From 1986 to 2001, she was responsible for SDC’s economic work (macroeconomics and financial sector).
Mrs. Imboden chaired the Executive Committee of CGAP from 1999 to 2001. She served as a policy change manager for Women’s World Banking (WWB) from 2001 to 2004, overseeing a program of policy analysis; legal, regulatory and supervisory activities; and advocacy work. She then worked with UNCDF from 2004 to 2006 to lead the policy work program for the 2005 International Year of Microcredit. From 2006 to 2007, she led policy initiatives for the Aga Khan Foundation, with a focus on developing an enabling environment for private initiatives in Afghanistan.
Mrs. Imboden holds a B.A. in economics from Mount Holyoke College, USA, and a Diploma from the Institut d’études politiques de Paris, France.
Maximilian Martin advises on, conceives and develops social change and impact investment concepts, platforms, programs, products and services. His work includes creating the first university course on social entrepreneurship in Europe at the University of Geneva and Europe’s first wealth management philanthropic advisory and knowledge exchange platform, UBS Philanthropy Services. In addition to lecturing appointments at the University of Geneva and St. Gallen, engagements include or have included serving as Founding Chief Strategist at IJ Partners, Global Head and Managing Director of UBS Philanthropy Services, Head of Research at the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Senior Consultant with McKinsey & Company, instructor at Harvard’s Economics Department, and Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Martin has authored over one hundred articles on
philanthropy, impact investments, and related topics (http://ssrn.com/author=794432), and is a frequent speaker at international gatherings in the areas of wealth management, philanthropy, and impact investments. He holds advanced degrees in anthropology and economics and a Ph.D. in economic anthropology. In addition to the Smiling Children Foundation, he serves on the Boards or Advisory Boards of Dazzling Oceans (Singapore), FSG Social Impact Advisors (Boston, USA), Haniel Group (Duisburg, Germany); Oasis Fund (Geneva, Switzerland), PeePoople (Stockholm, Sweden), World Sanitation Financing Facility (Geneva, Switzerland), and the World Toilet Organization (Singapore).
Arnaud Mourot is the CEO of Ashoka France, Belgium & Switzerland since 2005. He launched & developed the activities of the association in within these countries, with a focus on the core program of Ashoka: the selection and support of innovative Social Entrepreneurs. 26 Ashoka “Fellows” are now part of the network.
Arnaud graduated from ESCP, an EQUIS and AACSB accredited Business School in Paris, where he majored in “Entrepreneurship and Innovation”.
At the same time, he led a high-level sportsman career, spending 10 years fighting for the French National Wrestling team, and coming 5th during the 1998 World championship.
As a result of his sports career, Arnaud created Sport Sans Frontières (Sport Without Borders) in 1999, of which he is President today. This NGO uses sport as a means for education and psychological reconstruction in post-conflict countries and troubled neighbourhoods.
After working for over 18 years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a field-based Delegate and as the main Spokesperson, Antonella entered the microfinance sector as Director of Corporate Communication at BlueOrchard in Geneva from early 2008 until November 2009. As of January 2010, she is heading The Smiling Children Foundation and the WomenChangeMakers program. Antonella also sits on the board of directors of "Geneve roule” and "Giving Women”.
She holds a MSc in Media &Communication from the LSE and a licence ès letters from the University of Geneva.
Valentina has four years experience in community-based online media and non-for-profit organizations dealing with integration of immigrants and women’s empowerment. She was press officer for Africa e Mediterraneo an association based in Bologna and a radio producer and presenter for Asteriscoradio.com. She edited articles for several online magazines in Italy and in UK.
She holds a MA in Media and Communication from the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna and a MAS in the management of International and not-for-profit organization (IOMBA) from the University of Geneva.
Aurelia was born and grew up in France. She started her career in 2007 as a researcher in Sociology and as a freelance consultant for the Geneva Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. In September 2007, Aurelia joined the Smiling Children Foundation as an administrative, communication and event representative. Aurelia is also assisting the WomenChangeMakers & Smiling Children programs.
She holds a Master of Science in Sociology of Arts and Culture and a Bachelor in Sociology.
Agustina worked previously in the Philanthropy Services department for UBS in Switzerland. Prior to UBS, Agustina worked at the New York City Hall for Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a Research Assistant. Agustina was also involved in the social sector in Argentina. She worked for three years at Ashoka Innovators for the Public in the Search and Selection Program for the Southern Cone. In 2007, Agustina won the Chevening Scholarship issued by the British Council to pursue a masters in Social Policy and Development at the London School of Economics.
She has a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from New York University.
Candace ("Cindy") Lessa has been working the citizen sector in Brazil for the last twenty years. She was one of the founding directors for Ashoka Brazil and Uruguay and the founding representative for Synergos Brazil. She has worked with many non-profit start ups in Brazil and has helped businesses implement their social responsibility programs. She is a consultant and works out of her Rio de Janeiro office. She is on the board of several organizations and spends 30% of her time doing probono work.
Devashri Mukherjee, "Tinnie", brings with her over two decades work experience in the Indian citizen sector, having been involved in varied initiatives at an education resource center, a leading Indian funding agency, and one of the first education portals of India. In her last professional experience with Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, she headed the selection program in India that brought social entrepreneurs into the Ashoka fellowship. Devashri holds a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University , Kolkata and is based in Mumbai , India.
