Mentors

Facilitators:


Ken Banks: Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, specialises in the application of mobile technology for positive social and environmental change in the developing world. He combines over 22 years in I.T. with over 14 years experience living and working throughout Africa in countries including Kenya, Nigeria (where he ran a primate sanctuary), South Africa, Mozambique, Cameroon, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. In 1999 he graduated from Sussex University with honours in Social Anthropology with Development Studies

His vision is to empower others to create social change, and he does this by developing and providing tools to mostly grassroots organisations who seek to better use technology in their work. In 2007 he hit headline news on the BBC when his text messaging application - FrontlineSMS - was used to help monitor the Nigerian Presidential elections. Since launch the software has been successfully implemented in over forty countries including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Pakistan.

Ken was recently awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant to continue his work, and was short listed for a mobile industry award for the development of FrontlineSMS. Between 2006 and 2007 he was based at Stanford University as a Visiting Fellow on the Reuters Digital Vision Program. He currently spends his time between Cambridge (UK) and Stanford University in California

Link: www.kiwanja.net
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Joeyta Bose: Joeyta Bose is Program Associate of the Women, Ink./International Women’s Tribune Centre, where she organises media advocacy workshops and publicity for NGO participants, assists in managing all aspects of the Women, Ink program. She coordinated the production of the ‘Ideas for Working for Girls’ CD-ROM and the Women, Ink. catalog, among other promotion strategies. She is also involved in the research and production of a sourcebook about best practices and challenges in implementing SCR 1325.

Joeyta holds a master’s degree in international affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has pursued graduate studies in mass communication at Kansas State University. Prior to her studies, Joeyta worked in Mumbai as staff writer, editor and page designer at the Indian Express, one of India’s largest English language newspapers.

Takiela Bynum: Takiela Bynum is the visionary for the online women’s ministry, HisBeauty4Ashes.org – Strengthening the Purpose of Women Everywhere.
She is also the President of newly launched site, BooksALatte.com – Books, Blogs, and Blessings.

Takiela wrote at her leisure as a tween and has novels and poetry that are pending publication. God had a purpose for her pleasure…to minister.

Takiela has been married for over ten years to Minister Marterrio Bynum. They have three children, and reside in Nebraska.

Link:http://hisbeauty4ashes.org/, http://booksalatte.com/

Jayne Craven: Jayne Craven is an internationally-recognized professional in public and press relations, marketing (from grass roots to international efforts), volunteer management, corporate community relations and online communications for mission-based organizations (not-for-profit organizations [NPOs], non-governmental organizations [NGOs], civil society, and public sector organizations [government departments, schools and related initiatives]). She is well-versed in the effective use of (as well as the realities of using) basic Internet tools by NGOs, such as email, web sites and online discussion groups, as well as advanced tools, such as podcasting, instant messaging, blogs, wikis, video conferencing and recorded online video.

She launched her web site (http://www.coyotecommunications.com) in January 1996, but has been active on the Internet since 1993.

A citizen of the USA and a native of Kentucky, she has lived in Germany since February 2001.

Link: http://blogs.forumer.com/jcravens/, http://www.coyotecommunications.com
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Oghomwen Ehigie: Oghomwen Ehigie is a video and film producer and writer. She wrote for a multicultural magazine in Canada, where she attended film school. Prior to this, she worked as a research project coordinator for a non-profit organisation, where she coordinated a research project on victimization of African women in the Peel Region of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. She also volunteered for a scholarship program at Kingdom Covenant Center in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. During this program, she gave presentations to college bound students on how to write scholarship essays that get noticed.

Victor Gotevbe: Victor Gotevbe works with Vanguard Media Limited (publishers of the Vanguard newspapers: www.vanguardngr.com) as the Personnel Officer. However, he is also a visionary leader, leading a credible network of young Nigerian professionals both in Nigeria and the Diaspora. He also serves as a trainer, facilitator and compere on leadership, democracy, entrepreneurship, personal effectiveness and public relations. He works as a consultant to small and medium scale businesses, NGOs and to individuals in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. He is the principal partner of Conduit Consulting firm.

Victor is moderator of the Nigerian Professionals Organisation (NiPRO) email group and has other experience using ICTs to connect and improve lives.

Victor holds a degree in philosophy and a professional certificate in Public Relations. He is an Associate member of Nigerian Institute of Management.

Link: http://www.victorgotevbe.com

Jill Hart: Jill Hart is a speaker, writer and the creator of CWAHM.com, a website devoted to Christian Work at Home Moms. Jill has been working from home for over 5 years and has a wealth of information to share! Jill is also the host of Christian Work at Home Talk Radio.
Jill has been blogging and podcasting for the last 3 to 4 years.

Link: http://blog.cwahm.com
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Beth Kanter: Beth Kanter is a trainer, blogger, and consultant to nonprofits and individuals in effective use of social media. Her expertise is how to use new web tools (blogging, tagging, wikis, photo sharing, video blogging, screencasting, social networking sites, and virtual worlds, etc) to support nonprofit. She has worked on projects that include: training, curriculum development, research, and evaluation. She is an experienced coach to “digital immigrants” in the personal mastery of these tools.

She is a professional blogger and writes about the use of social media tools in the nonprofit sector for social change.

Link: http://www.bethkanter.org,
http://beth.typepad.com

Meaghan Lamarre: Meaghan Lamarre is a strategist with the firm EchoDitto (www.echoditto.com), located in Washington, D.C. EchoDitto designs and builds vibrant online communities to empower individuals and bring them together around the issues that they care about. This work frequently involves web 2.0 technologies and is geared towards social change organizations. Meaghan does freelance work with small social change organizations (her online portfolio is at www.3things.us/meaghan). Prior to her work at EchoDitto, Meaghan managed online communications at the National Organization for Women.

Link: http://www.3things.us/meaghan

Catherine Michel: Catherine Michel is a communications professional engrossed in the “third sector” and personally devoted to the advancement of women in Africa. She has pioneered her firm’s web 2.0 activities, including the Mission Recognition blog (http://missionrecognition.blogspot.com/) and podcast series, and also maintain two personal blogs that garner readers from around the world.
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Frederick Noronha: Frederick Noronha is an independent journalist based in Saligao, Goa, India. He is active in cyberspace and involved with e-ventures involving Goa, developmental concerns and free software. He writes mostly on free software / open source issues, technology, and computing issues in India. He is co-founder of BytesForAll.

Frederick Noronha received a B.Com. degree from Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Panjim, and M.A. (English Literature) degrees from Goa University and University of Bombay.

Link: http://www.bytesforall.net

Joan Oviawe: Joan Oviawe is a policy and development specialist with over seven years of community development and cross-cultural collaborative experience. She has a strong background in designing and monitoring programs that help facilitate healthy and vibrant communities. In addition, she is a versatile, visionary and creative professional with a strong legislative advocacy background in Community and International development. Her passion and career path focuses on sustainable development and harnessing the innate abilities of the less privileged around the world for positive change. Joan is a fervent believer in collaborative learning and holistic development where indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing are taken into account and validated.

Joan’s work experience spans across multiple continents. She worked as an undergraduate research assistant on a UNESCO sponsored slave route project, and thereafter did her undergraduate research practicum with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada where she researched good governance in countries like Ghana and Malawi. Upon receiving her undergraduate degree, Joan worked for a community development trade association in Boston, USA, where she gained crucial experience in non profit management and she organized the organization’s annual meetings, convention and legislative action days at the Massachusetts State House.

Link: http://www.foundgrace.org/

Shannon Ritter: Shannon Ritter works as the Social Networks Adviser for the online division of a university in the USA and uses Web 2.0 technologies to help build community among the staff and students. Her job allows her the opportunity to explore social networking tools and technologies, like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Second Life - which she loves – to change perspectives and improve lives.

Link: http://shannonatwork.wordpress.com
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Gbenga Sesan: Gbenga Sesan is a social entrepreneur and information society researcher. He is currently Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, where he promotes and supports youth-led social entrepreneurship. His consulting experience includes assignments completed for numerous institutions, including United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Ethiopia), Res Publica (USA), International Telecommunications Union (Switzerland) and Computer Aid International (UK).

Gbenga was the Vice Chair of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s African Technical Advisory Committee; pioneer Program Manager of the Lagos Digital Village (a Lagos State/Microsoft/Junior Achievement of Nigeria project). He was appointed as the youngest member of the Nigerian Presidential Task Force on the Restructuring of the Nigerian Information Technology and Telecommunications sectors in 2006. Mr. Sesan was Nigeria’s first Information Technology Youth Ambassador.

Gbenga has a Bachelors degree in Electronic Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, as well as a Masters degree in ICT Policy and Management from the University of Lagos.

Link: http://www.gbengasesan.com/blog/

Babatope Soremi: Tope Soremi has been an active ICT4D advocate and facilitated social
responsibility initiatives using ICTs since 2002. He was Coordinator, Nigerian Youth ICT4D Network and a volunteer partner with Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) when it first started.
He is a seasoned project and program manager and is involved in the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) attending the second meeting in November, 2007 and participating in drafting youth input and contribution to the global process since 2006.

Amy Ward: Amy Ward works in private philanthropy after spending years in advocacy nonprofit organizations. Her career has included positions as the local organizer for nonprofit technology events for NetSquared (http://netsquared.org) and NTEN (http://nten.org) both of which are organizations working to connect those in the nonprofit sector with technology and the education of those tools that can help them do their work even better.

Her job responsibilities have always been in communications, technology and information. She has also spent time working with two companies doing web design and consulting. Amy studied English and New Media Journalism.

Her passion is in connecting nonprofits with new media technologies, watching the field of ‘nptech’ evolve, and having conversations about where nonprofits can go next while still getting everyone on board with what technologies exist now.

Amy is currently based in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Link: http://amysampleward.org
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Brenda Zulu: Brenda Zulu is a journalist and a blogger on Information Communication Technology (ICT) issues with a bias to gender. She is has won several awards for her reporting, including the Best African Female Journalist in reporting on ICT issues (AISI 2003), the Kalam (2004)award and the Best Journalists in reporting on Orphans and vulnarable Children in relation to HIV/AIDS (2002).

Brenda is a regional editor for the GenderIT.Org web site www.genderit.org and also reports for the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA).

Brenda Zulu is based in Zambia.

Link: http://brendait.blogspot.com

NFS Facilitator Bios

Oluwatoyin Ajao-Dawodu: Oluwatoyin Ajao-Dawodu is a dynamic, proactive individual interested and working towards gender equality and equity through girls/women development in all areas of their daily lives. A passionate womanist, feminist and gender activist. Oluwatoyin has a life long connection with development work which she has since focused on for more than 5 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo Ile-Ife and a diploma in desktop publishing from Iju Computer School. She opted to be a development worker after school instead of going fully into accounting profession. She is currently working towards a master’s degree in gender development and human rights law.

Link: http://genderandme.blogspot.com

Oreoluwa Somolu: Oreoluwa Somolu is Executive Director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC). Prior to this, she was Project Manager of Youth Empowerment & Restoration Initiative, an organisation working to increase local content in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry by raising awareness of Oil and Gas careers among students.

Oreoluwa worked for several years in the United States at an educational non-for-profit organisation on a number of projects, which explored the interplay between gender and technology and which sought to attract more girls and women to study and work in science and technology-related fields.

She has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Essex University, U.K. and a Masters degree in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Her interests are the applications of technology in improving lifelong learning and also to raise the economic and social conditions of people (especially women and children) in the developing world.

Link: http://www.w-teconline.org/blog
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