SAMEEN AHMED

Sameen is from Pakistan and comes to MDP with a degree in Social Sciences & Liberal Arts from the Institute of Business Administration, and an interest in inclusive social impact. Sameen's professional experience spans various social entreprise projects, aimed to foster entrepreneurial and financial skills among vulnerable groups. Her first job with a US Embassy-sponsored "Women Building Peace" project led to a national conference with 200 women leaders, also supporting networking and capacity building. Sameen then worked as Incubator Coordinator for a GIZ-funded initiative directed to Afghan Refugee women in Karachi. Most recently, Sameen managed an inclusive education program for individuals with special needs. Alongside her studies and work, Sameen has also done writing and research consulting work for various agencies. While in MDP, Sameen looks forward to expanding her knowledge, skills, and network and to learn from the diverse experiences of her peers and instructors.

MARIANA CUBILLOS

Mariana was born in Bogota, Colombia, and raised in Denver, Colorado. She attended Loyola University with a highly competititve scholarship from the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, obtaing a dual bachelor’s degree in Economics and Global & International Affairs. While in college, she also spent a semester studying in France, becoming fully proficient in French in addition to her native Spanish. Mariana then joined the Peace Corps, serving as a Micro-Business Volunteer in Panama, where she supported a group of Indigenous artisan women through trainings in finance literacy and market analysis. With the onset of the pandemic, Mariana was evacuated back to the US and began working with the UK’s Government Department for Business and Trade (DBT). For the past four years, Mariana was the East Coast Financial Technology (Fintech) Lead for DBT, supporting US financial technology companies investing in the UK as well as UK companies expanding into the US market. In her free time, Mariana loves spending time outdoors with her friends and her dogs.

IRENE ABENA DARKWAAH

Abena grew up in six regions in Ghana due to her parents’ work as clergy in the Presbyterian Church. Through these experiences, Abena became interested in working with young girls to prevent teen pregnancy, and this commitment continues in her current passion for women and youth empowerment. Abena worked on agricultural projects in Johannesburg suburbs and with women economic empowerment projects with CARE Ghana, serving as Zonal Project Coordinator for the Mars Wrigley Women for Change project. In that role she coordinated capacity building activities for women cocoa farmers in three regions of the country on topics ranging from entrepreneurial and financial skills to nutrition, functional literacy, and gender justice. Abena received her undergraduate degree from West Virginia University in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and worked in this field for a few years before discovering her current passion for community development and gender empowerment. She is an avid reader, a budding starboard rower, and a beginner pianist who hopes to play for an audience in the future.

 SANDRA EYRAM KOTOKA

Sandra is from Ghana, where she earned a BA in Psychology and Adult Education from the University of Ghana, Legon, where she also served as a Teaching Assistant. She has since worked in mental health and education through internships at the Psychiatric Unit of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and volunteer work at New Beginning Special Education Centre in Accra, Ghana. She then moved to the US, working as direct care professional and other supporting roles for agencies addressing the needs of people with disability mental and behavioral health issues, and children with special needs. Through her MDP studies Sandra aims to gain theoretical insights and programmatic skills to lead equitable and inclusive development initiatives.

 MELEANITEMA 'TEMA' SAPOI-FINAU

Tema began her higher education with an Associate Degree in Communication from Long Beach City College (LBCC), and then transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where she majored in Anthropology. While in college she spend four months at the Charles III University of Madrid in Spain, where she was able to attend The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference. After graduating she joined the Global Mission Fellow Program, serving as a Youth and Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Metropolitan Ministries (MetroMin) in Tampa, FL, a nonprofit that works with unhoused women and families. This two-year experience provided her with invaluable insights into social services and community support. 

 PATRICK SENYO TAKPAH

Patrick is a proud alum of the University of Ghana, the premier university in the country and one of the best in Africa, where he obtained a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Over the past seven years, Patrick has served in various human resource management for large private sector enterprises, focusing particularly corporate social responsibility. As a volunteer with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana, he contributed to peer education initiatives on sexual reproductive health and rights. Patrick's decision to join the MDP stems from a desire to enhance his skills in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, Program Management, and Monitoring and Evaluation.