Meet the team on a mission

Entrepreneurs are our heroes, and supporting them in their journeys is what makes us love our work. Together, we work crazy hard, have too much fun, collaborate constantly, and probably have way too many inside jokes.

Venture Director

Christina Welcome

Sr. Venture Director
Nitida Wongthipkongka

Venture Director

Matt Alexander

Matt ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Matt has over 15 years of experience building innovative social ventures in the Americas. Most recently, he was CEO and co-founder of Suyo, a Rippleworks-supported startup that unlocks the value of low-income family homes with land titling and property formalization technology. Previously, he was CEO and co-founder of Amsa, a Colombian venture studio that builds companies led by survivors of armed conflict and extreme poverty. Matt is also the co-founder of a platform for sharing best practices in natural resource management (Red Tierras) and a coffee shop in the historical district of Bogotá (Café Unión).

On my bucket list: Living on a boat

Go-to karaoke song: La Tierra del Olvido by Carlos Vives

My simple pleasures: Hearing my daughter laugh uncontrollably, salsa dancing in the street, reading during storms and backpacking without a trail

Managing Director, Leaders Studio

Lindsay Blodgett

Lindsay leads Rippleworks Leaders Studio, which helps teams at the world’s most impactful social ventures learn and use new, critical entrepreneurial skills.

Prior to Rippleworks, Lindsay managed the first launch of Clarify Health’s patient care management software. She also worked as a management consultant at The Parthenon Group, working across Private Equity, Industrials, and Education.

On my bucket list: Hike Sapa, Vietnam. Stand, dirty sneakers, out of breath, and soak in the spectacular views

What I wanted to be when I grew up: An artist

My simple pleasures: The first sip of a cappuccino, hot sand between my toes, shavasana

Talent Partner

Nate Brewer

Nate works to identify and place leading senior executives into Rippleworks initiatives to cultivate high-impact projects and partnerships.

Prior to Rippleworks, Nate worked on the Executive Recruiting Team at Google where he primarily focused on senior roles in the Human Resources organization. Before Google, Nate worked for executive search firm Isaacson, Miller, which primarily served Universities and other non-profit organizations. Ahead of moving into executive search, Nate worked as a Site Manager for the early literacy non-profit Jumpstart.

A random fact that I love: Each pineapple takes around 1.5-3 years to grow.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A Computer Person.

My simple pleasures: Camping, swimming and reading in the sun.

Managing Director, Operations & Strategic Planning

Sarah Burch

Sarah leads the Operations & Strategic Planning team that ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented operations and strategic guidance.

Before Rippleworks, Sarah helped launch Development Innovation Ventures (DIV). At DIV, She led the due diligence and closing of 20+ deals, aggregating $22 million in 10+ countries.

My best Halloween costume: Being a little pumpkin when I was 3 years old. I peaked early.

On my bucket list: Seeing the Northern Lights!

My simple pleasures: Coffee and popsicles. Ideally consumed separately.

Controller

John Carroll

John manages financial and accounting operations at Rippleworks.

Prior to Rippleworks, John was an accounting manager at Axiom Global where he was a key contributor to the company’s ERP implementation. He also previously worked as a financial manager at Dolby Laboratories and RHC Media.

My best Halloween costume: Dr. Evil

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A pro baseball player

My simple pleasures: Walking my dogs, cross-fit, and pairing port wine with blue cheese

Venture Growth Manager

Daisy Chang

As a Venture Growth Manager, Daisy ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Daisy considers herself the ultimate generalist and has previously supported startups, social enterprises, and USAID programs in a multitude of sectors, including peace and governance, tech, agriculture, health, sanitation, and education.

My best Halloween costume: A bagel

On my bucket list: A coast to coast US road trip. Maybe on a bicycle.

My simple pleasures: Late summer watermelon; evening walks with my family; my daughter’s laughter; laughing at (and occasionally with) my husband.

Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications

Matt Di Paola

As Head of Marketing, Matt brings a breadth of global experience in brand & digital transformation, business strategy, storytelling and change management to the team at Rippleworks. Before officially joining Rippleworks, Matt was an executive advisor to their ventures, including YLabs, Forest Carbon and the World Resources Institute, as well as a mentor, investor and executive coach to several start-ups in the culture and technology sectors. Matt has also held leadership positions at some of the world’s top creative agencies, working across multiple countries and industry verticals, while always being an advocate for purpose, sustainable innovation and values-led thinking.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Foreign correspondent

Go-to karaoke song: “All My Life” by Foo Fighters (as performed with my brother-in-law)

My simple pleasures: Dark chocolate, meditation, music and dogs

Talent Partner

Kyle Edquist

Kyle works to identify and place leading senior executives into Rippleworks initiatives to cultivate high-impact projects and partnerships.

Prior to Rippleworks, Kyle was an executive recruiter (specialized in People Operations and Talent Acquisition) partnering with leadership teams at early-stage startups. In his first career, Kyle was a mental health counselor supporting those who sought help at places like county agencies, non-profits, a crisis hotline, and educational institutions.

A random fact that I love: Following the escape of being chased, an impala will shake its entire body to release cortisol and re-establish homeostasis. A friendly reminder for all of us to wiggle more.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A trashman. I would “borrow” my Dad’s soda and share them with our trash person. This ultimately led to a connection where I controlled the truck mechanism (dream come true). Today, I still believe ‘trash’ is a shared responsibility.

My simple pleasures: Water. Looking at it, diving into it, swimming in it, soaring through it, drinking it. I love water and it makes ripples too!

co-Founder & CEO

Doug Galen

In addition to Rippleworks, Doug is a Lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and serves on the board of Heifer International.

Prior to Rippleworks, Doug built innovative and disruptive digital consumer startups including Shutterfly (SVP Business and Corporate Development), Shopkick (Chief Revenue Officer), eBay (VP and GM of New Ventures), and E-LOAN (part of founding team and VP Business Development).

On my bucket list: Bike the Alpe d’huez and Mont Ventoux in France

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A football player for the San Francisco 49ers. If you saw how skinny I am you would know how absurd that was.

My simple pleasures: Mocha, mint chip, chocolate swirl ice creams – ok, any ice cream

Venture Growth Director

Lauren Grimanis

Lauren ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Lauren founded The Akaa Project, an organization focused on improving education in rural Ghana, and also worked as an independent consultant to support social entrepreneurs in the US and internationally.

On my bucket list: Getting serious air on a mountain bike

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A lawyer – I would get my older sister in trouble then work to get her out of it

My simple pleasures: Grass on my bare feet, eating with my hands, hand-whipped whipped cream

Venture Manager

Leah Hazard

Prior to Rippleworks, Leah helped build Stanford Impact Labs at Stanford University, connecting research in the social sciences with people working on the front lines of solving social problems. Before that, Leah spent seven years in East Africa, first working as a Global Health Corps Fellow in Burundi for Population Services International, and then as the Deputy Country Director for One Acre Fund Rwanda. During her time at One Acre Fund, she managed a team that grew the customer base by over 5x, serving almost 300,000 farm families across Rwanda.

My Best Halloween Costume: It’s a toss up between the year I dressed as a bottle of the infamous Ugandan Waragi gin (truly very scary), and the year I went as my favorite Indiana Jones heroine, Marion Ravenwood.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: There were a solid few years where I wanted to be a nun (thank you Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music). This was followed by wanting to be the first female President of the United States. (While I’m sad we haven’t had a female president yet, I’m also relieved that it’s not my job!)

My simple pleasures: I truly love long chats with taxi drivers – preferably when we’re both speaking a second language.

On my bucket list: I’ve dabbled in learning French for a while! I’m working on getting to the point of confidently speaking conversational French.

Head of People & Culture

Brooke Rufo-Hill

Brooke leads the charge of making Rippleworks a best-in-career place to work and ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team. Brooke has 20 years of experience across diverse sectors in venture capital, technology, higher education, and public service.

Prior to Rippleworks, she served in roles such as Head of Employee Experience, Global Director of Talent Management and Learning, and Strategic Partner for Performance Management. She began her career volunteering in the Peace Corps with her husband in the Dominican Republic, partnering with local teachers to integrate environmental education into all levels of public schools.

My Simple Pleasures: Road-tripping / adventuring with my family, Saturday morning runs, and watching my daughters compete on any sports field

A random fact that I love: Eggplant is a fruit

Go-to karaoke song: Love Shack!

Leaders Studio Associate

Jessie Huang

Jessie helps scale Leader Studio programs that aim to empower leaders of social ventures to gain critical skills and unlock their impact potential.

Prior to Rippleworks, Jessie worked in the startup and innovation space as a community builder and created two startups: Impact Circles (resource bridging for social entrepreneurs) and Necessiti (STEM training for underserved youth). Impact Circles has spanned across Asia and US, serving 2,000+ social entrepreneurs through meetups, mentorship programs, and online peer groups. Jessie graduated from UC Berkeley with a Master’s Degree in Development Practice, and she’s passionate about supporting grassroots social innovators to create their solutions and narratives.

On my bucket list: travel travel travel, learning guitar, getting back to a dance studio

Go-to karaoke song: My heart will go on

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A stand-up comedian or a pirate of the Caribbean

My simple pleasures: Hot spring, boba tea, beach and sunshine

Venture Systems & Data Associate

Tiana Jack

Tiana works to support the Operations & Strategic Planning team as they help the world’s most impactful social ventures scale.

Prior to Rippleworks, Tiana was an Account Executive at George P. Johnson where she assisted in the planning of Dreamforce and other events for Salesforce. Previously she was an Executive Assistant at Oracle supporting senior executives in the finance organization.

On my bucket list: Explore a remote island, try not to end up on Lost

A random fact that I love: Swedish Fish are the exact same candy as Sour Patch Kids, minus the sour sugar coating

My simple pleasures: Making people laugh, essential oils, being near oceans and lakes

Senior Director, Capital

Sara Johnson

Sara works to identify and evaluate grants and investments to support high-growth social ventures.

Prior to Rippleworks, Sara led operations at a Zambian agriculture startup, managed Mulago Foundation’s Rainer Arnhold Fellows Program, and was Village Capital’s first full-time employee.

On my bucket list: Cape Town to Cairo by Land Rover

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Marine biologist…then I discovered I was scared of sharks

My simple pleasures: Stargazing through an open-top tent

Venture Growth Manager

Jeanne Kadouno

As a Venture Growth Manager, Jeanne ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Jeanne worked in Global Health supporting sexual reproductive health and maternal health programs in francophone Africa. She spends time volunteering and supporting Women’s rights organizations in the U.S. and in Cote d’Ivoire.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A cardiologist

On my bucket list: To see the Northern lights

My simple pleasures:A boba Thai ice tea, the beach, and most importantly sleeping

Managing Director, Projects

Tim Kunihiro

Tim oversees the growth of the Rippleworks portfolio to help more social ventures and engage more Experts.

Prior to Rippleworks, Tim served as CEO for a SaaS startup incubated out of Barcelona, Spain, and held key leadership positions at TaskRabbit and eBay across operations, international expansion, business development and product.

My best Halloween costume: Borrowing Jay’s Left Shark costume for my daughter’s halloween soccer tournament. Or being Gene Simmons from Kiss.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A professional soccer player

My simple pleasures: A midday coffee or midday nap. Or both!!

co-Founder

Chris Larsen

Chris Larsen is the co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple, creators of an open-source distributed payment protocol, and was formerly CEO.

Chris also co-founded and served as CEO of Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, and E-LOAN, a publicly traded online lender. During his tenure at E-LOAN, he pioneered the open access to credit scores movement by making E-LOAN the first company to show consumers their FICO scores.

Venture Growth Manager

Meagan Le Boudewyn

As Venture Growth Manager, Meagan ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Meagan managed office operations at Mulago Foundation, interned at Kiva in community relations, and led international programs with the Foundation for Sustainable Development in India.

My best Halloween costume: Barney when I was 4 years old. I have the photo for proof

A random fact that I love: Did you know that dishes won’t wash themselves?

My simple pleasures: Sending & receiving postcards in the mail

Leaders Studio Director

Melissa de Leon

Melissa shapes practical learning experiences that help leaders and teams grow their skills and achieve their individual and organization goals.

Prior to Rippleworks, Melissa managed employee engagement at Cruise during company hypergrowth. She has spent the majority of her career in the social impact space, supporting program and event management at organizations such as the Red Tab Foundation at Levi Strauss & Co. and BUILD.

My best Halloween costume: Mrs. Pacman built it out of cardboard boxes in an afternoon

On my bucket list: A never-ending list of travel destinations but I’m up for the challenge!

My simple pleasures: Ice cream sandwiches, morning coffee, and cooking a new recipe

CTO

Rick Levenson

As CTO, Rick leads scoping Rippleworks’ technical projects and growing Rippleworks’ community of tech experts.

Rick’s tech leadership experience includes Sun/Javasoft, Tellme, Microsoft, Polycom and a variety of startups. Most recently, he was at Kiva.org, leading the engineering effort to help alleviate poverty through the power of crowd-lending.

On my bucket list: Coast-to-coast bike trip

A random fact that I love: All of them. I love all the random facts

My simple pleasures: Cooking, Cycling, Friends

Sr. Venture Growth Director

Meghan Lynch

As Senior Venture Growth Director, Meghan ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Meghan led projects within Apple’s finance project management division, and rotated through retail, online, and operations teams as part of Apple’s two-year Finance Development Program.

My best Halloween costume: Dressing up as the Sears Tower and singing “Sweet Home Chicago” all night

On my bucket list: Scuba diving around the Galapagos Islands

My simple pleasures: Eating dinner with my family, dancing barefoot in the sand, bubble baths

Portfolio Manager

Rumbi Maruza

Rumbi supports the Capital team in identifying and evaluating grants and investments to support high-growth social ventures.

Prior to Rippleworks, Rumbi worked at Clinton Health Access Initiative supporting governments in Zambia and Zimbabwe to introduce, scale, and sustain HIV prevention interventions. Rumbi also co-founded a non-profit called FACEZ (Fund a Child’s Education, Zimbabwe) that supports orphans and vulnerable children with primary, secondary, and tertiary education tuition fees.

My simple pleasures: Taking a long quiet walk and a good cup of tea. Preferably in that order.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A pediatrician

A random fact that I love: To prevent yourself from sneezing when you feel one coming on, scratch the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Works every time!

Venture Growth Manager

Carolina Medina

Carolina is a serial impact entrepreneur and consultant with 12 years of experience working at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and technology. She has ample experience ideating, prototyping, launching and growing sustainable business models in AgriTech, Scientific Tourism, HealthTech, FinTech and GovTech.

As a consultant, Carolina led projects across Latin America and Africa. She’s worked alongside organizations like Plan International, UNICEF, CAF, Colombia’s’ National Planning Department, Social Finance, Fundación Corona, and the Government of the United Kingdom in UK PACT I, among others. She’s an MIT Innovator Under 35 and a UN Young Leader for the SDGs, and holds an MSc in International Development from LSE and a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from INSEAD.

On my bucket list: take a 2-month trip around India

A random fact that I love: Colombia is home to 20% of the world’s bird species — which I know from an impact venture I helped create around scientific tourism

My simple pleasures: the smell of the air and the peacefulness in the early morning while sipping a cup of coffee and reading a good book

Leaders Studio Manager

Alessandra Mooney

Prior to Rippleworks, Alessandra worked on projects in peace-building and conflict resolution, as well as applied research and management consulting. She has managed the launch of two public-facing initiatives in human rights and atrocity prevention and additionally collaborated on a framework to estimate a community’s vulnerability to targeted violence. She has extensive experience in teaching and facilitating, having taught undergraduates and led workshops with NGOs, scholars, government officials, and military leaders from around the world.

On my bucket list: see a narwhal or a spirit bear

A random fact that I love: A group of Aspen trees is called a stand and a stand of Aspen trees is connected by the same roots under the soil which makes it the largest living organism on earth.

My simple pleasures: being outside, trail runs and long walks, fresh snow, chatting to strangers and meeting new people

Learning & Growth Partner

Jeanine Mowbray

My passion for educational equity has led me to opportunities to develop students, educational leaders, and nonprofit professionals. I began my career as an elementary school teacher with Teach for America. I then worked in middle school engagement with an emphasis in family engagement and leadership development. Most recently my work has included a focus on social impact initiatives in financial wellbeing, education, health and strengthening DEI practices within organizations.

On my bucket list: To become a really good swimmer and swim in exotic waters all around the world

Go-to karaoke song: Single Ladies by Beyonce (dance moves included)

What I wanted to be when I grew up: An education attorney

My simple pleasures: Evening strolls with my daughter and husband, cuddling with my paw baby Tanner, and family dinners

Venture Growth Manager

Rebecca Musiitwa

As a Venture Growth Manager, Rebecca ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Rebecca served as Global Program Manager at The Obama Foundation leading the development and implementation of the Leaders: Africa initiative, a leadership and civic engagement program designed to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders to create positive change and scalable impact in their communities.

My best Halloween costume: Batman at age 3, followed by his most trusted sidekick Robinhood at age 4

What I wanted to be when I grew up: An archaeologist

My simple pleasures: Vinyl record shops, croissants, and summer nights exploring new cities

Venture Manager

Huy-Liêm Nguyen

Huy-Liêm believes in the transformative power of creativity and innovation to address global challenges. With nearly a decade of experience in business strategy, operations, customer success, and project management, he has had the privilege of contributing to social impact initiatives across the U.S., Africa, the Middle East, and Eurasia. His journey has included successfully implementing health initiatives, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and achieving operational excellence at established companies and startups. He is proud to be a returned Peace Corps Benin volunteer from Peace Corps Benin and an Americorps alumnus.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: An architect, a pro hockey player, an engineer, a forensic anthropologist, an FBI agent, the list goes on and on….

A random fact that I love: You can eat an entire year’s worth of Nutella over a weekend. Ask me how I know.

My simple pleasures: Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream.

Leaders Studio Manager

Kotheid Nicoue

Kotheid works to build practical learning experiences that empower leaders and teams of impactful social ventures with the critical skills needed to achieve their goals.

Prior to Rippleworks, Kotheid worked as a Program Manager at SAP, where he designed and managed global pro bono volunteering programs that leverage the expertise and skills of their employees to solve critical business challenges for nonprofits and social enterprises focused on digital inclusion. Specifically, Kotheid worked on the SAP Social Sabbatical, a portfolio of global pro bono volunteering programs that built the capacity of more than 400 nonprofits and social enterprises in more than 50 countries. In addition, as part of SAP’s response to the social justice movement, Kotheid played a key role in the inception and design of a new volunteering program to foster economic equity for Black-owned businesses in the U.S., U.K., South Africa, and Brazil. Kotheid started his social impact career at PYXERA Global, a global nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.

My best Halloween costume: Dressed up as Prince Akeem from Coming to America.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: United Nations Diplomat.

My simple pleasures: Jeni’s salted caramel ice cream, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, a hot cup of coffee in the morning, dancing, and playing tennis.

Portfolio Manager

Dinah Njuguna

Dinah Njuguna is passionate about entrepreneurship and enabling social enterprises, especially in emerging markets, to access the right networks, skillset, and capital to grow their company to the next level. Prior to Rippleworks, she worked with Kiva, who provides debt to high-growth social enterprises and microfinance institutions across Africa, Asia, LATAM, and the USA.

Previously, Dinah was a Senior Associate at Endeavor, a company that supports high-growth companies through technical support and venture capital investments.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A doctor

Go-to karaoke song: Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You by Lauryn Hill

My simple pleasures: Spending time with family and a good cup of tea

EA to CEO & Workplace Operations Manager

Lizzie Odegaard

Lizzie provides administrative business support to Rippleworks’ CEO and manages team activities within the Rippleworks office to ensure daily operations run smoothly.

Before joining Rippleworks, Lizzie co-founded The Moyo Foundation, which is expanding access to healthcare and education and furthering wildlife and conservation efforts in Kenya’s Mugie community. She currently directs Moyo from afar, and is excited to be supporting social impact work all over the world with Rippleworks.

My best Halloween costume: A bubba Gump shrimp

A random fact that I love: The earliest member of the horse family was the Eohippus, dating back 55 million years.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A veterinarian or an international diplomat

Venture Growth Director

Meeghan Zahorsky Paul

As a Venture Growth Manager, Meeghan ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to joining Rippleworks, Meeghan was the Director of Impact at the Common Good Marketplace, a startup creating an innovative results-based financing model. She spent the 10 years prior working with more than 60 organizations in East Africa and Asia to catalyze social impact through data and technology. She continues to serve on the board and as an advisor to multiple small and medium-sized social enterprises. Meeghan is deeply passionate about bridging the gap between high-impact organizations and the resources they need to scale and innovate.

My best Halloween costume: Lara Croft

What I wanted to be when I grew up: An Olympic long jumper

My simple pleasures:The hot shower after a morning run, solving puzzles, wandering a used bookstore, being in or near the ocean

Capital Portfolio Director

Bekah Thayer Pyne

Bekah supports the Capital team in identifying and evaluating grants and investments to support high-growth social ventures.

Before joining Rippleworks, Bekah managed the founder’s charitable giving at the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation, completed a Global Health Corps fellowship at Days for Girls in Uganda focused on standing up their Monitoring & Evaluation system, and served as a management consultant at Deloitte.

A random fact that I love: Like human fingerprints, each dog has a unique nose print!

What I wanted to be when I grew up: A pastry chef or a classical pianist.

My simple pleasures: Hiking and trail running with my dog, reading in my hammock, and baking/consuming treats (especially Jeni’s ice cream).

Venture Growth Manager

Domoina Rambeloarison

Prior to Rippleworks, Domoina worked in a variety of roles in impact investing and international development. Most recently, she participated in the due diligence and closing of mission-based investments on diversity and inclusion and job creation at the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation. Previously, she led the design and implementation of a US$10M program for education SMEs and entrepreneurs in West Africa. Domoina also worked at the World Bank Group, helping launch a challenge fund for disruptive technologies for development, and managing social entrepreneurship projects across the globe.

Go-to Karaoke Song: Color Esperanza by Diego Torres

Random Fact That I love: Figs are inverted flowers

My simple pleasures: Naming and taking care of my houseplants, roaming the streets of Montreal before winter, and hearing the sound of waves

On my bucket list: Too many things! In no particular order: taking a cooking/knife skill class, building something out of my hands, visiting Cinque Terre in Italy

Board Member

Anushka Ratnayake

Anushka is the CEO and Founder of myAgro. She has worked in rural Africa since mid-2008, helping to increase food security and market access for small-scale farmers. Prior to starting myAgro, she developed key components of One Acre Fund’s core operation model, created management-training programs and traveled across Africa and South Asia in search of innovations in the microfinance and agricultural sectors. Before joining One Acre Fund, Anushka was an early employee of Kiva.org and created the Kiva Fellows Program. Anushka received her BA in Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz and her agricultural training from smallholder farmers in Bungoma, Kenya.

Venture Growth Manager

Louisa Reis

Louisa ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Louisa was a Director for UBS Family Advisory and Philanthropy Services, managing strategic giving vehicles such as the UBS Donor-Advised Fund.

On my bucket list: Backpacking the Pacific Northwest Trail

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Professional rock climber or farmer – I still do!

My simple pleasures: A hot water bottle, a cup of ginger tea and a great book

Marketing Manager

Ceci Spehar

Throughout her career Ceci has developed a passion for growth that is built on a foundation of gained experience in high paced work environments. In the past 10 years, she has been responsible for the planning, design, and execution of strategic marketing and communication plans. One of Ceci’s favorite tasks is taking complex ideas and making them easily accessible and consumable for the relevant audience. Ceci has created and implemented strategies that focus on helpful human interactions with clients, prospects, and team members alike.

Go-to karaoke song: I don’t want to miss a thing – Aerosmith

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Well traveled

My simple pleasures: Black coffee and strip mall Chinese food

Venture Growth Director

Pradeep Suthram

As a Venture Growth Director, Pradeep ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented project management and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Pradeep served as Process Lead at VMware, and led product design at mission-driven startups SomeoneWith and PICnet, where he worked to deliver affordable web apps for 300+ non-profits over 5 years.

On my bucket list: Learn how to sail

Go-to karaoke song: All my exes live in Texas, George Strait

My simple pleasures: Sketch + meditate, rinse and repeat

Marketing Associate

Allison Tim

Prior to Rippleworks, Allison supported academic and cultural organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Her passion for storytelling and collaborative spirit led to creative ventures in international literature, independent film, and marketing, where she advocates for more diverse voices and representation in media.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: Photojournalist for National Geographic

My simple pleasures: A strong cuppa, stationary stores, train rides, 90-minute action thrillers.

On my bucket list: Open a coffee shop, bike through South America, film a martial arts movie

Senior Director, Venture Systems & Data

Cecilia Venegas

Cecilia ensures Rippleworks is delivering maximum value to social ventures by providing goal-oriented operations and strategic guidance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Cecilia focused on business processes and operations aimed at enabling scale for Google Cloud. She spent the first half of her career in the education sector and continues to be deeply passionate about increasing access to opportunity.

On my bucket list: Attend the annual Guelaguetza Festival in Oaxaca, Mexico

A random fact that I love: Papayas continue to exist today because of genetic engineering

My simple pleasures: Homemade cold brew coffee with horchata, paired with a chocolate croissant

People Operations Manager

Michelle Viado

Michelle is responsible for the operations of the Rippleworks office and providing administrative support to the team.

Prior to Rippleworks, Michelle was a technical instructor and Assistant Director at ArtHaus 5, an art studio based in San Diego, CA. There, she served both as a key part of the administrative team and as an art teacher for children ages 4-13. Michelle has a background in illustration and design and currently manages a small Etsy shop in her spare time.

My best Halloween costume: A doctor. My parents picked out little scrubs for me, bought me a fake bag of blood, and let me borrow one of their stethoscopes!

On my bucket list: Pet a crocodile

My simple pleasures: The smell of rain, crisp air, and doodling with colored pencils

Sourcing Partner

Lauren Young

Lauren is from San Francisco, and is an outdoor enthusiast, full-time Kdrama fan, and part-time surfer. Prior to joining Rippleworks, Lauren was a member of the Plaid Technical Recruiting team helping to hire for their backend mission-critical teams. She also worked in recruiting at Scale AI as an early employee.

My best Halloween costume: Dressing up as Jigglypuff, or the time my dad created a homemade fortune cookie costume out of foam

Go-to karaoke song: For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder

My simple pleasures: Sitting outside in the sun, listening to BTS, reading a good book

Managing Director, Capital

Ayesha Wagle

Ayesha leads Rippleworks’ investment activities, supporting social ventures with investments and grants to scale their impact.

Prior to Rippleworks, Ayesha served as President of Komaza, where she worked on funding strategies to help scale the growing social enterprise. Previously, Ayesha was SVP at MCE Social Capital and an Associate in Morgan Stanley’s Fixed Income Division.

Bucket list: Hike the Zion Narrows

What I wanted to be: Astronaut and window cleaner (I loved squeegee-ing!)

Simple pleasures: Hiking with the kids on our backs

Recruiting Partner

Christina Welcome

As the Recruiting Partner, Christina ensures Rippleworks delivers a high touch, equitable and inclusive hiring process.

Prior to Rippleworks, Christina spent many years building and managing world class recruiting teams primarily in professional service organizations. Her passions include building an exceptional culture by curating a solid candidate experience. Christina is a true relationship builder at her core.

On my bucket list: Spending an indefinite amount of time in the Amalfi coast soaking up the sheer cliffs, rugged shoreline and blue ocean water

A random fact that I love: Compassion takes practice—and actually changes your brain chemistry

My simple pleasures: hiking with my 3 German Shepherd dogs—listening to the ocean waves break on the seashore—enjoying wine with friends

Sr. Venture Director

Nitida Wongthipkongka

Nitida leads Rippleworks’ work in identifying the most impactful social ventures in the world, working closely with social ventures to design high-impact, short-term projects that expand business performance.

Prior to Rippleworks, Nitida developed and supported social ventures around the world with SC Johnson, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, and with other non-profit organizations. She has deep strategy and operations experience from her time at BCG, Novartis, and Kraft Foods.

On my bucket list: Seeing the aurora borealis or aurora australis (it’s southern sibling) with my own eyes

What I wanted to be when I grew up: So many! Librarian will be the most surprising if you know me today.

My simple pleasures: Afternoon naps

Rippleworks is built on 4 core values that define our work and team.

We exist to serve social ventures.

Impact is our guiding star. Everything we do is centered on improving lives across the globe.

We know human connection is the heart and soul of our work

We lead with empathy, generosity and trust to meet people where they are, and move forward together, celebrating moments of joy along the way.

We learn from the wisdom of those closest to the challenge

Learning is a necessary mindset and skill set that deepens our understanding and ability to realize new possibilities.

We believe diversity makes us stronger

And we recognize that diversity alone is not enough. We champion belonging by embracing inclusive behaviors, equitable access, and transparency in our workplace, with our ventures, and the broader social impact ecosystem

Want in? Join us on our mission to help social ventures scale their impact.

Projects

Capital

Leaders Studio

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

Our Story
Our Team Contact

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy