Our Staff

Kate Wilson, CEO

Kate believes that digital technology products, new technology policies and updated business model practices are required to make transformative change in the lives of the underserved and decrease the growing digital divide. Kate joined DIAL in February 2016 as its CEO to fulfill this vision. She has committed the past 26 years to bringing diverse stakeholders together to find common ground in business, technology and policy, holding leadership roles in both the corporate and non profit sectors. Learn More 

Dawn C. Seymour, Senior Director, Programs and Operations

Dawn is passionate about accessible and quality digital tools that can provide actionable data to decrease disparities in areas such as health. She has deep experience in the implementation of digital health solutions and change management strategies for data use. With more than 10 years of experience in global health, Dawn has spent a majority of her career living and working in African countries. Learn More

Breese McIlvaine, Senior Manager, Partnerships

Breese is a seasoned international development professional with a track record of designing and executing strategies and building partnerships to resolve complex challenges for sustainable social impact. A childhood in Eastern and Southern Africa as the daughter of a diplomat and news photographer was the catalyst for an impassioned professional career focused on global affairs and public service. Learn More

Laura O’Brien, Director, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Laura is motivated by the vast, ever-changing digital development ecosystem and the continuous opportunities for research, collaboration, and learning it provides. She joined the DIAL as the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager in February 2018, building on her previous work at the nexus of international development, evaluation and innovation. Learn More

Scott Neilitz, Senior Associate, Monitoring and Evaluation

Scott believes that creative innovation and technology have the potential to improve the lives of people in low and middle-income countries. He also believes that through constant and iterative research and learning, we can improve programs and, ultimately, impact. Scott joined DIAL in 2018 as a Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Associate. Learn More

Laura Walker McDonald, Senior Director, Insight and Impact

Laura is a technologist, lawyer and strategist with more than 12 years of global experience in the aid and development space. Laura’s career has focused on helping social change organizations all over the world use technology in principled and impactful ways to support their mission. She brings together practices and people humanitarian aid and development, applied research, software product management, and human-centered design. Learn More 

Matt Haikin, Senior Manager, Insights and Impact

Following 15 years working with ICTs as a tool for social impact in the United Kingdom, Matt completed a masters’ degree in ICTs for development. Since 2012, he has been applying this knowledge base to the international development sector. Matt combines his strategic outlook with direct technical expertise, enabling him to support organizations in understanding how best to apply ICT to development problems to improve the impact and effectiveness of their work. Learn More

Maurice Sayinzoga, Manager, Insights and Impact

Maryester Gonzalez, Engagement and Training Lead

Maryester has provided expertise in curriculum and instructional design and facilitation and program management to clients in more than 20 countries worldwide across five continents. She joined DIAL in February 2019 as the Training and Engagement Lead on the Insights and Impact team. In this capacity she co-leads the development of learning experiences to support the Principles of Digital Development, and assists with DIAL’s distribution strategy of its learning products. Learn More

Allana Nelson, Director, Principles for Digital Development

Allana has more than a decade of experience in government, non profit, and private-sector organizations specializing in project management and business operations in the areas of international development, communications and training. She joined DIAL in April 2017 to lead the Principles for Digital Development portfolio on the Insights and Impact team. Learn More

Claudine Lim, Senior Associate, Principles for Digital Development

Claudine first joined the Digital Impact Alliance in October 2017, shortly after receiving a dual masters in international relations and public relations from the Maxwell School and S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University. After working as a Program Coordinator and Researcher for DIAL’s Business Operations, she is currently working with the Principles of Digital Development. Learn More

Jake Watson, Senior Director, Proven Software and Technology

Jake seeks to maximize the positive impact technology can have in support of humanitarian and international development programs and projects. He believes that technology is only one piece of the puzzle and that a deep understanding of context and local ownership are the keys to success. Jake joined DIAL in May of 2018 as Senior Director of the Platforms and Services group and is a member of the Governance Board for Digital Square. Learn More

Mary Jo Kochendorfer, Senior Technical Program Manager, Proven Software and Technology

Mary Jo has over 10 years of experience in addressing challenges across the global development sector from building open source software, implementing mobile and web based health solutions to measuring social impact. She combines a strategic outlook focused on social impact and outcomes with hands on ICT4D implementation experience, enabling her to understand the practical implications of scaling, investing and implementing ICT products and programs. Learn More

Nyoman Ribeka, Software Engineer, Proven Software and Technology

Nyoman, who prefers to go by Win, is a passionate software engineer who believes in working together through people and technology to create a better world. Win also believes that nurturing new and passionate engineers brings out the best in them, sets them up for success and eventually, will help sustain software development projects. Learn More

Steve Conrad, Software Development Engineer, Proven Software and Technology

Steve is a software engineer and technology architect with over 15 years of experience in both the private and non-profit sectors. In his current role, he is focused on making open source software better and more interoperable. He is also an advocate for mentoring and teaching developers and helping to create sustainable jobs in places where talent is abundant but opportunities are rare. Learn More 

Sherman Kong, Technical Associate, Proven Software and Technology

Sherman Kong is most committed to achieve development impact through informed data-driven decision making and technology-aided efficiency, a principle he reinforces through DIAL by helping to advance the ICT4SDG body of work and to apply the Digital Investment Framework in practice. He has past experience in health systems and digital innovation, data management, and facilitation of knowledge by research and policy priorities. Learn More.

Michael Downey, Director of Community, Proven Software and Technology, Open Source Center

Michael’s career in IT and open source spans nearly two decades both in the healthcare and financial services industries, as well as the nonprofit world. In his current role, he helps build a vibrant and active open source software community for high-impact technology for development (T4D) projects that advance DIAL’s mission. Learn More 

Heath Arensen, Director of Business Planning, Proven Software and Technology, Open Source Center

Heath is a global nomad with an itch for entrepreneurship, having spent more than 15 years founding and scaling tech-driven startups in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He thrives at the intersection of technology and social good, with experience in founding startups, in impact investing and in product incubation. Learn More 

Kai-Lik Foh, Program Director, Mobile Distribution Channels

Kai-Lik works to identify and promote innovative solutions between the mobile and development sectors to improve access to basic digital services for the underserved. He joined DIAL in February 2017 aiming to improve the pace and efficiency of service delivery by the development sector through core mobile channels. Learn More 

Danielle Dhillon, Senior Manager, Procurement and Financing Models

Danielle is passionate about financial markets and how technology is improving lives and changing our world. She is a strong believer in using market-driven forces to improve collaboration and communication between the mobile industry and the international development sector. Learn More 

Tanvir Singh Natt, Technical Lead

Diana Sang, Market Engagement Lead

Diana is a firm believer in the power of ICT to become the largest distribution platform for delivering public and private services to millions of people in urban, rural and poor areas. She is convinced that the mobile platform is the single most powerful way to extend economic opportunities and key services to millions of people and is dedicated to supporting more opportunities for connectivity to flourish. Learn More 

Angela Kastner, Director Procurement Strategy

Angela is a  passionate procurement professional, believing that buying decisions made by governments, funders and implementers in the development sector have long term impacts and by supporting the sector to improve procurement outcomes we can affect real change. Learn More

Rachel Sibande, Program Director, Responsible Use of Network Data

Rachel works to demonstrate sector-wide collaboration between D4D actors in deploying initiatives that enhance data use for evidence-based decision-making. She joined DIAL in September 2017 as Program Director, supporting program partners in selected countries. Learn More 

Theresa Nyamupachitu, Senior Manager, Grants and Finance

Rachel Patterson, Manager, Grants and Finance

Shiran Mack, Senior Associate, Finance

Shiran brings financial experience from the banking industry, and the nonprofit industry to DIAL. He brings expertise of managing and reporting on both federal grants and non-federal grants, nonprofit budgeting and non-profit accounting. Shiran believes in a responsible fiscal policy where donor expectations are optimized. Learn More

Shruti Ratnaparkhi, Associate, Programs

Shruti joined DIAL in May 2019 after graduating from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs with a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Economics. Learn More

Eva Achero, Senior Associate, Operations

Eva joined DIAL in January 2018. She was attracted to DIAL to be a part of the team that helps bridge the gap of digital inclusiveness in the world. Eva’s professional background spans higher education, social security administration, mobile telephone industry and print media. Learn More

Paul Quirk, Senior Director of Communications

Paul believes in the power of communications to help create a better world and has spent his career telling the stories that are often left untold. He joined DIAL in January 2017 as Director of Communications, after consulting with the team in the fall of 2016. He brings 20 years of strategic communications experience, working on behalf of association, foundation, government and non profit clients both in the United States and internationally.  Learn More 

Rachael Keyl, Senior Associate, Events Management

Coby Jones, Senior Associate, Communications

Coby uses her strategic communications skills and experience to promote justice and equality through her work and writing. She believes storytelling should be at the heart of any communication strategy, and that storytelling can change the world. Learn More

Marco Pittarelli, Associate Digital Producer

Marco executes social media and digital strategies in support of DIAL’s mission. He uses social media to connect with DIAL’s audience and create conversations with people across the world. Learn More.