Meet the Team

• Julia Kurnia
  Master's degree in International Economics. Developed grant projects in Africa for the US government and worked with Kiva and MyC4 field partner microfinance organizations before founding Zidisha. Enjoys practicing Indonesian martial arts.

Julia Kurnia   |   Director

Sterling, Virginia         LinkedIn

• Rodrigo Reyes
  Master's degree in Computer Science. Rodrigo has been programming since he was 12 and has worked for startups all over the world for the last 10 years. He also worked as volunteer coordinator for HdC, an Ecuadorian NGO. Loves reading, movies and Yoga.

Rodrigo Reyes   |   CTO

Guayaquil, Ecuador

• Alejandra Cors
  Born in Mexico. Developed Payments for Ecosystem Services for communities in the tropical rainforest. Led operations team of a P2P transportation marketplace. Loves serving underprivileged families and scuba diving.

Alejandra Cors   |   Operations Coordinator

Mexico City, Mexico

• David Deng
  Raised in Idaho, bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Economics from Duke University. Interested in economic development and social policy. Enjoys reading, music, and hiking.

David Deng   |   Anglophone Liaison

Chicago, Illinois

• Aliz Crowley
  Master's degrees in Economics & International Relations. Has a background in banking and a passion for development finance and social responsibility. Spent several years in the Middle East. Enjoys traveling, sports & cooking.

Aliz Crowley   |   Anglophone Liaison

Budapest, Hungary

• Arianna Miller
  Master of Public Administration with special interest in international development. Originally from Nashville, TN but a very mobile individual! Enjoys French, reading, brunching, and wine tastings.

Arianna Miller   |   Anglophone Liaison

Washington, D.C.         LinkedIn

• Ammar Ali
  Engineering student interested in writing, cinematography and code. Joined Zidisha as soon as he heard about it so that he can play a small role in changing someone's life. Spends his time writing, coding and creating videos.

Ammar Ali   |   Anglophone Liaison

Karachi, Pakistan

• Erin Stackowitz
  Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and Chemistry. Current social entrepreneur fellow recipient and chief development officer for Smart Women's Securities. Has a passion for art and running. Hopes to attend medical school in the future.

Erin Stackowitz   |   Anglophone Liaison

Malverne, New York

• Tony Liao
  Born in Beijing, now working in corporate strategy for Canadian financial institution. Passionate about financial empowerment in developing nations and all things microfinance and always looking for ways to contribute in international development.

Tony Liao   |   Anglophone Liaison

Toronto, Canada         LinkedIn

• Abdelkabir Mandili
  Master’s student in Political Economy at the University of Amsterdam. Participated as a Global Citizen fellow in Malaysia. Passionate about international development. Enjoys travelling and sports.

Abdelkabir Mandili   |   Anglophone Liaison

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

• Ronny Wijaya
  An engineer who worked in fin-tech & mobile payment fields in the Bay Area. Curious on what could happen if we help others to grow. Enjoys finding intriguing topics & basketball.

Ronny Wijaya   |   Indonesia Liaison

Jakarta, Indonesia

• Novia Lawda
  Born in Indonesia, spent her formative years in Singapore & Australia. Holds a B.Com. in Finance & Accounting. Started volunteering with Zidisha to continue serving others upon coming back from her teaching gig in Cambodia.

Novia Lawda   |   Indonesia Liaison

Singapore

• Maria Magdalena Winarni
  Born and raised in Indonesia, studied in Singapore and USA. Biomedical Engineer by education but currently working as management consultant. Interested in nonprofit work since undergraduate.

Maria Magdalena Winarni   |   Indoneisa Liaison

Jakarta, Indonesia

• Christina Sobota Kovacs
  Master’s degree in Refugee & Forced Migration Studies from Oxford. Background in human rights and particularly the rights of displaced persons. Interested in the language of rights, development and progress.

Christina Sobota Kovacs   |   Accountant

New York, New York         LinkedIn

• Liliane Cheung
  Master's degree in Finance, working in banking with a passion for social entrepreneurship and microfinance. Participated in the social entrepreneurship train journey Jagriti Yatra in India. Enjoys travelling, cooking, wine and cheese.

Liliane Cheung   |   Francophone Liaison

Paris, France         LinkedIn

• Camille Smith
  Studying Finance and Spanish at Truman State University, studied abroad in Spain and Costa Rica. Interested in international development and microfinance, passionate about financial empowerment for women. Loves running, cooking, and reading.

Camille Smith   |   Anglophone Liaison

Kansas City, Missouri         LinkedIn

• Rukmini Sarkar
  A management consultant who has been involved with microfinance since age 16. Grew up between Jakarta and Dubai. Passionate about economic development and animal conservation.

Rukmini Sarkar   |   Indonesia Liaison

Dubai, U.A.E.         LinkedIn

• Martha Fleury
  Web Designer/Graphic Designer for nonprofit organizations. Interested in microfinance and international development, enjoys gardening, traveling, biking, and spending time with family.

Martha Fleury   |   Anglophone Liaison

Washington, D.C.

• Reema Mukherjee
  Raised in India, Reema moved to the US recently. Keenly interested in meaningful & impactful contribution and understanding the myriad roles of finance in society. Relishes traveling, reading and meeting new people.

Reema Mukherjee   |   Anglophone Liaison

Orange County, California         LinkedIn

• Shannon Dean
  Studying Business Management in Reno, Nevada. Passionate about international business and corporate social responsibility. Interested in nonprofit management and entrepreneurship. Enjoys swimming, trips to the beach, and traveling.

Shannon Dean   |   Anglophone Liaison

Reno, Nevada

• Rebecca Wolfe
  Born and raised on America's West Coast. Studied sociology and social history. Passionate about amplifying the voices of the unheard. Loves running, reading, writing, and cooking.

Rebecca Wolfe   |   Entrepreneur Story Writer

Folsom, California

• Ada Yeoh
  Bachelor's Degree in Finance. Currently working as a finance executive in the automotive industry. Wishes to pursue a career as a digital nomad. Has a heart for the marginalised. Enjoys travel and meeting people.

Ada Yeoh   |   Anglophone Liaison

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia         LinkedIn

• Aditya Jayanthi
  From outside Washington D.C., currently working as a strategy consultant in Germany. Interested in meaningful contribution towards fostering international development. Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Aditya Jayanthi   |   Anglophone Liaison

Frankfurt, Germany         LinkedIn

• Shohini Gupta
  Studying Economics and Political Science at UC Berkeley, with an interest in microfinance and development​al​ economics.

Shohini Gupta   |   Anglophone Liaison

Berkeley, CA

• Raquel Salgado
  BA in Business Administration, attended the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management certificate program in Microfinance. Traveled to over 13 countries and has lived in India and Taiwan, recently got married in Italy.

Raquel Salgado   |   Accountant

Orange County, CA

• Amanda Treppmann
  Master's in Business Administration. Worked for a microfinance network providing technical assistance and fundraising support to microfinance providers. Loves reading, the outdoors, and spending time with family.

Amanda Treppmann   |   Accountant

Berlin, Germany

• Zack Burt
  Businessperson and technologist who embraces practical solutions for providing community.​ Loves art and learning new things.

Zack Burt   |   Country Expansion Lead

New York, New York

LinkedIn         Website

• Hongji Wu
  Born in China, now studies in UK for master’s degree in Development Finance. Tried to start a P2P program in China but failed. Curious about everything fresh. Enjoys movie, reading, chess.

Hongji Wu   |   Anglophone Liaison

Manchester, UK

• Kushan Krishna Dev Nath
  Raised in India, Bachelor's in Commerce, worked over ten years in Indian and international banks. Loves and proud to be a part of the great finance system. Keen to accept new challenges and turn thoughts into reality, chasing dreams with the mantra “Think Big, Achieve Big."

Kushan Krishna Dev Nath   |   Anglophone Liaison

Guwahati Assam, India

• Claudia Pagano
  Master's degree in Physics and PhD in Engineering, working as researcher in Italy with short secondments in UK and USA. Teaches Italian as volunteer and manages the website of a non-profit organization. Loves traveling, reading and movies.

Claudia Pagano   |   Anglophone Liaison

Milan, Italy

• Joseph Abell
  Master of Economics from the University of Queensland. Has a keen interest in development economics. Enjoys football, travel, and hiking.

Joseph Abell   |   Anglophone Liaison

Brisbane, Australia

• Grace Bachman
  Studying Economic Development and Finance at Messiah College. Passionate about poverty alleviation and expanding financial literacy. Loves to travel. Has lived in Panama, the Gambia, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

Grace Bachman   |   Anglophone Liaison

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

• William Hickman
  Majoring in Business Administration, plans on pursuing a career in the nonprofit world. I love people, and hope to bring hope and joy to their lives.

William Hickman   |   Anglophone Liaison

Williamsburg, Virginia