USA Archives - Mondiant Initiative

Julie Kinney

I am the owner of a bookstore - An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café - along with my husband, and also a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner (FDN-P). Through our bookstore in Plainville, Massachusetts, we seek to foster a community of engagement, empathy, and joy, where individuals celebrate reading and learning both to improve individual understanding of the world and to help shape the world with kindness. In the health realm, I support people struggling with health challenges by helping them identify healing opportunities and implement sustainable lifestyle changes.Our family also

Towhee Shupka

Linkedin Towhee V. Shupka has built her career in international economic and workforce development engaging with global enterprises large and small working consultatively with each's largest resource - humans. Her strength is working with organizations to frame and grow their human capital as efficiently and effectively as possible. She is an accomplished workforce training and development expert with broad experiences managing a diversity of strategic relationships and clients within both the public and private sector. A ESG/Corporate social responsible strategist, Towhee has overseen a multitude of projects aimed at doing

Lesley Valdes

Linkedin Lesley Valdes is an instructor of piano and creative writing for the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia. A native of Miami, Florida, she won a scholarship in piano to the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, where she received her Bachelor of Music, and from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, for the MFA in poetry.A former classical music critic for the San Jose Mercury News and the Philadelphia Inquirer, she also served as critic-at-large for Temple University's WRTI, 90.1 FM. Articles have appeared in the New York Times,

Marielle Raasio

Linkedin Marielle joined Mondiant Initiative during the spring of 2022. She met Mondiant after reaching out to him about his book “Those We Throw Away Are Diamonds”. Marielle brings her expertise to the Storytelling Team in multiple ways. Her primary role is managing Mondiant Initiative's social media presence and doing supplementary graphic design work.Marielle is currently pursuing a BS in Policy and Community Development from Michigan Technological University and is interested in pursuing creative journalism, urban planning, and medicine post-graduation, while continuing to develop her skills to help advance Mondiant

Jay Halvorson

Linkedin Jay has been a resident of Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, for most of his life. He has extensive experience from working for over 42 years in the retail and wholesale tire business. Jay retired in 2013 and has been an avid supporter and volunteer for Alight, formally American Refugee Committee, since the early 2000s. He also serves on the board of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation and volunteers for Smile Network International. Jay has been married to his wife Peggy for over 47 years and has 2 children

Joey speaking during leadership training

Joey Kaufman

Linkedin Joey was introduced to Mondiant in 2021 through a mutual connection in the months leading up to Mondiant's book launch. He was tasked with creating a website and brand for Mondiant Initiative that could handle the buzz generated from the release of Those We Throw Away Are Diamonds. What started as a one-off task soon evolved into a long-lasting partnership and friendship between the two as Mondiant Initiative continued gaining traction. Joey has built and managed numerous for-profit and non-profit websites, including Ayada Leads, Evolve Payment, and Evolve Systems. He

Michael Shore

Linkedin Michael has a career in building and advising companies from across the globe which are developing or looking for sustainable solutions, including (1) growing his solar company from scratch to $100 million in annual revenue ranking 46th on the Inc 500 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States, (2) investing in and cultivating several breakthrough entrepreneurial sustainability companies, (3) helping corporations large and small in developing their ESG initiatives, and (4) launching a nonprofit organization, Heart of Waraba, to connect and support sustainable entrepreneurs globally. He earned a

William Fanjoy

Linkedin William Fanjoy brings more than 35 years’ experience in Africa trade, investment and project development with the U.S. Department of Commerce, World Bank, USAID, the U.S. Embassy, Peace Corps and several Africa-focused firms. He has successfully led clients to multiple markets in Africa, and served as Acting Senior Commercial Officer to Ghana, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Jordan, Kuwait and Kenya. Bill spent three years on water-management construction projects in Mali, West Africa, and three years managing a large Wildlife Park in the Congo. He founded the Play and Learn Foundation,

Category: USA