Our Team

Prior to joining Global Partnerships, Rick was managing director of a $112 million private equity fund investing in middle-market companies and early-stage ventures. Rick spent ten years at McKinsey & Company where he served financial institutions and healthcare clients on strategy and performance. He specialized in helping not-for-profit organizations achieve superior results in competitive markets. While at McKinsey, Rick co-authored the bestselling book Real Change Leaders: How You Can Create Growth and Performance At Your Company. He holds a BA with distinction in Economics from Stanford University and an MBA as an Arjay Miller Scholar from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Rick has served on the boards of directors of numerous privately held portfolio companies and not-for-profit organizations, including Direct Relief International and The Initiative for Global Development.

Prior to his work at GP, he served as President of ShoreBank Pacific, the first commercial bank in the United States with a focus on environmentally sustainable community development. Mark has more than 30 years’ experience in banking, lending, and investment management, including serving in executive roles at Homestead Capital, Bank of the Northwest, First Interstate Securities and First Interstate Bank of Texas. An active community member, Mark served as a member of the Board of Directors of BRAC Bank, a development bank known for its work with small business lending in Bangladesh, as a representative to the Board of BRAC Bank Afghanistan, on the Board of Directors of XacBank, a microfinance bank in Mongolia, and as a Board member of two commercial banks in the US. Mark is professionally fluent in Spanish and has significant humanitarian volunteer and business experience in Latin America. Mark received his bachelor’s degree with honors from Brigham Young University and his MBA, with concentration in finance, from Rice University.

She joined GP in 2019, bringing experience advancing economic opportunity and gender equity in emerging markets through programmatic and strategy roles at global organizations including Women’s World Banking, the Peace Corps, and FINCA International. Meghan holds an MPA from the University of Washington Evans School and a BA from Georgetown University.

Prior to joining Global Partnerships' staff, Curt worked for thirty years at JPMorgan Chase, where he held various leadership roles, including Managing Director and Region Manager for JPMorgan Chase’s Pacific Northwest commercial banking team. As Region Manager, he was responsible for portfolio growth, relationship management, and credit quality of the region’s commercial customer base, focusing on businesses with revenue from $20 million to $1 billion. Curt also served as the head of the JPMorgan Chase’s Market Leadership Team and was a member of JPMorgan’s regional foundation, supporting programs related to workforce readiness, financial inclusion, and community development.

Curt serves on the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and is Chair of the Finance Committee for Greater Seattle Partners, the region’s economic development organization. He has served on the board of directors of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Red Cross Wisconsin, and was Global Gifting Coordinator for his church where he helped to establish a long-term relationship with a rural village in El Salvador. Curt holds a BS in Finance and an MBA, both from the University of Iowa.

Melissa joined GP in 2020, bringing experience in international affairs, nonprofit management, fundraising, and donor relations. She is passionate about building global solutions to challenges like poverty and economic inequity, and that motivation is the thread connecting her prior roles with the Pacific Council on International Policy, the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California, and the Foreign Policy Association. Melissa holds an MBA from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Pomona College. She lives in Seattle with her husband Jeff and two sons.

Prior to joining Global Partnerships, he spent twelve years in the alternative investment industry, with his last role as Chief Financial Officer of a hedge fund in New York City. Michael has experience in various facets of the financial sector, with a background in fund accounting, financial modeling and budgeting, audit, tax planning, human resources, compliance, and operations. He has also been involved with several not-for-profit organizations throughout his career. Michael holds a BA in Accounting from Western Washington University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Prior to joining Global Partnerships, she was a partner with the international law firm DLA Piper LLP (US) for nearly ten years, where she represented investors and technology companies of all sizes. Prior to DLA Piper, Megan was General Counsel of a wireless company, an attorney with Venture Law Group, and a clerk to a federal judge. She holds a BA with highest honors from Pitzer College and received her law degree with honors from Harvard Law School.

Tara joined GP in 2009 and during her tenure at the organization she has worked across the Social Investment, Research and Impact, and Social Venture Fund teams. Her approach to impact investing is informed by academic, professional, and entrepreneurial experience addressing the issues of poverty, gender, and conflict. As a Fulbright Scholar, Tara researched the gender-differentiated effects of the armed conflict in Colombia and was part of a start-up tackling the socio-economic reintegration of displaced families. Tara holds a BA in political science from Vassar College and a certificate in executive leadership from the Albers School of Business at Seattle University.

Beth has been with GP since 2006. She spent the first six years working with in operations to support the Development & Finance teams. Her passion for making a positive impact locally and globally has led her to academic and travel experiences in various parts of Latin America and Spain. Beth holds a BA in Spanish Literature from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA.

Nathalia’s professional background includes seven years working for Citigroup in New York and Colombia, analyzing economic trends, and giving investment recommendations on Latin America’s financial assets. At Carnegie Mellon University, she worked as a research assistant employing large-scale data analysis tools to analyze the impact of foreign-born workers in the US economy. Nathalia holds an MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a BA in Economics from Universidad de los Andes.

Nicaise joined GP in 2019 to lead GP's investment presence in Francophone Africa and is now helping build the entire Africa portfolio and representing GP in relevant aspects as Vice President. He has more than twenty years’ experience in microfinance operations, technical assistance, and lending to MFIs and social enterprises in agriculture and SME Banks. Before joining GP, Nicaise has been Country Manager for Oikocredit in Benin where he built regional experience in Francophone West Africa. He holds a master’s degree in Audit and Finance and relevant certificates in Financial Modeling and Valuation, Savings and Credit Cooperative Management, and Digital Finance. He has a depth of knowledge in Financial Inclusion, Social Performance Management, and Project Management.

Before joining Global Partnerships, he led the development of the impact investment portfolio at the Eleos Foundation as their Executive Director and a founding board member. Over the course of his career with several private equity partnerships, Jim invested in multiple industries across North and South America. He co-founded and sold a Spanish-language media company and a national Hispanic marketing and public relations firm. Jim holds an MBA degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and graduated with honors from Harvard College.

He leads the due diligence team through the evaluation and selection process of potential partners that have social and credit profiles aligned to GP’s mission. With eighteen years of industry experience, Ricardo has previously worked for the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the largest development bank in Central America. There, he evaluated MFIs and implemented core-banking and other information system solutions. Ricardo holds a BS in industrial engineering and an MBA from his native Colombia.

Aaron takes the lead on documenting our loan transactions and all the related coordination with our partners and attorneys in Latin America. He brings experience in the areas of contractual, corporate, transactional, and international law. Licensed to practice law in the country of Mexico and licensed in the United States as a Foreign Law Consultant in Washington State, Aaron has done a variety of legal work for different law firms and corporations and has taught International Law in Mexico. Aaron has his law degree from the Escuela Libre de Derecho de Puebla in Mexico and his Master of Laws in International Economic Law from the University of Houston Law Center. Aaron was raised in Puebla, Mexico, and has lived in the Seattle area for over a decade now.

Prior to joining GP, he was a Case Manager at Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP in New York City, where he worked on a number of public interest and pro bono cases supporting victims of racial and gender discrimination and harassment. He also spent a year teaching middle school English in Changsha, China, and worked with the Enlace Project in El Sauce, Nicaragua to develop tourism programs highlighting the specific history and culture of the region.

Jonathan holds a BS in Applied Mathematics and a BA in Classics from the University of Rochester. He spent a semester abroad in Italy, where he studied ancient civilizations, culture, and language.

Carolina brings strong experience in strategic analysis and partner engagement in both the social and private sectors, including five years as a consultant with McKinsey and oversight of three government cash transfer programs reaching 6.7 million households per month. She was most recently a Project Manager for Generation.org, a social initiative focused on transforming career paths of vulnerable youth. She started her career in the legal field and holds a master’s degree in both law and business from Northwestern University.

Paola is an international development professional with ten years of experience unlocking business opportunities and promoting growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, including seven years at ProColombia where she championed the influx of foreign direct investment and international cooperation to support Colombian SMEs. Most recently, Paola was a Program Associate at 2X Global, a global membership and field-building organization focused on advancing gender lens investing.

She holds a master’s degree on Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Barcelona and a BA in Government and International Relations from Externado University in Bogotá.

She is responsible for monitoring GP’s compliance with its contractual obligations, and for coordinating the documentation and closing of loan transactions, primarily in East Africa. Carlyn joined GP in 2009 and through her time at the organization, she has gained a strong understanding of the impact of GP’s model. Study abroad experiences in Ghana, Guatemala, and Spain initially inspired her to work for an organization like GP, which empowers individuals and families living in poverty. Carlyn holds a BA in international studies with concentrations in business and Spanish from Elon University.

Paola comes to GP with several years of experience working in global development across Latin America and Africa. She believes in the power of applied research to drive institutional strategies and brings with her a strong multi-disciplinary approach to research and analysis. Prior to joining she completed her PhD in Sociology (BUAP) focused on the history and daily struggles of Malawian NGOs. Paola also holds a BSc in Mathematics and Economics from UDLAP and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Oxford.

Prior to joining Global Partnerships, Katie acted as a Communications Intern for the Steinberg Institute, a nonprofit public policy organization. There she aided in the development and production of the organization’s blog, California State of Mind, communicating the disparities in mental health care. In addition, she’s worked in state and local government – as a Finance Fellow for Congressman Josh Harder’s re-election campaign and as a Legislative Intern for Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

She is a recent graduate from the University of California, Davis. She holds a BA in International Relations, alongside minors in French, Human Rights, and Professional Writing.

Prior to joining in October 2022, she was a fellow at the Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship at New York University School of Law and served as a supervising attorney for the International Transactions Clinic. Angela began her legal career at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, advising on complex cross-border transactions in the Latin American region and supporting the firm’s pro bono efforts, and later served as in-house counsel for two global companies. Shifting to the non-profit sector in 2017, Angela practiced transactional public interest law, supporting microenterprises and non-profit organizations across New York City. Angela holds a JD from the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law. She is a member of the bar in New York and Washington State and is a native Spanish speaker.

Prior to her work at GP, she focused on economic, social, and environmental issues in financial institutions, Colombian government, non-profits, and start-ups. She co-founded ID Social, a consulting and advisory focused non-profit firm in Colombia, and has previous knowledge in structuring and managing of social innovation and impact models, analysis and financial projections, and strategic partnerships.

Additionally, she works closely with the Vice President of Finance and Administration supporting financial reporting, payroll, and other office issues. She joined Global Partnerships in February 2016. Taylor interned at GP during the summer of 2015 and was the Event Assistant during the fall of 2015 assisting the Investor Relations Team in preparation for the annual luncheon. Taylor holds an MS in Global Studies and International Relations from Northeastern University, Seattle as well as a BA in both Economics and Spanish from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

She joined Global Partnerships’ (GP) Managua office in October 2011. Her background includes over fifteen years of experience analyzing microfinance institutions and consulting on microenterprise development projects with organizations including Catholic Relief Services and UCADE, a faith-based organization that supports community development projects. Sixta holds a BA in public accounting and finance from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) and has done graduate work at UNAN and the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE).

Edith comes to GP with ten years of experience in financial analysis roles for various companies in Kenya, most recently in the agribusiness sector with Aliesta Foods. Through these roles she cultivated a strong ability to use financial analysis to inform cross-functional business decision-making and strategic planning. With experience in microfinance, agriculture, and social entrepreneurship, including working early in her career as part of an economic development project (E4D SOGA) in Kenya’s rural arid regions with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Edith brings to GP a deep passion for contributing to positive social impact and an eagerness to apply her analytical skills to an impact-focused role. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from The University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing her master's in international development.

Caitlyn comes to GP from a career in social impact having worked on project implementation at the World Bank Group (WBG), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), UN Women, and the Organization of American States (OAS). She holds an MA in International Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins - SAIS and a BA with honors in International Studies and Spanish from the University of Washington.

As part of her role, she manages a team of Investment Analysis Officers who also support the loan origination team throughout the investment cycle. Maria Teresa joined Global Partnerships in October 2019 as Portfolio Director managing GP’s partners in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, and Argentina, and moved to her current role in February 2024. Her background includes more than twenty years of financial experience in various Colombian and multinational companies based in Colombia including commercial, retail, and investment banks, and across construction materials, petrochemical, and fintech industries. She held different roles in finance including Trader, Corporate Treasurer, Corporate Finance Director, and CFO. Maria Teresa holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, an MBA from Instituto de Empresa (IE Business School) in Madrid, Spain, and an online certificate in digital transformation from MIT & Emeritus.

Sophie joined Global Partnerships in February 2018. Prior to joining Global Partnerships, Sophie worked in the Finance department at a growing software company in Kirkland, WA. She holds a BA in International Studies with a minor in French from the University of Washington.

Prior to GP, Marcela worked for over six years in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods sector, specifically on strategic planning, marketing, and managing innovation projects for Colombia, Ecuador, and Central America, using agile and design thinking methodologies and consulting on creative problem solving and service design tools.

She comes to GP with the desire of building a career in the non-profit sector, focusing on sustainable development and fighting poverty.

She holds a BSc with honors in Economics and International Business from Universidad Icesi in Cali and has conducted studies in Data Science and Creativity.

Bob has previously worked with technology and data for several nonprofit organizations, including Accelerator YMCA and Facing the Future (a program of Western Washington University). He has also worked with information systems and global logistics in the expedition cruise industry. Bob holds a BA in English Literature from Ithaca College.

Prior to joining Global Partnerships, Tyler interned for the Port of Seattle, a government agency that oversees the seaport, where he worked in the Aviation Finance and Budget department located in the Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA-TAC) Airport. There he assisted the team’s financial analysts in their annual budgeting process for the Port’s business partners that are part of the SEA-TAC airport. Tyler took on the position of club president at Central Washington University’s (CWU) Beta Alpha Psi Chapter, working to expand CWU's professional network by inviting business professionals to engage with the university and helping students explore career opportunities. Tyler holds a BS in Business Administration, alongside minors in Economics and Aviation Management from Central Washington University.

His duties include performing qualitative and quantitative financial analysis, with emphasis on credit analysis, helping review different types of business models and developing investment recommendations, and supporting the Social Investment Team monitoring investments from screening and loan origination to exit of our portfolio in Latin America & the Caribbean. He has five years of industry experience as the Country Manager in Nicaragua for OIKOCREDIT, as well as experience in the credit departments of commercial banks and retail companies. He has a BA in Business Administration from Florida International University as well as an MBA from INCAE.

Prior to starting with GP in July 2022, Joel served as the Interim Executive Director of a criminal legal system reform nonprofit in New York City (The Focus Forward Project) and consulted with a variety of nonprofits and businesses on the intersection of communications and technology, including The New York Times, Knight Foundation, and Harmony Institute. He is a co-founder of the Prosocial Design Network, holds an MPA in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University's School of International and Public Administration (SIPA) and a BA in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Chicago. Joel was born in Seattle, has acted professionally in theater, film, and voiceover, and has traveled to over 70 countries across all seven continents.

Prior to joining Global Partnerships, she worked for more than 6 years in the microfinance sector in a series of roles where she led rating assessments and collaborated with microfinance institutions and other stakeholders in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. She also worked with an audit firm and an international NGO, among others. She has a keen interest in the development sector and believes that impact-first investing is key to improve the lives of people living in poverty.

She holds a master’s degree in accounting and financial management from CESAG (Dakar, Senegal) and a certificate of expert in microfinance from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

His responsibilities also include managing the due diligence process and identifying new partners. Alberto joined Global Partnerships (GP) in August 2019 and his background includes over 7 years of experience working in credit risk management in the banking industry in Europe, consulting services for MFIs, and the management of a loan fund investing in SGBs in Rwanda. Alberto holds a MSc in International Business Administration from SOAS (University of London), a certificate in social enterprise management and impact investing from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a certificate in Venture Capital from IE Business School.

Aziz has valuable experience through roles in international development, the public sector, and consulting, where he has been involved in projects focused on public works, technical assistance, infrastructure, and sustainability & climate change. He has worked with institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank, Contraloría General de la República, and KPMG. As an economist and political scientist, he brings a unique perspective to complex challenges and is dedicated to making a positive impact on society through his work.

Having held leadership roles at RappiPay and Aritmétika, he has been integral in projects centered around financial modeling, corporate finance, and strategic planning. In his previous role at Aritmétika, Santiago was entrusted with managing key investor relationships, which included leading significant fundraising initiatives.

Santiago holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes and is a CFA Charterholder.

More recently, she worked as an ESG analyst in Paris, France, focusing on the environmental, social and governance analysis of companies with impact investment and sustainable development in the European and North American markets for an asset manager.

Carol holds a BS in Finance and International Trade and post-graduate studies on Capital Markets from Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, Colombia, and an MBA from EAE Business School and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain.