Founders

Claire Williams

Claire holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Anthropology from Stanford University, and is pursuing her MBA as a Skoll Scholar for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University. Prior to starting iBecome, Claire started Hope Runs, an international organization renowned for its achievements operating athletic programs in AIDS orphanages. Claire got her start in the non-profit world while working as an anthropology consultant with several different international volunteer organizations to encourage programming that improves volunteer experiences in the field. She firmly believes in the power of such volunteer efforts to transform the lives of the individuals who take part in such endeavors - on both sides. Doing something worthwhile in this world is not just about the money you give out, but the connections and experiences you have trying to do so. For this reason, Claire believes that a volunteer's experience in another place in the globe can certainly be worth the cost of a plane ticket to get there, and in the long run such an expense really can do as much as or more than sending money abroad - since it helps transform the nature of our global citizens' response to growth, aid, and healing change.

Lara Vogel

After graduating from Stanford University with a B.A. in Human Biology and International Public Health, Lara balked in the face of jumping immediately into medical school and thus took the next logical step: writing. After working as a travel writer all over the world, she then co-founded Hope Runs, an organization widely regarded in running circles for its efforts to implement athletic programs in AIDS orphanages. Having worked in health clinics around the world, she is confident in the positive effects that health education programs, particularly for children, can have on the well-being of a nation. Lara is also pursuing her medical degree.

Sydney Schaef

Upon graduation from the University of Florida with a B.A. in History and Religion, Sydney joined Teach For America and returned to southern California to teach in South Central Los Angeles and pursue her Masters in Education through UCLA. She launched Kujali International in the spring of 2006 to support her programming and fundraising efforts as US Representative of the Hananasif Orphanage Center in Tanzania, which she considers the inspiration of her life’s work; and in the spring of 2008, Sydney merged with HopeRuns’ Co-founders, Lara Vogel and Claire Williams, to launch IBecome. She believes the direct provision of multi-disciplinary education is critical to a successful orphanage model; education must be relevant to local contexts, and set within the framework of social responsibility, leadership development, and local vision. She continues to teach in Los Angeles and pursue her Masters, while also leading a research/development team working to design a model “orphanage academy” and an International Social Justice Teacher Education Program to support IBecome’s educational launches through partnership orphanages overseas.

Staff

Sarah Lowe - Director of Development

Sarah Lowe grew up in greater Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Florida in 2006 as a distinguished scholar-athlete with a dual degree in Political Science and Spanish. Sarah has done extensive research in US and international trade policy, and served as a Fulbright Scholar in Central America studying the political and socio-economic ramifications of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) for the people of Costa Rica. Her research has led her to southern California with a particular interest in immigration policy and perspectives. She is currently working at Skadden Arps in Los Angeles, CA, as a legal support assistant, and has plans to pursue a law degree after her time at Skadden.

Emily Baker - Fundraising Coordinator

Emily Baker (Seattle, WA): Emily's life hasn't been a singularly rooted one. Born in St. Paul, MN, she's since lived in Vancouver, BC, Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa, the wilds of mid-Ohio, and now happily calls Seattle, WA her home. While on her colorful journey, Emily picked up a penchant for relentlessly seeking to help and empower people, making plain her passionate, empathic heart to anyone who has met her. Besides obsessing over the ridiculous cuteness of her niece, Emily spends her time running with friends, reading, doing carpentry work, and cooking up a storm. As Seattle's new Hope Runs chapter-head, she'd love to help you learn how to become a part of the Hope Runs team.

Holly Dranginis - Grant Writer, Researcher

Holly grew up in Sonoma County, California, and graduated from Connecticut College in 2006 with a B.A. in International Relations. She has done fieldwork on transitional justice in post-conflict societies including South Africa, Paraguay, and Peru, and worked with refugees in Denmark as a Humanity in Action Fellow to investigate gender discrepancies in the asylum process. Most recently, Holly worked with the United Nations and grassroots organizations regarding post-war peace building as a Fulbright Scholar in Guatemala, where she also served as a legal advocate for victims of Femicide. Holly interned in the development division of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, writing grants and organizing fundraising events, and at the Institute for Justice Sector Development in The Hague as a grantwriter for projects on justice administration in transitional democracies. She is currently a legal intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former-Yugoslavia in The Hague and after finishing her term will begin work at the International Criminal Court.

Francesca Coraggio - Project Manager

Francesca graduated from University La Sapienza in Rome, Italy in 1997 with a degree in Literature, having already received a diploma in Librarianship from Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana in Vatican City, Italy. Francesca worked as a Service Development Officer for Westminster City Council in London for several years, using her organizational and fundraising skills to develop educational and outreach programs through the libraries she managed in London. She moved in southern California in the spring of 2008 and joined IBecome as a project manager with a wonderful passion for education and creative initiatives purposed to serve vulnerable youth.

David Lipps - Web and Graphic Design

David is currently pursuing his JD and MA in Philosophy at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Florida in May, 2005. David produced the Hananasif Orphanage musical album Twakushukuru.

Joshua Wexlbaum - Web Development and Advertising

Jonathan Lipps - Web Development

Jonathan is a web development consultant and itinerant philosopher (guess which job pays), and was able to help kick things off with Claire and Lara at the inception of Hope Runs at Tumaini. He provides tech and media support and weighs in with scathing one-liners whenever possible. Among other things, he designed this website, and has been known to spontaneously make tortillas. He had the privilege of graduating from Stanford with Claire and Lara in 2004, with a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy.

Victoria Ward

Vicki is currently receiving her medical training at the University of California - San Francisco. Prior to and during medical school, Vicki has done extensive work on global health issues and program development. She currently serves as the Program Director for Call and Response, a nonprofit focused on catalyzing potential changemakers to fund and execute the most effective and high impact projects to fight issues of social injustice. Before she began her medical studies, Vicki was one of two Managing Directors of the Raikes Family Foundation, a large Seattle foundation focused on development issues facing America's youth. She has previously held positions at Immtech International, a research-oriented biotechnology company engaged in pharmaceutical development for the developing world, where she performed research on epidemiology, pathophysiology and current treatments for some of world's most devastating infectious diseases. She later served as Program Officer and Development Director for Deborah's Palm, a nonprofit promoting integrative team-based care for women in crisis. While in medical school, she has focused on enabling students to create lasting global social change as a Program Director for the Rainer Arnhold Fellowship Program and helped to teach a course for medical students on Health and Human Rights.

Board of Directors

Kaleen Love
Marianna Sachse
Vicki Ward
Barbara Williams
Sydney Schaef