KnowledgeBeat, Africa, Zambia, Education, Children, Girls, Environment, Resources, Professional, Community, Development

Team

The KnowledgeBeat team is composed of a diverse and passionate set of individuals who bring a variety of skills, ideas and networks to the organization. We contribute our passion, energy and time to furthering KnowledgeBeat’s mission in creative and constructive ways. Each and every member of the KnowledgeBeat team in the U.S. is a volunteer, enabling all of the financial contributions to go directly to the support of our programs on the ground in Zambia.7794040-r1-013-5-01.jpg

Zambia Team 

Marian Chipemba, Girls’ Advancement Manager

  • Marian has over 18 years of experience in Zambia’s education sector.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Masters in Education Administration and Management.  Prior to joining KnowledgeBeat’s team, Marian taught Geography and English at Monze Boarding High School.  As a teacher, Marian worked on various HIV/AIDS prevention education initiatives and worked closely with students through guidance and counseling programs.  Marian also worked with the National Organization for Agricultural Development in Communities (NOCAD), where she managed finances and supported community-based projects. 

Macmen Luhana, Community and Professional Development Manager

  • Macmen is responsible for developing and implementing KnowledgeBeat’s Community and Professional Development Program; he conducts development programs in each school we serve, monitors progress and implements and interprets methods for measuring results. Previously, Macmen was a primary school teacher and deputy head in the Kafue District for thirty-two years. During this time he attended countless seminars and professional development workshops to ensure he performed in the highest capacity. Macmen graduated from Kitwe College with a teaching certificate and subsequently received Education Management and Senior Teaching certificates from Chalimbana. Macmen is also an accomplished football player. He formed the Lusaka Rural Amateur Football League, served as the General Secretary and later Chairman of the Midlands Football Association, and is an icon to young football players throughout the country. Macmen is a dynamic, engaging and compassionate individual who is committed to improving children’s opportunities across Zambia.

Charles Njowe, Environmental Education Manager

  • Charles has a passion for sharing his vast environmental knowledge with the children of Zambia.  Most recently Charles worked at Munda Wanga, an Environmental Park comprised of an Environmental Education Center, a Wildlife Park and Sanctuary and a Botanical Garden.  At Munda Wanga, Charles worked primarily in the Education Center, where he educated children on wildlife, natural resource conservation and issues relating to climate change and alternative energy.  He also launched the Linba Nafwane Initiative, an organization focused on providing agricultural solutions to impoverished communities and delivering effective environmental education to all ages.

Charles Phiri, Country Director

  • As KnowledgeBeat Country Director, Charles leads operations for KnowledgeBeat’s Zambian team. Charles holds a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry from the University of Zambia and a Diploma in Natural Resources Management and Development from Eastern and Southern African Management Institute in Tanzania.  Charles brings over sixteen years of community development and natural resource management experience to KnowledgeBeat’s team. Most recently, Mr. Phiri worked with the World Wildlife Fund Natural Resources Management Capacity Building Program for Southern Africa where he coordinated natural resources management and training.  His experience also includes management of a Reclassification and Effective Management Project in Chiawa Zambia, with funding from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF). Prior to the UNDP/GEF Project, Charles worked as a Natural Resources Senior Inspector / Chief Technical Advisor-Counterpart for the Wildlife Resources Monitoring Unit under the Environmental Council of Zambia. The Unit was established to provide audit monitoring, cost-effective monitoring methodologies for stakeholders and government consulting on issues related to natural resource management and development in Zambia.  Driven by his passion for community advancement, the environment and education, Charles is committed to identifying and implementing solutions that ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Zambia.

U.S. Team

Lisa Dewey-Mattia, Director of Advancement

  • Lisa’s focus is to create a long-term development plan for KnowledgeBeat and assist with fundraising and nonprofit administration support. She has several years experience in the development departments of nonprofits, including at both an environmental education and a social service organization. Most recently, she was the Director of Development and Outreach at the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy where she managed their fundraising and outreach efforts. Lisa graduated from Brown University with a BA in History, focusing on 20th century comparative genocide. She is currently pursuing her master’s in City and Regional Planning at the Bloustein School at Rutgers, where she will focus on environmental policy and planning. Her passion for environmental policy and education, human rights issues and nonprofit organizations inspire her to volunteer for KnowledgeBeat.

Annie Hazlehurst, Co-Founder and Director

  • Annie helped formulate KnowledgeBeat’s long-term vision and is responsible for overseeing the development of the organization within Zambia and the U.S. She is a Bay Area native who has lived and worked in various parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. She is currently pursuing a joint MBA/MS Environment & Resources at Stanford University.  Recently, she worked with Mubadala Development Company, an Abu Dhabi government entity, on advancing initiatives in energy and technology development. She has also worked as an Analyst at Draper Fisher Jurvetson where she focused on clean technology investments. At DFJ she worked with entrepreneurs across a variety of clean technology verticals. Annie also worked as an Investment Banking Analyst in Morgan Stanley’s Financial Sponsors Group in San Francisco where she focused on leveraged buyouts and initial public offerings. Annie is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brown University where she received a B.S. in Biotechnology and completed a Hughes Fellowship that evaluated private sector development of tissue engineering and stem cell technologies. Annie is passionate about the environment, technology, education and the developing world.

Julie McDonnell, Co-Founder and Director of Creative Design

  • Julie is responsible for KnowledgeBeat’s creative design, event planning and website management. Julie graduated from high school in 1999 from Menlo School in Atherton, California. After high school, she went on to study Studio Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design at the University of Arizona in Tucson where she also became a member of the American Marketing Association. After the University of Arizona, Julie worked in Pleasanton, California for Eclipse Data Technologies as a Customer Support Technician as well as the Website Manager for 6 years. More recently, she went back to school to study another passion she has in Criminal Justice at San Francisco State University and is currently pursuing a job in the Criminal Justice field. In Julie’s spare time, she finds joy in being an active member of the Menlo Young Alumni Committee and spending time in San Francisco where she resides, or traveling with family and friends.

Sarah Mintz, Co-Founder and Country Coordinator

  • Sarah lived in Zambia from June 2008 to June 2009, supporting KnowledgeBeat’s launch and program development.  As Country Coordinator, she continues to work closely with the Zambian team.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Communications with a concentration in Psychology from Northwestern University.  While at Northwestern, Sarah helped launch the first independent living solution for Center for Independent Futures, a non-profit organization helping adults with disabilities live independent lives. Upon graduation, Sarah led marketing and fundraising initiatives at Massachusetts-based Eagle Hill School, where she also coached boys’ basketball. Prior to her year in Zambia, Sarah worked as a Client Executive at Voce Communications, a communications consultancy that delivers influencer-marketing programs for clients in the high-tech sector.

Margaret Word, Co-Founder and Director of Marketing

  • Margaret’s primary focus is on planning KnowledgeBeat’s marketing efforts and developing innovative and long-term strategies to support the organization’s growth. Margaret grew up in the Bay Area and has been actively involved in her community since high school.  Margaret’s efforts have spanned environmental clean-ups, fundraising for the San Francisco Aids Walk, and working with the homeless throughout San Francisco.  Margaret has also exercised her passion for the importance of elementary education and taught grammar and literature for Project Reflect while in college.  Margaret currently works in Direct Marketing for Williams-Sonoma Inc. as a Senior Planner.  She has been in marketing for 5 years tracking customer behavior, measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and re-strategizing to enhance future marketing plans.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development with a concentration in leadership effectiveness from Vanderbilt University in 2003.