Eliza Woloson - Eliza is the Founder of Global Education Fund (GEF). In 1998, after working as an anthropologist in Asia and witnessing the scarcity of books available to children, she founded GEF. Since its creation, Eliza has orchestrated the successful establishment of fifty-three literacy centers for orphanages and schools in twenty-one countries. She received a Masters degree in Anthropology from University of Colorado, Denver.
Todd Woloson - Todd serves as the Managing Director of Greenmont Capital, a venture capital firm focused on green and sustainable businesses. He is also the Co-Founder of IZZE, a soft drink company based in Boulder, Colorado. Winner of the Rocky Mountain Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003, Todd has been an instrumental member of the board from the creation of the organization. He has a J.D. from the University of Denver.
Julie Maier - Julie has extensive experience in strategic planning and financial management, primarily in her former positions as Director of Financial Planning for Children's World Learning Centers in Golden, CO and Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy in Boulder, CO. She received her MBA from Harvard University.
Claire Joyce - Claire was a consultant with Andersen Consulting, now Accenture, and later a sales executive with IBM. She has previously held positions as a Board member of Playspace Children's Museum in Raleigh, North Carolina, President of the Parents Association at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Boulder, CO and as an active member on the Guild of Community Food Share in Boulder. She has a BA in History and Computer Science from Trinity College.
Susan Henderson - Susan has spent most of her adult life creating and running businesses that keep her traveling the world. With all of her travels, Susan and has developed a special affection for third world countries. Her penchant for being an entrepreneur, as well as a passionate traveler, inspired her to become involved with GEF, where she will work on donor travel, and Corporate Fundraising.
Bart Crawford - Bart is an owner and founder of BroadWing LLC, a Denver, CO company with divisions focused on media and logistics. Previously, Bart lived and worked internationally in the finance and energy industries. He has degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia.
Chris Marks - Chris is a partner with Tango Investment Partners, a private investment company located in Boulder, Colorado focused on high growth companies involved in retail and consumer branded products. He is also a Principal of Colorado Fund I, a venture capital fund that invests in seed and early stage businesses located in Colorado. He received a J.D from the University of Colorado and a B.A. from Colorado College.
Meg Porfido - Meg has experience in the private and public sectors, and is an attorney by profession. She was a member of the management team at Level 3 Communications, a global communications company, which grew from a start up to $4B in revenue over ten years. She also served as chief of staff and general counsel to Governor Romer (CO), practiced law at two private firms in Denver and Washington, DC, and was a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. She has her J.D. from George Washington University in DC.
ADVISORS:
Liz Berry Gips: Liz has served GEF since 2004, first as a Board Member, then as the Program Director (2007) and finally as the Executive Director (2008-9). Liz resigned her post in May 2009 in order to move with her family to Pretoria, South Africa, where her husband is currently serving as the U.S. Ambassador. Liz remains actively involved in supporting GEF’s programs in Africa, particularly in Kenya, where she has worked since 2007 to establish and build GEF’s programs. Liz has spent much of the past 20 years working in a variety of capacities in the education field, including U.S. education reform (New American Schools: 1991-1997), venture capital (Children’s Edu-Investors: 2000-2003), and a variety of international development projects. Liz received a B.A. from Williams College and an M.B.A. from Yale University.