Founders & U.S. Board of Directors
Claudia Cooper, Ed.D
Claudia is a co-founder of Global Family Initiative and has been visiting and working in Ethiopia since 2003. She has recently retired from teaching full time in the Education Studies and English departments at Middlebury College where she focused on literacy, global education and writing and literature for children and young adults..
Nicholas Rogerson
Nicholas is a co-founder of Global Family Initiative. In addition he is the co-founder and Managing Partner at LICO, a global renewable energy consultancy that focuses on bringing clean energy services to the 650 million people in emerging markets who don't currently have modern energy access.
Eric Hoest
Eric is a co-founder of the Global Family Initiative. He has spent a significant amount of time in Ethiopia both for the Betasab Project as well as through his work in the coffee industry. In addition to being a passionate advocate for empowering marginalized women and children, Eric is also a pilot, triathlete, consumer products executive and investor. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Susan Baldridge
Susan Baldridge joined the GFI Board in 2018. She is a strategic consultant for higher education and non-profit organizations. She holds the title of College Professor of Psychology at Middlebury College, where she has also served in a variety of administrative positions, most recently as Provost.
Cynthia Stoldt
Cynthia joined the GFI Board in December 2015 and is CEO of executive search firm Aherne Executive Search LLC. She brings thirty years of global talent acquisition, marketing and sales experience from Estee Lauder, Donna Karan International and L’Oreal.
Lorraine Tobias
Lorraine joined the GFI board in October 2015. Lorraine is an independent digital strategist with over 15 years experience working with top brands and agencies on product management, branding, and marketing strategies.
Staff in Ethiopia
Meskerem Cohen
Meskerem has recently joined the Betasab Project officially, though she has devoted considerable energy to it in an unofficial capacity for several years. She has been working as the Director of Programs and Media Coordinator since June of 2018, and Country Director since December, 2018. In addition to her work at Betasab, she is a professional photographer and a passionate chef.
Fikirte Getachew
Fikirte has worked at the Betasab Project since 2012 and is the Finance Head and Assistant Country representative. Fikirte has had many many roles at Betasab, from cashier to head mother, she has been at Betasab the longest of the Ethiopian staff. She likes to read and to watch sports, especially table tennis, and her favorite food is Genfo.
Amarech Dapore
Amarech is from Hosanna, in southern Ethiopia and she is the mother of Selam house. In addition to being the mother of eleven children she has her own child who is 4 years old and lives with the rest of the children, Amarech is studying accounting three days a week. Her favorite food is firfir.
Yeshi Alebachew
Yeshi is an aunty in the Selam House, where she works with Amarech and takes care of 10 Betasab children. She loves to cook vegetables, listen to songs, watch TV dramas, and eat injera (delicious!).
Chaltu Abdate
Chaltu is the mother of Fiker house. Before coming to Betasab she worked in a factory. Chaltu is a great cook and likes it when there are gatherings in the house.
Getayawkal Hailu (Mimi)
Mimi was born and raised in Addis Ababa. She is the aunt for Fiker house, and works with Chaltu. Mimi studied nursing and cooking before coming to Betasab. She loves to play soccer and her favorite food is meat.
Tesfatsion Emene
Tesfatsion is the social worker for Betasab. She got her degree from Ambo University in early child care and education. She works with the children in both the Origins Homes and the Learning Lions programs, and collects data for the monitoring and evaluation reports. She also works with staff on child development. In her free time she loves to play handball.
Abeba Ketema
Abeba works at the Betasab Project as a secretary. Her favorite food is Genfo, and in her free time she love to play soccer.
Divya Gudur (Intern)
Divya Gudur is a student at Middlebury College majoring in Environmental Chemistry. She is passionate about addressing issues of environmental justice and other social injustices globally. She likes working with Betasab because of how this organization truly supports children holistically by helping them create a place they can call home.