SENIOR STAFF
Lynn Foden
Chief Executive Officer, USA
Lynn’s international development experience includes positions with Room to Read, The Peace Corps, the African Wildlife Foundation, Moving Water Industries, International Rescue Committee, and the World Bank. Lynn holds a BA in Geology from Barnard College, a BS in Mining Engineering from Columbia University, a master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy with a focus on Economic Policy from The Fletcher School, Tufts University and a master’s degree in Business Administration, with a focus on Technology Management, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
As CEO, Lynn will work with our in-country teams to drive the strategic vision for Thrive Networks across its programs in water and sanitation, health and education, while ensuring high quality implementation of programs, with our current focus on Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Further, Lynn will continue Thrive’s efforts to share the results from our signature innovative financing and private sector engagement approaches with the international development community, while collaborating with funders to develop new programs that promise excellent outcomes and sustainability.
Thuy Ngo
Global Finance Director, USA
Thuy is responsible for the effective management of the organization finances, as well as financial management for all Thrive Networks’ grants and programs.
Before joining Thrive Networks, Thuy worked as a financial analyst at a renewable energy investment firm in San Francisco which developed, built and delivered high quality solar projects in the United States. Prior to that, she was the Finance & Operation Manager for a private foundation whose mission was to deliver hearing aids to children, develop educational programs in training and job placement for single mothers in urban areas, and provide infrastructural support to orphanages in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Thuy holds an MBA in Finance from the University of San Francisco, and a BS in International Business from Saint Mary’s College of California.
Belinda Abraham
Country Director and Regional Program Director, Vietnam
With over 15 years’ experience in the area of international development, Belinda Abraham serves as the Country Director and Regional Program Director in Vietnam. Studying in Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Belinda earned a BSc in Biology and BA in International Development. She combined her two interests and earned an MSc in International Development Planning from the University of Guelph, Canada in 2000. She has studied or worked in Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, Malawi, South Africa, Burundi, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Germany, and now Vietnam. She has had a longstanding career with UNICEF in the sectors of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Education in six countries. Her most recent position was as Chief of WASH with UNICEF Cambodia. She has also worked with GIZ as a consultant under the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA), and as a project officer for the NGO, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR).
As a staunch believer in volunteerism, Belinda has dedicated her time as a jury member with Swedish International Water Institute (SIWI) for the Junior Water Prize 2015 and 2016. She is also co-lead for the working group 7 on Gender Equality and WASH in Institutions with SuSanA. In 2017, she was a member of the executive committee for the School Community Organization (SCO) as part of United Nation International School Hanoi, and participated in further developing the SCO Grant framework.
Khouankeo Ardphasouk
Country Director, Lao PDR
Khouankeo Ardphasouk is Thrive Networks – East Meets West’s (EMW) Country Director and WASH Program Manager in Laos. In this role, he has overseen the expansion and adaptation of EMW’s signature output-based aid approach to rural WASH in Laos under the WASHOBA program. Khouankeo manages program implementation and plays a key role in building strong partnerships with government stakeholders such as Nam Saat and other sector partners such as the World Bank. Khouankeo has over 13 years of experience in community development spanning the WASH, disaster risk reduction, education, and health sectors. Before joining EMW, Khouankeo worked at Oxfam Australia, where he was responsible for managing their Disaster Risk Reduction Programme in water, sanitation, and food security in Vientiane, Sekong and Saravan provinces. He developed strong coordination with the Laos Government and the international NGO sector; and provided guidance, direction, and mentorship to local counterparts to ensure that the results of program contributed to the Laos-Australia NGO Co-operation Agreement (LANGOCA) framework. Khouankeo graduated from Chiang Mai University in Thailand.
Kim Hor
Country Director, Cambodia
Kim Hor is Thrive Networks – East Meets West’s (EMW) Country Director and WASH Program Manager in Cambodia. Under his leadership, the EMW Cambodia team has pioneered the use of output-based smart subsidies to support over 64,000 poor households and 5,400 non-poor households to build and use hygienic latrines in Cambodia in under five years. He oversees EMW’s major programs in Cambodia, including the Community Hygiene Output-Based Aid Program (CHOBA 2) and WASHOBA, and works closely with government partners to implement and scale up EMW’s programming. Prior to EMW, Kim Hor worked for UNICEF for almost twenty years in their WASH program. At UNICEF, he held various responsibilities including managing all WASH construction facilities in communities and schools, acting as a focal point for UNICEF’s WASH in Emergencies portfolio, and serving as UNICEF Cambodia’s recruitment and review panel member. Kim Hor holds an engineering degree from Institute of Technology of Cambodia and an MBA from Charles Sturt University in Australia.
Hanh Nguyen
Regional Program Director, Vietnam
Hanh Nguyen is a Regional Program Director for Thrive Networks – East Meets West (EMW) in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Hanh has 10 years of experience in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector in the region, focused on monitoring and evaluation, results-based financing, and program management. Her most involved project is the Community Hygiene Output-Based Aid Program (CHOBA 2) funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which aims to enhance sanitation and hygiene practices among the rural poor in partnership with Vietnam Women’s Union and Cambodian Ministry of Rural Development. She is also pioneering new approaches to solving fecal sludge management challenges in Vietnam and Cambodia, and managing a project encouraging private sector engagement in rural water supply in Vietnam. Previously, Hanh held senior leadership positions in the Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge and Learning teams at EMW. Prior to EMW, Hanh was a water supply and drainage engineer for a consulting firm in Vietnam. She holds a BSc in Water supply and Drainage Engineering from Hanoi Architectural University and an MSc in Integrated Water Management from the University of Queensland, Australia.
Hiep Nguyen
Director of Administration and Finance, Small-Scale Projects Manager, Vietnam
Hiep Nguyen is the Director of Administration and Finance for Thrive Networks – East Meets West (EMW), and Manager of Small-Scale Projects. He oversees administration, finance, human resources, and IT at EMW offices in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. He has worked with EMW for over 13 years, supporting the Vietnam Country Director and teams across EMW’s three countries to ensure that the organization’s mission and goals are fulfilled. Hiep began his career at EMW as a Finance Manager, and was previously a senior accountant for a project funded by UNDP/UNCDF and AusAID (DFAT). Hiep has over 20 years of experience in non-profit finance management and has worked with a range of large-scale funders including UNDP, the World Bank, DFAT, and USAID. He holds a Bachelors in Banking and Finance from Danang University. Hiep has also received training in leadership, program management, Chief Accountant & CFO, and human resources management from professional trainers in Vietnam and abroad.
Le Cao Dung
Senior Program Officer, Vietnam
Le Cao Dung brings over 12 years of experience in the water, health, education, small-scale construction, and community development sectors. He currently manages the implementation of Thrive Networks – East Meets West’s (EMW) small-scale projects, including rural water-scheme projects, school construction projects, and compassion homes. Cao Dung works with local partners at all levels, contractors, and beneficiaries to implement these programs which are highly appreciated by all stakeholders. Cao Dung has received several awards for outstanding performance from the Service Centre for Danang Foreign Affairs, and was the recipient of the Medal of Merit from the Vietnam Study Promotion Association in 2014. Before joining EMW, Cao Dung worked for a transportation company of the Ministry of Transport. He is a bridge engineering architect by training.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carrie Eglinton Manner
Senior Vice President, Advance Diagnostics at Quest Diagnostics
Before moving into her current role at Quest Diagnostics, Carrie Eglinton Manner served as President and CEO of Detection & Guidance Solutions at GE Healthcare. Prior to that, she was President and CEO of Surgery at GE Healthcare. Beforehand, Carrie served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Clarient Diagnostic Services, Inc., a GE Healthcare Company. Carrie was with GE for 20 years, there she led a number of businesses and served in a variety of roles across the disciplines of sales, marketing, services, quality, and acquisition integration.
Prior to Clarient, Carrie led GE Healthcare’s Maternal Infant Care (MIC) division, a global market leader providing solutions to support healthcare providers in caring for mothers and their babies during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and neonatal intensive care. Her team was instrumental in advancing GE’s rural health strategy globally and developed partnerships with thought leaders and across sectors to address the need to improve mother and child health outcomes while decreasing neonatal and maternal mortality rates worldwide. Working with Thrive Networks toward a shared vision in Maternal and Infant Care was a personal and professional inspiration for her. Carrie is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. She is married to Derek, and they have two children.
Jerome Falk
Vice Chair of Board of Directors, Thrive Networks
Senior Counsel, Arnold & Porter LLP
Jerry Falk joined the Thrive Networks Board in 2007. Jerry is Senior Counsel at the law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP (and prior to that a partner at Howard, Rice, which combined with Arnold & Porter in 2012). He is a Certified Specialist in Appellate Law. Following law school, Jerry served as law clerk to Justice William O. Douglas of the Supreme Court of the United States. For 10 years, Jerry also taught constitutional law at UC Berkeley’s School of Law.
After a 52 year-plus career in the law, Jerry is winding down his active practice. His work had included substantial cases in the fields of securities, antitrust, contracts, financing, professional liability, environmental, intellectual property and constitutional law. Representative clients included American Express, McKesson Corporation, Genentech, Inc., University of California, and the State of California. For more than 20 Jerry has repeatedly been listed in Best Lawyers in America. For the third consecutive year, he was in 2006 recognized as a Top 100 Super Lawyer by Law & Politics. Jerry has received numerous awards for his litigation work and community service from organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee,
Jerry received his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, where he graduated first in his class in 1965, and his BA from the University of California at Berkeley (with honors, Economics) in 1962. Jerry lives in Berkeley with his wife, Nancy. He has made numerous trips to Vietnam and other countries in the region in connection with his service on the Thrive Board and as part of his personal financial support for Thrive/East Meets West programs on the ground.
Melinda Griffith
Board Chair, Thrive Networks
Executive, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Melinda Griffith is VP, Strategic Alliance Management, and Chief Legal Counsel at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. She has extensive experience leading the business development, licensing, legal and compliance activities of diagnostic, pharma and life sciences companies.
Ms. Griffith is a co-founder of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, providing free or low-cost legal services with people living with HIV/AIDS. She has served as a mentor for social entrepreneurial businesses as part of Santa Clara University’s Global Social Benefit Institute. She holds a JD from University of California, Hastings College of Law, and a BS (BusAdm) from University of California Berkeley. She is admitted to practice law in New York and California.
Gil Kemp
Director
Gil Kemp founded Home Decorators Collection, one of the nation’s leading direct sellers of home furnishings and accessories, in 1991. He led the company as President and Chief Merchant until his retirement in July 2009, approximately three years after the company was purchased by the Home Depot. Prior to founding Home Decorators Collection, Gil was co-founder of Kemp & George, a catalog of products for the home. From 1976 to 1988, Gil developed direct-marketing programs for books and newsletters for New American Library, Bantam Books and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Gil graduated with honors from Swarthmore College and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy. Gil is the co-author of Dale Carnegie: The Man Who Influenced Millions, published by St. Martin’s Press and printed in five foreign editions. Gil has been the Chair of the Board of Managers at Swarthmore College since 2012. He was also on the board of the United Way of Scarsdale for over 20 years, and served for 10 years on the board of the Scarsdale Foundation.
“As a donor to Thrive Networks, I have seen how effective Thrive Networks is in improving the health and welfare of Vietnam. It’s been extremely gratifying to be a supporter of programs such as SPELL, Breath of Life and the Dental Program, and I look forward to the opportunity to deepen my involvement through serving on the Thrive Networks Board.”
Matt Kursh
Chief Executive Officer, Oji Life Lab
Matt Kursh is CEO and Founder of Oji Life Lab, a technology startup that is building a suite of mobile learning programs for corporations that help employees gain Universal Skills including decision-making, emotional intelligence, goal-setting, creativity and more.
Oji Life Lab creates hands-on learning experiences that help high school students get ready for life. The focus is on life literacy, the array of ideas and skills that allow us to thrive, ranging from the value of money to the meaning of life, from managing teams to managing emotions.
Matt was the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Planet Network in 2007. He oversaw strategy, operations, and the successful execution of Blue Planet Run 2007, the organization’s global relay run to raise awareness and funds for safe drinking water.
Matt’s career in high-tech companies includes starting and selling companies to Apple and Microsoft; running MSN.com and other businesses at Microsoft; and serving on the Board of Directors of public and private companies. He currently serves on the Board of the Tamalpa Institute. Matt lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.
Alexander Nguyen
Board Secretary, Thrive Networks
Assistant City Manager, City of Riverside
Alexander Nguyen serves as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Riverside, California. In this capacity, he provides leadership and policy guidance to city departments and divisions. Prior to this position he served as Assistant City Manager for the City of Alameda, CA. Prior to that he was elected Chief of Staff to the elected City Attorney of Oakland, California. Alex has also served as director of Oakland’s Neighborhood Law Corps since 2001 — a program recognized nationally for its innovative work in Oakland’s poorest communities.
Alex has a background in social work, having worked in direct service to immigrant populations from Southeast Asia and Central America. In his most recent volunteer work, Alex served on the Board of Directors for the Family Violence Law Center in Alameda County, with four years as president.
Alex was born and raised in Vietnam. He holds a B.A. in International Development from Clark University.
Andrew Popell
Partner, Olive Hill Investment Partners
Andrew Popell is an entrepreneur with 20+ years of business and nonprofit experience. He has been involved in most aspects of business, including: product conception and development, marketing, sales, business development, finance and operations. Andrew is currently a Partner at Olive Hill Investment Partners. Prior to that, he founded several companies, including OQO, creator of the world’s smallest full powered computer, where he was the Chairman; Keynote Systems (KEYN), where he was the VP of Marketing; and Harvest Technology, a financial software company, where he was the COO.
Andrew also founded two education-related nonprofits: Passion for Learning and The Athena Project. He has done a great deal of pro-bono strategic and marketing consulting to Bay Area nonprofits through the HBS Alumni Community Partners (where he was on the steering committee for several years).
Andrew holds an A.B. degree from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two children and enjoys playing soccer, travel and the arts.
Peter A. Singer
Board Chair Emeritus, Thrive Networks
Chief, Clinical Endocrinology Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California
Peter A. Singer, M.D., served as Board Chair for over 20 years, and has been an active board member since 1990. Dr. Singer’s interest in Thrive Networks is an outgrowth of his experience as a battalion doctor with U.S. Armed Forces in Da Nang, Vietnam from 1966-1967. At that time he became aware of the significant needs of the very poor in Vietnam, and began medical and relief efforts. His association with Thrive Networks has allowed him to continue to assist the poor in Vietnam.
Peter is a native San Franciscan, and completed his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, and received his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He currently is Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, where he is active in clinical practice, teaching, and research. Dr. Singer has been married since 1971 to Marjorie Kagawa-Singer, who is Professor of Public Health and Asian-American Studies at UCLA. Despite being employed by rival universities, Peter and Margie have set aside their academic differences and have raised two great kids, Jonathan and Joana.
Jin Zidell
Founder, Blue Planet Network
Jin Zidell founded Blue Planet Network in 2002 and served as its Chairman of the Board. As an entrepreneur, philanthropist and environmentalist, Jin is deeply passionate about solving the global water crisis by improving the long-term sustainability and impact of water programs and empowering communities to take charge of their futures. As Jin puts it, “I have invested one half of my wealth, 10 years of my time and most of my mind space in Blue Planet Network.”
Jin has served on the boards of The Natural Step, the Predator Conservation Alliance and the Earth Trust Foundation. Since 1979, Jin has been affiliated with Dia Rosatsu Zendo Kongo-Il, a Zen Buddhist Monastery. Jin Zidell received a B.S. in Business from the University of Colorado in 1960. In June, 2012, Jin completed the Race Across America, a week-long cross-country cycling race, in support of Blue Planet Network water projects.