Fellowship
Your impact makes a difference
To our donors:
The SHARE Fellowship has reached a landmark: We have now welcomed more than 100 Fellows to Thunderbird. This isn’t just a notable statistic. Each Fellow has made a meaningful impact on the world in their own way, and together they continue to build and strengthen our community.
For our newest Fellows, the fall intake includes a week-long orientation program designed to prepare them for success. Sessions cover networking techniques, presentation skills, personal branding, academic skills refreshers, and more. We also focus on community-building and helping them envision the next two years, guided by the example and encouragement of our recent graduates.
We are especially proud to share that recent graduate Dr. Daniel Chaves became the first SHARE Fellow to receive one of Thunderbird’s most prestigious honors—the Barton Kyle Yount Award. Presented by the faculty, this award recognizes the student who best embodies the principles of scholarship, accomplishment, and character envisioned by Thunderbird’s founder and first president.
Inside this update, you’ll find profiles for our newest SHARE Fellows, as well as updates about some of our recent graduates, including Daniel and others in his cohort.
Our graduates and current Fellows are so grateful to you, our donors, for supporting their Thunderbird journey, a journey that is truly life-changing and made possible only through your generosity. Thank you for being a part of the SHARE community.
With gratitude,
Maria Houle Program Director, SHARE Fellowship
SHARE by the numbers
$3M+
Raised in FY25
$61,459 Raised in FY25 from annual donors (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025)
$575K
Largest gift from a SHARE Fellow graduate
100+
Fellows welcomed to Thunderbird
60+ SHARE donors in FY25
$145K+
Current average cost for one Fellow to graduate
Impact spotlight: Lilian “Lily” Mramba ’10
Lily, from Tanzania, is Chief Investment Officer at Grassroots Business Fund (GBF), leading investment strategy to support socially responsible SMEs on the Continent, as well as overseeing global grant-funded programs and operations in Nairobi and Washington, D.C. Since 2011, she has held multiple leadership roles with the organization, directing investments that aim to scale businesses and create measurable social outcomes. She currently leads a $65M investment program at GBF, aligning capital with Africa’s development priorities.
Her career began as a Business Assurance Manager at Moss Adams in Seattle, but her life’s purpose was
fostering economic equity for underserved African communities. Thunderbird catalyzed a career transition from public accounting to impact investing.
Lily’s interests include serving on the investment committee of the €140M IDH Farmfit Fund, supporting smallholder agriculture, and advising Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life Program for sustainable cocoa sourcing. She was also appointed trustee of the UK-based Humanity Insured, which helps secure insurance protection for the most vulnerable, and she is an angel investor in a media startup.
As a Thunderbird alumna, Lily supports SHARE as a donor, mentor, and alumni collaborator.
“The invaluable network cultivated through SHARE has been instrumental in my journey.”
Welcoming new Fellows
Kekeli Mensah ’27
Kekeli, from Ghana, is the recipient of three highly competitive merit-based full scholarships. He holds a BS in Management Information Systems from the acclaimed Ashesi University and a Master’s degree from W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU through the ASU–Mastercard Foundation program. Most recently, as a business analyst for a South African company, he provided training and project management coaching to startup entrepreneurs in the Green Economy, helping them leverage technology to build systems and attract investment. He also contributed his expertise to Bee and Bloom, a Ghanaian tourism startup app for diaspora travelers.
Having overcome personal challenges, Kekeli is deeply committed to social impact and ethical leadership. His longterm goal is to grow as a consultant and leader who helps small businesses bridge the technology gap and expand sustainably within Ghana’s evolving economy.
Assel Smailova ’27
Assel, from Kazahkstan began her global journey as a high school exchange student in Maine through a State Department program. She went on to earn a double major in Business Administration and Management Information Systems at Florida International University. Most recently, she worked as a business intelligence developer for Fairlife LLC, the fastest-growing subsidiary of Coca-Cola. Since 2018, Assel has also been building an education consultancy to support students in Kazakhstan, offering coaching and guidance to high schoolers aspiring to study abroad. Using a data-driven system she created, she has identified new trends, maximized scholarship opportunities, and engaged with hundreds of prospective clients. Her goal is to expand the business to strengthen the knowledge and talent of Kazakh students, particularly those pursuing careers in technology.
Stephen Bruku Sekyere ’27
Stephen, from Ghana, has six years of experience in sales within FMCG (fastmoving consumer goods) and fintech, including roles at Unilever Ghana and Fido Microcredit. At Fido, his team facilitated loans for more than 450 small businesses and secured a UNCDF-funded market research project on access to capital for women-and youth-led enterprises in underserved communities. He is also active in volunteer initiatives, supporting women entrepreneurs and collaborating with a German NGO on plastic waste management.
Fluent in four languages, Stephen values cultural adaptability and community impact. His undergraduate studies in Political Science and Philosophy have informed his long-term goal of leading a global social enterprise focused on sustainable development policies in Africa, advising companies and governments on ESG frameworks that address the continent’s unique challenges.
Raquel Soares ’27
Raquel, from Brazil, is an environmental performance specialist with 15 years of experience across industries, most recently at one of the world’s largest food companies, where she enhanced sustainability reporting across global supply chains. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biology, an International Master’s in Urban and Industrial Sciences, and multiple professional certificates, and is recognized for building bespoke systems from the ground up. She now seeks advanced skills in data, technology, AI, and leadership through Thunderbird to scale her impact. A long-time volunteer and mentor, Raquel has taught, organized educational events on the circular economy, and guided both young people and colleagues in sustainability and life skills. Her long-term goal is to shape corporate sustainability strategies at a global level, creating meaningful change in Brazil and beyond.
Quynh (Quinn) Tran ’27
Quynh, from Vietnam, is a product and project management specialist in the IT sector, most recently at Money Forward Vietnam where she has build fintech solutions for SMEs. Fluent in English, Japanese and Vietnamese and valued for her cross-cultural awareness, she has developed training programs for Japanese-speaking colleagues and and developed customized products with features used by thousands of employees. Passionate about fintech’s role in addressing environmental and social challenges, she aims to focus her Thunderbird studies on global leadership, case writing, and entrepreneurship, preparing for a long-term aspiration of founding her own tech startup. With her entrepreneurial drive, fluency in finance and technology, Quynh is commitment to creating sustainable impact in Vietnam and beyond
Recent graduate updates
Luis Gonzalez ’25
“SHARE gave me the tools, knowledge, courage, and connections to return to my home country, Cuba, to do something to help the people there and the development of infrastructure - to Luis Gonzalez from Cuba joined SHARE as a civil engineer with eight years of experience in large infrastructure projects. Based in Arizona, he is currently pursuing two entrepreneurial ventures in Cuba: establishing an export company in Veracruz, Mexico, and developing a solar energy project to address the country’s widespread electricity shortages. The solar initiative, shaped in collaboration with partners he met at Thunderbird, aims to provide families with reliable power and carries a strong social mission. Reflecting on his Thunderbird and SHARE experience, Luis emphasizes that the program gave him the tools, perspective, and ourage to return home and build projects that strengthen Cuba’s infrastructure and improve people’s well-being.
impact their well-being. I’m now working on a project focused on reducing the country’s dependence on the national energy system, which can’t supply enough electricity and causes daily blackouts that can last 12 to 18 hours.
The project distributes and installs solar energy systems and, at its core, has a strong social component. None of this would have been possible without SHARE.”
Juned Prajanta ’25
He actively engages with the Thunderbird alumni network in Indonesia, seeking capital, partnerships, and investor connections to scale his businesses. Grateful for the lifechanging support of the SHARE Fellowship, Juned hopes to one day become a donor himself by building sustainable enterprises that create impact and enable him to support future Fellows.
Liza Katange ’25
Liza Kitange, based in her home country of Tanzania, holds bachelor’s degrees from both Glasgow Caledonian University and the African Leadership University. She is currently a product lead at Hundred School, a UK-based startup promoting AI education, where she develops strategy, creates engaging content, and helps design a new interactive platform for learners of all backgrounds.
With plans to expand from B2C micro-learning to B2B corporate and ethical AI education, Liza sees strong social impact potential and hopes to transition into the B2B side of the business as her role evolves. Alongside this, she has explored entrepreneurial projects such as Sikoa Studio. Her long-term aspiration is to create initiatives that connect her professional expertise back to Tanzania, potentially through a project that strengthens networks for Thunderbird and future Fellows.
Daniel Chavez ’25
Daniel Chaves, a medical doctor from Ecuador and the SHARE Fellowship’s first recipient of Thunderbird’s prestigious Barton Kyle Yount Award, chose to pursue his MGM after more than nine years of global experience in clinical care, surgery, public health, and medical education. While at Thunderbird, he was selected as a Mayo Clinic–ASU MedTech Research Scholar, supporting early-stage startups in developing impactful tools, including AI wearables and an award-winning opensource pediatric wheelchair.
He is now in discussions to lead a research initiative on athlete applications for a medtech company recently selected for the Mayo Clinic Accelerator—a connection that grew out of his earlier consulting work with them. In parallel, Daniel is actively seeking a new role and building connections, particularly with ASU athletics, to test and apply emerging devices in sports research.
“There’s something powerful about an idea born in one corner of the world saving a life in another. That’s the kind of impact I’m committed to making, and I’m only just getting started thanks to SHARE.”
Ken Inoshita ’25
Ken Inoshita, originally from Bangladesh and a naturalized Japanese citizen, is a multilingual manufacturing professional with more than 12 years of experience in marketing, distribution, and business development for major Japanese companies across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Currently based in the US Midwest, he serves as a Customer Success and Business Development Manager for a
leading global Japanese startup providing AI solutions to revolutionize the US manufacturing sector. Ken says his experience at Thunderbird underscored the importance of preparing leaders to harness digital transformation and translate global experience into innovative solutions for the businesses of the future.
Connect
Interested in learning more about the SHARE Fellows your generosity supports? Join our virtual SHARE community First Tuesday events! You will have the opportunity to meet and connect with current Fellows and graduates via Zoom.
To learn more about joining a SHARE First Tuesday Zoom contact: Maria Houle, maria.houle@thunderbird.asu.edu
Do you know someone who would love to make an impact and support the SHARE community, just like you? They can donate today and join the SHARE family! Donate today
“It has been fantastic to watch these students’ careers as they have gone back out and taken on new roles all over the world. They are doing exactly what we hoped they would do.”
Marshall Parke ’77, SHARE Fellowship Founder
