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Meet Our Team

Founders

Click on the photos to learn more about each member of the Ustawi Global team.

Kavita Tanna

Founder

Nick Salmon

Founder

Jimmie Odhiambo

Founder,

Research & Programs

Thompson Morrison

Founder

Board Members

David Sanborn

Chairperson

Darlene Cadman

Secretary

Fabusa Jonas

Board Member

Ustawi Kenya

Samson Nyikuri

Ustawi Mentor

Anita Jerotich

Ustawi Facilitator

James Kamau

Ustawi Liason

Interns

Maggie Watson

Storytelling and Website Content

Kavita Tanna

Founder

Kavita is a lifelong learner, Financial Advisor and educator who has worked with young and older learners around the world. She holds a Master’s in Transformative Learning Communities. She inspires USTAWI Global Communities to create, sustain and regenerate transformative learning communities using systems thinking, and relationship-based learning experiences.

Nick Salmon

Founder

Nick is a 9th-generation educator focused on educational visioning, professional development of educators, and design support for future-flexible learning environments. He is the co-author of teamED: Building for effective teams for education, projects, and communities. He supports USTAWI Global Communities through coaching teams of educators to create relationship-based, real-world, entrepreneurial-mindset projects.

Jimmie Odhiambo

Founder, Research & Programs

Jimmie is a researcher dedicated to advancing equity by examining how poverty and environmental stressors shape child development and learning outcomes. With an M.S.Ed. in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania, he has conducted impactful fieldwork in Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria addressing educational barriers in underserved communities. His research explores how environmental challenges influence parental educational investments and children’s academic success, with a focus on fostering resilience in adverse conditions. Jimmie’s work bridges academic insights and practical solutions to create meaningful, sustainable change in education systems.

Thompson Morrison

Founder

Thompson has taken his experience in running high performance teams in the software industry to co-develop a new learning framework. This framework is intentionally designed to accelerate the learning speed of students in schools around the world, recognizing that these students are the leverage point for global transformation.

David Sanborn

Chairperson

Dave was first introduced to empowering people during college when he volunteered to join a team that went to Gonave Island, Haiti, to build a school for the severely underserved people of this remote community. The principles of providing that village with a structure that served as a school, community center, and gathering place to collectively uplift themselves is at the heart of USTAWI Global’s core values. Dave has joined the Board to rekindle that spirit and provide his experience of 30 years of commercial operations in the Life Science/Biotech industry.

Darlene Cadman

Secretary

Darlene has worked in the construction industry for over 25 years. As an architect, she has participated in a variety of project types and contracts creating a unique skill set and expertise that greatly benefits all project delivery types. Focused initially on school (K-12) architecture, Darlene has provided leadership and guidance for large projects with diverse teams. In 2014, Darlene was able to lead her architectural team (Group2 Architecture) through the first IPD project in Alberta. This two school IPD project really launched Darlene’s Lean and collaborative contract journey, which has grown to become her passion. She has been instrumental in providing inspirational leadership through speaking engagements and working sessions to develop collaborative project delivery and the transformation of the industry in Canada and in the United States, where she currently works and resides. Darlene has established her own company Weft Strategies LP, and enjoys exploring the world and working to help where she can!

Fabusa Jonas

Board Member

Fubusa is a Social Work student at the Institute of Social Work in Tanzania, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. He is passionate about promoting social justice and supporting vulnerable communities, especially children and women. Through his studies and fieldwork experience, Fubusa is committed to making a positive impact in society and strives to create sustainable solutions that promote dignity, inclusion, and social justice in Tanzania and beyond.

Samson Nyikuri

Samson has used his community engagement and economics background to co-create grassroots models for sustainable community development. Through tools like the Poverty Stoplight and innovations in regenerative agriculture, he helps communities flourish by unlocking local potential and building long-term resilience.

Anita Jerotich

Anita has been working with Ustawi Kenya since 2021, when she was introduced to the Poverty Stoplight survey and has since been involved in collecting data and engaging with the community in Mashuuru, Southern Kenya. She is outgoing, cheerful and has loved every moment of working closely with the people in Mashuuru. When she isn’t working, she enjoys reading, hiking, crocheting and discovering new hobbies.

James Kamau Njeri

Ustawi Liason

James is a Conservation Biologist, Plant Ecologist, and community developer who is passionate about helping people flourish in their environment. He has a strong background in ecological restoration, sustainable forestry, and nature-based climate action, having led initiatives to plant thousands of trees and restore ecosystems across Kenya. James is also deeply committed to youth leadership and social impact, currently serving as the President of the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Parklands, where he drives projects under the theme “Unite for Good". At Ustawi Global, James focuses on integrating science-based strategies with community engagement to create sustainable, scalable environmental solutions. Beyond his professional work, he is fascinated by stories of resilience and innovation, particularly those that highlight individuals making a difference in their communities and the natural world.

Maggie Watson

Storytelling and Web Content

Maggie supports Ustawi Global by helping to amplify our work through writing blog posts about our projects, sharing stories of individuals who have been impacted by our work, and highlighting the people and partnerships that shape our mission. Having grown up internationally, she brings cross-cultural awareness and a commitment to global citizenship to her writing. She is currently pursuing an integrated Master’s in Natural Sciences, with a focus on Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Science, reflecting her passion for sustainable development.

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