Adriana Ramirez – BNID Board Chair, Manager for External Relations and Communications at MIT’s Office of the Vice Provost for International Activities
Adriana Ramirez is currently the Manager for External Relations and Communications at MIT’s Office of the Vice Provost for International Activities. Her career in communications started in 2008 when she worked at the Mexican President’s Communication Office as Information Specialist. There she wrote the media analysis the Mexican president read every morning, and issued recommendations for the president’s communication strategy.
After working for the president’s office, Adriana joined the Mexican Foreign Service. As a career diplomat, she worked at the Consulate of Mexico in Anchorage, the Mexican Embassy in Germany, and the Consulate General of Mexico in Boston. During her 10 years in diplomacy, Adriana had to effectively communicate the interests of the country and community she represented to a wide variety of partners and stakeholders.
Most recently, Adriana worked as Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. There, she spearheaded efforts to publicize Perkins’ work in Latin America to prospect donors and education practitioners.
Dr. Alivelu Ramisetty, Chief Gender Justice & Inclusion Officer, Oxfam America
Alivelu Ramisetty leads Oxfam America’s Gender Justice and Inclusion portfolio and serves on the Global Partnerships and Impact Leadership Team. Working with Oxfam since 2010, Alivelu inspires and collaborates with the leadership teams of Oxfam America to define and implement gender justice and inclusion policies and systems. Alivelu as member of Oxfam’s Racial Justice Advisory council provides strategic leadership to the organisation around racial justice, diversity and intersectionality. Alivelu leads and catalyzes Gender Justice and Inclusion work across thematic and functional departments, with Oxfam Country and Regional Leadership within the Oxfam confederation, and builds synergy in gender justice work across long-term development, humanitarian, and advocacy and campaigns. She leads the feminist approach work with colleagues within Oxfam America, as well as across the agency and with partners and allies, to design and deliver Oxfam’s Feminist Principles commitments.
Connor Nickerson – Communications Manager, Climate and Ocean at The Nature Conservancy
Connor Nickerson is an international development specialist with diverse experience in branding, philanthropy, program management and community building. She utilizes the power of storytelling to showcase the efforts of incredible stakeholders and local leaders who are conserving biodiversity and safeguarding nature around the world. Connor has been involved with Partners in Health, Haiti Development Institute and NEID Global. She currently serves as the Communications Manager, Climate and Ocean at The Nature Conservancy where she implements communications strategies designed to advance TNC’s core ocean solutions.
Connor is based in Boston with her husband where she serves on the Board of Boston Network for International Development. In her free time, she loves traveling and being out in nature, whether biking, running, reading or finding inspiration for photography and painting.
Fuzieh Jallow – Strategic Brand, Events, and Engagement Leader
Fuzieh Jallow is a visionary and inclusive leader with over 15 years of global experience advancing brand strategy, public engagement, and high-impact convenings across the climate, development, and social equity sectors. She has a proven track record of leading global tentpole campaigns, donor engagement programs, and multilateral events that drive visibility, build stakeholder trust, and mobilize cross-sector support.
Fuzieh specializes in integrated storytelling and engagement strategies that align with institutional priorities, elevate organizational profiles, and influence policy discourse. She is recognized for building and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams and fostering collaboration across departments to deliver compelling, data-driven outcomes. Her work spans global nonprofits, multilateral institutions, and philanthropic partners, and she is deeply committed to equity-centered leadership and international cooperation.
Jacob Kuipers – Attorney, McDermott Will & Emery
Jacob (Jake) Kuipers, Esq. is a cross-border transactions attorney at the international law firm McDermott Will & Emery. Throughout his professional career, Jake has maintained a significant interest in international development, working across public and private sectors in the US government, international NGOs, and multinational firms. Drawing on his research and international experience, he has written numerous articles for a variety of publications. Among other issues, Jake’s research and writing covers global investment law, strategic mechanisms in bilateral investment treaties, and the rule of law in developing countries. Jake hopes to leverage his broad experience in the development sector at BNID. He has been a board member of BNID since 2017.
Jacques (Teddy) Chery – Community Engagement Specialist at Boston University School of Medicine
Jacques (Teddy) Chery holds a dual masters degree in Political Science and Public Administration, and has a strong professional background working in state, municipal, and federal government. Through his experience in constituent services, Teddy brings a large network of Boston-based connections such as political leaders, social service providers, philanthropists, and more, that will be an asset to the BNID team.
Jon Shaffer – Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Vermont
Jon Shaffer (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Vermont where he studies global health organizations, social movements, and their struggles over scientific knowledge. In addition to his academic work, Jon has founded and led Right to Health Action, PIH Engage, and GlobeMed. He is passionate about building people-powered campaigns and organizations that fight for the right to health.
Lynn Arsenault – Owner and Grant Consultant of LMA Grant Consulting LLC
Lynn Arsenault is a professional grant consultant who works with nonprofit clients around the U.S. to strategically develop funding goals; identify prospective funders; provide coaching to improve grant writing; and apply for foundation, corporate, and government grants. She works with clients in a variety of nonprofit sectors, including the arts, education, health, international affairs, tech, and community development. Prior to launching her consulting business, Lynn led the grant writing efforts for 4 years at the United Nations Association of Greater Boston (UNAGB) — an educational nonprofit whose mission is to build a network of global citizens in the Boston area.
Prior to her work in nonprofit development, Lynn served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu from 2012-2014. Upon her return to the U.S., she devoted several years to teaching before shifting her career toward the nonprofit sector. During this time, she was an English as a Second Language Teacher in Boston and a 4th grade Writing and Social Studies in Houston, Texas. Lynn received her MBA in Nonprofit Leadership from New England College and her BA in Elementary Education and Liberal Studies with a focus in Psychology from Westfield State University.
Mishaal Khan – Development and Philanthropy Officer at Oxfam America in Boston
Mishaal Khan works as a Development and Philanthropy Officer at Oxfam America in Boston. She joined Oxfam in 2019, upon graduating from Emmanuel College with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a concentration in International Relations and Comparative Politics. Her undergraduate research focused on genocide, with a special focus on Rohingya Muslims and the humanitarian crisis that has ensued as a product of ethnic cleaning and mass displacement.
At Oxfam, Mishaal works closely with donors and supporters in pursuit of strengthening existing relationships while paving the way for new partnerships in support of Oxfam’s mission to end the injustice of poverty.
In May 2023, Mishaal graduated with a Master’s degree in Political Science, concentrating in Public Policy, from Northeastern University. Her Master’s research included an independent research project on Decolonizing Philanthropy. She remains eager to fight the good fight in pursuit of justice and equality for all. She is excited to join BNID’s Board of Directors and aims to advance the organization’s mission to build bridges between individuals and groups interested in and concerned with issues of international development and global justice.
Simone LaPray – Program Manager at TiE Boston
Simone LaPray is the program manager at TiE Boston, a chapter of the world’s largest non-profit supporting entrepreneurship through mentoring, education, networking and funding. She runs their growth stage accelerator, TiE ScaleUp, to help companies overcome common obstacles and barriers to scale while preparing for their next capital raise and also their youth entrepreneurship program, TiE Young Entrepreneurs. Before coming to the Boston area, Simone served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2006-2011 working in the areas of education, youth empowerment, business development and HIV/AIDS awareness. She also mentors with BUILD Boston and Northeastern University. She is a graduate of the Heller School, completing her MBA and MA in Sustainable International Development at Brandeis University. Simone joined the BNID Board as a Heller MBA Board Fellow which allowed an MBA student to sit on the board of a local organization and take a non-voting role. Upon conclusion of the fellowship, Simone was invited to join the board in an official capacity.