IMPACT VENTURERS - Change-makers Share their Stories

Isaac Sesi is an entrepreneur, engineer and innovator passionate about leveraging technology to solve some of Africa's most pressing problems. He leads the team at Sesi Technologies where they are developing affordable technologies to solve problems in the world's food systems with a focus on Africa. They currently develop and manufacture a suite of post-harvest management technologies aimed at helping farmers and agribusinesses reduce losses, maximize productivity and increase their income. He is a 2019 MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35. His work has been featured in several prestigious publications and he has had the opportunity to showcase his work to several heads of states including the president and vice president of Ghana, the former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and Prince Charles of Wales.

Anastasia Tsiloglou began her career as a projects coordinator at BP. She later became Business Planning Manager at Microsoft-Greece. In 2010 she joined Doctors without Borders and became aware of her interest in social entrepreneurship. This led her to joining the newly founded Action finance Initiative in 2014, as its first General Manager. She helped this fledgling NPO develop into the most significant microlender in Greece. In this episode, she discusses microlending in developed countries as well as developing countries, and explains ways in which microlending can help local entrepreneurs launch new and much needed businesses.

Alexandra Mitsotaki was born in one of Greece's most prominent political families, but chose to turn her back on 'party politics' and focus on what she calls 'Political Activity with a Capital P'. She is Co-Founder and Chair of the World Human Forum, which was the result of  20 years of experience in different social initiatives, starting with the creation of ActionAid Hellas in 1998 and followed by work on cultural diplomacy, as since 2009 she chairs and directs the Greek Cultural Centre (CCH) in Paris, promoting Greek culture in the Francophone world. 

Marina Hatsopoulos was Founding CEO of Z Corporation, an early market leader in 3D printing out of MIT. The Company was the winner of the "New England Technology Fast 50" for 2001, a ranking of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in the region, and was listed in the Inc 500 ranking of the nation’s 500 fastest-growing private companies by Inc Magazine. She is currently Chair of the Board of Levitronix Technologies, the worldwide leader in magnetically-levitated bearingless motor technology and Founding Advisor of Inkbit, an MIT startup. She is on the MIT Corporation Visiting Committee for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and she is President of Hellenic Innovation Network. She is on the Advisory Board of the Nantucket Conference, MIT Enterprise Forum Greece, Eurobank's EGG accelerator, Mindspace entrepreneurial program, and Cyprus Seeds research commercialization program.

Ana Maria Aristizabal is an operator, investor and board member of impact organizations with 18 years of experience. She is passionate about unleashing human potential through education, mentorship and smart capital. She currently advises the Employment Technology Fund, a VC Fund specialized in workforce development and teach impact investing at Columbia University. Over the past five years. She led KIPP's expansion and advocacy work in Northern California and before, invested and supported growing social enterprises across LATAM as a principal at Bamboo Capital Partners. She started her career as an investment banker at Citi and ABN AMRO working with government and infrastructure companies. She has a BS in Finance & International Relations, an MPA from Columbia University and a Master’s in Education Leadership from the Broad Residency.

Elijah Anderson is an American sociologist. He is the Sterling Professor of Sociology and of African American Studies at Yale University, where he teaches and directs the Urban Ethnography Project. Professor Anderson is one of the world's leading urban ethnographers and cultural theorists. He has written several very important books, including: Code of the street: Decency, violence, and the moral life of the inner city, and Against the Wall: Poor, Black, and Male. In his latest book, Black in White Space, Professor Anderson discusses the burden and unique challenges black people are faced with as they navigate "white" space".

John Cronin is an entrepreneur, a sock-tycoon, a public speaker, a philanthropist, a dancer, an athlete, a podcast host, a boyfriend. He also happens to have Down Syndrome, however, he has not allowed it to hold back his dreams and love for life. In 2015, he founded a company, 'John's Crazy Socks', with the help of his father, Mark Cronin, an accomplished entrepreneur with a long and successful track record. Together, they have built it into what they call 'the world's largest sock store', referring to the over 4,000 different designs that are available through their website, JohnsCrazySocks.com. John and Mark have been using John's Crazy socks as a platform for spreading happiness to their customers as well as an incredibly positive message about the ability of people with special abilities to do great work and play active, useful roles in various types of businesses. Today, John's Crazy Socks has annual revenues of over $2.5 million and a growing a staff of over 30 employees, many of whom are people of special abilities.

Barika Edwards is an award-winning social impact innovator and entrepreneur with a unique interdisciplinary background in tech, media management, and production. She was the founder of OweYaa, a social impact HR Tech company that equipped veterans and military spouses for transitioning out of the military and into high-tech careers. She is well-known and well-liked in the circles of public radio as the executive producer of the 'Artsy Fartsy Show', where for 9 years she discussed the intersection of art and culture in politics, science, technology, and history with world-renowned creatives including Oscar winners, Hollywood heavyweights, National Poet Laureates, music legends, scholars, and activists. She is currently pursuing a MSc in Business at Harvard University. 

Mahfuzul Islam is a social entrepreneur with 7+ years in business and philanthropy sectors. He is the co-founder and CEO of Jhal, a food startup, employing 12 stay at home immigrant mothers, helping them build skills, & preparing them for a career or a path toward higher education. He’s currently running for office (2024) to encourage residents of Queens to participate in the community. He wants to make local government the place people gather — a place you go when you need to know where to get childcare, how to apply to college, and how to feed your family.He holds degrees in International Political Economy and International Relations and Affairs from Fordham and Harvard. 

Alexander Kopelman is the Co-founder, President and CEO of Children's Arts Guild, an organisation focused on helping children become creative problem-solvers, develop self regard, and feel empowered to take action in the world. He co-authored the book 'The Empress Has No Clothes: Overcoming Self-Doubt to Embrace Success', along with Joyce Roche, in which they explored Impostor Syndrome and how to manage it. Prior to all that, Alex was the Director of Marketing and Communications at Girls Inc.