About Us
We believe in a world where every person - even if they have grown up in an environment of extreme poverty - has the opportunity to unlock their highest potential, and become self-reliant through access to dignified and sustainable work.
Join the fight against poverty
For over 37 years, CODESPA has focused on ending the cycle of extreme poverty in rural communities and promoting income equality around the world by supporting the growth of local entrepreneurs and social enterprises---creating dignified business and employment opportunities for the most vulnerable men and women---that has resulted in a ~20% increase in household income and uplifted the lives of over 5 million individuals and their families… now we are on a mission to elevate 10 million more people from poverty to prosperity, together!
Board of Directors
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Chairman, Board of Directors
Bill is an experienced and fully bicultural entrepreneurial leader in technology-intensive businesses, with a strong management background that includes high-tech start-ups as well as mature companies in the U.S. and Latin America. Currently, since 2005, Bill is President and CEO of Cobis Systems Corporation, Inc. (Cobiscorp), a 60+ year-old firm with 600+ employees that develops and markets mission-critical information processing solutions used by many financial institutions throughout the Americas.
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Treasurer, Board of Directors
Former professor of philosophy at Notre Dame University. Co -founder of Northridge Preparatory School for boys in Chicago. CO-founder of The South Bronx Education Foundation. Founder of The Apologetics Institute at the Pontifical University of The Holy Cross in Rome. Member of Board of The Formation Foundation. Worked for the Administrative directorate for Opus Dei in South Bend, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburg, Washington DC, and now in Reston VA.
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Member, Board of Directors
Aaron Schuchart has over thirty years’ financial, strategy, and operational leadership roles in the life sciences and energy industries. He has successfully launched and built new ventures through the development of technologies spanning biomedical, agriculture, and energy applications. He is currently Chief Business Officer of Lumos Pharma, a publicly traded biotechnology company developing medicines to treat rare diseases. Mr. Schuchart has led or advised on over 30 strategic transactions totaling over $15 billion and has developed and executed portfolio strategies across a wide range of technologies and markets toward the achievement of strong operating and financial growth performance for biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and agricultural biotech businesses. Mr. Schuchart received a B.B.A. in Accounting from Texas Tech University and an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is a Certified Licensing Professional and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.
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Member, Board of Directors
Diana is the current International Innovation Vice President for the Clorox Co. Before that, she was the Asia Pacific Innovation Vice President for the Coca-Cola company in Shanghai/China where she lived 6 years. She previously worked 20 years at the Procter & Gamble co in Cincinnati/US across different brands and categories. She is originally from Venezuela and has extensively moved across cities and countries living in Venezuela, Spain, the UK, several cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai and HK) and Cincinnati and California in the US. She holds a degree in Chemical engineering and a specialization in business economics from UCAB University. Diana is married and has four kids.
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Member, Board of Directors
Jennifer Bruch Hogan has been a civil appellate specialist for more than 30 years, handling a wide variety of complex cases in state and federal appellate and trial courts. Ms. Hogan has appeared frequently in the Texas Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and the Texas Courts of Appeals. She also often appeared in trial courts arguing complex motions and jury charges as well as post-verdict preservation of appellate complaints. Ms. Hogan is an elected member of the American Law Institute. She is a Greenhill Fellow and serves as a trustee of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. Ms. Hogan presently serves on the Board of Directors of All Ears! Listening & Language Center in the Woodlands, a preschool and therapy center for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Ms. Hogan is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. She has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2006 and a Texas Super Lawyer every year since that recognition began in 2003. Ms. Hogan and her husband Richard have three children, Colleen (Dartmouth ’12; Tuck ’18), Phillips (Duke ’14; M.I.T. Sloan ‘22), and Conor (Claremont McKenna ’19)
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Member, Board of Directors
Having worked as a senior executive on Wall Street as well as having served in senior government roles, Frank brings extensive global experience and insight into the public policy decision-making process and its impact on global markets. Frank is a Senior Advisor to The Scowcroft Group, a global business advisory firm with an emphasis on emerging markets. It supports clients at every business development stage, including political risk analysis, strategic planning, risk management, market development, and ongoing operations. The firm also supports clients in the investment community, providing leading-edge analysis of market impact events and trends. Frank is an adjunct professor at The Catholic University School of Business teaching coursework on Business Intelligence and Risk Assessment. He is also a Senior Associate with the Americas Program at the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS) in Washington where he focuses on Latin American politics, economics, and trade. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation of America which is dedicated to advocating for people with Downs Syndrome. Frank is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the American Council on Germany, and the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies. He resides outside Washington DC in Great Falls, Virginia with his wife, Maura, on their working farm, Open Door Farm.
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Member, Board of Directors
Max has served in senior executive positions managing large organizations and high profile initiatives, counseling global firms on business strategy, and leading nonprofits addressing humanitarian, development and governance crises. Recently he was Chief Operating Officer at the US Agency for International Development after launching the Agency’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. He was also Envoy of the Vice-President of the United States to Iraq for genocide recovery. He has worked in Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia. He holds degrees from Franklin & Marshall College and the University of Chicago.
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Member, Board of Directors
Seema is the Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Disruptive.CEO and Creator of the U.N.I.Q.U.E MethodTM. With over two decades of experience as a business strategist and chief marketing officer, Seema partners with growth-stage founders/CEOS to accelerate their impact and profit through her proven “U.N.I.Q.U.E” Method framework that has resulted in enhanced business and brand authority, millions of dollars in revenue, and unmeasurable impact that her clients have made through scaling their businesses around the world. She is on a mission to serve the growth of 100,000 female entrepreneurs through her framework by 2025.
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Member, Board of Directors
Since 2007, Carlos is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Stelac Advisory Services, LLC. He has over 28 years of experience in market analysis, investment banking and wealth management. Carlos joined Deutsche Bank in 1994 and since 2000 he was Managing Director of Private Wealth Management and the Latin American Market Head and Chief Executive Officer. He was also Deutsche Bank's New York International Office Head.
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Member, Board of Directors
Roland has more than 30 years of professional experience in development, management and consulting in real estate, healthcare, the insurance industry and the energy sector. As a serial entrepreneur, he has had extensive experience with start-up companies in each of these industry sectors. Having founded FRN International Trading Partners Ltd. (FRN), Roland serves as the company’s Chairman. The company was created with the purpose of becoming a leading global organization in the oil and gas sector, and agriculture industry. Its mission is to provide viable solutions to issues nations face over food security and energy security concerns.
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Member, Board of Directors
Bob is a seasoned executive with more than 40 years of experience leading profitable natural gas, renewable, coal and power generation companies. Educated at Manhattan College (B.S.in Economics | Honors) and receiving an MBA from Columbia University, he began his career with roles in mergers and acquisitions and business development at Shell Oil and General Electric. He went on to executive leadership positions in the energy industry.
Meet the Team
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José I. Gonzalez-Aller
Chief Executive Officer, Spain
Sole Member, USA
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Michelle Riestra
Executive Director, USA
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Elena Martínez García
Global VP Projects & Development, Spain
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Marcello Gandolfi
Global Projects Director, Spain
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Mónica Gil-Casares
Research & Innovation Consultancy Director, Spain
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Miguel Villarroel Campero
Country Director, Bolivia
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Andres Trujillo
Country Director, Colombia
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Ferrán Gelis
Country Director, Ecuador
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Ignacio Zalbidea López
Country Director, Guatemala
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Luis Cáceres Merma
Country Director, Perú
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Franck Mbemba Malembe
Country Director, Congo
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Constantino Gajardo
Country Director, Philippines
Opportunities
Change the world with us
We’re looking for talent! Explore how your unique talents and gifts can serve the most vulnerable communities.
Email Us: hr@codespa-america.org