At the heart of Architecture for Humanity is a core group of people who have generously donated their time and efforts to keep us running. With advocates around the world, Architecture for Humanity is truly becoming a global organization that encourages designers to make a difference.

Main Office | Design Fellows | Hall of Fame

Main Office

Barb Alvarado Mergen: Development Director (bio)
Diana Bianchini, Publicist/Media Relations (bio)
Sarah Bush: Associate Development Director/Executive Assistant (bio)
Marvin Cabrera: Accounting Manager (bio)
Joyce Engebretsen: Operations Manager (bio)
Satu Jackson: Program Coordinator (bio)
Sandhya Janardhan: Program Coordinator (bio)
Michael Jones: Program Manager (bio)
Mike McCaffrey: Web Development Manager (bio)
Steven Meier: General Counsel
Gretchen Mokry: Program Manager (bio)
Kimberley O'Dowd: Program Manager (bio)
Jason Olson: Office Manager (bio)
Cameron Sinclair: Executive Director/Chief Eternal Optimist (bio | where is Cameron?)
Kate Stohr: Managing Director (bio)
Ana Vasconcellos: Web Developer (bio)
Gaurav Vashist: Chief Financial Officer (bio)
Frederika Zipp: Program Manager (bio)

San Francisco, CA, USA: Karl Johnson, Alix Ogilvie, Jacqueline John, Molly Stack, Carlene Ho, Amanda Bensel, Eric Kostegan, Andrew Ma, Wyanne Tsang, Darren Ray, Mark Warren, Nicole Melas, Stephanie Yung. Dhruvi Mehta, Sarah Wong, Rob Karas, Larry Montalvo, Vasilios Katsavrias, Anand Sheth, Daniel Viliesid (based in Mexico City), Kai Kronfield, Eric Douville
Hyderabad, India: Salone Habibuddin
Orissa, India: Sarika Jhawar
Bamako, Mali: Mike Heublein
Pacific Rim Studio: Nathaniel Corum
Nairobi, Kenya: Isaac Mugumbule
Nairobi and Mahiga, Kenya: Greg Elsner
Cape Town South Africa: Kevin Gannon (regional program manager), Luvuyo Mfungula, Ifeoma Ebo
Masseru, Lesotho: Axel Stelter
Windnoek, Namibia: Tommy Calhoun
Cape Coast, Ghana: David Pound
Kigali, Rwanda: Killian Doherty
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Daniel Feldman
Port au Prince, Haiti: Eric Cesal (regional program manager), Yves Francois, Schendy Kernizan, Lyndia Mesidor, Stacey McMahan
Pisco, Peru: Diego Collazos
Uganda: Darren Gill

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame: Learn about staff, volunteers and fellows who have worked with us in the past.

Staff Bios

Barb Alvarado Mergen, Development Director

Barb joined Architecture for Humanity as Associate Development Director in 2008 and was recently promoted to Development Director. In her new role, Barb coordinates, organizes and implements fundraising and sponsorship campaigns and activities for Architecture for Humanity’s programs.

Originally from Mexico City, Barb is an architectural graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her previous experience working in the nonprofit world with SERRV International and UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence has allowed her to gain a deep understanding of international development, Fair Trade and community organizing. Barb has also served as a Grants Allocation Committee Member of the Wisconsin Community Fund and as a volunteer for the Madison-Arcatao Sister City Project.

Diana Bianchini, Publicist/Media Relations

Diana serves as Architecture for Humanity's Publicist and Media Relations contact. She may be reached at press@architectureforhumanity.org

Sarah Bush, Associate Development Director/Executive Assistant

Sarah joined Architecture for Humanity in April 2010. She supports fundraising efforts, communicates with constituents, and collaborates with the Executive Director to ensure program initiatives run smoothly.

Sarah has a background in journalism and international development. She produced and reported for NPR in Boston and Austin. Her stories took her to the Massachusetts Statehouse, the Texas-Mexico border and El Salvadorean jails. She served with the Peace Corps in Bolivia where she developed small business in a rural indigenous community of 300 people.

Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a dual master’s degree in Journalism and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She enjoys exploring the urban delights of San Francisco and endless outdoor activities in the Bay Area.

Marvin Cabrera, Accounting Manager

Marvin Cabrera joined the Architecture For Humanity team as the Project Accountant in 2009. He brings with him over 6 years of work experience in the finance and accounting department, particularly in the general construction industry. Prior to that, he had over 4 years of work experience overseas in the business sector where he administered in the over-all operations and sales of the company’s telecommunications, Information Technology, chemicals, and warehousing department. He is currently the Treasurer/Board Member of Childhelp SF/Bay Area Chapter, a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect.

Marvin graduated with a B.A. Economics and a minor in Political Science from De La Salle University. In 2000, as the Chairman of the Youth Leadership and Excellence Award, a Jaycees Organization project, he led a team that sent 10 outstanding leaders from government schools nationwide in the Philippines to a full college scholarship program. He is proud to say that he highly considers this as one of his life achievements. Another one that he may probably put in the same category, is when he boldly ran with the raging bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

Marvin loves the outdoors and truly misses the tropical waters. Whenever he can, he makes sure to get the leisure of traveling.

Joyce Engebretsen, Operations Manager

Joyce Engebretsen joined Architecture for Humanity as the Operations Manager in 2008. In this role she oversees the internal operations of this rapidly growing organization. In addition, she acts as project lead and manager on projects around the world from schools in Liberia to orphanages in India.

Joyce is a registered Professional Engineer and was formerly the Director of Operations for Hinman Consulting Engineers, a leading specialist structural engineering firm. At Hinman, Joyce was project manager on numerous award-winning international design and construction projects (from embassies to corporate facilities including the San Francisco Federal Building and Eugene Federal Courthouse and the US Embassy in Beijing) as well as manager of the resources, business development and financial operations of the firm.

Joyce has also served as a Board Member and Art Programming Director of 18 Reasons Gallery, a non-profit art space in San Francisco's Mission District that promotes community through neighborhood-based art and food programs.

Satu Jackson, Program Coordinator

Originally from Germany, Satu contributes an international perspective and a background as an architectural designer to Architecture for Humanity. Satu manages the Curry Stone Design Prize and spearheads the editorial team for Design Like You Give a Damn II. She also acts as the liason for the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge-related classroom construction projects in Nakaseeta, Uganda; Hyderabad, India; and Victor, Idaho.

Satu holds a master's degree in Architecture from Montana State University, is LEED accredited and is pursuing licensure as an Architect. She is fluent in French, German and Spanish. Previously, Satu worked for five years for the high-end residential design firm, JLF & Associates; was a project designer with Access Consulting, a structural engineering firm in Missoula, Montana; and, most recently, worked for Gensler, Los Angeles. At Gensler, Satu was part of the design and production team for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Port of Long Beach Administrative Headquarters.

Sandhya Janardhan, Program Coordinator

Sandhya Naidu Janardhan joined Architecture for Humanity as Program Coordinator in June 2010. Previously, she served as a Design Fellow with Architecture for Humanity from October 2008 – May 2010. During this time, she spent a year working on Razi Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad, India helping standardize and set up infrastructure for a chain of low-cost health clinics. Previously, she was involved in the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge. Her role in the Challenge included research and working with low-cost private schools in Hyderabad, India as well as schools in rural Uganda. Prior to joining Architecture for Humanity, Sandhya graduated with a master’s degree from Columbia University in May 2008. Her work experience in India includes health care and education projects, while working with a local firm in Bangalore, India. Sandhya is a licensed architect with the Council of Architecture, India.

Michael Jones, Program Manager

Michael has been a volunteer and Design Fellow with Architecture For Humanity since 2008. He has worked with Nathaniel Corum on cabin design for the Plastiki Expedition, straw bale housing for Navajo Elders in Arizona, and the domestic beta for the Alternative Masonry Unit.

He is currently working on the SIDAREC Technology and Media Lab and the Game Changers initiative including the Mahiga High Rainwater Court and the Homeless Worldcup Legacy Project.

Michael has a Bachelors of Architecture degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and spent a year studying at DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and California Registered Architect. His work aims to instill environmental awareness while nurturing social justice, ecological balance, and community integration through design.

Mike McCaffrey, Web Development Manager

Mike McCaffrey is responsible for the technical development and maintenance of the Architecture for Humanity website and other online resources. He was informally involved with the organization for over a year before becoming the Web Development Manager in November 2008.

Mike has over ten years of experience developing websites, the last three of which have been concentrated on building sites with Drupal, an open-source content management system.

Gretchen Mokry, Program Manager

Gretchen brings over 15 years of experience in the private sector of architecture to Architecture for Humanity. Her focus on the management and design of civic and educational buildings reflects her interest in developing buildings that serve and bolster the community.

With experience in all phases, she adds new design and construction administration knowledge to AfH. Her current focus here is on the Football for Hope projects in Africa, and a school in Uganda.

She earned her Bachelors at Parsons School of Design and a Masters at the Architectural Association in London. When not in the office, she can be found volunteering at an elementary school teaching garden or on the yoga mat.

Kimberley O'Dowd, Program Manager

Kimberley moved from Philadelphia to join Architecture for Humanity in 2008 as a Program Manager. She is currently involved in several projects including Football for Hope and the Open Architecture Challenge.

She studied Architecture at Philadelphia University and studied abroad at both Temple University Japan in Tokyo and Ecole d’Architecture La Villette in Paris before receiving her Bachelors of Architecture. She is a registered architect and LEED Accredited Professional.

When not communicating with multiple time zones, she enjoys exploring San Francisco, sewing, following contemporary art, and staying connected to local architecture and green building organizations.

Jason Olson, Office Manager

Jason Olson joined Architecture for Humanity as the Office Manager in 2010. Jason manages the San Francisco Headquarters Office, supports offices in Haiti and South Africa, and is responsible for overseeing the on-boarding of design fellows on Architecture for Humanity projects worldwide.

Jason is a former environmental consultant, having managed investigation/remediation sites across the country including serving at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard cleanup in San Francisco. In 2005, Jason voluntarily left his career as an environmental consultant to manage a non-profit working to reform American politics and help expand a national youth development organization.

Cameron Sinclair, co-founder and 'chief eternal optimist' (CEO)

Cameron Sinclair was trained as an architect at the University of Westminster and at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. During his studies Sinclair developed an interest in social, cultural and humanitarian design. His postgraduate thesis focused on providing shelter to New York's homeless through sustainable, transitional housing. After his studies, he moved to New York where he worked as a designer and project architect.

Sinclair and Architecture for Humanity co-founder Kate Stohr compiled a bestselling book Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises and are currently working on a second volume. He is heavily involved in bringing socially relevant building into academia and serves on advisory boards of the Acumen Fund, the Institute for State Effectiveness and the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Sinclair is a TED prize recipient and is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. In 2008 Architecture for Humanity and its co-founders Sinclair and Stohr were named as recipients of the Design Patron Award for the National Design Awards. The following year Sinclair and Stohr were jointly awarded the Bicentenary Medal by the Royal Society of Arts for increasing people’s resourcefulness.

As a result of the 2006 TED Prize he and Stohr launched the Open Architecture Network, the worlds' first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. Every two years this network hosts a global challenge to tackle a systemic issue within the built environment.

Kate Stohr, Managing Director

Kate Stohr is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Architecture for Humanity where she has been instrumental in leading the organization's community development and reconstruction programs. Stohr has also led the development of the organization's online platforms, including the Open Architecture Network (www.openarchitecturenetwork.org), and edited the book Design Like You Give a Damn. Her work with Architecture for Humanity has been profiled on NPR, CNN and Frontline/World, and she has served as a panel moderator and guest speaker at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting, "Live from the New York Public Library," the Aspen Ideas Festival, and many other design conferences and events.

Stohr brings a background in project management, website development and a strong understanding of urban planning issues to the organization. Prior to co-founding Architecture for Humanity, she was a journalist and producer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Business Week, U.S. News and World Report and on MSNBC, A&E, and PBS. She developed a number of websites for Time Inc., Gruner+Jahr and other clients.

Stohr received her bachelor's degree magna cum laude from New York University and her master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She is the recipient of Wired magazine's 2006 Rave Award for Architecture and was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bicentenary Medal in 2009. Together with co-founder, Cameron Sinclair she accepted the 2008 Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Patron Award in honor of the work of Architecture for Humanity, its chapters, volunteers and design fellows.

Ana Vasconcellos, Web Developer

Ana works behind the scenes, using her years of experience developing drupal-based community sites, to implement new features and improve the code of the Open Architecture Network.

Ana has a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from University of California at Berkeley, focusing on computer science and social theory.

Gaurav Vashist, Chief Financial Officer

Gaurav joined Architecture for Humanity in August 2010, and in his role as CFO is responsible for the global accounting and financial operations of the organization.

Prior to this, Gaurav has spent 10 years in corporate, where he worked in the area of project finance for an international bank, and had a long career with Alcatel - Lucent, a telecommunications multinational company. At Alcatel - Lucent, Gaurav did finance rotations with increasing responsibilities in customer finance, corporate finance, capital strategist, and as CFO of one of its start-up businesses, that grew to over $300 million. Taking a six months sabbatical break, Gaurav went to work in the poorest villages in India in the area of rural/tribal education and community development. The experience was so enriching that the six months turned to two years, and he came back to work for a non-profit, Hesperian Foundation, publishers of Where There Is No Doctor. At Hesperian, Gaurav transformed the accounting/finance operations and brought major improvements in donor reporting, and overall cost optimization through-out the organization.

Gaurav, has a MBA in Finance from Loyola University Chicago, and a Bachelor from Delhi University. He is an instructor of breath and meditation, and teaches the Art of Living Course that provides techniques to eliminate stress and tension. He loves nature and likes the challenge of cycling in the hills of Berkeley.

Frederika Zipp, Program Manager

Frederika Zipp is primarily responsible for managing the network of AfH chapters throughout the world. In this role she provides guidance, training and support to chapter members, design fellows and grantees. Frederika travels to various AfH project site locations around the world to monitor and evaluate specific engineering and design project needs.

Frederika is a registered Professional Engineer, and has worked for some of the largest engineering and construction companies in the world, including Bechtel and MW Kellogg. Her experience includes design, specification and procurement for industrial projects. She also worked for a time in civil engineering, focusing on residential projects.

Frederika was born in Morocco, raised in Africa, Brazil and France, and educated in the United States. She holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and is fluent in French. When not working, she enjoys open water swimming and skiing. Frederika is also a Children Docent volunteer at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.