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: Associate Development Director (bio)
Marvin Cabrera: Accountant (bio)
Joyce Engebretsen: Operations Manager (bio)
Galloway Media Group: Media Relations
Ben Hester: Web Program Manager (bio)
Mike McCaffrey: Web Development Manager (bio)
Steven Meier: General Counsel
Kelsey Ochs: Program Administrator (bio)
Kimberley O'Dowd: Program Manager (bio)
Cameron Sinclair: Executive Director/Co-founder (bio | where is Cameron?)
Kate Stohr: Managing Director/Co-founder (bio)
Michael Sullivan: Chief Financial Officer (bio)
Elaine Uang: Program Manager (bio)
Frederika Zipp: Program Manager (bio)
Design Fellows
Main Office: Sarah Alvarez, Nathaniel Corum, Satu Jackson, Sandhya Janardhan, Maria Toner, Molly Stack, Celsa Dockstader, Kim Newcomer, Matt Seversen, Amanda Bensel, Sarah MacAleer, Erin Reichert, Alec Hawley, Michael Richey
Biloxi,MS: Tommy Calhoun
South Africa: Eugene da Silva, Isaac Mugumbule, Oana Stanescu, Christine Lara
Liberia: Finley Pitt
India: Purmina McCutcheon
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame: Learn about staff, volunteers and fellows who have worked with us in the past.
Staff Bios
Barb Alvarado, Associate Development Director
Barb is involved in everything from planning events to tracking donations to developing programs. She is an architectural graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her previous nonprofit work experience includes work with UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence and SERRV International. Ms. Alvarado’s volunteer experience includes working with the Madison-Arcatao Sister City Project, and as Grants Allocation Committee Member for the Wisconsin Community Fund.
Marvin Cabrera, Accountant
Marvin Cabrera had the pleasure of recently joining the Architecture For Humanity Team as a Project Accountant in 2009. He brings with him over 6 years of experience in the accounting field, specifically in the 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.
Marvin graduated with a B.A. Economics and a minor in Political Science from De La Salle University, Philippines. In 2000, as the Chairman of the Youth Leadership and Excellence Award, a Manila 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.
Ben Hester, Web Program Manager
Ben is a Program Manager focused on managing Architecture For Humanity's web development projects, including the Open Architecture Network (OAN). This project shares Ben’s passion for the idea that building a more sustainable future requires a higher level of knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Previous to joining Architecture For Humanity Ben obtained an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio School of Management, an MBA program that integrates environmental, social, and economic considerations into business strategy. Prior professional work included product management, marketing, and media production for various technology and online collaboration products.
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.
Kelsey Ochs, Program Administrator
Kelsey joined Architecture for Humanity in 2008. She helps coordinate volunteers, tackles systems administration and IT issues around the office, and works with project managers to provide support and organize information related to projects around the world.
An aspiring Architect originally from the Pacific Northwest, Kelsey earned a BA in studio art from Whitman College. Prior to joining the Architecture for Humanity team, Kelsey worked with Volunteermatch.org. She enjoys traveling, climbing, hiking, and art-making in her free time, and is interested in design activism.
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.
Cameron Sinclair, Executive Director
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.
In 1999 Sinclair co-founded Architecture for Humanity, which seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and brings design services to communities in need. Currently the organization is working in a dozen countries on projects ranging from health centers in Sub-Saharan Africa, community centers in Southeast Asia to low-income housing on the Gulf Coast of the United States. In 2007 Architecture for Humanity launched the Open Architecture Network, the worlds' first online community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design.
He has spoken at a number of international business and design conferences on sustainable development and post-disaster reconstruction, including guest appearances on BBC World Service and CNN International, National Public Radio and PBS.
In 2003 Sinclair was named a Nice Moderist by Dwell Magazine. He is a recipient of the ASID Design for Humanity award and the Lewis Mumford Award for Peace. In 2004 Fortune Magazine named him as one of the Aspen Seven, seven people changing the world for the better, and in 2006 Sinclair was named one of three winners of the TED Prize, which honors visionaries from any field who have shown they can "positively impact life on this planet." Together with co-founder Kate Stohr he 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.
Kate Stohr, Managing Director
Kate Stohr is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Architecture for Humanity where she has been instrumental in coordinating design services and bringing in more than $4 million for reconstruction and community development around the world. 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 "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 serves on the board of the Center for Architecture and Design in San Francisco. 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.
Michael Sullivan, CFO
Michael Sullivan is responsible for the financial oversight of Architecture for Humanity. Mr. Sullivan served as CFO and Vice President of Finance for Digital Island, Inc., a publicly traded company, which he was a founding member. Prior to Digital Island, Mr. Sullivan served as VP Operations and CFO for Tut Systems, a publicly traded company, Inc., a networking company that develops and manufactures networking hardware products that utilize existing copper wire infrastructure to transmit data at very high speeds. Mr. Sullivan has also served as Vice President of Finance and CFO of Macfarms International and Senior VP Finance and CFO for Zemco, a manufacturer and distributor of electronic automotive accessories.
Mr. Sullivan is a licensed CPA, an AICPA member and is available to practice accounting in California and Oregon. Mr. Sullivan earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
Elaine Uang, Program Manager
Elaine Uang joined Architecture for Humanity in early 2008 is currently a Programs Manager. She has been working on the SIDAREC Technology Center in Nairobi Kenya, and several sports for Social Change including GameChangers and the Sports Recovery Act.An aspiring "architarian", Elaine has long been an inquisitive generalist interested in how good design can transform the built environment to make good communities.
Elaine has B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Virginia, where she initiated and led Green Grounds Group, a student group active in promoting sustainable design practices on campus. She is a LEED Accredited Professional.
