Glasswing USA strives to make a profound impact in Central America through the strengths of its model. We work very closely with Glasswing International in Central America, where local experts identify needs, set objectives and develop initiatives that make sense and work for the region. This way, funding is earmarked for projects, not US operations, building the capacity of those in the region. Glasswing USA, through the expertise of its board and other volunteer advisors, ensures that projects in which we invest in are sound, provide accountability and meet the most pressing needs, directly and efficiently.
One of our most important goals for social investment is mobilizing non-monetary resources. We are determined to involve people from all sectors of society in our initiatives, in order to simultaneously promote social integration, build trust and reduce fatalism in the region. The idea is to not only add value to your investment, but to serve as a catalyst for change. One important way to achieve this is through the promotion of volunteerism, often with donors and recipients working side by side.
We identify innovative projects and alliances that emphasize the active participation of the community, and build on them through strategic cross-sector partnerships that mobilize financial, in-kind, and human resources.
Please take time to look at our portfolio of projects in Health, Education and Community, where we build alliances across sectors, work with many organizations, and mobilize thousands of individuals to become agents of change - active participants in the creation of solutions for their communities.
We have also identified and designed specific projects where your dollar can go directly to something tangible!!
Invest in Our Projects
Rama Murali is the Head of Office for Glasswing International, USA, based in Amherst, MA. In this role, she is responsible for development activities on behalf of Glasswing International and overall management of US operations. Rama is a skilled program manager with over 8 years experience in international health, academic and applied research, and education. Her most recent role was as Program Manager for the International Training and Education Center on HIV, where she led their India-based Health Communication Team in the development of health education materials and training programs. She has spent the last four years in management roles with international and community based NGOs in India, Peru and the US, leading projects in reproductive health education, capacity and system building for community organizations, tsunami relief, and health program monitoring and evaluation. She has a strong commitment to volunteer service, and has worked with New York City public school after school programs and as a mentor with the Trailblazers program for inner-city youth. Rama is a graduate of New York University, and holds a Masters of Psychology from the University of British Columbia and a Masters of Public Health from Harvard University.
Elizabeth Griffin
Elizabeth Griffin brings 16 years of non-profit, marketing and communications experience to Glasswing's Board of Directors. Most recently as the Director of Communications for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the largest international relief and development agencies in the world, Elizabeth managed a staff of 13 communications experts based in the U.S. and overseas. Prior to her role at CRS, she was the Director of Communications at Connecticut-based AmeriCares. Elizabeth has traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America on behalf of both CRS and AmeriCares, where she utilized her expertise in communications and marketing to raise awareness and build the brand images of both agencies. Before her work in the non-profit arena, Elizabeth spent six years as a producer at CNN where she was responsible for a live, daily program about personal finance and consumer news. Throughout her career at CNN, her news packages and interviews ran on numerous networks, including CNN International and Headline News. Elizabeth graduated from Villanova University with a B.A. in English Literature.
Magdalena Serpa
Magdalena Serpa has been active in Health Policy and Management for over 20 years, Dr. Serpa is experienced in health and nutrition systems, with emphasis in policy design and implementation, program management and evaluation. Dr. Serpa is currently the Deputy Program Manager for the Bioko Island Malaria Control Project Phase II a five-year $27M program funded by Marathon Oil that started in January 2009. Prior she worked as the Senior Advisor for Child Survival and Infectious Diseases initiatives at the Academy for Educational Development (AED) providing strategic and analytical support to institutions and to improve the health status. Previous to her time at AED, Magdalena worked in El Salvador, where she redesigned, launched and oversaw the operation of Americares' first international clinic, a project initially financed by USAID. Magdalena served as the clinic's Executive Director for 2 years. During her time in Colombia, she managed one thousand employees at a teaching hospital, oversaw the implementation of priority National Health and Nutrition programs and represented Colombia's President in negotiations with multilateral donors and U.N. Agencies. In the USA, she directed a school based children nutritional study and collaborated in the creation of the Center for Male and Family Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. Dr Serpa is fluent in Spanish, English and French. She served as a Post - Doctoral Fellow at the John Hopkins School of Public Health in 1999. She received her Master of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, 1985 and Medical Degree at Rosario University, Bogotá, 1983.
Ken Baker
Ken Baker comes to Glasswing with many years of experience in the public, private and governmental sectors. Ken spent the last six years with AmeriCares Foundation, a leading humanitarian organization based in Stamford, CT. While at AmeriCares, he served as Vice President for International and Corporate Relations, forging and managing partnerships with over 30 leading multinational corporations. During his time at AmeriCares, he oversaw an increase in in-kind donations of over 300%, as well as pioneering the expansion of AmeriCares' operations to India. Prior to AmeriCares, Ken spent years working in the private sector in both marketing and management. His experience in this sector includes 8 years, including tenures at the Snapple Beverage Group, Market Reach, General Electric Capital and IBM. Having served two elected terms on the City Council of Norwalk, CT, Ken also brings government experience to Glasswing. While serving as part of the City's government, Ken served as Chairman of the Maritime Aquarium Authority, Connecticut's second largest tourist attraction, as well as the City's Planning and Finance Committees. Ken has also consulted with the US Department of State, and spent months at a time in countries around the world including: China, Peru, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Armenia, Georgia, and Thailand. Finally, Ken spent over five years as a mentor in the US through the Big Brother Big Sister program, and has been very involved in the community.