Our Team
We’re a driven bunch. Gritty and passionate about education. We’re working hard to provide the youth in Tanzania with the same educational opportunities we’ve been afforded in life. In our free time, we also love to practice Kendo, cook, volunteer at animal shelters, play soccer, and travel to places we love.
Leadership
Mohamed Mwinyi
Co-founder & CEO
Born in Tanzania, Mohamed is the CEO of Soma International. His experiences with education in the US have driven him to give back to his homeland.
John Byers
Board Member
Support knows no boundaries. John has embodied that by connecting Soma to its Blacksburg community, the Christiansburg-Blacksburg Rotary Club, and Lions Club to raise 10,000+ books.
Martha Cecilia Montoya Silva
Co-founder & Vice President
Both of Cecilia’s parents immigrated to the US and instilled a fervor for reading and education in her as a youth. Cecilia works on the structure and image of Soma International.
Joanne Dean
Board Member
Our community extraordinaire, JoAnne has graciously coordinated events to raise awareness and bring our supporters together. Her secret skill? Taking great action photos of her loved ones.
Pranay Bhargava
Co-founder & COO, CFO
Pranay’s family moved from India to the US because his mother was pursuing an education. Hailing from New Delhi, India, Pranay helps run operations and finance for Soma.
Cara Stombock
Board Member
Education and Research Coordinator
Cara is our education and resource coordinator for Soma International. She designs plans and coordinates with educators in Tanzania to best serve students in need of tutoring.
Core Team
Sarah "Sadie" Andersen
Director of Relations
Whether she’s cooking up the latest recipe she found or gathering books to donate to youth, Sadie loves how education helps people. She leads our communications & PR team.
Marifrancis "Min" Moschopoulos
Project Manager
Min is a project manager for Soma. She is a certified scuba instructor and is passionate about environmental conservation.
Sam Salous
Art Director
His passion for music composition and performance motivated him to help Soma with creative content
Sean Gillon
Project Manager
Sean Gillon is a project manager for Soma International.
Anamaria Ramirez
Program Coordinator
Anamaria is a program coordinator for Soma International.
Cornel Luambano
Project Coordinator
Cornel is our project coordinator on the ground in Tanzania. He helps facilitate the amazing work we do.
Karim Eltawanzy
Copywriting Director
Karim is Copywriting Director for Soma International. He writes on behalf of the diaspora, reads in the midst of moonlight, and chases butterflies in his spare time.
Interns
Scott Hobbs
Finance Officer
Scott loves learning about other languages and cultures. In his spare time, he practices Kendo and brushes up on his Japanese, and brings that same discipline to running finances.
Mackenzie Hyde
Events & Partnership
Our favorite dog-lover loves spending her weekends volunteering at local animal shelters and collecting various teas. She leads our event organizing and partnership teams.
Elizabeth Britten
Asst. Finance Officer
Elizabeth is a big fan of trying new things. Whether it be a new outdoor activity, or switching up her workout routine. She is a big fan of kittens, finance, and accounting.
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Amanda Grate
Graphic Designer