Agora Partnerships

Ben Powell -- Co-founder and Managing Partner

Ben became convinced of the power of small business to transform poor communities as an entrepreneur in Mexico, where he co-founded CityGolf: Puebla, an ongoing family entertainment park. Ben has been an examiner in the International Affairs Division of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and has worked at Ashoka and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. He has an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MS in Foreign Service with distinction from Georgetown University, and a BA with high honors from Haverford College. Ben received the I-Qube award for innovation, inspiration and impact from Dalberg Global Advisors and is a fellow of the Draper Richards Foundation. He lives in Washington DC with his wife and two sons.

Matt Newsome -- Associate

Matt previously interned with Agora and joined the team after finishing his B.A. in International Relations with a focus in International Development at American University in Washington D.C. Before joining Agora, Matt interned as an analyst at TranSecur, Inc. an international security firm and with the China Children's and Teenager's Fund, a public charity in Beijing, China.

Earl Dos Santos -- Senior Consultant, Financial Innovation

Prior to joining Agora, Earl worked with the Fabretto Children's Foundation in Nicaragua to launch a coffee social enterprise directed at funding children's educational programs. He previously gained extensive financial and operational experience in New York at Monomoy Capital Partners, a turnaround private equity firm, and Citigroup Investment Banking's Mergers & Acquisitions group. Earl graduated with a concentration in accounting and finance from Georgetown University, earning magna cum laude and Beta Gamma Sigma honors. As Senior Consultant, Financial Innovation, Earl works to help develop financial education methodology to help small and growing business access appropriate capital to allow them to grow and deliver social and economic impact in their communities.

Agora Partnerships Nicaragua

Ricardo Terán Terán -- Co-founder and Managing Partner

Ricardo has started a number of successful businesses including Teranet, a satellite communications company, Portal Americas, the country’s first web portal and the Nicaraguan operations of LOLITA, a women’s clothing store franchise. Ricardo is founder of the 800-member Nicaraguan Young Entrepreneurs Association and has worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. In addition, Ricardo is an Aspen Institute Fellow for the Central American Leadership Initiative. Ricardo holds a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Paul Davidson -- Operations Manager

Paul spent nine years in manufacturing and marketing in the United States and France before turning his attention to small and medium-sized enterprise development in Nicaragua in 1997. He has also carried out shorter development missions in Senegal, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Paul has worked for General Electric, the U.S. Peace Corps and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Rutgers University and an MBA from INSEAD in France.

Jorge Arteaga -- Marketing and Communicatios Manager

Jorge previously worked as an Operations and Logistics manager for Comercial Internacional Agricola S.A. for almost 2 years in Managua, Nicaragua. He also was a Lab Nicakolor manager for Corporacion Roberto Teran G. for about 2 years. Jorge recently returned to Nicaragua from an International MBA program in “Escuela de Administracion de Empresa (EAE)” in Barcelona, Spain, where he obtained "Notable" distinction for his hard work and effort. He also has a BPhy in Business Administration with a double major in Management and Global Business from the Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Jorge has traveled through Central America, North America and Europe but is happy to be back in Nicaragua working for an organization that seeks to make a difference and a positive impact in developing countries.

Alejandro Solís -- Finance Manager / Enterprise Development Manager

Alejandro graduated from the University of Essex in England where he obtained a Masters degree in General Economics and has extensive experience in finance. Before joining Agora Nicaragua, Alejandro was the Finance Manager at Lácteos Centroamérica and the Finance Director of the Nicaraguan Customs Service.

Ramon Brenes -- Enterprise Development Manager

Ramon has previously worked in both the private and public sectors of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, as the financial, administrative, sales and operations manager within several companies. He graduated as an MBA from INCAE Business School and has Bachelors degrees in Business Administration and International Trade. In the private sector, he has worked in companies such as DHL, CALYPSO APPAREL, UIA, and HOPSA, and in the public sector, in the Nicaragua Customs Service and the Ministry of Economy. He looks forward to using his experience towards developing emerging companies, and helping to generate a positive social and economic impact on the country.

Michelle Menjivar -- Enterprise Development Manager

Michelle worked as a product development manager in MIJESA S.A. an e-learning company specialized in the computer information systems area. She also worked as a Marketing & Sales Manager for the same organization. She has an MBA with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville at the Panama City, Panama Campus and she double majored in Marketing & Management at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas. Michelle had the opportunity to live in Nicaragua before where she started college in Ave Maria College in San Marcos Carazo. She is enthiasthic about being able to apply her knowledge and experience to help entrepreneurs in Nicaragua to make a social sustainable impact in their environment.

Lissette Cuadra -- Business Services Coordinator

Lissette graduated from the Catholic University (UNICA), where she obtained a degree in Business Administration with concentration in Marketing and has taken specialized courses in this area.  She has two years of experience in logistic, operations, marketing and organizational management working as Administrative Assistant for LOLITA of Nicaragua, a franchise of boutiques focused on women clothing and also worked for Mercadeo Empresarial, S.A., a regional project initiative that unites the national universities with the private companies in Nicaragua.

Melisa Mayorga Sequeira -- Program Assistant

Melisa has a B.A. in Business Administration and wrote her thesis on “The Political Structure of Commercial Relations between Taiwan and Nicaragua.” She has worked for the Nicaraguan Government in the Migration and Foreign Affairs Institution as Social Communications Advisor to the Director; in the Ministry of the Interior, in the Vice Ministers office as well as the Ministry of Defense, as Assistant to the Minister. Collaborated directly in coordinating the 8th Defense Ministers of the Americas Conference in October 2006.

Terioska Guillen -- Executive Assistant

Terioska graduated from the Nicaraguan National Autonomous University (UNAN-León), from Management of Touristic Enterprises. She also has post-graduate studies in Tourism and Sustainable Development. She worked for 5 years in the León’s City Hall as Coordinator of various projects in touristic development and strategic planning with the Cordoba, Spain, state City Hall. Before joining Agora, she worked for Leon 2000 Foundation in a Local Employment Initiative as a Marketing Monitoring Technique from the local Barcelona Project.

For a list of summer associates and interns, please click here