OUR TEAM
We are teachers, volunteers, board members, community partners, and parents who celebrate the beauty, worth, and value of each diverse story. We proudly demonstrate ethical and trustworthy leadership whose sole value lies in lifting children into prosperous futures.
Genesis Board Members
Co-Founder & Executive Director
SAM GABRIEL
A refugee from Liberia, Africa, Sam has a degree in health administration and is the driving force behind our mission & vision.
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Board Chairman
ANUPAM MITTRA
Anupam is an executive from the insurance industry. He heads marketing & IT while supporting Sam and the board. He has degrees in engineering & business.
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Email Anupam
Co-Founder & Program Director
TRICIA GABRIEL
A refugee from Liberia, Africa, Tricia is a nurse at Broadlawns. She leads the academic and the arts programming.
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Board Vice Chair
RUTH MWANGANGI
Ruth is a leader in the program management space at Principal. She manages events and strategic planning at Genesis. She has a two degrees from UNI.​
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Email Ruth
Chair, Finance
JOSHUA KASIBBO
Joshua leads the finance team for Genesis. He works as an accounting manager at Iowa Finance Authority and has a degree in accounting & finance.
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Email Joshua
Board Member, Marketing
ELIZABETH STEVENS
Beth is the creative for marketing at Genesis. She is a librarian at Johnston Public Library and has a masters in Rhetoric & Professional Communication.
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Email Elizabeth
Board Member, Outreach
GAYLA NESBITT
Gayla serves Genesis to support the kids and the community. She's a graduate from University of Kansas and works in payroll at EMC Insurance
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Board Member, Grants & Fundraising
NICK PETERSON
Nick has a masters in Sports Administration from Seattle University and has served Genesis for a number of years. He leads grant writing.
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Board Member, Grants Communication
TINA SHAW
Tina supports grant writing and has extensive experience in policy evaluation & advice. She is an executive at the Iowa Department of Human Rights.​
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Board Member, Development & Fundraising
STEVEN KELLOGG
Steven spearheads fundraising from direct and corporate donors. He has a masters in organizational leadership and works at Grand View University.
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Board Member, Data
JOYCE MBUGUA
Joyce uses her experience in reasearch, survey methodology, program evaluation, data collection, analytics and reporting to address data needs for GYF programs.
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Email Joyce
Board Member, Fundraising
SARAH STEPHANY
Sarah maximizes fundraising potential for Genesis by focusing on individual donors. She holds a BA in Nonprofit Management.
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Genesis Americorps Volunteers
KPANDI LUMEH
Americorps Member
Kpandi is a Liberian & Sierra Leonean immigrant raised in Des Moines. She has a BA in Psychology from IA State and MS from Miami University. She is passionate about social justice.
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XIANGHENG
Americorps Member
Xiangheng is a current AmeriCorps Vista Summer Associate for Genesis. He is a student at University of Iowa majoring in Psychology and Economics. As an immigrant too, he has been passionate about building the mentorship program.
OTIS
Americorps Member
Otis is a coach with Genesis. He has been with us for over 2 years and is a student athlete at Iowa Central majoring in Social Work. He has been playing soccer since he was 5, first in Liberia, then in Urbandale, as well as Sporting Kansas City Academy.
JAZMYN
Americorps Member
Jazmyn is a Project Coordinator at Genesis. She has been volunteering with us for over 2 years and is passionate about teaching our kids poetry, acting, and helping with self-confidence.
