Communications & Resource Development

Communications Staff

Martha Sipple, Communications and Public Affairs Manager

Martha Sipple is the Communications and Public Affairs Manager at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She joined the Foundation in June 2001. She is responsible for managing the day-to-day communications operations including media and public relations, producing publications and multimedia products, and developing strategies for awareness/fundraising campaigns. She directs the Foundation’s development education program and develops training and outreach materials for AKF USA volunteers.

Prior to working at the Foundation, Martha was a consultant at the World Bank Institute for five years. She ran a video production company for 10 years that focused on educational, training and documentary programs primarily for nonprofits. She received a Master’s degree in International Development and a Master’s in Education from American University and a Bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

David Taylor, Communications Officer

David Taylor is the Communications Officer at the Aga Khan Foundation USA. He joined the Foundation in October 2011.

Prior to working at the Foundation, David has been working in international development and journalism for over two decades. He started with Winrock International in Asia and later worked as a writer for print, television and online publications including Smithsonian, National Geographic, The Washington Post, and Forbes Asia. He has worked with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and has taught at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. David was a 2011 Fellow with the International Reporting Project, covering global health in West Africa for magazines including Science and Microbe. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Davidson College.
 

Emily Honstein, Communications Assistant

Emily Honstein is the Communications Assistant at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She helps on a range of communications and inter-departmental projects, with a particular focus on social media, digital organizing, and web strategy.

Her previous experience includes working as a Communications Fellow at the Women’s Campaign Fund / She Should Run, a Research Associate at the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, and an Arab Media Analysis Intern at Strategic Social. Emily received her Master of Arts in Global Communication from George Washington University with a concentration in Middle East Studies and ICT in International Affairs. She has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with minors in Philosophy and Economics from Connecticut College in New London.

Resource Development Staff

Salmin Pardhan, Resource Development Manager

Salmin Pardhan is Resource Development Manager at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. Prior to joining the Foundation, Salmin was the Executive Officer at the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board USA and Chief Executive Officer at Aga Khan Education Service, Kenya. His background is in science, management and accounting.

Jennifer Graham, Resource Development Officer

Jennifer Graham is a Resource Development Officer at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She joined the Foundation in June 2010 and specializes in fundraising, event planning and coordinating Foundation volunteer teams throughout the U.S.

Prior to working at the Foundation, Jennifer worked in both corporate and non-profit organizations with such positions as communications/events manager and assistant director of development. She has received a Certificate of Appreciate from the Governor of Virginia for her work with the Department for the Aging and several Star Awards for Services Rendered while working as a civilian contractor for the US Army. When she is not working, Jennifer provides pro bono work in fundraising for a local women’s homeless shelter as well as instructs art classes for the residents and their children. Jennifer earned her degree in Business Management at Walnut Hill, Philadelphia Restaurant School.