Programs

Frederick Kellett, Director of Programs and Investments
 
Frederick Kellett is the Director of Programs and Investments at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. Frederick works with both the AKF USA’s Programs and Impact Investing teams to develop innovative financing mechanisms to increase the sustainability and impact of AKDN’s international development initiatives.
 
Mr. Kellett has broad experience managing investments and international development programs in Central Asia. He has managed both public and private equity portfolios in countries as diverse as Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the US and Italy and recently led a large public health project in Kazakhstan. In 2006, he spent a year with The Henry L. Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington DC, sharing lessons learned in early impact investments in the Eurasia region. Mr. Kellett began his career with the first group of Peace Corps volunteers to Uzbekistan in 1992.

Programs Staff

Caryn Sweeney, Program Development Manager

Caryn Sweeney is the Program Development Manager at Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She is responsible for managing many proposals the Foundation submits to various government and private donors for program funding. Caryn joined the Foundation in March 2011.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Caryn worked for 11 years at the Academy for Educational Development (AED) in a number of areas, including program management, monitoring and evaluation, and new business development. Her work took her to India, Sri Lanka, China, Brazil, Niger, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, the U.S. Mississippi Delta and beyond, working with communities and with local partners to improve social and economic development. Prior to AED, she was a study abroad advisor with Boston University, from which she also received a Master's degree in International Development, and as an undergraduate was a visiting student to the University of Oxford, St. Anne’s College in the United Kingdom.

David Hintch, Senior Program Officer
 
David Hintch is the Senior Program Officer for Health at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. David joined the Foundation in 2012 and is responsible for the overall technical and grant management support to the AKF USA health program portfolio. He works closely with the Aga Khan Development Network field offices to provide support to ongoing programs, as well as ensuring program quality and compliance. David also spearheads AKF USA efforts to expand the health program portfolio, including coordination with donors for new business development, generating new proposals and strategies, and facilitating the sharing of program outcomes.
 
David has over 15 years of experience in international health and development managing multi-intervention and USAID funded health, food, and disaster response and risk reduction programs. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked for the American Red Cross (ARC) both domestically and as the ARC Senior Representative for the Caribbean, as well as a senior manager for Catholic Relief Services and CARE International in Africa and Latin America. David has a Master’s of International Public Health from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 

Linda Ulqini, Senior Program Officer
 
Linda Ulqini is the Senior Program Officer for Education Projects at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She joined the Foundation in February 2006 and is responsible for technical and grant management support to education programs that receive U.S. funding. She works closely with AKDN field offices to provide support to ongoing programs, ensure compliance and develop new programs or grant proposals. She also liaises with donors to strengthen ongoing collaboration and share program outcomes.
 
Linda has over 14 years of experience in international development and education in multiple countries and has a particular interest in tracking donor policies in East Africa. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked at the International Reading Association where she managed a multi-country teacher development program. Linda has a Master’s of Science degree in Development Management from American University in Washington, DC.
 

Luke Bostian, Program Officer

Luke Bostian is a Program Officer at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. He manages grants, assists with resource mobilization and helps represent the Foundation to donors and peer networks in a wide variety of sectors, including disaster risk reduction, humanitarian assistance, built environments, climate change and nutrition.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Luke was a Program Support Officer at CHF International, an international humanitarian and development organization in Silver Spring, MD. Luke graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science.
 

Natalie Ross is the Program Associate for Civil Society and Youth at the Aga Khan Foundation USA. Natalie serves as a technical backstop for AKF's US-donor funded civil society and youth programs, and manages a portfolio of programs in East Africa and Central and South Asia.

Prior to joining the Foundation in May 2011, Natalie completed a Fulbright Fellowship to South Africa, where she worked with higher education at the University of Pretoria and developed girl's educational programming for secondary students. She also previously taught with the Aga Khan Education Services in Kampala, Uganda, worked as a Development Associate with Restless Development in Washington, DC and studied at the University of Ghana-Legon. Natalie graduated from Wellesley College with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Africana Studies.
 

Schafer Bomstein, Program Associate

Schafer Bomstein is a Program Associate for Market Development and Access to Finance at Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A.  Her portfolio is focused on improving the well-being of rural households, promoting food security, income generation and access to finance.  Under this portfolio, she manages grants; develops and maintains partnerships with donors, NGOs, and private sector partners; and supports project monitoring and evaluation.  

Ms. Bomstein was previously a Project Manager at Management Systems International (MSI), where she managed programs in the Middle East and Africa.  Most recently, she taught English in Reunion Island and volunteered with a women’s silk social enterprise in Madagascar.  Prior to this, she served as an Intern for the US Department of State in Paris, a Pro bono Consultant for the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, and a Research Associate for Citizens for Global Solutions.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs and French and a Master of Public Policy, both from the University of Virginia.
 

Caroline Lai, Program Assistant

Caroline Lai is a Program Assistant at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She provides grants management support particularly on the rural development and health portfolios.

Her previous experience includes working as an education volunteer with the Peace Corps in Ghana, a Civil Society Watch Programme Intern at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation in South Africa, and a pro-bono consultant with Amnesty International USA. Caroline holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Political Science and a Master of Public Policy, both from the University of Michigan.

Sophia M. Assani, Professional Development Fellow

Sophia M. Assani is a Professional Development Fellow in the Programs Department at Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. She assists with a wide range of programmatic duties including identifying grant opportunities, developing proposals for the U.S. government and private foundations, and researching current trends in international development.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Sophia interned as a Research Analyst at the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Representation Office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Having the opportunity of traveling throughout Central Asia during her tenure, she also gained invaluable experience working within the AKDN Office where she assisted, analyzed, and reported on internal, national, and regional programs and initiatives. Sophia has a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology and Global Health and a Bachelor's with Honors in Political Science with a concentration in International Affairs and a minor in Zoology, both from the University of Oklahoma.