About Us - Powering Potential

Where We Work

Africa since 2006
Peruvian Amazon since 2019

Our Team

Caitlin has 15+ years of experience in various leadership and advisory roles across the non-profit sector. Prior to joining Powering Potential, she worked in Tanzania for eight years, where she helped run a Tanzanian NGO that she co-founded. She also had her own business as a social impact consultant, specializing in helping international organizations and entrepreneurs strategize and navigate important moments of transition. Caitlin holds a B.A. in African history from Northwestern University, and is fluent in Swahili and French.

Eng. Albin Mathias began working with Powering Potential in 2010, and has served as Executive Director of Potential Enhancement Foundation since its inception in 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Systems and Network Engineering from St. Joseph University in Tanzania. He has taught physics and chemistry at Banjika Secondary School, where he met and began working with PPI founder Janice Lathen. He leads the implementation of Powering Potential’s projects in Tanzania, including installation, training, and data collection.

Read more about Potential Enhancement Foundation, Powering Potential’s local Tanzanian partner.

Dana Rensi is an Educational Media Specialist in the Ashland, Oregon school district. She received a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching and has a BA in Spanish and Education and an MA in Education/Educational Technology from Southern Oregon University, and has twenty years’ experience teaching Spanish in the United States. Throughout her career, she has taught and worked in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Peru. In 2006 she was selected to participate in a year-long Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program in Iquitos, Peru. She is leading Powering Potential’s Peruvian expansion.

V. Ena Haines is retired from her position as Director of Information Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University, leading the IT department of 45 staff who handle everything from faculty and student computing to administrative systems. Her interest is in making technology work for people. She holds a BA from Smith College in Biochemistry (summa cum laude) and a Master’s in Library Science. A lifelong New Yorker, Ena visited Africa in 2009 and found the engaging people as unforgettable as the majesty of the Serengeti. Seeing the work that Powering Potential had begun at Banjika School, she and her husband Michael were inspired to support its growth.

Rich Segal earned his Ph.D in Computer Science from the University of Washington. He is a member of the research staff at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center where he researches the application of artificial-intelligence and machine-learning techniques to real-world business problems. Rich and his wife Joanna are the parents of three girls. Rich is an avid bicyclist who has completed the 200-mile Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic nine times. Rich’s charitable interests include Africa, children with special needs, and epilepsy. He also serves as a board member of the Segal Family Foundation, a strong supporter of Powering Potential since its inception.

Board of Directors

Matt Cohen is a partner at Kurcias, Jaffe & Co. LLP. Matt devises and implements tax and financial statement strategies for corporations, partnerships, and individuals, enabling them to minimize tax liability and thoughtfully plan for the future. He advises clients in a wide variety of industries, including not-for-profit, financial services, manufacturing and distribution, hospitality, arts and culture, and professional services, and has extensive experience serving start-up businesses.

Greg Obenshain is Partner and Head of Corporate Credit at Verdad Capital, a private investment firm. He previously ran investment portfolios at Apollo Global Management and Stone Tower Capital. Prior thereto he completed GE’s post-MBA leadership program. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Philip Brandt is a VP at Deutsche Bank where he partners with Local and Global Divisional leaders to improve transparency to data quality and he is also an active real estate investor. He previously worked for Citi across Risk, Finance, and Treasury, and has experience in the Insurance and Trading industries. He graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Engineering and resides in Brooklyn. He enjoys competing in various sports such as skiing and cyclocross as well as participating in others, including mountain biking and golf.

Dee Smith is a seasoned consultant with over 20 years of experience in delivering expert guidance across a range of industries. She founded a consulting company in South Africa which she ran for 8 years before relocating to the USA. She specializes in helping clients navigate the complexities of outsourced solutions and managed services, developing strategic initiatives and overseeing their execution. Dee’s extensive background includes managing large-scale strategy implementations and post-merger integrations within global organizations.

Claire Avett serves as a Senior Advisor for Co-Financing Partnerships in the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) Office of Infrastructure. Prior to DFC, Ms. Avett held a variety of positions spanning the public and private sectors including leading management consulting engagements in the fintech, healthcare, and higher ed sectors. She resides in Washington, DC, and holds an M.B.A. in International Business and Strategic Management from George Washington University School of Business, and a B.A. from Georgetown University.

Laszlo Schneider is a Senior Manager with KPMG where he has served clients in a variety of industries and countries, including large multinational companies listed with the Securities Exchange Commission and internationally, as well as domestic entities. He is currently working in KPMG’s National Office. Laszlo is a licensed CPA in the state of Virginia, a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Corvinus University in Budapest.

Janice Lathen was inspired to start Powering Potential in 2006 while on a safari in Africa. The group visited a school in the Karatu District of Tanzania and after introducing herself in Swahili, Janice was overwhelmed by the students’ expression of appreciation and the heartfelt connection she experienced.

Janice has been an entrepreneur throughout her career. Prior to starting Powering Potential, she managed her computer consulting business in New York City, specializing in training. Previously, she worked as an actress and a model after receiving a B.A. degree in Communications and Theater from the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota.

In Memoriam

Milton Finger served as Powering Potential’s first Chair of the Board. He was a retired deputy director, Department of Defense Programs Office at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He served on numerous scientific boards including task forces for the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and the Defense Science Board. Finger received the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service and the U.S. Army Award for Patriotic Service. In his community service as a member of the Livermore Rotary Club, he supported local K-8 schools with dictionaries as well as scholarships. International projects included potable water systems in South India, orphanage support in Nepal with the Gates Foundation, the eradication of polio worldwide, a burn center in Chile, and equipping a pediatric ward in Kosovo.