Our Team
Behind every Powering Potential program is a global team working together to expand opportunity through education and technology.
Leadership
Caitlin Kelley
Executive Director, Powering Potential
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.
Albin Mathias
Executive Director, Potential Enhancement Foundation
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.
Board of Directors
Claire Avett
Board Chair
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.
Matthew Cohen
Board President
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
Board Treasurer
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.
AJ Poole
Board Secretary
AJ Poole brings over 25 years of engineering leadership and technology expertise to Powering Potential. A former Peace Corps math teacher in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region, his experience there inspired a lifelong commitment to education. While serving, he co-authored the national Computer Studies curriculum for secondary schools and later helped deploy digital learning tools across Tanzanian high schools. AJ lives in Colorado with his wife and son.
Maryam Khosharay
Board Member
Maryam has over 15 years of global finance experience. She is experienced as a transactional attorney, management professional, and professor. Her expertise includes debt finance, blended finance, project finance, impact funds and credit guarantees. Prior to working at The Nature Conservancy, she was Acting VP and DVP at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation where she led a team of 40 finance professionals, and Deputy Assistant General Counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Phil Brandt
Board Member
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.
Charlie Wilson
Board Member
Charlie Wilson is a former Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Thornburg Investment Management, where he led international and emerging markets equity strategies. He previously was a Senior Analyst and Partner at Marsico Capital Management. Charlie holds a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Colorado Boulder. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, two children, and their dog, Stella..
Potential Enhancement Foundation (PEF)
Potential Enhancement Foundation (PEF) is Powering Potential’s Tanzanian partner and local implementing organization.
PEF leads installations, training, maintenance, and community engagement—ensuring programs are locally driven, sustainable, and responsive to the schools we serve.
Our Supporters
Powering Potential’s impact is made possible by generous donors, foundations, and partners who believe in equitable access to education.
Their support helps bring solar-powered computer labs, digital learning tools, and training to students who are ready to rise.
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Thank You for Making a Difference
Janice Lathen
Founder
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.
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Milton Finger, In Memoriam (1936-2019)
Chair of the Board
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.
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