Ben is the founder of FrontlineSMS:Credit. He graduated from Rhodes College with a degree in Economics & International Studies, where he specialized in microfinance and informal economics in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has presented on microfinance and mobile payment systems at Barcamp Diaspora 09 and Africa Gathering (London).

Tom is a co-founder of SaveTogether.org (a non-profit that works with matched savings programs in the U.S.). He’s also a software/IP consultant in the Seattle area, specializing in mobile financial systems. His background includes work with Qpass (a division of Amdocs) and the Grameen Foundation’s MIFOS project. In his ‘spare time’ he plays the bassoon with the Seattle Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra.

Victor works for WildlifeDirect, a conversation blog network, and previously served as Editor in Chief of the Committee to Protect Bloggers, which advocates for the protection of threatened bloggers and online journalists. He was trained in journalism at Uganda Pentecostal University and currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya, where he focuses on ways to empower rural communities through simple and inexpensive tools.

Raina is the founding director of the Agency for Holistic Branding which aims to bring strategic and creative planning to organizations dedicated to uplifting society. She studied Film at Boston University, Interactive Design & Programming at New York University, and Urban Studies and Architecture at the Harvard Design School and has previously worked at renowned advertising agencies BBH, R/GA and W+K.

Rachel has worked for FINCA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a social enterprise start-up in Rwanda, and a local microfinance institution in Ghana. She holds a BA in the geography of international development from Dartmouth College, and a certificate in management from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She speaks French, and is currently studying Swahili.

Jorge Luis is the founder of Redepapa and SMSocial, two websites committed to leveraging ICTs to maximize agricultural productivity. A Colombian by origin, Jorge currently lives in San Juan, Argentina. Most recently, he published research on the ability of SMS messages to increase agricultural trade efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Nitin works with Alittleworld (ALW), pioneer into financial inclusion and the last mile deployment of branchless banking services in villages across India. Before ALW, he launched the mobile payments initiative at Obopay, and leveraged the mobile payments platform across Operators and banks in India. Nitin studied Mechanical Engineering and holds MBA from Mumbai University. Based in Mumbai, Nitin is interested into leveraging new generation technologies like Near Field Communication (NFC), RFID and Biometrics.

Joel’s background is as a development practitioner with various NGO’s in Northern Africa, and he is currently a Master’s student at the University of London, learning further how ICT’s can be leveraged in International Development. He has developed an interest in mobile banking, through its use by forced migrants (from Sudan, Palestine, Somalia, and elsewhere) in money transfer and remittances. Joel has studied Arabic, French, HTML, Java and other languages.

Ryan is a recent MA graduate from the International Political Economy & Development Program at Fordham University. He has worked with Mahan Seva Sansthan, a local, rural NGO in Southern Rajasthan, India, and holds a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He has experience writing grants for everything from agricultural water projects in India to community wind farms in rural Illinois.

Ollie is currently a student at Olin College, originally from Austria and Uganda. He is excited about the application of design thinking to solving problems and realizing opportunities in sustainable development. He has experience in web, publishing, interface and sustainable design and has worked on a number of projects in these areas.

Mark Oppenneer is the founder of The Ethnos Project and the owner of Fine Mind Design. He holds a MALS in Mythology & Oral Tradition, and is currently pursuing a Master’s and PhD in Communication and Rhetoric from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Mark developed the MMT Africa Directory for CreditSMS and serves as the Web Design and Development Consultant for Mobile Money Africa.