Before joining TSO, Tony led Partner Solutions at Arabella Advisors where he managed the firm’s global partnerships dedicated to protecting the planet, defending democracy, and strengthening communities. Prior to Arabella, Tony served as president of the health AI company Truveta during its first chapter of growth and impact on human health. Tony spent seven years as president and CEO of Seattle Foundation, one of the largest community foundations in the country. Under Tony’s leadership, Seattle Foundation redefined its role as a civic leader, shining a light on community needs and developing cross-sector initiatives to drive racial and economic equity throughout the region. Before joining Seattle Foundation, Tony had a 22-year career in high technology, largely at Microsoft, where he was a global vice president responsible for worldwide sales and marketing of the Windows product line.
Tony currently serves on the boards of the Hispanics in Philanthropy, The Bay Area Council, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and Seattle International Foundation. Previously, Tony served on the boards of the Washington Roundtable and the Council on Foundations, and he is president emeritus of the board of trustees of The Kindering Center, a nonprofit that serves and supports children with special needs and their families. Tony was among the executives selected for The NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50 and has also been named its Influencer of the Year. He has been recognized as one of Global Telecoms’ Most Promising Executives. A graduate of Phillips Academy Andover, Tony received his BA in history from Dickinson College, which recognized him with a Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
Tony Mestres is the Chief Executive Officer of The Sobrato Organization (TSO), whose mission is to build a more equitable and sustainable world through business and philanthropic leadership. His responsibilities include overseeing TSO’s three enterprise groups: Sobrato Real Estate, Sobrato Capital, and Sobrato Philanthropies. Additionally, he manages a growing portfolio of cross-organizational initiatives focused on economic mobility, affordable housing, education equity, and sustainability.
Michele has a deep history at the foundation, previously working with Seattle Foundation’s key partner on global philanthropy, Seattle International Foundation (SIF). During her seven years with SIF, she launched initiatives and built programs with stakeholders to address poverty and inequality around the globe. She led their grantmaking strategy, overseeing more than $17 million in grants in over 65 countries. Prior to SIF, Michele worked as a Research Analyst for the Technology and Social Change Group at the University of Washington, conducting field research on Microsoft Community Affair’s social investments in employability and technology for marginalized communities throughout Latin America.
Michele is a board member of Splash, an international nonprofit committed to providing clean water for kids across Asia and Africa. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, with a minor in Human Rights. In 2015, Michele was named an American Express NGen Fellow, and a member of the inaugural class of Henry M. Jackson Leadership Fellows. In 2017 she represented Seattle in the Young American Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.
Michele strives to champion organizational excellence, cross-team collaboration and Seattle Foundation’s values across the organization. As a member of the Leadership Team, she advises the CEO on key strategies and partnerships to scale impact and achieve our goals.
Serena lived in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala in the 1980s carrying out human rights monitoring and peace education. In the 1990s, Serena received her master’s degree in Social Anthropology and PhD in Sociology from Northeastern University, where she studied the impact of microcredit for marketwomen in the public markets of El Salvador.
In the early 2000s, Serena ran the Knowledge Management program at the AVINA Foundation supporting civil society and private sector leaders committed to the sustainable development of Latin America. Presently, Serena teaches International Studies at Seattle University; she also coordinates SU’s Central America Initiative and is the director of the Latin American & Latinx Studies program there.
Serena’s 2022 books, written and edited with other Central Americanist scholars, include Imagining Central America: Short Histories and Higher Education, State Repression, and Neoliberal Reform in Nicaragua: Reflections from a University under Fire. In 2021, Serena’s co-authored ethnography, Surviving the Americas: Garifuna Persistence from Nicaragua to New York City, was published. Serena is also the author of Leadership from the Margins: Women and Civil Society Organizations in Argentina, Chile, and El Salvador (2010) and the co-author of Understanding Global Poverty: Causes, Solutions, and Capabilities (2017 and 2021).
Serena Cosgrove is a Sociologist committed to the inclusion, participation, and leadership of people on the margins of society. She is a Latin Americanist with a focus on Central America.
As Executive Director of Women’s Link Worldwide, Jovana works to develop and scale Women’s Link mission by unleashing the power of women and girls to fight for justice, strengthen and transform the feminist strategic litigation ecosystem to break down barriers, challenge oppressive systems, and alter power imbalances by breaking the walls of the legal sphere and bringing in those left out.
Jovana co-founded the Latin America and the Caribbean Youth Alliance, which has catalyzed youth-led advocacy during negotiations around the 20-year review of the Cairo Programme of Action, the adoption of the Montevideo Consensus, and the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, Jovana was a member of the Developing Countries NGO Delegation to the Board of Directors of the Global Fund and has served as a consultant for the United Nations Population Fund. She led a policy and communications unit in the private sector and has worked as Advocacy and Campaigns Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at Save the Children International.
Jovana has received high-level appointments from two UN Secretary-Generals related to the Every Woman Every Child initiative, first to the High-Level Steering Group and later to the Independent Accountability Panel. She also serves as a SheDecides Champion alongside other global leaders pushing for sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality around the world. She is the former Board Chair of Fòs Feminista where she co-led the transformation of the organization to an intersectional feminist alliance.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, postgraduate degrees in Higher Education and Executive Management, and an MBA in Human Resources from the Interamerican University of Panama. She also has a specialization in Public Policy from The George Washington University.
Jovana is a woman of Afro-Indigenous descent, born and raised in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama.
Board of Directors
Tony Mestres
President
Michele Frix
Board Member
Serena Cosgrove
Board Member
Jovana Ríos Cisnero
Board Member
With more than two decades of experience in human rights, governance, and anti-corruption, Adriana has worked closely with grassroots organizations, regional networks, philanthropic actors, and policymakers to address entrenched inequality, violence, and impunity in the region, with particular attention to how these dynamics affect historically excluded communities.
Before joining SIF, she directed the Washington Office on Latin America’s Citizen Security Program, where she helped shape U.S. and international engagement on human rights and democratic governance in Central America. Her work has combined institutional leadership, policy advocacy, research, and advisory roles with international and philanthropic organizations focused on advancing the rule of law in ways that strengthen accountability and inclusion.
Adriana’s commitment to Central America is grounded in long-standing engagement with the region. Raised in Colombia and having worked closely with Central American civil society movements and actors, journalists, and reform advocates, she has witnessed both the human costs of democratic backsliding and the persistence of locally led efforts to defend and protect rights and accountability. Her work at SIF is guided by a conviction that lasting change requires sustained support for civil society movements and actors, cross-border and cross-sector solidarity, and institutions capable of protecting civic space while advancing justice, accountability, and equity over the long-term.
Adriana leads SIF’s work to strengthen civil society, protect civic space, and advance democratic accountability across Central America.
She has more than 15 years of experience working on justice, rule of law, human rights, and democracy in Latin America and has held positions in civil society, academia, and philanthropy. Mirte has extensive experience with applied research, strategic analysis, policy advocacy, grantmaking, and connecting and coordinating sector-specific and multistakeholder actors throughout Latin America.
Prior to joining SIF, Mirte was a researcher for Human Rights Watch’s Americas Division and LGBT Program, focusing on Central America and Mexico. She was also Fellow for Human Rights, Criminal Justice and Prison Reform in the Americas at Stanford Law School, and she led the Judicial Independence Program at the Due Process of Law Foundation. Mirte has done consultancies for the Economist Intelligence Unit, Bertelsmann Transformation Index, the International Commission of Jurists, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. She has been an expert witness in more than 30 court cases involving Guatemala and Honduras.
Mirte combines analytical rigor and strategic vision with systems thinking to advance human rights in Central America. She champions independent journalism as vital to democracy and believes that sustainable change emerges from collaboration, grounding partnerships in trust.
Mirte leads SIF’s initiatives supporting independent journalism and fighting impunity in Central America.
With over two decades in human rights defense and political advocacy, Natalia has led initiatives that empower organized youth in Honduras and expand rights agendas across Central America. Her career spans grassroots work, regional alliances, and international collaboration to support locally driven changes in complex environments.
Natalia has helped develop public policies and human rights action plans through dialogue with civil society and institutional actors. She has directed projects with a feminist lens, led youth platforms, and promoted intergenerational dialogue on participation and rights. Her experience also includes engaging with international human rights mechanisms and facilitating training for political actors to foster consensus-building.
Based in Honduras, Natalia supports organizations across Central America that promote equality, justice, regional coordination, collective care, and sustainable change. Her commitment to Central America is rooted in a direct connection to the region and the belief that inequalities can be transformed through solutions built from the ground up.
As Director of the Central America Youth Fund, Natalia focuses on sustaining organizational processes, strengthening capacities, and fostering coordination and support for organized youth throughout the region.
Kathya is a seasoned finance and operations professional with a proven track record in driving financial success and operational efficiency.
As the Director of Finance and Operations at CityBridge Education in Washington, D.C., she led the formulation and tracking of a $12.8M budget, managing a team and ensuring compliance during a 220% organizational growth. Her strategic financial decisions and grant budgeting expertise supported significant fundraising efforts.
In her previous role as Associate Director, Kathya created systems for audit compliance during a budget growth from $4M to $12.8M. She played a crucial role in the organization’s transition to a 501(c)(3) status across 15 states. Earlier experiences at Livingsocial showcased her versatility in managing full-cycle sales processes and exceeding sales goals.
Kathya completed a Bachelor of Business Administration from The George Washington University School of Business, with concentrations in Event Management and International Business. She combines academic knowledge with proficiency in Microsoft Suite, Salesforce, and other essential platforms. Fluent in Spanish, she brings a global perspective to her roles.
Kathya provides strategic financial leadership and ensures that fiscal and operating systems are well designed and implemented to best support the Foundation’s mission.With more than a decade of experience in project, program, and grants management, Laura specializes in funds administration, compliance, and financial oversight. She has led complex portfolios across the nonprofit and international development sectors, integrating analytical rigor with cross‑cultural and bilingual communication.
Before joining SIF, Laura managed a $7.6 million USAID grant at ChildFund International and oversaw a major subgrant to an international partner. She previously spent six years at La Clínica del Pueblo, where she managed the financial and data components of a grants and contracts portfolio exceeding $10 million annually and led the development of hundreds of reports and proposals.
Laura’s commitment to Central America began during her Peace Corps service in Guatemala, where she gained grassroots experience in community‑driven development. She continued this engagement as a board member for Global Education Ambassadors, a nonprofit leading school infrastructure initiatives in Guatemala. Her work is grounded in a belief that strong financial systems, equitable partnerships, and locally led solutions are essential to advancing sustainable impact in the region.
Laura leads SIF’s grants and finance functions, ensuring compliance, high‑quality reporting, and strategic resource allocation that supports the Foundation’s mission across Central America.
Nate brings over 15 years of experience in international development, program management and global partnerships roles. His expertise spans strategic leadership, coalition building and convening design, demonstrated through a proven track record of advancing social justice initiatives across philanthropy, nonprofits and business.
Prior to SIF, Nate began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in China, which shaped his commitment to equitable and sustainable development. This experience led him to diverse roles in Asia, Africa and Latin America supporting global efforts across education, health, business development and civil society. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies from Lewis & Clark College and a Master of Public Administration with honors from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. His graduate work, anchored in international development, strengthened his skills in program evaluation, policy analysis and stakeholder engagement.
Since 2018, Nate has led the design and implementation of CADF. His strategy is guided by a belief that empathy is the foundation of meaningful human connection and practical policymaking. Anchored in this principle, he develops cross‑sector spaces that build trust, align priorities, and foster collaborative solutions for a more just, equitable, and democratic world.
Olson is a Wilson Center Global Fellow. He served as the Mexico Institute and Latin American Program’s Deputy Director for 11 years. He has published numerous articles and books including, “Crime and Violence in the Northern Triangle: How U.S. policy is helping, hurting, and can be improved.”
Prior to his arrival at the Wilson Center he worked with the Secretariat for Political Affairs at the Organization of American States as a Senior Specialist on Good Governance; at Amnesty International USA as Advocacy Director for the Americas; and at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) as Senior Associate for Mexico. He also worked for Augsburg College’s Center for Global Education and Experience in Mexico, and in Honduras as an economic development specialist. He began his career as a legislative assistant for a Member of Congress from Minnesota.
Originally from Minnesota, Olson has spent over 30 year living and working in Latin America including Venezuela (where he grew up), Honduras, and Mexico. He has traveled extensively in Central America and the region. He holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the American University’s School of International Service, and a Bachelor’s degree in Education and History from Trinity College in Deerfield, IL.
Eric advises the Executive Director on strategy and special initiatives, drawing on his extensive experience in policy and advocacy related to Central America.
Araceli has over 20 years of experience in civil society organizations, foundations, and international cooperation projects, with expertise in strategic administration, institutional sustainability, and resource management.
She has led finance, operations, and governance, strengthening internal controls and compliance to enable Central American teams to operate with greater clarity, order, and efficiency. She has collaborated with initiatives funded by USAID, IDB, and UNDP, and draws on corporate experience in which she managed projects and contracts with a results-driven approach while maintaining a people-centered sense of operations.
With training in business administration and academic grounding in social work and sociology, Araceli integrates two perspectives that rarely intersect: administrative rigor and deep sensitivity to people and context. This unique foundation shapes her ethical and strategic vision and her strong commitment to social justice.
Through her collaboration with SIF’s diverse teams and projects and her ongoing participation in the Central American Donors Forum (CADF), Araceli has developed a deep understanding of the region’s varied realities. She continues to contribute her experience and knowledge to advance the foundation’s mission and vision.
As part of the Finance and Operations team, Araceli oversees Human Resources.
Her career spans international cooperation and political training, with extensive experience in organizational development, political participation, and human rights advocacy through intercultural and gender-based approaches. A Maya K’iche’ professional, Glenda holds master’s degrees in Project Formulation and Evaluation and Social Anthropology, a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and postgraduate studies in Scientific Research.
Before joining SIF, Glenda worked with Trócaire, Ireland’s Catholic development agency in Guatemala, contributing to the technical and political strengthening of organizations focused on territorial defense. Across Central America, she has designed, coordinated, and supported initiatives for political participation, leadership development, and territorial advocacy, connecting international cooperation frameworks with diverse local realities. She has also completed internships and volunteer work with USAID and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
Glenda’s work is driven by a critical analysis of the historical and contemporary dynamics shaping social, political, and environmental inequalities in Central America. With a holistic, systemic approach that integrates gender, interculturality, and territory, she seeks to foster transformative processes that strengthen political communities, encourage collective action, and generate lasting impact in complex, ever-changing contexts.
Glenda leads the Democracy in Movement portfolio of the CAMY Fund, supporting organizations, social movements, and collectives to strengthen participatory, intercultural, and intergenerational democracy rooted in local contexts.
For nearly two decades, Melissa has advanced social justice, human rights, and local democracy across Central America and the Dominican Republic. Her career blends project management, social research, organizational strengthening, and movement support through context-driven strategies, collaboration, and intersectional approaches.
Melissa has coordinated and accompanied initiatives on sexual and reproductive rights, social justice, and democratic governance, partnering with feminist and youth organizations, local governments, universities, and international cooperation agencies. Through this work, she has promoted organizational sustainability and fostered collaboration to strengthen democracy at both local and regional levels.
Her commitment to Central America is grounded in a transfeminist ethic that values local knowledge and embraces diverse political identities. Melissa believes in building cross-border solidarity and supporting narratives of resistance that inspire hope through an intersectional and pluralist perspective. She is convinced that lasting transformation requires caring for people, strengthening collective processes, and centering life, dignity, and love in every action.
Tania holds a degree in International Relations and Business, with postgraduate training in memory, human rights, and feminism. With over eight years of coordinating social projects across Latin America, she has focused her work and activism on empowering organized youth and raising Central America’s profile in multilateral advocacy spaces.
Prior to joining SIF, Tania was part of the research team at Cristosal, where she led media monitoring and contextual analysis of human rights in northern Central America. She was also involved with the Central American Youth Network for the Defense of Human Rights, working alongside organizations such as the Museum of the Word and Image (MUPI), the Anne Frank House (Netherlands), and Voces Nuestras (Costa Rica).
Tania’s commitment to Central America is shaped by her experiences as a young feminist and her deep connection to youth social movements in El Salvador. Her work at SIF is guided by the belief that strengthening youth organizations, technically, financially, and politically, is essential to advancing toward a more just, joyful, and peaceful region, where Central American youth are protagonists of their own stories and can freely make decisions regarding their bodies and their lives.
Tania supports partner organizations within youth movements and oversees grant allocations in the Sexual and Reproductive Rights portfolio of the CAMY Fund.
With more than ten years of experience in fundraising, international cooperation, institutional development, and project management across Central America, Cinthia has worked with organizations in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as in diplomatic spaces. She has designed resource mobilization strategies, streamlined institutional processes, and built strong donor relationships. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to strengthening civil society and expanding the impact of organizations in the region.
Before joining SIF, Cinthia worked with Good Neighbors Guatemala, where she led programs on youth, citizenship, volunteering, and fundraising. In that role, she encouraged community participation and local leadership. She also collaborated with the Embassy of Korea in Honduras, contributing to projects that promoted cooperation and cultural diplomacy.
As a Honduran-Guatemalan professional, Cinthia brings a perspective deeply connected to the region’s social and political dynamics. Her commitment to Central America was shaped by her experience working alongside communities through citizen participation and volunteer programs, where she witnessed the strength of local leadership and people’s ability to drive change even in challenging contexts. From these experiences, she came to understand the importance of dialogue and collaboration in opening opportunities and reinforcing social processes. These lessons shaped her conviction that development emerges when local realities are supported, and when alliances are built on trust and solidarity. Her professional path reflects both strategic clarity and human sensitivity, guided by the belief that the region’s future is built through the voices and actions of its communities.
Cinthia coordinates Development and Fundraising. She drives resource mobilization strategies, manages the grant cycle, and strengthens fundraising systems and tools to build lasting donor relationships and ensure alignment with organizational goals.
A seasoned communicator, editor, and journalist, Paola brings over 25 years of experience creating, editing, and analyzing informational, narrative, and institutional content, work that has illuminated the diverse realities of Guatemala and Central America.
Before joining SIF, Paola spent over 15 years in print and television media, serving as deputy director, editor, commentator, researcher, and reporter. She engaged with a broad spectrum of social, political, and economic actors, cultivating a distinctive approach to gathering, interpreting, and presenting information across various formats and audiences. Her journalistic career included an internship at EFE in Spain and several awards from 2000 to 2015. She has also taught journalism at the university level and, in 2017, founded Ediciones Hurtado, her own publishing venture through which she has edited books for individuals, families, and organizations.
At SIF, Paola applies her skills and experience to philanthropy, advancing narratives that highlight the realities, struggles, and triumphs of Central America and help build more just and inclusive societies.
Paola leads SIF’s communications strategy and manages the organization’s external communications.
Team
Adriana Beltrán
Executive Director
Mirte Postema
Director of Independent Journalism and Anti-Impunity Funds
Natalia Lozano
Director of the CAMY Fund
Kathya Saavedra
Director of Finance and Operations
Laura Kathleen Lewis
Grants & Finance Manager
Nate Moyer
Senior Program Officer
Eric L. Olson
Senior Policy Advisor
Araceli Sánchez
Senior Manager of Finance and Operations
Glenda Ixtabalán
Program Officer
Melissa Zamora Monge
Program Officer
Tania Bello Regalado
Program Officer
Cinthia Arguijo
Development Coordinator
Paola Hurtado
Communications Coordinator