Ghana Public Service Announcements for Autism Awareness

Natasha currently serves as the AMF Program Coordinator. She comes to AMF with several years of experience in program administration and evaluation, after completing her B.A. in International relations and minor in Public Health from Boston University in 2017. She hopes to use her training in public health and her work experiences to help increase awareness and resources available to those with autism. 

Kojo Idun is the Managing Principal of Costrak Consulting LLC and has over 23 years’ experience as a top-notch seasoned cost planner in the construction industry. He has worked in most of the major sectors in the construction industry including Residential, Commercial, Leisure, Cultural, Education, Healthcare and Master Plan Infrastructure for both private and public clients.

Prior to founding his own firm, Kojo was the project quantity surveyor with Taysec Construction Limited a subsidiary of Taylor Woodrow Construction in the U.K and as the lead cost estimator for Lend Lease in New York and Davis Langdon An AECOM Company. Kojo is a Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and a Certified Construction Manager (CCM)

He manages construction costs which range from thousands of dollars to over a billion dollars from concept design till final design completion for various sectors in the construction industry.

Kojo is dependable and a team player and very passionate about mentoring young people to take up leadership roles to make the world a better place for the future. Currently, Kojo serves as the executive secretary for the Ghanaian Engineers Association of America and the Vice Chairman of the Board of Education for the Van Ripper Ellis Christian School in Fair Lawn in New Jersey.

Kojo holds a bachelor’s degree in building technology from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and a master’s degree in construction management from Steven’s Institute of Technology.

Kojo Addae-Mensah is the Group CEO of Databank. He has 20 years of combined experience in commercial and investment banking. He started his career at Databank in 1998 and then proceeded to work at Standard Chartered, Barclays and finally GCB Bank, before returning to Databank in 2014. Outside of work, he has three passions: his son, football and education. He is a Director of the Changing Lives Endowment Fund, which has been supporting bright and needy children for the past 11 years. In 2017, he also started a similar project on a personal level in his hometown of Abetifi to improve JHS results. He is a national TV pundit on football and finance. Kojo is motivated by his desire for excellence and positive results, which is reflected in every task that he completes, both inside and outside of the office, and in the people that he surrounds himself with.

She is also a certified special education teacher. Alison received a Master’s Degree in Intensive Needs with a concentration in Autism Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8) and Psychology. She has experience as a classroom teacher for children with multiple disabilities and currently works with private clients in the city. Her primary focus is on early intervention and technology integration to break down communication barriers and bridge gaps between learners. 

Alison has a strong passion for working with children and families affected by autism and thrives off of making a difference in lives of others and helping people realize that the possibilities are endless when we work towards each individual’s success and acknowledge their unique learning style.

 Alison enjoys participating in endurance sports events to raise awareness and funds for the foundation. She is honored to represent the Alexis Miranda Foundation and looks forward to being an integral part of all that is to come.

Gifty Ayoka holds a first degree in Political Science and Religions. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Ghana,Legon. She has previously worked in business development  with QSG Worldwide Limited and Amalgamated Bank respectively. Ms Ayoka has also volunteered extensively with many projects and programs for the less privileged in society.

Lisa A. Borges is CEO and Founder of Anchor Foundation Consulting, LLC, helping foundations fulfill their dreams and achieve long term sustainability.  She recently served as Interim Executive Director for the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care and also consults with other nonprofit foundations in the Boston area.

Prior to Anchor Foundation Consulting, Lisa served as Executive Director of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for over eighteen years where she was responsible for the overall leadership and strategic development of the organization.  In her role, Lisa successfully raised over $25 million dollars to support individuals with autism, launched a social enterprise to employ adults with autism, managed multiple grant programs and led the Foundation through several strategic plans and a rebranding process.  

Lisa serves on the board of several nonprofits in a leadership capacity and has been a guest speaker or presenter for multiple conferences, workshops and college level courses. Lisa earned a JD from New England School of Law and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Clark University. Lisa also founded the Celebrity & Athlete Foundation Forum in Boston to build a network and share best practices in this specialized charitable community.

Cassidy Chapman is the Office Administrator and Social Media Strategist. She is currently a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst working on her Bachelor of Science Degree in Neuroscience. Cassidy’s passion about working for the autism community stems from her love and respect for her brother CJ, who was diagnosed with Autism in 2001.

Cassidy has used her personal experience and capabilities to work with individuals with autism in the classroom, in the community, and in their homes. She feels that it is her privilege and responsibility to give back to the autism community because so many are in need of support and she has the ability to help.

Isaac Osae-Brown earned his Masters’ degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Moderate/Severe disabilities at the California State University, Dominguez – Hills. He also received his level II Education Specialist Clear Credential (Moderate/Severe disabilities) and Administrative Service Credential from the California State University to manage public schools and provide instruction to all students with multiple disabilities, including autism in the United States. Isaac has taught in urban Special education classrooms for over ten years and had also served as a graphic design and publication consultant for the United Nations office in Lagos, Nigeria.

Isaac also holds a Masters degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan and a bachelor of Fine Arts (Graphic Design) from the University of Ife in Nigeria. He is certified by the U.S. Board of Education and is authorized to provide instructional services to all students with disabilities and to lead in public school administration. He is a member of the National Education Association (NEA), California Teachers Association (CTA), and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

Currently, Isaac works with the Los Angeles public school system as an Education Specialist and beginning teacher mentor in Compton, California and a columnist on the education page for the Business Day newspaper in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an advocate and speaker for Special education services in the United States and abroad. He can be reached to provide public speaking engagements and professional developments in Special Education.

Esther is the Chief Executive Officer of Heavenly Treasures Child Development. She has 20 plus years in field of child development. Her responsibilities include but are not limited to, ensuring that guidelines and standards are properly implemented. Continual education for staff members. Strategies for parental involvement are in place, and working closely with specialists to ensure that children with specific challenges needs are met. Esther finds the field of child development to be rewarding both professionally and personally. She attended the University of Texas in Arlington majoring in Business Administration. Esther is committed to giving back to the community. She a member of girlsfriendsignite, a program for teen girls ages 13 to 18, to promoting self-awareness through empowerment. She donates her services willingly to numerous programs, from children with physical and learning disabilities; to battered women shelters; as well as breast cancer awareness programs.

Chris is currently part of the asset allocation management team for one of the largest global asset managers. Previously he was head of Portfolio Management-Americas within the Investment Solutions Group at State Street Global Advisors (2010-2014). Prior to joining State Street Global Advisors, he held a number of different roles at Fidelity Investments and Pyramis Global Advisors, a Fidelity company, beginning in 1997. Prior to that he was a CPA with Kaplan Moran & Digennaro in the public accounting field (1995-1997). Chris earned his BA with a concentration in accounting and his MBA with a concentration in finance from Bryant University where he is now also an adjunct professor of finance. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, the Chartered Alternatives Investment Analyst designation, and he is also a CPA. In addition he is the patent inventor of the financial ratio called “Legacy Risk.”

Kwasi Dadzie-Yeboah is a Senior Investment Professional with 15 plus years experience in the Investment Management industry. His most current role is Quantitative Equity Research Analyst at Fidelity Management and Research Company. Prior to joining Fidelity, he worked as a Project Manager / Quantity Surveyor for Property Services Consultancy in the UK, a multi disciplinary construction consulting company. He was responsible for providing strategic advice to real estate and property developers. Mr. Dadzie-Yeboah received his undergraduate degree from University of Science and Technology, Ghana and his Masters of Science degree in Investment Analysis from University of Stirling, in the UK.

Kwasi believes in giving back to his community and helping mold the minds of our youth into responsible members of the society. He has participated in various volunteer activities through his employer.

MaryAnn Struble is currently Director of Student services for the Lincoln School department in Rhode Island. She has 15 years plus of experience in the Special Education.

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Lynn Dadzie-Yeboah is Founder and President of Alexis Miranda Foundation. Lynn is a mother of a daughter on the Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has been advocating for her child and other children. She  has over 15 years experience in investment management. Her most recent role was Assistant Vice President and Portfolio Manager at US Trust Bank of America Global Wealth and Investment Management. Prior to that, she held numerous roles at Fidelity Investments with her last position being Legal Product Manager. Lynn graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Economics and French.

Lynn has been involved in various philanthropic and volunteer projects. She sits on the Advisory Board of a number of organizations as well as a number of Fundraising committees. Lynn worked with the University of Texas to raise funds from Alumni to support the school. She also worked for the Arlington, Texas Mayor’s campaign and tele-fund. At Fidelity and Bank of America, she participated in Habitat for Humanity projects. Lynn was a Mentor for Junior Achievement and enjoyed teaching 6th graders about the Stock Market. She believes in giving back to our communities and teaching our young ones to do the same.

Esinam Dzameshie is the Development and Operations Manager. She has experience in the banking industry where she was a Customer Service Representative with Databank Group and Stanbic Bank Ghana. She graduated from The University of Ghana, Legon with a degree in Information Studies and Sociology.

Esinam has been actively involved each year in a summer school program for children as a volunteer. She also has a passion for making a difference in society.