This year, we’ve welcomed 23 outstanding new fellows from the United States, Brazil, India, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. Each fellow has undergone a rigorous selection process designed to select the top talent across various sectors. This year’s fellowship cohort will contribute to all aspects of Vera’s business, with skill sets spanning social development, product development, business intelligence, quality assurance, marketing, software development, technology consulting, finance, project management, data management, and business development. While each fellow brings unique expertise, collectively they share a common interest in creating positive impact within the social sector.
Virtual Onboarding and Training
In June, we kicked off our virtual fellowship onboarding for the second consecutive year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the month, fellows engaged in four hours of carefully structured synchronous sessions each day, coupled with independent learning activities. The sessions included technical learning, sector knowledge, Vera’s history, a ‘personal histories’ session where each Fellow shared their experiences and journey to Vera, and a collaborative case study.
“In my extensive experience in the IT field, I have never experienced such a unique onboarding process which helps you blend into the culture of Vera. This helps new hires understand what Vera stands for with its history, principles, and values being the most important aspects. The virtual onboarding process was so seamless with practical case studies focusing on real-life client scenarios and was very well organized by Vera’s Training, Learning, and Development (TLD) team.”
– Gaurav Shinde, Mumbai-based Fellow
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
The mix of facilitators and sessions during training sought to maximize engagement and interaction. To expand upon learnings outside of training sessions, Fellows were assigned trailhead badges to further develop their Salesforce knowledge and skills.
“Fellowship training is an important part of their journey with Vera. First we want them to get to know and meet people in the company so that virtual learning is not so lonely. We try to ensure that they are well-versed with our mission, vision, and ways of working. Continuous learning is important for everyone at Vera, so we try to set that tone from the beginning.”
– Leigh Harker, TLD Coordinator
Since our first Fellowship cohort in 2014, Vera Solutions has continuously evolved the training, learning and development model. However, one thing that has stayed constant is the celebration of Fellows’ unique strengths and the culture of collaboration, inclusivity, sustainability, impact, teamwork, leadership, and excellence.
“What excites me most about joining Vera is the opportunity to work with great people from all over the world, with very different backgrounds, but all committed and motivated to expanding the positive impact of social sector organizations. Throughout my career, I have always strived for social justice, and I am extremely happy and excited to work together with so many amazing organizations and help them find data solutions that will unlock their full impact potential.”
– Beatriz de Moraes Rodrigues, São Paulo-based Fellow
Introducing the 2021-2022 Fellowship Class
Cape Town
Carol Dithologo (Associate Consultant) has worked in the digital financial solutions industry, planning, designing and implementing technical projects/digital finance solutions for financially excluded and marginalized communities across Africa. She has over 6 years of experience and her major achievements include the successful implementation of 4 digital financial solutions in Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is currently studying towards a master’s degree in Social Development at the University of Cape Town.
Elitha Soqele (Business Intelligence Lead) has extensive experience in Business Intelligence, having worked in various industries. With more than 13 years of experience, Elitha has worked in data analysis, data visualization, development, data governance, and business analysis, primarily in financial services, insurance, health, and retail consulting roles. Her academic foundations are in statistics and finance.
Jean Olivier (Social Media Associate) has experience in design and marketing for small startups in Cape Town, helping small businesses with their branding and marketing needs. Jean holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, and is currently completing his Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management through the IMM Graduate School.
Letlhogile Motaung (Finance Analyst) has worked in the finance industry, with a solid background in financial management, reporting, analysis and administration, rooted in the development industry internationally and locally. She holds a BCom Accounting degree from the University of Cape Town, a Social Entrepreneurship Programme certificate from GIBS, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Business from Wits Business School.
Nhlanhla May (Associate Consultant) has experience in data collection, processing and reporting projects specifically around infrastructure monitoring, resource accounting and demographics analyses on African cities. He holds a BA in Geography from the University of Johannesburg.
Ryan Barry (Global Marketing Manager) has experience working in global B2B events in the energy, oil and gas, media, and government administration industries. He holds a BBA Marketing Management Degree from IMM Graduate School, as well as a Digital Marketing Certificate from the University of Cape Town.
Sally Crompton (Associate Consultant) has worked in monitoring and evaluation, with child and youth development programs in urban South African communities, focused on youth unemployment interventions. She holds a MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA Honours in History from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Shungu Dlamini (Business Intelligence Analyst) has worked in the Business Intelligence field for over 5 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management & Information Technology from the Catholic University in Zimbabwe and a Post-graduate Diploma in Knowledge and Information Systems Management from Stellenbosch University, while currently pursuing her Masters.
Zeenat Vallie (Digital Marketing Associate) has experience building online communities through content and digital marketing in South Africa and the United Kingdom, including as a Social Media Account Manager and Content Producer. She holds a BSocSc with a triple major in English Literary Studies, Media and Writing, and Gender Studies from the University of Cape Town, and a certificate in Digital Marketing.
Mumbai
Bhavit Jain (Quality Assurance Engineer) has spent over 5 years as a Quality Assurance Engineer in the Salesforce Quality Assurance domain, working with organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and American Cancer Society. He holds a B.Tech in Information Technology from JECRC, Rajasthan University.
Dhruvil Mehta (Product Associate) has cross-functional experience in product development, having worked with an AI & Data company and in the Finance and Public Sectors, contributing to a software product resolving public safety issues and leading an internal product-driven practice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Mumbai University.
Gaurav Shinde (Quality Assurance Manager) has over 12 years of experience setting up and managing Quality Assurance Teams. His secondary expertise lies in software development, and he is a Certified Scrum Master who has helped set up Agile processes across Capital Markets, Health Services, Banking, and Insurance clients.
Pratik Jha (Product Associate) has worked in the products team of startups like Uber and Wheelseye, and previously at Satva Consulting on projects with USAID and AVPN. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani Goa campus.
Rushika Mangrola (Associate Consultant) has experience building analytical solutions that enable data-backed strategic decision making in Fortune 500 organizations, alongside volunteering and internship experience in the Sri Lankan start-up ecosystem. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Mumbai.
Soundarya Rangarajan (Systems Admin Associate) is passionate about systems and data science and is a 3-time certified Salesforce Administrator, previously working with SAP software. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from SRM University and is pursuing her PG in Data Science at BITS.
São Paulo
Beatriz de Moraes Rodrigues (Associate Consultant) is an experienced researcher in quantitative and qualitative research, data analysis, and reporting, having worked on criminal investigations and statistics in Brazil, Austria, and the Netherlands. She holds a MSc in Sociology and Social Research from the University of Utrecht.
João Villela de Faria (Associate Consultant) has experience building financial models and managing projects across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including work on climate change and the COVID-19 response in New York City. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from UFRJ and a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University SIPA.
Maíra Prado (Associate Consultant) has extensive experience developing philanthropy worldwide, managing social impact partnerships, and grantmaking in Brazil. She is a certified Sustainability Designer by Gaia Education and holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from FGV EAESP, with international relations coursework and an exchange at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Marcelo Jambeiro (Business Development Manager) has worked in the NGO sector helping organizations like Change.org advance their communications and fundraising plans, and establish relationships with leading nonprofit consulting and digital marketing firms. He holds a BA in Marketing and Communications from Mackenzie University in São Paulo.
Roberta Gomes (Consultant) has experience in the development of digital solutions for smallholder farming and educational platforms, from both project management and communication perspectives. She holds a graduate degree in Public Relations and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Washington D.C.
Alexa Catherman (Associate Consultant) is passionate about the nonprofit sector, spending over four years working with leading NPOs in the United States and a year serving through AmeriCorps, working on international development, fundraising, and donor relations. She holds a BA and two minors from NC State University and an MA in International Development from George Washington University.
Austin Jensen (Business Development Manager) is passionate about renewable energy and the environment, having worked with a start-up social enterprise distributing off-grid solar kits through microfinance institutions in rural Uganda, and later in partnerships for a demand-side energy management consultancy. He holds a BS in Sociology from Brigham Young University and a MSc in International Development from the University of Edinburgh.
Cale Rogoyski (Associate Consultant) is a social entrepreneur with previous experience in agri-tech, youth development, and community development, passionate about innovation and connecting with people. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a triple major in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics, and an M.A. in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis.