Staff
Marga C. Fripp
Art Marketing Coach and President of EWI
Marga Fripp, the Founder and President of Empowered Women International, is an art marketing coach, journalist and entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in managing non-profits, marketing, art management, media relations, gender and entrepreneurial development. She has a passion for empowering women to make a living from their work and thrive as leaders, educators, global citizens and entrepreneurs.Click here to read more about Marga.
You can contact Marga through email at MargaCFripp@gmail.com
Mary Louise Marino
Operations & Outreach Manager
Mary brings a diverse range of professional, academic, overseas, and artistic experience to her position as Program Manager for EWI. She has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from the School of International Training. Peace Corps led to her to Romania where she completed her master’s thesis and was a volunteer in non-profit capacity building. Prior to joining the team at EWI she was marketing coordinator for a digital type design studio based in Boston. She studied graphic design at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and lettering design at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland. Click here to read more about Mary.
You can contact Mary through email at Mary@ewint.org
Alexia Muchisu Wendel
Entrepreneurship Coach & Program Manager
Alexia Muchisu Wendel is passionate about working with marginalized communities in various capacities and helping such groups succeed. A native of Kakamega Kenya, one of 10 children raised by a widowed mother, Alexia has always held a strong belief in the value of educating, training and empowering girl children and women. Click here to read more about Alexia.
You can contact Alexia through email alexia@ewint.org
Alexandra Standal
Development Associate, AmeriCorps VISTA
Alexandra Standal joined the EWI team in February of 2012 as a volunteer and has since transitioned to become EWI’s Development Associate through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. She moved to Washington, DC in January 2012 after receiving a Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Michigan. Alexandra obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations at Michigan State University with Specializations in Peace and Justice Studies and International Development. Click here to read more about Alexandra.You can contact Alexandra through email at Alexandra@ewint.org
Sharmila Karamchandani
EWI Graduate, ETS Trainer, and Graphic Design Volunteer
Sharmila Karamchandani, an Indian-born artist and graphic designer has passion for working in arts education and community non-profits. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with an M.F.A in Graphic Design in 2002. In Fall of 2006 Sharmila encountered Empowered Women International and largely credits the organization for her successful career in the US. Click here to read more about Sharmila.
You contact Sharmila through email at sdkhush@hotmail.com
Mariana Alvarado
Graphic Web Design Volunteer
Mariana was born in Mexico City. She earned a BA in Graphic Communication Design in 2000 from Metropolitan Autonomous University (Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana) in Mexico City. In 2002 she took a class in VCU in Web Design using the Adobe Web Suite and also did a volunteer poster design for Women’s Health Network. She moved to Washington, DC in 2007. Mariana completed a Certificate Program of Web Design at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in May 2012 after one year of study. Mariana joined EWI at the end of November 2012. Click here to read more about Mariana.
Hanna A Yammer
Program Associate Intern
I went to school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the Italian State School, where I learned how to speak Italian and English. My initial visits to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and a local NGO helped me realize that I to wanted to work one day in a non-profit sector specializing in education and socio-economic empowerment for children and women. After graduation, I took up different professions as an administrative assistant balancing office work and maintaining bureaucratic relations with the Federal Government of Ethiopia, and as a librarian I helped reorganize my high school’s library making it easy for students to have access to books and print materials. At St Mary’s orphanage I helped connect potential families with orphaned children and served as a translator. In my spare time I joined the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) of Ethiopia, and coordinated events for International Migrants Day celebrations at the Italian Cultural Institute. Click here to read more about Hanna.
Virlen Reyes
Community Partnerships Intern
Virlen Reyes Was introduced to Empowerment Women International through the Internship and Academic Seminars of The Washington Center located in the area of Noma in Washington D.C. As a Philadelphia native Virlen has been a part of two non-profit organization that embody the strong and encouraging characteristics much like EWI. One distinct non-profit organization that she was involved in was the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation which has transformed advocacy for a program that uses the sport of hockey coupled with the development of a life skills curriculum and detailed educational services to build character and academic skills for high-risk inner-city boys and girls from Philadelphia, Camden and New Jersey area.
Click here to read more about Virlen.