Board of Directors

Lloyd Nimetz, co-founder and president
He sees his dedication to HelpArgentina as a challenge and a personal necessity to get involved in the social sector, to look for ways to innovate, and to minimize suffering while increasing the quality of life for the Argentine community.

"I've gained much more than what has been invested in this work. Social work is the most challenging that can be imagined."

Javier Corcuera, director
He is currently AVINA's Representative for Water and Coasts in Latin America. From this position he works with AVINA's various representations to support a great variety of Latin American leaders seeking social transformation related to water access as a human right and the sustainable management of coastal and marine areas.

From 1997 to 2006 he was the General Director of Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina. In addition to this, throughout his career he has worked as a scientist, a freelance journalist in Argentina and Spain and a consultant for PNUMA (UNEP) in West Africa.

"HelpArgentina is part of the breath of fresh air that makes me feel hopeful and have faith in this country's future."

Diego Ferrari, director
Diego is a lawyer who contributes his expertise and knowledge in law to HelpArgentina and is dedicated toward working for a more just country.

"Complementing the practice of law with the work done by non-profit organizations is a true privilege. HelpArgentina has great potential."

Carlos March, director
Carlos is the Executive Director of AVINA. As an integral member of the HelpArgentina team, he works to define new strategies to strengthen the Argentine social sector. He supports HelpArgentina regularly as an important reference person on issues relating to the promotion of good practices and the mobilization of resources.

"HelpArgentina is much more than an NGO, it is a platform to articulate the service to the collective space of the civil society."

Emilio Ocampo, director
Mr. Ocampo is the founding partner of Arcadia Advisors, a financial advisory firm that serves international clients with investments in South America. He has over 17 years of experience in investment banking and capital markets in London and New York, most recently as Managing Director of Salomon Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. Until June 2005 he served as Senior Advisor to the London office of Citigroup Venture Capital Equity Partners, a $2.7 billion global private equity fund affiliated with Citigroup.

Mr. Ocampo has an MBA degree from the University of Chicago (1990) and a degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires (1985). He is a Professor of Investment Banking in the M.Sc. in Finance program at Universidad del CEMA, Buenos Aires.

Alicia Peirano, director
Alicia is a specialist in human resources and organizations. She has worked extensively in the areas of management in international businesses and with different professional and managing associations. Currently, she is a Senior Consultant of the Boyden Executive Search.

"HelpArgentina is an innovative idea in the Argentine social sector, lead professionally, and with a team of collaborators who have helped HA grow in very little time."

Staff

Milagros Olivera, executive director
She studied graphic design at the Univeristy of Buenos Aires, Artistic Direction in New York, and Marketing at Berkeley, in San Francisco. Since 1997 she has dedicated her time to advising and promoting civil society organizations. She was the Executive Director of the Argentine Strategic Planning Association and the Coordinator for the Circulation of Reports on Human Development for PNUD 2002, where she was awarded a scholarship to receive a post-graduate degree in Human Development from the United Nations.

Milagros has also worked as a facilitator (trained in the methodology of Scenario Construction by its creator Adam Kahane) for the Justice Roundtable for Argentine Discussion, among other forums. From October 2004 until April 2006, she served as the Coordinator of International Cooperation and Government Agencies for the Vida Silvestre Argentina Foundation. Since 2006, she has worked as the Executive Director for HelpArgentina.

"We have already traveled a long road and have learned many things, some organizations have been strengthened and others have disappeared. But one thing remains certain: we all need greater citizen participation and the means to strengthen these organizations institutionally so that they become sustainable and can move toward even better practices."

Mariano Machado - asistentedireccion@helpargentina.org

Mariano graduated from the University of Salvador where he received a degree in International Relations. He has experience in both private and public administration, and has great interest in diplomatic relations. His commitment to Social Organizations in our country has brought him to HelpArgentina.

"Comitted to a civil society organization with so much potential such as HelpArgentina, represents a continuous challenge both personally and professionally for me."

Strengthening of the Social Sector

Federico Centeno Lappas - organizaciones@helpargentina.org
Federico has a degree in Political Sciences and is finishing his Masters in Social Policies. He has worked in different social organizations as well as in the area of social responsibility and communications in the private sector.

"Social Organizations are one of the most important actors that respond to the different problems in our communities. It´s a huge satisfaction and a great responsability to work to strengthen the role of our social organizations in Argentina.".

Mariana Jourdan - buenaspracticas@helpargentina.org

Mariana has a degree in Political Science from the University of Buenos Aires. She has experience in both the private and social sectors, and was drawn to HelpArgentina to continue working for a better Argentina.

"Many years ago, I decided to study political science as a means to better the situation of my country. Today, it is a joy to be part of the HelpArgentina team, where day after day we wake up thinking of concrete ways to reach our goals."

Community without Borders

Florencia Iacopetti - comunidad@helpargentina.org
Florencia is a sociologist and responsible for donors and social ambassadors at HelpArgentina. Flor believes that working in groups is a much more powerful model for affecting change and, in that sense, is delighted by her work in HelpArgentina that unites people who have the desire to help with Argentine social organizations that work in responsible and transparent ways.

"I find it immensely satisfying to meet people on a daily basis who are interested in the social issues in my country and to offer them a concrete tool to channel their desire to help. In short, my work is about bringing people together and helping them help Argentina. Through HelpArgentina, we can all find our own unique way to do so."

InsightArgentina

Mercedes Hoffay - insightargentina@helpargentina.org
Mechi is studying Political Science at the University of Buenos Aires. She is InsightArgentina's Program Coordinator, which means she is in touch with all participants from the day they apply to following their return home to their respective countries. She answers all your questions, finds you the perfect volunteer placement, and helps you with Spanish classses and housing if you choose.

"I am convinced that in order to change things, you have to start from the bottom. Because of this I decided to study Political Science, with the hope that I would be able work for my country. What I like best about my job is that I see hundreds of volunteers from abroad that become aware of the most difficult situations in my country, and also get to know the people that invest their time to bring their energy and solutions to our member organizations."

Jon Teel - volunteers@helpargentina.org
Jon is the General Program Coordinator for InsightArgentina. Upon arriving in Argentina, Jon receives the volunteers, conducts individual orientations, accompanies them to their host organizations on their first day while serving an intermediary between both the volunteers and the organizations.

Originally from Maine in the United States, Jon first arrived in Argentina in 2003 as a volunteer with HelpArgentina. He has a degree in History and International Studies from Davidson College in North Carolina. In 2004-2005, he worked for Seeds of Peace, an international Ngo that fosters reconciliation between Arab and Israeli youth. In late 2005, Jon returned to live and work in Buenos Aires and was incorporated as a staff member at HelpArgentina in 2006. Jon is grateful to be a part of HelpArgentina and feels privileged to be able to work day in and day out with Argentine organizations and communities as well as foreign volunteers.

"Change comes through increased awareness of the pressing social issues that face Argentina. Change also comes from a willingness to listen and to find solutions to our most basic problems. HelpArgentina aspires to be an organization that can bring hope and expertise to Argentine civil society."

Communication

Martín Font - comunicacion@helpargentina.org
Martín studied the Sciene of Social Communication specializing in Community Communication at the University of Buenos Aires. He has worked in the social sector as well as editorial writing.

"The possibility of working to strengthen the role of social organizations in Argentina motivated me to specialize in the area of Community Communication. That motivation became a reality at HelpArgentina."

Administration

Elisa Gassman - admin@helpargentina.org
Elisa graduated with a degree in Business Administration. She processes the donations from our donors and social ambassadors to our member organizations. Elisa handles all administration, accounting, legal, and human resource responsibilities.

"I'm happy to work with a group of people with whom I share the same aim for helping and where the effort for generating change has became a goal not of work, but of life."

Advisory Board

• Martín Bohmer, Universidad de San Andrés
• Emilio Bunge, Development Finance International, Inc.
• Mercedes Campos de Oris de Roa, Aedros
• Guillermo Caro, Fundación Ad Honorem
• Daniel Dickens, MBA candidate at Oxford University, ex Coordinator of Community without borders
• Susana Epstein, Collegiate School
• Martín Etchevers, Grupo Clarín
• Fernando Frydman, Centro de Management Social
• Martín Giménez Rébora, UNICEF, Oficina de Argentina
• Bernardo Kliksberg
• Fabian Andrés Koss, Inter-American Development Bank
• Matthew Nimetz, General Atlantic Partners, ex US Undersecretary of State
• Nancy Sherwood Truitt, The Tinker Foundation
• Angelique Xanthopoulos, MBA candidate at Duke University. Founder of InsightArgentina
• Juan Carr, Founder of Red Solidaria.
• Gabriel Berger, Director of Posgrado en Espcialización en Organizaciones sin fines de Lucro en la Universidad de San Andrés, Director del Centro de Innovación Social de la Unniversidad de San Andrés.

Founders

Lloyd Nimetz, co-founder and president
He sees his dedication to HelpArgentina as a challenge and a personal necessity to get involved in the social sector, to look for ways to innovate, and to minimize suffering while increasing the quality of life for the Argentine community.

"I've gained much more than what has been invested in this work. Social work is the most challenging that can be imagined."

Julián Bedel, co-founder
Julian contributes to the institutional strategies at HelpArgentina.

"HelpArgentina is the vehicle Lloyd and I dreamed of in order to generate a change in the social sector world-wide."