Our Leadership
Located both in Uganda and the United States, members of our dedicated team bring a wide range of experience to their work at The Greater Contribution. Read more about our team by clicking on the images below.
Karon Wright
President, co-Founder and Executive Director
Karon Wright is the President, co-Founder and Executive Director of The Greater Contribution. She is a passionate advocate for the poor and a frequent speaker about the fight against poverty. In 2006, Karon and her co-founders were motivated by recognition of the abundance of their own lives and a desire to make a greater contribution – to give back and make a difference in the lives of those who are so much less fortunate. They formed The Greater Contribution. Since 2006, under Karon’s leadership, during the last 11 years, The Greater Contribution has provided over 18,000 micro loans to women living in abject poverty, allowing them to start small businesses and begin to work their way out of poverty.
Karon was given national recognition with a “Vibrant Giver Award” for her dedication to poverty relief worldwide. She was one of the featured speakers at the TED conference in Thousand Oaks in 2010 and was named A 2016 Peace Hero as part of a nation-wide celebration commemorating the 15th anniversary of 9/11 and honoring those in local communities working toward peace. She has been nominated for a CNN Hero Award in both 2017 and 2019. She travels to Africa every six months to monitor the TGC loan program there.
Close
Karon Wright
President, co-Founder and Executive Director of The Greater Contribution.
Karon Wright
President, co-Founder and Executive Director
Karon Wright is the President, co-Founder and Executive Director of The Greater Contribution. She is a passionate advocate for the poor and a frequent speaker about the fight against poverty. In 2006, Karon and her co-founders were motivated by recognition of the abundance of their own lives and a desire to make a greater contribution – to give back and make a difference in the lives of those who are so much less fortunate. They formed The Greater Contribution. Since 2006, under Karon’s leadership, during the last 15 years, The Greater Contribution has provided over 20,000 micro loans to women living in abject poverty, allowing them to start small businesses and begin to work their way out of poverty.
Karon was given national recognition with a “Vibrant Giver Award” for her dedication to poverty relief worldwide. She was one of the featured speakers at the TED conference in Thousand Oaks in 2010 and was named A 2016 Peace Hero as part of a nation-wide celebration commemorating the 15th anniversary of 9/11 and honoring those in local communities working toward peace. She has been nominated for a CNN Hero Award in both 2017 and 2019. She travels to Africa every six months to monitor the TGC loan program there.
Close
Toffister Aloyo
Program Manager, Uganda
Toffister Aloyo is an enthusiastic young lady who joined The Greater Contribution (TGC) in 2016 as the Program Manager in Uganda.
She left a lucrative job in the capital city to pursue her life time dream to help mothers and girls in families experiencing abject poverty, to give them hope that one needs just a little push and it is upon them to work hard to work their way out of poverty with dignity.
Toffister grew up in a remote poverty-stricken part of Uganda. She was raised by a poor mother who worked hard to ensure all her children, daughters, obtained a formal education. A dream she realized and one that inspired Toffister.
Toffister has a bachelor’s degree in Business administration and a diploma in Business administration.
Toffister is proud to be at the forefront of helping these very poor families fight hard to walk out of poverty with dignity. She recognizes that it is a true source of inspiration to these mothers showing them that it is possible, with hope and determination, one can work hard out of poverty.
Toffister’s passion to work with TGC is beyond a salaried job. She is happy to work through TGC to make a tremendously successful impact in alleviating poverty in families through loans to finance businesses, girl’s retention in school programs and advocating for women’s equal treatment in the community.
She reports: “I am so honored that in working with TGC I am realizing my dream to give back to the world by one helping one to make the world a better place for every one of us.”
Close
Toffister
Aloyo
Program Manager,
Uganda
Toffister Aloyo
Program Manager
Toffister Aloyo is an enthusiastic young lady who joined The Greater Contribution (TGC) in 2016 as the Program Manager in Uganda.
She left a lucrative job in the capital city to pursue her life time dream to help mothers and girls in families experiencing abject poverty, to give them hope that one needs just a little push and it is upon them to work hard to work their way out of poverty with dignity.
Toffister grew up in a remote poverty-stricken part of Uganda. She was raised by a poor mother who worked hard to ensure all her children, daughters, obtained a formal education. A dream she realized and one that inspired Toffister.
Toffister has a bachelor’s degree in Business administration and a diploma in Business administration.
Toffister is proud to be at the forefront of helping these very poor families fight hard to walk out of poverty with dignity. She recognizes that it is a true source of inspiration to these mothers showing them that it is possible, with hope and determination, one can work hard out of poverty.
Toffister’s passion to work with TGC is beyond a salaried job. She is happy to work through TGC to make a tremendously successful impact in alleviating poverty in families through loans to finance businesses, girl’s retention in school programs and advocating for women’s equal treatment in the community.
She reports: “I am so honored that in working with TGC I am realizing my dream to give back to the world by one helping one to make the world a better place for every one of us.”
Close
Doreek Akello
Assistant Project Officer, Uganda
Doreen is the most recent addition to The Greater Contribution’s paid staff in Uganda without whom our work could not get done.
Doreen is attending Gulu University where she is completing her work on her BS degree in Agri-Entrepreneurship and Communication Management. For the last couple of years, she has been a peer trainer at the University educating students on different forms of GBV (Gender Based Violence) and sexual harassment.
Her most recent experience has been working for the Forum for Women in Democracy as a civic action mentor. As an advocate in the areas of health, education, human rights, food and nutrition she was also responsible for donor, progress and financial reports.
Married and residing in Gulu, Doreen brings to The Greater Contribution an abundance of honesty, integrity, self-respect and a devotion to humanity.
We warmly welcome Doreen to the TGC family.
Close
Doreen
Akello
Assistant Project Officer,
Uganda
Doreen Akello
Assistant Project Officer
Doreen is the most recent addition to The Greater Contribution’s paid staff in Uganda without whom our work could not get done.
Doreen is attending Gulu University where she is completing her work on her BS degree in Agri-Entrepreneurship and Communication Management. For the last couple of years, she has been a peer trainer at the University educating students on different forms of GBV (Gender Based Violence) and sexual harassment.
Her most recent experience has been working for the Forum for Women in Democracy as a civic action mentor. As an advocate in the areas of health, education, human rights, food and nutrition she was also responsible for donor, progress and financial reports.
Married and residing in Gulu, Doreen brings to The Greater Contribution an abundance of honesty, integrity, self-respect and a devotion to humanity.
We warmly welcome Doreen to the TGC family.
Close
Lisa Carey
Board Member
Lisa Carey is excited about joining The Greater Contribution as a way to reach beyond her local community to help empower women in Uganda, and to grow more as a person in service to others.
A former professional athlete, she is a two-time US National Figure Skating Champion and World silver medalist. She just recently retired her public relations/marketing agency after 27 years, where she took pride in creating innovative and inclusive ways of using entertainment as a way to positively impact the lives of children and those underserved. Her next passion project, an inspirational online hub for women 50+ called IntentfullyFiT, launches in 2022.
Lisa and her husband have two grown daughters and she finds her bliss when she’s hiking, mountain biking, playing tennis, reading a great book, or taking classes offered from her spiritual center. Connecting with people is a core principal that propels Lisa’s journey in celebrating life as an adventure.
Close
Lisa
Carey
Board Member,
USA
Lisa Carey
Board Member
Lisa Carey is excited about joining The Greater Contribution as a way to reach beyond her local community to help empower women in Uganda, and to grow more as a person in service to others.
A former professional athlete, she is a two-time US National Figure Skating Champion and World silver medalist. She just recently retired her public relations/marketing agency after 27 years, where she took pride in creating innovative and inclusive ways of using entertainment as a way to positively impact the lives of children and those underserved. Her next passion project, an inspirational online hub for women 50+ called IntentfullyFiT, launches in 2022.
Lisa and her husband have two grown daughters and she finds her bliss when she’s hiking, mountain biking, playing tennis, reading a great book, or taking classes offered from her spiritual center. Connecting with people is a core principal that propels Lisa’s journey in celebrating life as an adventure.
Close
Cathy Cole
Board Member
A native of New York, Cathy completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at Rutgers University, Nurse Practitioner training in Women’s Health from Harbor-UCLA and her Master’s degree from CSU, Northridge in Community Health Education. Cathy currently works at the Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks California as a program coordinator and is involved in program development for the hospital’s accredited breast program. Her academic interests include early detection strategies in breast cancer and community health outreach to disparate groups of women. She appears in Who’s Who in American Nursing. Cathy also has a strong commitment to human dignity and has spent her career in meeting the challenges of the underserved in her community. She has been involved in many nonprofit organizations with noble missions and believes strongly in The Greater Contribution.
She has been honored with The Frist Humanitarian Award from the HCA Corporation; and the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society. This year she will receive the Excellence Award from the Cancer Support Community.
Cathy lives in Thousand Oaks, California with her husband Larry and their dog Symon.
Close
Cathy
Cole
Board Member,
USA
Cathy Cole
Board Member
A native of New York, Cathy completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at Rutgers University, Nurse Practitioner training in Women’s Health from Harbor-UCLA and her Master’s degree from CSU, Northridge in Community Health Education. Cathy currently works at the Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks California as a program coordinator and is involved in program development for the hospital’s accredited breast program. Her academic interests include early detection strategies in breast cancer and community health outreach to disparate groups of women. She appears in Who’s Who in American Nursing. Cathy also has a strong commitment to human dignity and has spent her career in meeting the challenges of the underserved in her community. She has been involved in many nonprofit organizations with noble missions and believes strongly in The Greater Contribution.
She has been honored with The Frist Humanitarian Award from the HCA Corporation; and the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society. This year she will receive the Excellence Award from the Cancer Support Community.
Cathy lives in Thousand Oaks, California with her husband Larry and their dog Symon.
Close
Scott Gibb
Board Member
Scott and his wife Marilyn have lived in Thousand Oaks for 13 years. Scott is retired from his most recent career as a Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor. He also had careers in the Telecommunications and Broadcasting industries.
Scott has always been involved in his community; from his time in Virginia with the Salvation Army, Jaycees, United Way and Chamber of Commerce. Most recently he served as a Board member of the Westlake Center for Spiritual Living and now The Greater Contribution.
“I have rarely seen a charity as effective and impactful as The Greater Contribution,” Scott exclaimed. “The dedication and devotion to this noble cause shown by Karon and her supporters is inspiring and I had to be a part of it.”
Close
Scott
Gibb
Board Member,
USA
Scott Gibb
Board Member
Scott and his wife Marilyn have lived in Thousand Oaks for 13 years. Scott is retired from his most recent career as a Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor. He also had careers in the Telecommunications and Broadcasting industries.
Scott has always been involved in his community; from his time in Virginia with the Salvation Army, Jaycees, United Way and Chamber of Commerce. Most recently he served as a Board member of the Westlake Center for Spiritual Living and now The Greater Contribution.
“I have rarely seen a charity as effective and impactful as The Greater Contribution,” Scott exclaimed. “The dedication and devotion to this noble cause shown by Karon and her supporters is inspiring and I had to be a part of it.”
Close
Rebecca Harrington
Administrative Coordinator
Rebecca has over 15 years of experience in administration and office management of all kinds. Her previous work includes management, bookkeeping, and self-employment.
Both in her personal and professional life, Rebecca believes passionately in supporting others to help them change the trajectory of their lives. The ability to help support the work of The Greater Contribution and the micro-loan program is a gift.
Rebecca is a wife to one and a mom to 3 children and resides in Texas.
Close
RebeccaHarrington
Administrative Coordinator,USA
Rebecca Harrington
Administrative Coordinator
Rebecca has over 15 years of experience in administration and office management of all kinds. Her previous work includes management, bookkeeping, and self-employment.
Both in her personal and professional life, Rebecca believes passionately in supporting others to help them change the trajectory of their lives. The ability to help support the work of The Greater Contribution and the micro-loan program is a gift.
Rebecca is a wife to one and a mom to 3 children and resides in Texas.
Close
Laura Mackenzie
Web Designer
Laura serves as web designer, keeping our website updated and running smoothly. She works as a software engineer at Microsoft, and her background in web development and online content production spans 14 years. She has volunteered extensively in her own community in various positions, including maintaining the website for her local PTSA as VP of Communications.
Laura has always had a strong desire to expand her reach beyond her own community and is passionate about helping women lift themselves and their families out of poverty. When she noticed that The Greater Contribution needed a web designer, she knew she had found her opportunity.
Laura grew up in northern Canada, but now lives with her husband and two children in Seattle. She enjoys spending time traveling with her family whenever she has the chance.
Close
Laura
Mackenzie
Web Designer,
USA
Laura Mackenzie
Web Designer
Laura serves as web designer, keeping our website updated and running smoothly. She works as a software engineer at Microsoft, and her background in web development and online content production spans 14 years. She has volunteered extensively in her own community in various positions, including maintaining the website for her local PTSA as VP of Communications.
Laura has always had a strong desire to expand her reach beyond her own community and is passionate about helping women lift themselves and their families out of poverty. When she noticed that The Greater Contribution needed a web designer, she knew she had found her opportunity.
Laura grew up in northern Canada, but now lives with her husband and two children in Seattle. She enjoys spending time traveling with her family whenever she has the chance.
Close
Miles Ramsden
Board Member
Originally from the United Kingdom, Miles is a passionate advocate for the fight against poverty as well as a strong believer in equal opportunity. Having previously participated in poverty, education and conservation projects in Madagascar, West Africa and Indonesia, Miles was drawn to The Greater Contribution’s mission to provide a pathway for women to work their way out of poverty.
A seasoned finance professional, Miles has over 15 years experience working for investment banks and asset management firms in New York, London and São Paulo. Previously with Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Franklin Templeton Investments, Miles currently works as a portfolio manager for a large US wealth manager. He will leverage this experience to ensure robust financial governance is a paramount priority at The Greater Contribution.
In addition to his career in finance, Miles is also pursuing graduate studies in Development Economics & Policy — learning the best practices for implementing, monitoring and evaluating poverty alleviation initiatives from case-studies conducted all over the world. He is keen to apply these learnings to our mission and ensure we maximize the opportunities we provide to women in Uganda.
Close
Miles
Ramsden
Board Member,
USA
Miles Ramsden
Board Member
Originally from the United Kingdom, Miles is a passionate advocate for the fight against poverty as well as a strong believer in equal opportunity. Having previously participated in poverty, education and conservation projects in Madagascar, West Africa and Indonesia, Miles was drawn to The Greater Contribution’s mission to provide a pathway for women to work their way out of poverty.
A seasoned finance professional, Miles has over 15 years experience working for investment banks and asset management firms in New York, London and São Paulo. Previously with Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Franklin Templeton Investments, Miles currently works as a portfolio manager for a large US wealth manager. He will leverage this experience to ensure robust financial governance is a paramount priority at The Greater Contribution.
In addition to his career in finance, Miles is also pursuing graduate studies in Development Economics & Policy — learning the best practices for implementing, monitoring and evaluating poverty alleviation initiatives from case-studies conducted all over the world. He is keen to apply these learnings to our mission and ensure we maximize the opportunities we provide to women in Uganda.
Close
Chelsea Slavich
Donor Relations Director
Chelsea came to The Greater Contribution with a professional background in fundraising and community development, having previously worked for one of the top 5 largest non-profits in the US. While most of the organizations she’s worked with have focused on local programing, Chelsea has visited Uganda multiple times, seeing first-hand the dire needs of those living there.
Chelsea is grateful to be able to contribute to an organization making such lasting change for women and families in Uganda. She has personal relationships with families in Uganda who have struggled to meet their basic needs, and knows the work The Greater Contribution is doing is making life-changing impact.
Chelsea lives in Pasadena with her husband and daughter and enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures and meeting new people!
Close
Chelsea
Slavich
Donor Relations Director,
USA
Chelsea Slavich
Donor Relations Director
Chelsea came to The Greater Contribution with a professional background in fundraising and community development, having previously worked for one of the top 5 largest non-profits in the US. While most of the organizations she’s worked with have focused on local programing, Chelsea has visited Uganda multiple times, seeing first-hand the dire needs of those living there.
Chelsea is grateful to be able to contribute to an organization making such lasting change for women and families in Uganda. She has personal relationships with families in Uganda who have struggled to meet their basic needs, and knows the work The Greater Contribution is doing is making life-changing impact.
Chelsea lives in Pasadena with her husband and daughter and enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures and meeting new people!
Close
”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world…Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
