TechnoServe Tierney Fellows Program

For 27 years as board chair, Paul Tierney guided TechnoServe through its greatest era of growth while helping build our pro bono advisory initiative into a world-class talent engine. Following a historic $5 million gift from the Tierney Family Foundation to support the newly renamed TechnoServe Tierney Fellows Program, Paul reflects on three decades of impact and his advice for the next generation of changemakers.

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the TechnoServe Fellows Program, we look back to the origin of the program with the very first fellows.

Former TechnoServe Fellow Patrick Denis recently returned from a trip to Kenya, where he saw firsthand how entrepreneurs are building innovative, sustainable businesses in the blue economy.

TechnoServe Fellow Rediet Yeshidenber shares her experience building sustainable business solutions to poverty in Kenya by transitioning the Smart Duka program into a self-sustaining independent organization. Discover how strategic financial modeling and community-driven entrepreneurship are driving global equity and empowering micro-retailers across Nairobi.

Private equity investor Joe Manning has volunteered twice as a TechnoServe Fellow—first helping Tanzanian coffee farmers in 2010, then returning 15 years later with his family to support Kenyan entrepreneurs. His hands-on experience has made him a passionate advocate for TechnoServe's business-focused approach to fighting poverty.

They spent last year immersed in a different culture, searching for business solutions that will restore ecosystems, protect nature, and ultimately create prosperous livelihoods. Meet the first cohort of Rachel Hines Fellows.

Nuria Riechenberg, a TechnoServe Fellow in 2023, played a pivotal role in the LIWAY Program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There, she created an intervention to address a gap in the recycling value chain, creating sustainable recycling solutions and thousands of jobs. Discover how her experience as a TechnoServe Fellow has impacted her career.

Naila Farouk recently completed a TechnoServe fellowship in Burundi, where she created a global marketing survey to collect data on Burundian coffee. In honor of International Women’s Day, Naila shared her fellowship experience, discussed women who have inspired her, and highlighted some of the structural barriers women face.

We hope you enjoy this conversation that ranges from career paths to lasting impact to TechnoServe's unique approach to tackling global poverty.

Editor’s Note: Originally posted on December 7, 2017 under the title, “Just Get Up and Do Something” – Updated version published on July 20, 2023 under the new title, “Sarah LaFleur’s Journey from TechnoServe Fellow to M.M.LaFleur Founder” Sarah LaFleur, a TechnoServe Fellow in …