About Us
We are a private, US-based foundation. We provide long-term funding and organizational support to local NGO partners and operate community development programs in Ghana and Kenya. Since our founding in 2010, we have invested over $40 million in underserved communities throughout the world. We currently have over 40 partners in 14 countries.
To advance wellbeing and resilience in rural communities in Africa and Latin America.
At Vibrant Village Foundation we foster a culture of respect and embrace all differences. We strive to be humble listeners and self-reflective learners to better understand and respond to the needs of our partners. We put strong relationships and open, transparent communication at the center of our work, as a fundamental pillar of building trust. We are accountable to one another, to our sector and—most importantly—to the organizations we support and their communities.
After 22 years as co-founder and CEO of Deltek, Ken deLaski stepped down from the company in 2005 and turned his attention to philanthropy and international development. He was interested in different approaches to helping communities in poverty and traveled to several developing countries to see various ideas in action. There were a number of NGOs on the ground carrying out life-saving, urgent work, however Ken recalled, “much of it seemed like a band aid in providing humanitarian relief, helping the sick, and feeding the poor. This type of aid serves a very important purpose but I realized that our work should start from the bottom up to focus on projects and solutions that foster stronger, more vibrant communities—in turn helping families to have healthier, more productive lives.”
Ken chose to commit himself and his entrepreneurial spirit to supporting villages like the ones he visited in Haiti, and he founded Vibrant Village Foundation in 2010 to provide long-term support to communities facing extreme poverty. Since its inception, Vibrant Village Foundation has directly invested over $30 million, both through grants to non-profit organizations as well as through its direct operations.
Maimuna joined the Foundation in 2024 after close to a decade at Hivos. She held a number of positions during her time at Hivos, most recently as the Global Program Manager for the Voices for Just Climate Action program. The program focuses on building broad-based climate alliances at the country level, bridging divides (urban-rural, gender, youth), and amplifying voices in new, unusual ways. Maimuna has been passionate about environmental conservation and working to find ways to address structural inequalities from a young age. In addition to her professional experience in climate justice, renewable energy and agriculture, she has focused on communications, advocacy and research across several countries in Africa, and in Europe. She brings extensive experience in grantmaking and supporting civil society organizations in institutional capacity development. Maimuna is based in Nairobi.
Laura started her career in rural Guatemala where she spent four years working with a small women’s organization focused on empowerment and livelihood projects. In 2012, she joined the Foundation to build and manage their Portland-based grantmaking portfolio and was named Executive Director in 2017. Laura provides critical leadership to our multicultural team and serves as the primary liaison with the Board, working to optimize the Foundation's impact in improving lives and creating a more equitable world. She has extensive experience in rural community development, program operations, organizational development and the world of private family philanthropy. Laura graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Biology and Spanish and has a Master’s in Public Health from Portland State University. She is passionate about supporting local organizations, building authentic relationships, and right-sizing M&E for small organizations. In her free time she enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with her family.
Majo joined the Foundation in 2024 with over 16 years of experience in international cooperation, dedicating her career to addressing interconnected issues of education, gender, human rights, and sustainability in Guatemala. She’s worked with UNESCO (intergovernmental organization), large INGO’s & U.S. government Agencies (Counterpart International/USAID), international funders, and grassroots organizations. Most recently, she worked with Inter-American Foundation to support their research and pipeline development of locally-led organizations. Majo brings extensive experience in organizational development and is eager to work with our grant partners to support peer-learning and capacity building that is relevant for small, local organizations. She is a critical thinker, avid reader, and lifelong learner. In her free time, Majo enjoys staying active by going for walks, practicing yoga, or engaging in mind-body practices and fitness activities. She also loves exploring new places and aims to actively participate in local community initiatives.
Osman joined the Foundation in 2018 as the Country Director in Ghana. In 2020 his role expanded to include leading the Foundation’s grantmaking in Anglophone West Africa. Osman has over 15 years experience working with international non-profit organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa. He specializes in designing and managing emergency and development programs on Gender and Child Protection, WASH, Agriculture, Livelihood and Governance. Prior to joining the Foundation, he managed a large development program in Sierra Leone with GOAL – Ireland. Osman also has considerable experience in grantmaking, fundraising and setting up & managing NGOs. Osman holds a B.A in Social Work with Sociology from the University of Ghana-Legon, a Masters in Science in Development Planning and Management from the Irish University Business School, and an M.A in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. In his free time he enjoys visiting orphanages and aged members of his family and neighborhood.
Xavier joined the Foundation early 2019 in the new role of Director of Operations. Xavier has worked with major non-profit organizations around the world, mainly in the Middle East and in Africa, managing innovative programs, setting up reliable operations and finances, and leading large diverse teams. He’s held roles as finance/admin director, capacity building manager, operations advisor, and country director. Xavier holds a Master’s of Science in Business Management and a Master’s of Science in Sustainability and Environmental Management. He is also certified in project management in development settings. Xavier recognizes the impact of wealth inequality and social injustice as a barrier to overcome poverty, and he believes that local organizations who represent their community are best equipped to identify solutions for more sustainable and equitable communities. Outside of work, Xavier is engaged in supporting refugees in Portland.
Geoffrey Nyambane joined Vibrant Village Foundation as Country Director for VVF Kenya in November 2019. Prior to that, he was working with Georgetown University as the Director of the East African Office where he was in charge of providing administrative and implementation leadership to multi-disciplinary program and office-based teams. Geoffrey has over 16 years’ experience in offering strategic leadership to community development programs in Kenya and across the East African region. He is experienced in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of community-based development initiatives, institutional setups and cross partnership projects. Geoffrey has worked with various international development organizations and has knowledge and expertise in the implementation of programs in public health, education, financial inclusion and rural agriculture. He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Master’s degree in research and demography from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Geoffrey is of a strong opinion that communities understand their own development challenges and that with the appropriate support, they are capable of generating their own long-term solutions. In his free time, Geoffrey likes to be involved in environmental conservation activities such as tree planting.
