OUR TEAM
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Venuste is an award- winning youth activist and social entrepreneur who has in him a passion to create opportunities for fellow young people. He is one of the founders of ITF and ensures that day-to-day activities of the organization run smoothly. He has received various awards including being named 2018 Africa’s top 50 Innovators, and AIDF Global Innovator of the year.
Founder and President
Venuste Kubwimana
Laura Peck is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University earning a Master’s degree in International Relations with a concentration in Development, Climate, and Sustainability. She has worked with ITF USA since the very beginning, helping to create, establish, and grow the organization. Her previous work has led her to living and working in 7 different countries, traveling to 40, and moving to 9 different states in the U.S. Her experience is in project leading and management in the environment sector and she has worked with over 100 students and adults to teach them about environmental protection, ecology, and sustainability.
Laura now lives in Washington, D.C. and is volunteering as the Director of Operations with ITF USA. She is extremely passionate about helping volunteers execute their projects to travel to Kenya and install effective drinking water systems.
Director of Operations
Laura Peck
Erika Pietrzak is a current undergraduate student at Duke University (Class of 2025) double majoring in Public Policy and African Studies with a minor in Marine Science and Conservation. Erika has worked at Change The Chamber*Lobby for Climate since 2022 and is the current co-lead of the Environmental Justice team. She recently completed an honors thesis about water conflict's economic and educational outcomes in Turkana, Kenya. Most of her work focuses around environmental and social justice for marginalized communities, particularly in Africa and the African diaspora. As a project manager at ITF, Erika fundraised for and executed the first ITF USA project in Nairobi, Kenya. Erika also helps oversee other project managers and helps with general fundraising and social media.
Project Manager
Erika Pietrzak
Tiffany Cortez-Machado is an educator-turned-IT professional with training in cloud computing, Linux administration, and the Atlassian ecosystem. After 17 years leading K–5 music programs, she shifted into tech, contributing to projects in cloud architecture, documentation, and process optimization. In her current role with ITF US, she supports platform improvements and development workflows. Tiffany is passionate about using technology to empower communities and enjoys blending creativity, problem-solving, and service in her work.
IT Manager
Tiffany Cortez-Machado
Rachel Bartkowski recently earned her Master of Public Health in Humanitarian Health and Disaster Response from George Washington University and holds a B.S. in Biology from Northeastern University. She has supported global health and humanitarian initiatives with international nonprofits, focusing on research, program coordination, and partnership development. Her field experience spans Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, and Malawi, where she worked alongside communities on projects related to infectious diseases, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development. At ITF USA, Rachel is excited to support clean water project implementation while contributing her experience in global health partnership building and project coordination to advance sustainable development in East Africa.
Operations Manager
Rachel Bartkowski
After earning her MBA and bachelor's degree in Accounting, she built a strong foundation in financial auditing with one of the Big Four public accounting firms before advancing into financial accounting leadership roles across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
She enjoys mentally recharging in nature, observing the flow of water, smiling at birds chattering with one another, and being hugged by the breeze. You can also find her gardening or snuggled up in one of her handmade crocheted blankets, reading a novel.
Accountant
Dionne Douglas
Melissa holds a B.S. in Biomedical and Health Sciences with a minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Central Florida. She recently earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and is eager to apply her skills to impactful initiatives as a project coordinator with the ITF team.
With almost a decade of experience in nonprofit service, she brings a uniquely human-centered and cross-cultural approach to her work. Her career has also included teaching English in Thailand, leading ecotours across Australia and New Zealand, and delivering compassionate support as a Resource and Referral Coordinator for low-income families seeking early childhood resources.
Throughout her professional journey, Melissa has remained deeply committed to helping others access the tools they need to thrive. This passion has fueled her work in community-based support and nonprofit program development. She is particularly driven to expand equitable access to essentials like clean water, especially across communities in Africa.
Project Coordinator
Melissa Edsel
Thang Huynh is an upcoming freshman student majoring in social work at Griffith University. Thang joined ITF USA in April 2023 with previous work experience in organizations focused on mental health, domestic violence, or promoting cultural values from minority communities in Vietnam. Thang's current role is to help with the outreach process to foster potential collaboration with different partners for ITF's projects.
Outreach Coordinator
Thang Huynh