Our Team
Amplio is based in Seattle, with a country office in Ghana. We are guided by our values of partnership, responsibility, respect, transparency, and learning.
Wasila Abdulai
Finance and Administrative Officer
Skilled in finance and nonprofit administration, Wasila has experience in tech innovation and startups, youth entrepreneurship, and the cocoa sector. Prior to joining Amplio, she was a finance and accounts associate for Yison Tech Hub and the Ghana Cocoa Board, a governmental organization that supports the production, processing and marketing of cocoa in Ghana. At Amplio, Wasila supports accounting, training, capacity building, and team collaboration, and holds down the fort for our office in Wa, Upper West Region. Wasila holds a bachelor's degree in banking and finance from Kwame Regent University's College of Science and Technology.
Thelma "Anike" Amao
Communications Officer
Anike leads and works on Amplio Ghana stories, videos, and reports. She also manages social media and supports the development of editorial content for Amplio US. A creative thought partner with an entrepreneurial spirit, Anike brings expertise in communications, social media management, sales and marketing, customer service, and performing arts management. With a background in digital media, including gender issues in the media, Anike is passionate about using her skills and knowledge to advance society. She holds a M.A. in Performing Arts from the University of Ghana and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
Riley Byrne
Operations and Admin Manager
Growing up in Southeast Asia, Riley learned three lessons: meet people where they are, community prosperity is specific to the community, and every person has a story like your own. Since earning her BA in Political Science and a BA in Strategic and Corporate Communication with honors at Chapman University, Riley has used these lessons to advance in the nonprofit field. At Amplio, she brings experience in operations, donor relations, volunteer and events coordination, and community engagement. Prior to moving to Seattle, Riley worked for Orange County United Way and Templo Calvario Community Development Corporation in Southern California.
Lindsay Dakan
Product and Quality Assurance Director
Lindsay is an international development professional with experience living and working in Asia and Africa. She leads product development for the Amplio Suite, including the Talking Book platform and SBC Impact Designer, a new open source platform to help organizations and project teams design, manage, and collaborate on social and behavior change programs. She previously managed Amplio's global partnerships. In that role, she supported monitoring and evaluation and data analytics for Talking Book programs, and created an Amplio community of practice. As a Peace Corps volunteer, Lindsay taught English at a university in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China. She then worked with NGOs in Uganda for four years. She is passionate about women’s empowerment and gender equity. She holds an MS in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University and a BA in Philosophy and Human Rights from Trinity College.
Michael Dakura
Information Technology Officer
Michael has supported technology for Talking Book programs since 2016. He provides technical support and training for Amplio partners in Ghana and globally. Prior to joining Amplio, he worked on community research and data collection in northern Ghana with a focus on socio-economic and health issues, local resources, and community needs. He also served as a data officer for Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans and a systems/network administrator for St. Joseph Knowledge Centre, one of the first ICT centers in the Upper West Region. Michael holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Cape Coast, a higher national diploma in accounting from Sunyani Polytechnic, and an advanced diploma in computing from IPMC Ghana.
Toffic Dapilaah
MEAL/Partnership Development Officer
Toffic conducts partnership development for Amplio Ghana and supports monitoring and evaluation for Talking Book programs. He joined our team in 2013 and served as a field coordinator and a field manager prior to his current role. Toffic has worked on all aspects of the Talking Book program life cycle, from program design, training, and audio content production to community entry and participatory M&E. Toffic is a graduate of USAID’s Young African Leadership Initiative program in public sector management. He holds a master's degree in project management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and a bachelor's in business management from Zenith University College.
Fidelis Awonodomo Da-uri
Senior Program Manager
Fidelis Da-uri is an expert in audio content design and social and behavior change communication strategies. He has produced message over a dozen languages, including songs, dramas, and expert interviews in partnership with UNICEF, Ghana Health Service, CARE, COCOBOD, MEDA, ad others. He has over 10 years of experience designing and implementing Amplio Talking Book programs to address a wide range of issues and sectors, including agriculture and food security, climate change, maternal and child health, nutrition, financial literacy, women's empowerment, child protection, peace and security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and more. A skilled musician, he composes songs and plays the gyile, a West African xylophone. Fidelis holds an MA in Development Communication from SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies and a BA in Business Administration from University of Education, Winneba.
Lee Ann De Reus, PhD
Executive Director
Dr. Lee Ann De Reus is a nonprofit leader, scholar, and ardent advocate for women’s rights, racial equity, and climate justice. She is the co-founder of Panzi Foundation, with 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege, which assists survivors of gender-based violence at Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She served as the Executive Director of DV LEAP, providing access to legal justice and safety for survivors of domestic violence across the US. Her expertise in sexualized violence has garnered global recognition, with speaking engagements at TEDx, the Oslo Freedom Forum, and the UN Commission on the Status of Women. As an Associate Professor at Penn State Altoona, she taught courses in Human Development, conducted research on sexualized violence, and led teams of PSU students on international experiential trips to Rwanda, Chad, Mozambique, Tanzania, and and the Dominican Republic.
Lawrence Ephrim
Software Engineer
Lawrence is passionate about coding and creating innovative solutions. With a strong foundation in software development, he is adept at problem-solving and collaborating in cross-functional teams. Lawrence has worked on various projects, where he has gained valuable knowledge in areas such as web development. At Amplio, he supports the Amplio Talking Book platform and the development of SBC Impact Designer, a digital platform that uses AI prompts to help organizations and teams integrate social and behavior change frameworks into their projects for greater impact. He holds a BSc in Information Technology from the University of Cape Coast.
Bill Evans
Senior Software Design Engineer
Bill leads the development of Amplio's open software systems, including the Amplio Talking Book 2, which has a rechargeable battery. A veteran of the software industry, Bill started out supporting room-sized mainframe systems for the healthcare industry. From large mainframe computers to the smallest embedded processor, Bill has programmed professionally in more than a dozen computer languages and dabbled in many more. At Microsoft, Bill was a founding member of the team that created the .NET development environment. He also worked on the Kindle reader at Amazon. He has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University. When not programming, or reading about programming, Bill hikes, gardens, and reads science fiction.
Erin Gould Inclan
Marketing and Development Director
Erin is passionate advocate for access to education. At Amplio, she leads cross-functional collaboration for marketing, donor relations, and strategic planning. A community builder, and connector, she works with Amplio's team and global partners on case studies, stories, panel discussions, grants, and more. She has led, consulted, and worked on websites and communications for higher education, health, nonprofit, tech, and online startups. At Simmons College, Boston, she developed voice and messaging for an institutional rebrand that boosted enrollment, paving the way for a transition to Simmons University. Erin mentors international students on university admission and scholarships. She holds a BA in Multi/Cultural Studies and Communication from The Evergreen State College.
Simon Tang
Business Development Officer
Simon joined Amplio in 2016. Early on, he was the Talking Book program officer for MEDA's Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) project, which economically empowered 23,000 women to improve food security and nutrition for their families by growing and selling soybean. Today, he leads and works on business development, manages Talking Book programs, and supports partner relationships. He has expertise in audio content creation and management, survey design and implementation, and community mobilization. Prior to joining Amplio, Simon was officer-in-charge for the implementation of the live drama phase of UNICEF’s Communication for Development program. He also served as a cultural officer for the National Commission on Culture in the Upper East Region. He holds a BA in Integrated Development Studies from the University for Development Studies, Ghana.
Gumah Aloysius Tiah
Ghana Country Director
Gumah has over a decade of experience in emergency and development work across diverse fields, including climate change, disaster management, food security, health, WASH, livelihoods, gender, and governance. A leader in program development, management, and monitoring and evaluation strategy, Gumah has worked in Ghana and internationally. He previously led and coordinated programs for the Swiss Red Cross in South Sudan, British Red Cross in Sierra Leone, SEND Foundation of West Africa, Population Services International, Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency, and the Community-Driven Initiatives for Food Security project funded by Global Affairs Canada. Gumah has an MA in Development Management from the University for Development Studies, Ghana.