How to Position Your Organization As a Sub-Grantee

This workshop is intended to guide organizations as they build capacities locally to receive sub-grant funding, as well as to guide organizations looking to partner more intentionally with subs at the local level.

In addition to covering the latest trends in localized development funding programs, we'll share some tips for organizations looking to be more engaged as sub-grantees.

Speakers

Roman S. Ponos: VP, Business Development Blumont Inc.

Roman is a dedicated international development professional with more than 20 years of strategic business development and management experience. In previous roles with CARANA Corporation, IMPAQ International, and Abt Associates, he has built and led multidisciplinary teams; managed complex proposals and projects; and supervised headquarters and global operations. Roman’s diverse sectoral expertise includes humanitarian assistance, economic growth, food security, livelihoods development, and entrepreneurship. 

An adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, Roman has worked in and visited more than 30 countries and serves as a mentor to social enterprises at the Halcyon Incubator and Creative Startups.

Roman earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University. He is fluent in Ukrainian.

Jennifer Park: Associate Director, Environment, RTI International

Jennifer is an international development expert with 19 years’ experience procuring and managing international development contracts for USAID in the areas of biodiversity conservation, environmental resource management, economic growth, tourism, and small business development. As Associate Director of Environment, Ms. Park leads and oversees projects and business development activities for RTI International. She oversees the quality of implementation of ongoing contracts, drives efforts to capture new business in existing and adjacent markets, develops and maintains strategic partnerships with other entities, and leads technical and thought leadership activities. She supports the definition and implementation of strategies to expand RTI's environment-related projects, such as sustainable landscapes, biodiversity conservation, combating environmental crime, climate adaptation and mitigation, and resilience. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and a master's degree in Sustainable Tourism Management, and is proficient in Spanish.

Jennifer Peterson: Senior Associate, Agriculture and Economic Growth Team at TetraTech/ARD

Jen is an integrated livestock, crop production and farming systems agronomist and adult education and training specialist with 30 years of experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of food security programs, value chains and market systems in sixteen countries in Africa, plus India, Haiti and the United States. Jen has designed interdisciplinary development programs, extension strategies, communication tools, and  training modules for the U.S. Government, multinational organizations (UN organizations and CGIAR centers), host country ministries, and local and international nongovernmental organizations.

She speaks fluent English, Kikongo and French, and has working knowledge of several African languages (Chewa, Zarma, Malagasy and a little bit of Pular/Fulfulde). She enjoys working as part of a multicultural team, building local capacity and empowering others to lead.  She currently lives and works in the great state of Vermont, where she enjoys boating on Lake Champlain, hiking in the woods, and eating berries.

Drew Drozynski: Deputy Director of Business Development at DevWorks International

Drew Drozynski has over 15 years of experience managing proposal development for U.S. Government contracts and grants. Over the last two years at DevWorks, Drew has been spearheading an initiative to find new partnership models that build local capacity, increase local leadership, and help local NGOs access USAID funding streams.

Earlier in his career, Drew wrote and managed the development of proposals for a company specializing in linguistic and cultural aspects of defense and was part of the team that designed and implemented the National Language Service Corps, a government-organized network of US-based multilingual volunteers who can be deployed as translators during emergencies. After a year-long backpacking journey ignited his passion to improve conditions for the world’s poorest, Drew transitioned to the international development sector, where he currently manages business development for USAID agriculture, governance, WASH, NRM, and youth projects. In his free time, Drew enjoys growing and hunting for gourmet mushrooms. Drew has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a certificate in Permaculture Design.