About The Founder/CEO

As a planner and dreamer who launches and grows programs and projects that connect people and kindle passions, Jill has the power to transform. She is energetic, focused, self-directed, and skilled at managing multiple complex projects effectively and efficiently to maximize outcomes while bringing people together around a common goal.

Sesi is a bright and joyful second grader with a heart full of kindness and curiosity. Whether she’s curled up with a good book or playing doctor with her sister, Sesi brings imagination and care to everything she does. She has a natural passion for helping others—especially kids her age—and is always the first to offer a hand, a smile, or a solution. Her compassion shines through in her play and in the way she treats everyone around her. Like every kid, Sesi also loves spending time outdoors, running, exploring, and soaking up sunshine. With her big heart, sharp mind, and playful spirit, Sesi is already making the world a little better—one thoughtful act at a time.

As the Director of Women’s Wrestling Operations at the University of Iowa and a seasoned leader in athletics and logistics, Hannah brings a unique blend of strategic thinking, storytelling, and operational expertise to our mission. A proud University of Iowa alum with degrees in English and Sport & Recreation Management, she recently earned her law degree from Drexel University. A passionate reader, devoted dog mom, and true logistics enthusiast, Hannah’s energy and insight will be invaluable as we expand our cultural travel experiences and deepen our community impact.

Retha Haas is the Director of Resident Relations at Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City, IA. She enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering at her church, bicycling and camping with her husband Ray. One of her rules of life is to see people as created and loved by God, and do small things with great love. 

As a special adviser to the board, Josh is passionate about young people. He believes that keeping a steady tradition of providing both materially and through guidance a better version of what we received or lacked, we stand a great chance of building a better future. We can achieve that by making the most of every opportunity, taking one step at a time and one child at a time.

Jaci Visser is currently a general music teacher in the Iowa City Community School District. She enjoys making music with students of different ages and diverse backgrounds. She also enjoys music directing shows with Coralville's community theater. Jaci has two wonderful children and a sweet dog. 

Dr (Mrs.) Felicia Kafui Etsey is a Language, Literacy and Developmental Reading expert and has expert knowledge in dealing with cross-cutting issues in the field of Early Childhood and Elementary Education (Basic School, KG-JSS).  Dr Etsey has rich experience in Curriculum development, use of effective constructivist pedagogy, approaches and instructional strategies that promote learning in Early Childhood and Basic Schools. She has seasoned knowledge in the development of Standardized and Authentic Assessment for classroom instruction.  She acquired the above mentioned rich background knowledge, experiences and skills in teaching and research from the College of Education, Division of Curriculum and Instruction, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA and the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast

Dr Felicia Etsey contributed significantly and immensely as a consultant to most of the local, national and international Literacy projects and interventions that were introduced to the Ghanaian schools between 1999 to 2018.  Dr Kafui Etsey worked as a consultant to many of the international NGO on local projects such as GTZ, EQUALL, DFID, USAID and GILBT.   A few of the activities she was involved in were: the development of content, writing and reviewing of Ghanaian Language Pupils’ books and Teachers’ Guides for Primary Schools in Ghana, a project sponsored by ASTEP/GTZ (A German Technical Organization). 

Passionate about justice, dignity, and equal opportunity, Selina Kwapong Worthmore is a dedicated international development practitioner with over 8 years of experience working in nonprofit spaces across West and North Africa. Her work bridges research, advocacy, and grassroots intervention, particularly in the areas of migration, women’s health and economic empowerment, community outreach, gender-based violence (GBV), education, and human rights.

Selina holds a Diploma in French linguistics, LL.B in Civil Law and an LL.M in Diplomacy, Governance and Geopolitics with a focus on human rights and migration. Her legal and academic background informs her policy-driven and empathetic approach to solving complex social challenges.