CE Solutions - meet the leadership


economic health energy education environment empowerment the microconsignment model microventuring community education community tourism where we lead where we partner where we advise our story meet the leadership
Meet the Leadership "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T. S. Eliot The CE Solutions team offers a truly unique skill set that combines first rate analytical, strategic and project management skills with years of successful on the ground experience. You will not find any team that brings a greater level of passion or higher degree of professionalism to everything that they do. In the end, we are always respectful of the inherently profound responsibility of our work and that success or failure will be determined by great attention to detail. Everyone on the team, from top to bottom, does whatever is necessary to provide our constituents with the most compelling opportunities to achieve short and long-term success! Greg Van Kirk, Co-Founder "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Alva Edison Greg Van Kirk is an Ashoka Lemelson Fellow and the co-founder of The New Development Solutions Group. This includes Community Enterprise Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and NDS Consulting. These are all ventures whose mission is to design and implement innovative responses to long-standing development challenges. His team is now focused on expanding the reach of their award winning “MicroConsignment Model” globally. Greg was recently chosen as an “Ashoka Globalizer” and as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. He has served as an economic development consultant for organizations such as USAID, Chemonics, VisionSpring, Soros Foundation, Church World Service, IDB, Water For People and Fundacion Paraguaya. Greg also contributes time as “Social Entrepreneur in Residence” and has recently worked with Columbia University, Indiana University, University of San Diego and Arizona State University. He is as well the co founder of The Center for MicroConsignment at Miami University. Greg began working in rural small business development as a Guatemala Peace Corps volunteer in 2001. Greg worked in investment banking for five years before arriving in Guatemala. Two deals he led at UBS during this time won "Deal of the Year" honors from "Structured Finance International" magazine. Greg is a graduate of Miami University and currently lives with his family in New York City. George Bucky Glickley, Co-Founder "When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad , and that is my religion." - Abraham Lincoln George "Bucky" Glickley is co-founder of The New Development Solutions Group. This includes Community Enterprise Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and NDS Consulting. These are all ventures whose mission is to design and implement innovative responses to long-standing development challenges. His current focus is now on expanding the reach of their award winning “MicroConsignment Model” globally. George is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative - University. He has served as an economic development consultant for organizations such as USAID, Chemonics, VisionSpring, Soros Foundation, IDB, Water For People and Fundacion Paraguaya. George began working in rural small business development as a Guatemala Peace Corps volunteer in 2001. George is a graduate of Arizona State University and was recently featured in ASU Magazine as one of 21 Young Alumni: "Ahead of Their Time". George currently lives with his wife in Tampa, Florida. Lydia Walker, Country Director (Guatemala) “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” - Dr. Seuss Lydia began working in Guatemala as an Agro-Forestry Peace Corps Volunteer in Huehuetenango. As a volunteer, she helped to protect and reforest over 100 hectares of land as well as to start an income-generating development project in the community tree nursery that included building a 3,000 liter water deposit and starting a small rabbit farm. Using GPS and ArcView, she also created a map of the roads, schools, hospitals and meeting centers of the community she was serving. Before joining Peace Corps, Lydia worked as an intern for the non-profit MassEnergy Consumers Alliance in Boston, MA. While there, she helped to increase sales of their bio-fuel products. Lydia began working with CE Solutions in August of 2007 and currently serves as the Country Director of Guatemala. Lydia graduated from Union College (Schenectady, NY) in June of 2004 with a BS in Geology. Maria Luz Giambartolomei, Country Director (Ecuador) "I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what's next." - Steve Jobs Maria Luz joined the Community Enterprise Solutions team in 2008. She originally worked as a Regional Director in Guatemala and in 2009 assumed the position of Country Director in Ecuador, where she is currently leading the implementation of the MicroConsignment Model throughout the country. During her time with Community Enterprise Solutions, she has led consulting efforts for IADB (Paraguay), U-Specs (Guatemala) and ETV (Argentina). Prior to this, Maria Luz spent six months working with a local NGO in India to improve the communication and project coordination skills of local workers. She also worked for Ak'Tenamit in Guatemala, a grassroots organization focused on education and artisan promotion. In 2005, Maria Luz graduated from the University of Bologna, Italy, with a degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences with Development Politics. In 2007 she graduated from FOCSIV in Rome with a diploma in International Politics, Cooperation and Development. Maria Luz is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English and French. She currently lives in Cuenca, Ecuador. Timothy Trusz , Country Director (Nicaragua) “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Walt Disney Tim began working with CE Solutions in 2007 after participating in the June 2007 Eight Week Impact Immersion Program offered through Social Entrepreneur Corps in Guatemala. Impressed with the work being done and enamored with Guatemala’s culture and people Tim stayed beyond the month long duration of the program. With the support of foreign and Guatemalan staff, Tim has climbed the ranks from intern to his current position as Country Director of Nicaragua. Since 2010, Tim has worked with community organizations and entrepreneurs in creating access to essential products, services, information and technologies throughout rural Nicaragua. Prior to joining the CE Solutions team, Tim received a BA in International Development from Clark University in 2006. Beck Pryor, Project Manager (New York) "We have so much time and so little to do. Strike that, reverse it.“ - Roald Dahl Beck Pryor is the Project Manager at The New Development Solutions Group, which includes Community Enterprise Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and NDS Consulting. These are all ventures whose mission is to design and implement innovative responses to long-standing development challenges, including the innovative MicroConsignment Model (MCM). Beck received her undergraduate degree in May 2009 from Columbia University. Upon joining the New Development Solutions Group team, she spent 14 months in Guatemala working as a field consultant with local entrepreneurs. While there, Beck was also a field leader for organizational internship and volunteer programs and conducted market and industry research. Beck is currently working with co-founder Greg Van Kirk on increasing worldwide implementation of the MCM. Luke Burchell, Special Projects: MicroVenturing (Guatemala) “We do one thing expecting this result, and expecting it right away, but what happens is beyond our imagination, and not necessarily on our watch.“ - Rebecca Solnit With an environmental management background, Luke graduated with BSc Hons in Conservation and Countryside Management in 2003. Employed by a forestry contracting company upon graduating, he worked in the establishment of new native woodlands, bringing the government closer towards its targets of increased woodland cover in the UK. He spent another two years working on farms in Canada and England learning of organic practices and management of smallholdings, before coming to Guatemala in 2007. Luke’s first contact with CE Solutions was in early 2008, spending one month volunteering in a number of development programs. Luke then stayed in Guatemala’s remote highlands to work as the coordinator of a small nonprofit Spanish and Indigenous language school, providing school scholarships to local children. He joined the CE Soluions team officially in Summer 2009. Alli O’Connell, Field Consultant (Guatemala) "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Alli was first introduced to CE Solutions work as a Social Entrepreneur Corps in the summer of 2008 as an intern in Guatemala. After getting a glimpse of the work and Alli decided to return to Guatemala after graduation. She spent five months studying abroad and volunteering in Mendoza, Argentina which helped prepare her for her future work in Guatemala. Alli graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2010 with a BA in International Studies, with a concentration in Economic Development in Latin America, and a Minor in Social Entrepreneurship. Alli is currently working as Field Leadership in Quetzaltenango. Sarah Spinetti, Field Consultant (Ecuador) "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.“ - Robert Louis Stevenson Sarah graduated in 2006 from the University of Genoa, Italy, with a degree in Intercultural Communication. In 2007 she obtained a masters diploma in Cooperation and Development from NGO FOCSIV in Rome, also specializing in Project Cycle Management and in Community Development. Sarah has a variety of experiences in social work: in Italy with Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association working as Volunteer Coordinator, in Jordan with UNHCR working in educative activities with Palestinian refugee children and in Ecuador in a Women’s Shelter, as Educative Activities Coordinator for women victims of violence. Sarah has been living in Ecuador since 2007 and in 2009 joined the CE Solutions team as a Regional Coordinator in the Azuay region of Ecuador. Tess Bone, Field Consultant (Nicaragua) "The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity." - George Bernard Shaw Tess Bone graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2009 with a BA in sociology and international peace studies. Following domestic and international internship experiences, Tess realized the importance of sustainable, empowering solutions. Her senior thesis examined the work of a community development organization in rural South Africa. Through the MicroVenturing program at Notre Dame, she became familiar with CE Solutions work and decided to take part in the Eight Week Impact Immersion Program in Ecuador offered through Social Entrepreneur Corps upon graduating. In Ecuador, Tess saw first-hand the value of CE Solutions’ unique approach. In January 2011 she joined the team and currently works as field consultant and regional coordinator in the León region of northwest Nicaragua. Jessica Reading, Field Consultant (Guatemala) "The pattern that connects is the pattern that corrects." - Gregory Bateson Jessica Reading graduated in May 2009 from Miami University with a B.A. in Management and Organizations and a minor in American Studies. While at Miami, she was a Business Honors student, a Wilks Scholar Leader, and a member of the Varsity Field Hockey team. Her passion for social entrepreneurship and civic engagement led to the creation of a nonprofit association for Latino Business owners struggling to succeed in a small rural Ohio town. After graduating, Jessica spent a year as an AmeriCorpsVISTA at Miami University Hamilton, focusing on poverty alleviation programs and strategies through university-community collaboration. With a desire to understand our increasingly globalized world and a passion for social entrepreneurship, Jessica joined the CE Solutions team in October 2010. She currently works as a field consultant in Guatemala Michelle Mullins, Field Consultant (Guatemala)* "The call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth. It is an ancient rule, a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for people we may not know. It requires us not only to believe, but to do--to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and betterment of our world." - Barack Obama Michelle Mullins graduated summa cum laude from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Government and Latin American Studies in January 2011. During her time at William and Mary, Michelle focused on economic development, educational policy,and human rights, and worked as the director of the Branch Out International alternative break program. She spent the summer of 2009 in Guatemala doing research on education policy in Patzicía, Guatemala on a Monroe Scholar research grant. She proceeded to intern with Social Entrepreneur Corps with a service grant from the Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship at William and Mary, and then spent five months working with and studying at the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria in La Plata Argentina. After graduating, Michelle returned to Guatemala to support Social Entrepreneur Corps ‘ work in Sololá. Mary Kate Connell, Field Consultant (Guatemala) “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.’" - Kurt Vonnegut Mary Kate graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2009 with majors in Finance and Philosophy and a minor in Peace Studies. Her participation in the Notre Dame Micro Venturing Certificate Program piqued her interested in CE Solutions and the MicroConsignment Model. This eventually led her to become a Social Entrepreneur Corps Flex Volunteer from September through December of 2010 where she was sent to work in the Huehuetenenago region of Guatemala. After a very positive experience during this time Mary Kate knew that she wanted to return to work with CE Solutions, which she did in April 2011. She is now back in Huehuetenango where she works as the region's Field Consultant, training the local Regional Coordinator and supporting CE Solutions initiatives and local community organizations. back to top>>>

CE Solutions -"Changing Obstacles into Opportunities"

economic health energy education environment empowerment

the microconsignment model microventuring community education community tourism

where we lead where we partner where we advise

Meet the Leadership

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T. S. Eliot

The CE Solutions team offers a truly unique skill set that combines first rate analytical, strategic and project management skills with years of successful on the ground experience. You will not find any team that brings a greater level of passion or higher degree of professionalism to everything that they do. In the end, we are always respectful of the inherently profound responsibility of our work and that success or failure will be determined by great attention to detail. Everyone on the team, from top to bottom, does whatever is necessary to provide our constituents with the most compelling opportunities to achieve short and long-term success!

Greg Van Kirk, Co-Founder
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Alva Edison

Greg Van Kirk is an Ashoka Lemelson Fellow and the co-founder of The New Development Solutions Group. This includes Community Enterprise Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and NDS Consulting. These are all ventures whose mission is to design and implement innovative responses to long-standing development challenges. His team is now focused on expanding the reach of their award winning “MicroConsignment Model” globally. Greg was recently chosen as an “Ashoka Globalizer” and as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. He has served as an economic development consultant for organizations such as USAID, Chemonics, VisionSpring, Soros Foundation, Church World Service, IDB, Water For People and Fundacion Paraguaya. Greg also contributes time as “Social Entrepreneur in Residence” and has recently worked with Columbia University, Indiana University, University of San Diego and Arizona State University. He is as well the co founder of The Center for MicroConsignment at Miami University. Greg began working in rural small business development as a Guatemala Peace Corps volunteer in 2001. Greg worked in investment banking for five years before arriving in Guatemala. Two deals he led at UBS during this time won "Deal of the Year" honors from "Structured Finance International" magazine. Greg is a graduate of Miami University and currently lives with his family in New York City.

George Bucky Glickley, Co-Founder
"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad , and that is my religion." - Abraham Lincoln

George "Bucky" Glickley is co-founder of The New Development Solutions Group. This includes Community Enterprise Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and NDS Consulting. These are all ventures whose mission is to design and implement innovative responses to long-standing development challenges. His current focus is now on expanding the reach of their award winning “MicroConsignment Model” globally. George is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative - University. He has served as an economic development consultant for organizations such as USAID, Chemonics, VisionSpring, Soros Foundation, IDB, Water For People and Fundacion Paraguaya. George began working in rural small business development as a Guatemala Peace Corps volunteer in 2001. George is a graduate of Arizona State University and was recently featured in ASU Magazine as one of 21 Young Alumni: "Ahead of Their Time". George currently lives with his wife in Tampa, Florida.

Lydia Walker, Country Director (Guatemala)
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” - Dr. Seuss

Lydia began working in Guatemala as an Agro-Forestry Peace Corps Volunteer in Huehuetenango. As a volunteer, she helped to protect and reforest over 100 hectares of land as well as to start an income-generating development project in the community tree nursery that included building a 3,000 liter water deposit and starting a small rabbit farm. Using GPS and ArcView, she also created a map of the roads, schools, hospitals and meeting centers of the community she was serving. Before joining Peace Corps, Lydia worked as an intern for the non-profit MassEnergy Consumers Alliance in Boston, MA. While there, she helped to increase sales of their bio-fuel products. Lydia began working with CE Solutions in August of 2007 and currently serves as the Country Director of Guatemala. Lydia graduated from Union College (Schenectady, NY) in June of 2004 with a BS in Geology.

Maria Luz Giambartolomei, Country Director (Ecuador)
"I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what's next." - Steve Jobs

Maria Luz joined the Community Enterprise Solutions team in 2008. She originally worked as a Regional Director in Guatemala and in 2009 assumed the position of Country Director in Ecuador, where she is currently leading the implementation of the MicroConsignment Model throughout the country. During her time with Community Enterprise Solutions, she has led consulting efforts for IADB (Paraguay), U-Specs (Guatemala) and ETV (Argentina). Prior to this, Maria Luz spent six months working with a local NGO in India to improve the communication and project coordination skills of local workers. She also worked for Ak'Tenamit in Guatemala, a grassroots organization focused on education and artisan promotion. In 2005, Maria Luz graduated from the University of Bologna, Italy, with a degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences with Development Politics. In 2007 she graduated from FOCSIV in Rome with a diploma in International Politics, Cooperation and Development. Maria Luz is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English and French. She currently lives in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Timothy Trusz , Country Director (Nicaragua)
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Walt Disney

Tim began working with CE Solutions in 2007 after participating in the June 2007 Eight Week Impact Immersion Program offered through Social Entrepreneur Corps in Guatemala. Impressed with the work being done and enamored with Guatemala’s culture and people Tim stayed beyond the month long duration of the program. With the support of foreign and Guatemalan staff, Tim has climbed the ranks from intern to his current position as Country Director of Nicaragua. Since 2010, Tim has worked with community organizations and entrepreneurs in creating access to essential products, services, information and technologies throughout rural Nicaragua. Prior to joining the CE Solutions team, Tim received a BA in International Development from Clark University in 2006.

Beck Pryor, Project Manager (New York)
"We have so much time and so little to do. Strike that, reverse it.“ - Roald Dahl

Beck Pryor is the Project Manager at The New Development Solutions Group, which includes Community Enterprise Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and NDS Consulting. These are all ventures whose mission is to design and implement innovative responses to long-standing development challenges, including the innovative MicroConsignment Model (MCM). Beck received her undergraduate degree in May 2009 from Columbia University. Upon joining the New Development Solutions Group team, she spent 14 months in Guatemala working as a field consultant with local entrepreneurs. While there, Beck was also a field leader for organizational internship and volunteer programs and conducted market and industry research. Beck is currently working with co-founder Greg Van Kirk on increasing worldwide implementation of the MCM.

Luke Burchell, Special Projects: MicroVenturing (Guatemala)
“We do one thing expecting this result, and expecting it right away, but what happens is beyond our imagination, and not necessarily on our watch.“ - Rebecca Solnit

With an environmental management background, Luke graduated with BSc Hons in Conservation and Countryside Management in 2003. Employed by a forestry contracting company upon graduating, he worked in the establishment of new native woodlands, bringing the government closer towards its targets of increased woodland cover in the UK. He spent another two years working on farms in Canada and England learning of organic practices and management of smallholdings, before coming to Guatemala in 2007. Luke’s first contact with CE Solutions was in early 2008, spending one month volunteering in a number of development programs. Luke then stayed in Guatemala’s remote highlands to work as the coordinator of a small nonprofit Spanish and Indigenous language school, providing school scholarships to local children. He joined the CE Soluions team officially in Summer 2009.

Alli O’Connell, Field Consultant (Guatemala)
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Alli was first introduced to CE Solutions work as a Social Entrepreneur Corps in the summer of 2008 as an intern in Guatemala. After getting a glimpse of the work and Alli decided to return to Guatemala after graduation. She spent five months studying abroad and volunteering in Mendoza, Argentina which helped prepare her for her future work in Guatemala. Alli graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2010 with a BA in International Studies, with a concentration in Economic Development in Latin America, and a Minor in Social Entrepreneurship. Alli is currently working as Field Leadership in Quetzaltenango.

Sarah Spinetti, Field Consultant (Ecuador)
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.“ - Robert Louis Stevenson

Sarah graduated in 2006 from the University of Genoa, Italy, with a degree in Intercultural Communication. In 2007 she obtained a masters diploma in Cooperation and Development from NGO FOCSIV in Rome, also specializing in Project Cycle Management and in Community Development. Sarah has a variety of experiences in social work: in Italy with Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association working as Volunteer Coordinator, in Jordan with UNHCR working in educative activities with Palestinian refugee children and in Ecuador in a Women’s Shelter, as Educative Activities Coordinator for women victims of violence. Sarah has been living in Ecuador since 2007 and in 2009 joined the CE Solutions team as a Regional Coordinator in the Azuay region of Ecuador.

Tess Bone, Field Consultant (Nicaragua)
"The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity." - George Bernard Shaw

Tess Bone graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2009 with a BA in sociology and international peace studies. Following domestic and international internship experiences, Tess realized the importance of sustainable, empowering solutions. Her senior thesis examined the work of a community development organization in rural South Africa. Through the MicroVenturing program at Notre Dame, she became familiar with CE Solutions work and decided to take part in the Eight Week Impact Immersion Program in Ecuador offered through Social Entrepreneur Corps upon graduating. In Ecuador, Tess saw first-hand the value of CE Solutions’ unique approach. In January 2011 she joined the team and currently works as field consultant and regional coordinator in the León region of northwest Nicaragua.

Jessica Reading, Field Consultant (Guatemala)
"The pattern that connects is the pattern that corrects." - Gregory Bateson

Jessica Reading graduated in May 2009 from Miami University with a B.A. in Management and Organizations and a minor in American Studies. While at Miami, she was a Business Honors student, a Wilks Scholar Leader, and a member of the Varsity Field Hockey team. Her passion for social entrepreneurship and civic engagement led to the creation of a nonprofit association for Latino Business owners struggling to succeed in a small rural Ohio town. After graduating, Jessica spent a year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA at Miami University Hamilton, focusing on poverty alleviation programs and strategies through university-community collaboration. With a desire to understand our increasingly globalized world and a passion for social entrepreneurship, Jessica joined the CE Solutions team in October 2010. She currently works as a field consultant in Guatemala

Michelle Mullins, Field Consultant (Guatemala)
"The call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth. It is an ancient rule, a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for people we may not know. It requires us not only to believe, but to do--to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and betterment of our world." - Barack Obama

Michelle Mullins graduated summa cum laude from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Government and Latin American Studies in January 2011. During her time at William and Mary, Michelle focused on economic development, educational policy,and human rights, and worked as the director of the Branch Out International alternative break program. She spent the summer of 2009 in Guatemala doing research on education policy in Patzicía, Guatemala on a Monroe Scholar research grant. She proceeded to intern with Social Entrepreneur Corps with a service grant from the Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship at William and Mary, and then spent five months working with and studying at the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria in La Plata Argentina. After graduating, Michelle returned to Guatemala to support Social Entrepreneur Corps ‘ work in Sololá.

Mary Kate Connell, Field Consultant (Guatemala)
“I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.’" - Kurt Vonnegut

Mary Kate graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2009 with majors in Finance and Philosophy and a minor in Peace Studies. Her participation in the Notre Dame Micro Venturing Certificate Program piqued her interested in CE Solutions and the MicroConsignment Model. This eventually led her to become a Social Entrepreneur Corps Flex Volunteer from September through December of 2010 where she was sent to work in the Huehuetenenago region of Guatemala. After a very positive experience during this time Mary Kate knew that she wanted to return to work with CE Solutions, which she did in April 2011. She is now back in Huehuetenango where she works as the region's Field Consultant, training the local Regional Coordinator and supporting CE Solutions initiatives and local community organizations.