Board of Directors
Laura Heaton
Laura has extensive experience in Africa’s Great Lakes region, having worked on media-related projects in Rwanda and as a journalist and health consultant in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is currently a writer and editor for the blog Enough Said produced by ENOUGH, a project at the Center for American Progress to raise awareness about genocide and crimes against humanity. Between periods of working abroad, Laura has held editing and reporting positions at Agence France Presse and United Press International in Washington, D.C. Laura received her B.A. in International Relations with a human rights concentration from Connecticut College. Learn more about Laura’s involvement with Akilah.
Dr. Jane Pratt
Dr. Jane Pratt has over 30 years of leadership and experience in environmentally sustainable and equitable development in the international arena. She has worked in the environment, health, water, energy, agriculture, and transportation sectors in East, South and Southeast Asia, Anglophone and Francophone Africa, and the Andean region of Latin America. Dr. Pratt was the coordinator of the UN International Year of Mountains in 2002 and the lead author of the World Bank’s report on Sustainable Mountain Development.
Dr. Pratt was the President and CEO of The Mountain Institute for eight years. The Mountain Institute (TMI) is an international NGO devoted to conservation of mountain ecosystems and sustainable development for mountain people, rooted in respect for their unique cultures. TMI works in the Andes, Appalachia, and Himalaya and other ranges in partnership with local people and governments.
Dr. Pratt served in various executive positions at the World Bank, including Senior Advisor to the Vice President for Environment and Sustainable Development, Chief, World Bank Office of UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit); Chief, Environmental Operations and Strategy Division, Chief, Country Operations for Rwanda, Burundi, and Zaire; Chief of Strategic Planning; and Personal Assistant to the Senior Vice President, Operations.
Dr. Pratt is a founding partner of EcoLogica, LLC, a consulting firm whose mission is to promote economic and ecologic sustainability. Clients include the World Bank, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, UNDP, UNEP, Aga Khan Foundation, Centennial Group, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Transparency International (TI), the Water Integrity Network (WIN), Millennium Water Alliance.
Dr. Pratt received her Sc.B. from the the University of Michigan, a Certificate in Southeast Asian Studies from Yale University, and her Ph.D. from MIT.
Jonathan Ng
Jonathan is an attorney at White & Case LLP in New York City. As part of the Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance practice group, Jonathan has represented multinational corporations and has helped structure deals for renewable energy and infrastructure projects around the world. Jonathan has also represented numerous pro bono clients regarding various corporate governance issues. He organized a pro bono legal workshop for emerging social entrepreneurs to provide legal advice regarding incorporation, tax, employment and intellectual property issues. Jonathan was selected by his firm to participate in a three-month corporate externship with the general counsel at The Legal Aid Society of New York, the nation’s largest and oldest legal services provider to low-income residents.
Jonathan was a StartingBloc Fellow in 2008 and served on StartingBloc’s Alumni Fundraising Committee. Originally from Leawood, Kansas, Jonathan graduated from Notre Dame Law School and the University of Kansas with a double major in journalism and Spanish. At KU, Jonathan served as student body president.
Elizabeth Dearborn Davis
Elizabeth is Co-Founder and CEO of Akilah. Her full bio is available on the Team page.