Megan Hastings Email and Phone Number

Ashesi is a private, non-profit liberal arts university located in Ghana, West Africa. Our mission is to educate a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders in Africa; to cultivate within our students the critical thinking skills, the concern for others and the courage it will take to transform their continent. Our vision: an African renaissance driven by a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders. As Director of Strategic Partnerships I draw on my experience as an entrepreneur and grad student on the continent to mobilize global funding and partnerships in support of Ashesi's mission.

I worked with small and growing social enterprises to analyze, invigorate and grow their impact and efficiency. I did this through founder coaching, design-thinking workshops and strategic content creation, including:-Project Management-Strategic Plans-Fundraising strategy-Org Chart and HR analysis and planning-Group facilitation & retreats-Grant writingI value design-thinking, employee engagement and projects large and small that aim to turn passionate ideas into organizations that make a positive impact internally and externally.

I negotiated the asset sale and brand transfer of Sasa Designs to Greater Good Wholesale, a division of CharityUSA.com, in 2015. As the newest member of the Greater Good Wholesale family, I am growing Sasa Designs' impact through program development and product design in Kenya, Haiti and Mexico, as well as pursuing collaborations with economic development partners in Zambia. My work with Sasa Designs is focused on the following:-Designing and sourcing competitively priced and marketable products based on skill and material availability-Building program capacity and enhancing sourcing and shipping options-Providing consistent employment for artisan partners-Advocating for enhanced access to capital-Promoting leadership and financial development with artisan partners-Lobbying for improved trade regulations in pursuit of a more equitable global marketplace

Sasa Designs by the Deaf restructured as an independent 501c3 with a mission to empower and employ Deaf artisans after three years of sponsorship from its founding organization, DOOR International. As CEO, I navigated the separation and acquisition of organizational resources, recruited and worked alongside a Board of Directors with industry expertise in marketing, branding, finance and social enterprise and guided Sasa Designs to its biggest sales year since its founding. -Research and identification of regulatory, legal and financial parameters for organizational transition and success-Budget creation and management-Led successful fundraising campaign for launch of Sasa Seasons product line-Managed bi-coastal and bi-continental team of 17 people in the US and Kenya"Now, by harnessing the artistic skills of the deaf in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa, Sasa Designs is reinforcing a similar sense of inclusion while also preserving timeless traditions and helping people who might otherwise be marginalized to be able to put food on the table for their families." -Secretary of State John Kerry (September 10, 2015)

I joined DOOR International to manage and grow their Business as Missions (BAM) programs, designed to create jobs while growing revenue for the larger organization. In this capacity, I helped refine a model to provide barrier breaking employment for Deaf women by creating culturally significant jewelry utilizing a blended model of local and imported components.-Established unique brand identity and designed the initial business model for Sasa Designs-Lead design, sales, and marketing efforts for retail and wholesale sales throughout Kenya, the US, and Europe, doubling revenue in each of the first 3 years of existence

As an Education Pioneer's Fellow for 2012 I worked with Green Dot Public Schools to develop a school site fundraising plan, guidelines and training for the network of 18 schools in order to achieve a $1 million yearly fund raising goal.

As a Vittana Fellow I conducted, analyzed and presented market research in order to create a student loan product with a partner MFI serving over 50,000 clients in Ghana. I helped to finalize the product specifications and conduct staff training before rolling out the nationwide marketing efforts and product launch in January.

I have provided one-on-one consulting and short term project management for a range of clients to determine their sales, marketing and social media needs. I specialize in customer relations and sales, website SEO writing, strategic blog posts, and email and print marketing pieces.Project Highlights:2007: I worked with INCA Adventure Travel (Emeryville, CA) where I planned and sold over $100,000 in custom adventure holidays to international locales and created a variety of marketing content and materials.2008: Prior to WorldofGood.com's global launch as part of eBay, I joined the team as a short-term project manager during which time I created a calendar to coordinate the visual merchandising and content for the website's ad campaigns. To accommodate the launch timeline I worked with senior management to create front page visual merchandise selections and holiday marketing campaigns.2009: I returned to eBay to assist the WorldofGood.com team with a variety of special projects and social media outreach strategy. I coordinated with a number of eBay's Global Citizenship sites including Marketplace.com to produce marketing materials and shopping guides, coordinate special promotions, and write SEO-targeted copy for the website as well as blog and articles on topics ranging from fair trade and eco-friendly consumption to responsible shopping and production.2010: Medical copywriting for MDConnect and SonoBello for SEO.2011: I worked in Marketing and Non-Profit Support at BidZzar, an innovative start-up developing Collaborative Commerce on the Facebook platform. I created marketing and social media strategy and recruited non-profits and investors as the company launched the beta version of its product.

Under the previous non-profit name, Rwanda Partners, I helped manage a team of 7 interns and their projects looking at U.S. sales analysis for our products, development statistics research, grant writing and research, documentary viewings and social media, brand strategy and communications.

I began my professional career as an Executive Assistant to Supervisor Tom Wilson in Orange County's Fifth District in 2001. Over the next three years I grew in my role as an administrative manager and policy advisor covering issues including Health Care, Public Facilities, Child Support, Harbors-Beaches-Parks and Waste Management.I was then recruited by the Director of the Health Care Agency, Julie Poulson. In that proximity I helped with special projects, policy research and report writing, and as a support role to the entire Executive Team. I was then selected to serve as the inaugural budget analyst for the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) where I helped prepare three years of budgets averaging $25-30 million in funds per year, designed to provide outreach and services to chronic mentally ill and homeless populations in Orange County.