Following our mission of promoting social entrepreneurs and businesses, we at SocialEarth are excited to welcome new contributors who share this passion. There are so many social enterprises around the world working on improving the status quo and expanding human welfare for all. These new contributors will shine light on new organizations that you’ll enjoy learning about. If you’re interested in becoming a contributor on SocialEarth, please apply here.

Willow Russell -SVP Seattle

Willow Russell is the Communications Manager for Social Venture Partners Seattle, a position which provides her with the enviable task of sharing stories of amazing individuals and organizations that are changing our world for the better. Prior to joining SVP, Willow managed and facilitated communications campaigns among regional coalitions working to restore and protect the Mississippi River and Great Lakes ecosystems. 
Willow has an MS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA in Environmental Studies from Hampshire College.  She’s a huge fan of farmers’ markets, movie marathons, anything that gets her out on the water, and roller derby (though her extreme klutziness relegates her to fan status only).

Piyush Mangukiya-EduCare

I am the founder of a socially responsible online education company, EduCare. EduCare provides online one-on-one tutoring to K-12 and college students and with every session completed by a student, we help educate an underprivileged child in need through our Global Education Movement. EduCare was founded in order to promote education globally. Before founding EduCare, I received my Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University with a magna cum laude honor in May 2010.

Renée Giovarelli-Landesa

Renée is the Director of the Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights based in Seattle. She is one of the world’s foremost experts on women and land rights with more than 13 years of legal experience in the areas of land tenure and property rights (LTPR). Her areas of specialization are intra-household and gender issues and customary land law. Renée has designed and conducted fieldwork on women and their access and rights to land throughout Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. She has designed interventions to ensure that women are included in the governance and implementation of LTPR projects for USAID, MCC, and the World Bank.

Aunnie Patton

Aunnie is a writer, a dreamer, a traveler and a devout connoisseur of street food. She firmly believes that social entrepreneurship has the power to change the world. She is currently living in Bangalore, India raising capital for social enterprises.

Robert Mitchell -Landesa

Robert Mitchell is a senior land tenure specialist at Landesa. He has 22 years legal experience and sixteen years of research, consulting, and writing experience with land tenure reform, land market development, rural legal aid and other rural development issues in developing countries and transition economies. His technical assistance experience includes on-site assessment of land policy and legislation in South Asia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and South East Asia, as well as drafting and managing implementation of legislation and programs related to land rights legal aid, government allocation of micro-plots, tenancy liberalization, privatization of agricultural and non-agricultural land, subdivision of collectivized agricultural enterprises, land survey and delimitation, land titling and property rights registration, mortgage, sale and lease of land, land consolidation, eminent domain, women’s land rights and strengthening land tenure security.

Darryl Vhugen -Landesa

Darryl Vhugen is a senior attorney at Landesa and an expert on land acquisitions and land tenure. Prior to becoming a staff attorney, he was the state director for the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in India where he led Landesa’s AP office in Hyderabad. Darryl led Landesa’s work in partnership with the state government and others to help secure land rights for landless women and families. The Landesa-designed Indira Kranti Patham program has already helped thousands of landless women purchase land, and provided legal aid to more than 70,000 poor families. Before joining Landesa, Darryl spent 25 years in the private practice as an international and domestic business lawyer and litigator. He advised foreign and domestic clients in a broad range of business matters involving the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia.