Our Team
Co-Founder and Chief Partnership Officer
Ana doesn't build networks. She pursues partnerships that lead to transformational impact across Africa.
With over 28 years in global health and development, including more than two decades as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, she directed some of the most influential development investments across Southern, Central, and East Africa — overseeing more than $1.5 billion in health and development programs. She served as USAID Regional Health Office Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later as USAID Deputy Mission Director for Rwanda and Burundi, building the coalitions that turn vision into lasting action on the ground.
At Imara, she leads the firm's partnership strategy, cultivating the relationships that open doors and sustain them.
Ana holds a BA in Sociology and Spanish from Tufts University and an MPH from Emory University. She is trilingual in English, French, and Spanish.
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Jacqueline brings over 20 years’ experience designing and executing multifaceted development programs across Africa. She has directed U.S. government development assistance programs valued at more than $250 million a year, influencing U.S. foreign policy priorities and shaping how decision makers understand and respond to development challenges. Her work lives at the intersection of analysis and action — translating what experts know into strategies that move resources, shift policy, and drive results. She holds an MA in International Affairs from Ohio University and speaks French.
Co-Founder and Chief Delivery Officer
Janean has spent more than two decades leading development programs across Africa, South Asia, and beyond. From the frontlines of the HIV/AIDS response to oversight of U.S. development assistance across more than 21 countries, she has led health, governance, and economic development strategies impacting millions of people. At Imara, she bridges strategy and execution — designing the systems and accountability structures that ensure commitments translate into results that endure. She speaks Swahili and French and holds degrees from Spelman College, Georgia Tech, and Johns Hopkins University.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Over nearly two decades as a U.S. Senior Foreign Service Officer, she directed some of the most consequential development investments on the African continent, overseeing more than $1.1 billion across Sub-Saharan Africa. Most recently, she served as Mission Director for USAID Rwanda and Burundi, leading over 100 people through USAID's institutional closure in 2025. At Imara, she sets strategic direction and builds the relationships that position the firm for sustained growth, combining decades of operational credibility with a vision for what African-centered advisory work can and should be. She holds a BA in Legal Communications and Elementary Education from Howard University and speaks English and Swahili.