The I-ImpactNow Team

I-ImpactNow runs on a small and dedicated group of students. Each of us hail from remarkably diverse walks of life, and the variety of skills we possess are responsible for the organization’s swift ascent. Let’s explore the team that makes I-ImpactNow possible.


Abhra Biswas

I'm Abhra, and I'm the Communications guy. I'm maintaining the blog and I revise some of the grant proposals we write up. I also author many of the circulatories that float around campus, like the one that professors will be receiving in order to strengthen our network. The thank you notes for donors and folks who purchase our SPO boxes are also created by me. Writing is my passion, and I love love love words, so it was kind of natural for me to pick up this role for the organization! I'm majoring in Political Science and Philosophy and hope to enroll at law school after my time here at Luther (it's going so faaaast!!).


Kristin Westby

Kristin Westby is our Public Relations coordinator. Those awesome videos that you see on your Facebook newsfeed about I-ImpactNow? Kristin managed the production and editing processes of all of them. She also assumes a secretarial role for the organization, as she is always taking very precise notes during conversations among the group. Kristin's heading to Peru for the remainder of the semester, so I-ImpactNow's going to be losing a very valuable asset for the rest of this year. Thankfully, when she's back next year, Kristin and I will be able to manage our own I-ImpactNow chapter at Luther to continue raising money for future projects. Kristin's majoring in Spanish and minoring in Secondary Education.


William Montoya

Will's our Human Resources manager. A phenomenal activist, this people person is the definition of "public servant." William exercises his social networking skills to help the organization expand its reach, and his efforts have proved very helpful to the mission. In addition to helping I-ImpactNow entrench itself in the minds of people all over the globe, Will is also the President of Luther College's Student Senate. Again, Will is someone devoted to the services of the people and someone that can't forget meeting. He is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Communication studies.


Ezra Mengistu

Ezra was one of the chief pioneers during I-ImpactNow's first irrigation project in Ethiopia, "Collaborating on Irrigation to Fight Hunger." In other words, he was absolutely essential to the success of our first project (when it consisted of only two people), and this achievement has lent itself significantly to the growth of the organization. Ezra's studying towards his Masters of Business Administration at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, so we don't really get to see him as often as we would like. However, the team will all be united at the Clinton Globial Initiative University Conference in San Diego, CA this March!


Kiflu Arega Tesfaye

Kiflu is the architect of I-ImpactNow. During his sophomore at Luther College, Kiflu wanted to help his homeland. He wanted a better future for his brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. He wanted to impact. So, in collaboration with Ezra Mengistu, the two pioneered "Collaborating on Irrigation to Fight Hunger," a project which would develop an irrigation-based farmer's cooperative in Ethiopia. After months and months of arduous grant-writing and publicity efforts, the project proved a resounding success. Two years later, Kiflu decided to take his vision and expand it to a new team dynamic to impact on an even greater level. 
Thus, I-ImpactNow was born. 




I-ImpactNow has been making some very significant advances at breakneck speed, and I'll be blogging about them in the coming days. We'll be reaching our goal of $35,000 in no time at all, it really is impressive how quickly some programs can snowball. Stay tuned - you won't be disappointed!