Baurau is a for-profit venture where 100% of revenue & profits are reinvested back into the countries we work in. Unlike traditional aid models, we build profitable, job-creating businesses—not short-term projects—and we never extract wealth from the countries we serve.
We've seen firsthand how short-term aid often fails to create lasting change. By building scalable, self-sustaining businesses that stay in-country, we create a cycle of growth that benefits communities for generations.
We are self-funded and committed to financial independence. Because we don’t rely on outside investors or grants, we keep complete control, ensuring every dollar stays local to fuel long-term growth.
We believe independence protects our mission. Outside investors often expect financial returns or other benefits that drain resources from the countries we serve. Our model reinvests everything into the local economy—no exceptions.
Sombo Muzata brings a rare blend of financial discipline, policy expertise, and moral conviction to her work. A fellow of the ACCA and PhD in Public Policy, she has advised governments, nonprofits, and academic institutions on everything from fiscal transparency to impact investing. She’s led major initiatives across Africa and the U.S.—always pushing for governance models that empower, not extract.
At Baurau, Sombo will help guide our ethical compass, ensuring our work remains ambitious and accountable as we scale across the continent.
Sombo's Strengths:
◆ Education
◆ Cultural Specialist
◆ Literacy Expert
◆ Community Development
Ella Escalante blends artistry with precision, bringing over 15 years of global experience in branding, UX, and creative strategy. She’s led multidisciplinary teams across North and Latin America—delivering everything from bold rebrands to tightly run innovation sprints. Equal parts designer and systems thinker, Ella makes the complex feel intuitive.
At Baurau, she architects the creative vision behind our brands, ensuring every pixel and word reflects the dignity, ambition, and local soul of the work we do.
Ella's Strengths:
◆ Design
◆ Creative Writing
◆ Advertising
◆ Social Media Management
Sean Macklyn is a lifelong entrepreneur and people-first leader who spent over 30 years building Scoreboard Sports, one of the top providers of branded uniforms and gear for youth clubs, schools, and corporations across the United States. A passionate advocate for sports and community, Sean has built his reputation on long-term relationships, operational grit, and solving hard problems with heart. He is our "MacGyver," with an uncanny ability to fix anything.
At Baurau, Sean leads our Operations—creating maintenance programs for machinery, sourcing equipment and tools, designing systems, and creating support structures that help farmers and our workers throughout Africa succeed.
Sean's Strengths:
◆ Infrastructure Design
◆ Machinery Expertise
◆ Operations
◆ Process Implementation
Becky NeVille is one of the core reasons Baurau exists. After adopting daughters from Ethiopia and Liberia, Becky developed deep, personal ties to both countries—and a lifelong commitment to giving back.
Today, Becky helps lead Baurau’s family-rooted approach to impact. From managing safe travel across Africa to overseeing village-level logistics, she ensures every step is grounded in care, trust, and connection. Her daughters’ names—Bilise (“Freedom”) and Manina (“New Thing”)—aren’t just meaningful; they’re the blueprint.
Becky’s vision is to unlock new freedom and possibility for families across the continent.
Becky's Strengths:
◆ Family Projects
◆ Logistics
◆ Strategic Planning
◆ Community Aid
Brandon O’Brien is a seasoned financial operator with deep experience scaling high-growth consumer brands. He co-founded Trü Frü, helping pioneer the healthy indulgent snacking space and guiding the company to a major acquisition by Mars. Prior to that, he took ZAGG public and helped grow it from $3M to over $260M in revenue—leading IPOs, acquisitions, and capital raises along the way.
At Baurau, Brandon brings financial discipline and strategic firepower to help ensure every venture is built for sustainable, scalable growth.
Brandon's Strengths:
◆ Finance
◆ Logistics
◆ Operations
◆ Product Sourcing
Newton Gborway is a seasoned community leader and social worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah. He has spent his career championing mental health, youth empowerment, and program development across underserved communities. Recognized with the Pete Suazo Social Justice Award and the Liberian United in Utah Leadership Award, Newton is known for bridging cultural gaps and building trust.
Today, Newton leads Baurau’s Liberia operations, where he builds relationships, mentors local entrepreneurs, and oversees the successful rollout of large-scale ventures across the country.
Newton's Strengths:
◆ Entrepreneurship
◆ Networking
◆ Cultural Fluency
◆ Conflict Resolution
Braydon Bailey is an entrepreneur and systems thinker with more than 20 years of experience helping businesses organize, adapt, and scale. His consulting work spans industries from healthcare to manufacturing, where he specializes in streamlining workflows, cleaning up messy data, and bringing clarity to complex operations. Certified in QuickBooks and known for his precision and creative problem-solving, Braydon helps teams make faster, smarter decisions by turning data into direction.
At Baurau, Braydon architects internal systems that power growth—connecting people, processes, and information in ways that accelerate progress across Africa.
Braydon's Strengths:
◆ Purchasing
◆ Information Architect
◆ Technology
◆ Conflict Resolution
Philip Webb is a strategist and social impact investor with more than two decades of experience building ventures that lift communities from poverty to prosperity. From Latin America to Africa, he has co-founded investment funds, directed nonprofits, and incubated dozens of businesses focused on education, energy, and financial access. An Oxford-educated academic with deep field experience, Philip brings vision and operational rigor to the table.
At Baurau, Philip shapes long-term strategy and global partnerships—ensuring that each venture delivers both economic return and meaningful impact.
Philip's Strengths:
◆ Government relations
◆ Business creation
◆ International finance
◆ Economic development
Woudneh Mulugeta is a self-made entrepreneur and community leader whose business journey began on the streets of Addis Ababa. He went on to build one of Ethiopia’s leading packaged food distribution companies, while also importing construction materials, rugs, and furniture. Fluent in Japanese after five years abroad, Woudneh bridges global partnerships with local impact.
At Baurau, Woudneh leads all in-country operations across Ethiopia—from government relations to site development—combining sharp business instincts with a deep commitment to national progress.
Woudneh's Strengths:
◆ Entrepreneurship
◆ Cultural Fluency
◆ Community Leadership
◆ Philanthropy
Brian NeVille is a serial entrepreneur and growth strategist with a proven track record in the consumer packaged goods and tech industries. As founder and CEO of Trü Frü, he led the brand to market leadership before its acquisition by Mars Corporation. He also founded Wise Company and co-developed the freeze-drying tech behind Harvest Right. Across four successful ventures, his companies have generated over $2 billion in revenue and continue to thrive post-exit.
Today, Brian leads Baurau with the same relentless drive that built his past ventures—shaping the strategy, pushing boundaries, and guiding the team to execute with precision and purpose.
Brian's Strengths:
◆ Business Strategy
◆ Sales
◆ Negotiations
◆ Presenting
Daniel Kunz is a business builder with a track record of turning bold ideas into lasting impact. He founded Guardian Survival Gear with a $1,000 loan and grew it into one of the nation’s leading emergency preparedness companies—generating over $100M in revenue and earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list before a successful exit.
He later launched Brightladder, a creative firm helping hyper-growth startups and billion-dollar brands scale their digital presence through high-impact websites.
Today, Daniel leads business development at Baurau, where he helps design and launch large-scale agro-processing ventures across Africa.
Daniel's Strengths:
◆ Web Creation
◆ Branding
◆ Operations
◆ Process Optimization