Meet The Team
Our Story
More than 98 millions adolescent girls around the world are not in school. That’s a lot of dreams cut short! UNICEF reports that besides their financial hardship, menstrual hygiene is of significant need for those girls. The goal of SAGE Project is to empower young women through education. With your generosity, we are able to provide menstrual hygiene and scholarships because education is the pillar of health, financial freedom, empowerment and world peace.
Our Passionate Team
Our Board
Fatimata Sanogo - Founder & CEO
Dr. Fatimata Sanogo was born and raised in Dori, in the sahel of Burkina Faso. She received her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Southern California. She founded Sahel Sage during her graduate studies, pulled by a vision and her commitment to help increase women’s power and influence and address health inequities, particularly for women in the sahel.
The selfless support of many throughout her upbringing has opened doors of success and fulfillment in her life and she’s eager to pay it forward. She enjoys learning from different cultures and has traveled to over 20 countries across Africa, Europe, North and Central America, and the carribeans. Her favorite hobbies include reading, writing, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. Dr. Sanogo is also a certified yoga teacher. She speaks French, Fulani, and English. For more, email at [email protected]
Katie Walther - Advisor
Katie is a mother, grandmother, a nurse, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and a Persian Gulf War veteran who keeps her passport in her purse at all times. She was one of the first volunteers on the ground following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
She has helped teach preventive healthcare to adults and children in Papua New Guinea, eased the cholera epidemic in the Caribbean, and contributed to outreach medical care in Timor Leste. Founder and Director of Humanitize Expeditions gives her the opportunity to lead volunteer medical and education teams to provide sustainable resources in developing countries.
Ryan Browning - Strategic Advisor
Ryan originates from the Washington D.C. area and is the by-product of a military family. Born on Joint Base Andrews, MD, he has lived in 10 cities across 4 different continents over the course of his professional life from serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa to working as a Global Management Trainee with Mercedes-Benz in Germany and China.
His experiences include International Development, Corporate Finance, Strategy, and Human Resources. As a musician he appreciates the beauty that art and design bring to the world and uses that as his muse to support and inspire others to increase their positive impact on others. He is currently based in New York with his wife and two boys and works as a Innovation Development Lead at an HR consulting firm. In his spare time he reads, studies languages, coaches future business leaders, and enjoys endurance sports. Ryan received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Northwestern University and his MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Having studied Latin, Ryan speaks English and French fluently, and loves to pick up other languages just enough to connect with people on his travels.
Carine Kadeba - Health Promotion Director
Carine was born and raised in Fakena, in the Mouhoun region of Burkina Faso. She speaks French, English, Bwamu and Dioula. In her my spare time She likes to volunteer in the community, read, run, cook and hang out with friends and family. Growing up she experienced that so many girls did not have the same educational opportunities like her.
Those seeing brilliant, talented and ambitious girls, but their families withdrew them from secondary school, either for early marriage or due to financial hardship. Economic, social and health factors stopped these girls from reaching their potentials. Having witnessed this, she always wanted to make a difference one day by contributing to adolescent girls’ education and health. The Sage project is an access for her to realize her dream and keep a promise that she made to herself years ago to give back. Carine currently holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and is working towards her Masters of Public Health.
Our Fellows
Sawadogo Sidi Amed
Ahmed Sidi, also known as Sidi, is an young entrepreneur in construction and public work, as well as a board member of heart centenary of the Lions Club International. He is very proud and excited to be a member of the sahel sage team because he is committed to supporting avenues that enable girls access to education and their emancipation. Sidi believes that Burkina Faso is a beautiful country with great potential and one of its biggest assets is its youth, especially rising young women. Their education is necessary to help restore peace in the country and provide a foundation for the entire population to thrive and the country develop economically.
Pranav Kulkarni, PK
PK is an academic coach and has been teaching students one-on-one and in large groups since 2006. PK’s philosophy is learning by doing; he empowers students by nudging them in the correct direction so the focus is on understanding the solution rather than simply arriving at the answer. He specializes in Economics, English, History, Math, and standardized test prep.
Fadima Cisse Sanogo - Project Evaluation Lead
My name is Fadima Cisse Sanogo and I lived my whole life in Dori, in the Sahel of Burkina Faso. I speak excellent Fulani (my native language) and French too. I have two daughters and a son. On my free time I love uniting family ties and visiting relatives because I have a big family.
I always do this in the spirit of learning what my relatives are up to and providing any support I can to assist them in dealing with those matters that are of importance to them. I also enjoy taking care of my domesticated animals: my cows and sheep. For me, these are a part of my family. I have worked with numerous NGOs for over 30 years on development projects. I have a keen interest on the issues that NGOs address in the domain of helping to improve the living conditions and behavior in my community. Such issues include health issues, malnutrition of children under 5 years old, early marriage, female multilations, and the lack of education of girls. I have worked with NGOs like the Red Cross, HELP (Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.) FDC (Fondation pour le Développement Communautaire du Burkina Faso) in the domain of health and NGOs like OXFAM (Oxfam Intermon,) A2N (Association Nodde Nooto,) PEF (Project Economique Famillial) and PAR (Programme Assainissement Reforme des Ouvrages d’Eau) in the domain of development and behavior change. Throughout my career I have held positions that include agent for community change, health promoter, trainer in infant nutrition, and lead for monitoring program and project evaluation
Amadou Sanogo (Amed) - Outreach Coordinator
My name is Amadou Sanogo, and I go by my nickname Amed. I am a native of Dori, Capital of the Liptako in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. I speak Fulani, my native language, French and a little bit of Moore. I am a huge fan of electronics and computer science.
One of my favorite hobbies is fixing and setting up electronics for friends and family. I have once set up and flown a drone without the manual. I can do that for pretty much any electronic device. I also enjoy dancing, food, and time with my daughter. I received my bachelor’s degree in computer engineering but started my professional career in community development because of the increasing need in my hometown and the lack of resources for a career in computer engineering in a developing country. I have great passion for the work I have been doing with NGOs in the domain of child protection. Early marriage, female genital mutilation, schooling of young girls are challenges I face every day at work since 5 years already. For me, changing the mindset of our communities around those topics is so crucial and needs to start with empowering young girls, our rising women, through education. That’s why the mission of SAGE project is necessary to our community. I have worked as the project coordinator for the NGO Mwangaza_Action and lead numerous activities for community education and outreach. For over a decade, I have been an active member of the association 3S “Sauver le Sahel du Sida” (Saving Sahel from AIDS) founded by my father Dr. Sanogo Tiamogo. I have recently joined Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organization as their data analyst in the Sahel.
Our Staff
Shannon Potter
Ms. Shannon Potter was born in San Antonio, TX and raised in what used to be a small town, Helotes, TX. She serves as the Chief Philanthropy Officer of Sahel Sage. Ms. Potter has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration for Management from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
In her spare time she enjoys yoga, meditation, playing with her two dogs, and being with friends and family. Before Sahel Sage she spent her career in various management, sales management, and training positions within the Construction Industry since 2009. Managing relationships, collaborating, and mentoring women have been key in her achievements over the years. Shannon thrived in a male dominated industry through various job roles. With her experience in the field, she guided as well as encouraged many of the women around her on their journey to career prosperity. But it was her lifelong sistership with Fatimata, now CEO of Sahel Sage, that brought her personal inspiration. As events came full circle with Fatimata and the vision of backing more women on a broader scale has come to fruition, she is eager to support the mission of providing every girl a deserving education.
Jordan Bigler
Jordan is a filmmaker, actor, and builder. He has a passion for connecting cultures and capturing the beautiful moments that connect us as a global community. His work behind the camera has been selected at film festivals across the US and his film Amazon Arising has screened in three continents to thousands.
Kevin Trommer
Kevin Trommer is an accomplished communications and public policy strategist with over a decade of experience working with nonprofit, public agency, private sector, and Fortune 500 clients to advocate for systemic and organizational change. As a global education advocate, he pushes for robust and effective policy frameworks that foster innovation, impact change, and advance equity. Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in Comparative Politics and a minor in African Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he graduated Cum Laude with honors. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys gourmet cooking, crafting artisanal hot sauce, and making music.
