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Harpswell has a strong leadership team in Cambodia, Australia, the United States and around Southeast Asia. Harpswell alumnae are now managing the Cambodian dormitories and program, a good indicator that we are on the road to achieving our mission.

Global Team

Jacyl Shaw

  • Jacyl comes to Harpswell with over 20 years of experience across sectors including higher education, industry, local community, startup ecosystem and philanthropy. She has led and been a part of teams spanning North and South America, Europe, EMEA and Asia, and brings a strong network in the ASEAN region to the role. Most recently, Jacyl served as Head of Strategy & Business Development for the Menzies Foundation, an apolitical non-profit that aspires to raise the profile and importance of “outstanding” leadership by encouraging people to reflect on leadership, build their leadership capability and act for the greater good.

    Jacyl studied law at the University of Melbourne (Australia), going on to receive a Masters of Laws from Monash University. Jacyl also holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Business (Enterprise) from the University of Melbourne (Australia). She served many years in leadership roles at the University of Melbourne (Australia) and at GHD, a private global engineering firm, where she was Global Director of Innovation. In each role she has taken up, Jacyl has prioritized making a positive and meaningful impact, reflecting a deep desire to amplify and empower emerging leaders.

    Education:

    -Bachelor of Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia

    -Bachelor of Laws, University of Melbourne, Australia

    -Master of Laws, Monash

    -Master of Business, University of Melbourne, Australia.

“Together, we can ignite inspiration and foster leadership that will shape and uplift communities throughout the region, both now and for generations to come.”

Basye Peek

  • Basye is a former Harpswell Leadership Resident with more than eight years of experience in the nonprofit and education sectors, working primarily in women's education, violence prevention and peace-building in the Southeast Asia region. Most recently, she served as an English Language Development teacher in south Nashville through Teach for America.

    Education:
    - Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology, Wheaton College

    -Master’s in Instructional Practice, Lipscomb University 

    - Master’s in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies, London School of Economics

“Harpswell women continue to inspire me with their tenacious commitment to education, empowerment and uplifting one another.”

Elise Fagone

  • Elise is a fundraising and engagement leader with more than 20 years of experience working across the non-profit, health, and education sectors. Her work has taken her across Australia, Europe and Asia, where she has built international partnerships and philanthropic networks that support education, leadership and community development.

    Elise has a strong connection to the region and has spent much of her career working across Asia, supporting international engagement and opportunities for students and emerging leaders.

    At Harpswell, Elise leads development and philanthropic partnerships, working closely with supporters around the world to expand opportunities for women’s leadership and education in Southeast Asia.

    Education:
    - Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations), Victoria University

“Education opens doors, but it also creates opportunities. It is incredibly meaningful to help young women realise their potential.”

Teresa Nowalk

  • A recent Harpswell Leadership Resident (2021-2022), Teresa has experience in education, both as a teacher and in curriculum development, and the nonprofit sector. Previous experience includes working as a Programme Implementor for FutureSense Foundation Cambodia.

    She currently is pursuing a Master’s in Asia-Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University in Taiwan.

    Education:
    - Bachelor’s in Anthropology and History, University of Virginia

“Harpswell is a place where staff and students alike turn into friends who become sisters, and sisters who become family.”

Misty de Vera

  • Misty's foundational years shaped her character and career vision. As a student, she was actively involved as a volunteer and pioneer for various outreach programs designed to uplift women and children. Her later immersion in the fields of education, business, and health sciences equipped her to be a mentor and a leader for the Harpswell  Leadership Resident Program.


    Education:
    -Bachelor of Science in Biology (Human Biology), De La Salle University- Dasmarinas Philippines

    -TESOL Dual Diploma course, Horizon Media and Education, Vietnam

“The impact of the Harpswell program inspires me everyday to continually foster a community not merely to survive but to thrive, a community of empowered women that strives to empower women.”

Laurie Phillips

  • Laurie has many years of finance and operations experience with over 20 years in educational nonprofits. Prior jobs include Executive Director of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (retreat center offering on site and online courses), Director of Finance and Operations at Sea Education Association (nonprofit offering semesters at sea on tall ships for college students), Controller at The Pennington School (an independent day/boarding school in New Jersey). She currently is also the Finance Manager for Caring for Cambodia.

    Education:
    -B.A in Accounting from the University of Alabama

    -M.A in Counseling from Rider University.

“During my many travels in Southeast Asia, I have been particularly touched and inspired by the stories of the young women I met along the way. I am very happy to join Harpswell and play a small part to help young women achieve their dreams and potential.”

Cambodian Women’s Leadership Team

  • Moul Samneang has more than 20 years of experience working on design, management, and implementation of programs related to women’s advancement. Samneang served as Senior Program Officer at The Asia Foundation’s Cambodia office, where she led the program on violence against women and implemented programs to prevent trafficking and exploitation of children.

    Samneang provided technical support to a women’s NGO to facilitate female commune councilors in formulating strategies to address issues of key concerns to communities. She also managed education initiatives that provided scholarships to young girls from economically disadvantaged families and served as Field Adviser for Give2Asia, where she managed donor-advised grants to organizations implementing charitable activities in Cambodia.

    Education:
    - Master’s in Development Management, Asian Institute of Management (Philippines)

Moul Samneang

“The kind of education we provide is so deep and so meaningful for the girls to become informed citizens.”

  • Raksmey, a graduate of the Harpswell Class of 2010, spent a year as a Harpswell U.S. Scholar at Bard College in upstate New York. Raksmey has several years of teaching experience and, before joining Harpswell, worked as the Early Childhood Education Facilitator at the Cambodian Children’s Fund in Phnom Penh.

    Education:
    - Bachelor’s in Biology and English Language, Royal University of Phnom Penh
    - Bachelor’s in Education, Build Bright University
    - Master’s in Educational Studies, University of Hong Kong

Suon Raksmey

“We provide the opportunities and environment for each of our students to define their leadership.”

  • Sokhemmary has more than 13 years of experience working across various sectors, including youth employment, entrepreneurship, education, advocacy, and gender equality. She brings extensive experience in coordinating multi-sectoral youth employment initiatives with government institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. She has also managed grants focused on innovative civic engagement, issue-based engagement, and strengthening youth leadership. In addition, Sokhemmary has supported scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law.

    Before joining Harpswell Foundation, she worked with Pact Cambodia, Raoul Wallenberg Institute, and World Vision International.

    Sokhemmary is passionate about women’s empowerment and creating opportunities for young women leaders. She previously served as a GEDI Council member for Pact Global and was recently selected for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) professional program in the United States.

    Education:
    - Bachelor’s in English Literature and International Relations, Paññāsāstra University

    - Master’s in Business Administration, National University of Management

By Sokhemmary

“Education is the most powerful tool to create a better world. The more we invest in women, the stronger and more developed our communities and countries become.”

“I'm thrilled to come back to the Harpswell community after seven years away to help the younger sisters' generation grow and define their leadership potential.”

  • Sam Phalleap is a graduate of the Harpswell Cambodian Women’s Leadership Program Class of 2016. Since graduating from Harpswell, Phalleap has been active in the education sector where she has excelled in roles from teaching to school leadership. Before joining the Harpswell staff team, Phalleap served as Vice Principal of an international school in Phnom Penh.

    Education:
    -Bachelor’s in Educational Management and Teaching, Norton University

    -Master’s in Education Administration and Leadership

Sam Phalleap

“What excites me about Harpswell is the diversity of its students.”

  • Sopheap began her career in the NGO and private sectors as a secretary at Women for Prosperity. She was later promoted to Coordinator of the Women’s Empowerment Program.

    Following her time at Women for Prosperity, Sopheap joined the Samrach Rattanack Real Estate and Law office, working in administration and human resources.

    Education:
    - Bachelor’s in Management, Norton University

Nim Sopheap

Moem Sreynoch

  • Sreynoch has more than 10 years of experience implementing analytical and strategic financial processes at NGO, she has managed financial accounting, budgeting, donor reporting, and QuickBooks posting. She used to work with funds from overseeing MIS, Bread for the World, EU and USAID-funded projects, including partner financial monitoring, external audits, and grant budget management.

    Education:
    - Bachelor’s in Banking and Finance, Asia Euro University

    - Associate’s Degree in Computer and Secretary, DONBOSCO Vocational Training Center for Girls

“Women are truly a powerful force in society. Therefore, to empower all women, it is essential to gain knowledge about self-development to become effective leaders.”


ASEAN Summit Team

  • Dr. Leila Mohajer is a sociolinguist specializing in language and gender. She served as a senior lecturer for eight years at the Centre for Research on Women and Gender (KANITA), Universiti Sains Malaysia, where she was actively involved in interdisciplinary teaching and research. Her academic interests include power and solidarity in men’s and women’s talk, conversation analysis, gender and identity, and violence against women. Her work reflects a commitment to exploring how language shapes and reflects gendered experiences in everyday and institutional contexts.

Dr. Leila Mohajer

“Friendship leads to empowerment.”