Melissa Kushner

Melissa Kushner is the founder and special advisor of Yamba Malawi, where leadership and organizational sustainability were enhanced through the development of a 14-person Board of Directors and the successful transition to a new Executive Director. As founder and executive director, Melissa launched a nonprofit that transformed the lives of over one million children by empowering communities to alleviate poverty through grass-roots initiatives focused on childhood wellbeing, sustainable business, and financial management, growing the organization to a $1.8 million entity. Additionally, Melissa serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Hannah Senesh Community Day School and previously founded goods for good, an organization that supported orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi, Pakistan, and Liberia by addressing resource gaps through partnerships and logistical efforts. Melissa holds a Master of Public Administration in International Development from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.