Simama International
Simama International is a U.S.- based charitable organization dedicated to supporting children and families to access a quality education by providing them the stability and support they need to thrive academically.
We invest in impactful, community-driven solutions that help children and families cover education costs and provide academic support, counseling, social stability, and other critical services to remove common obstacles to educational attainment in Kenya.
Since 2015, we have granted more programmatic funding to support the work of the Simama Project while also providing resource generation and other technical support to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Simama Project as a local Kenyan institution.
Simama International is registered with the IRS as a 501c3 Charitable Organization based in San Francisco, California governed by an elected, uncompensated Board of Directors.
Simama International also proudly serves as the fiscal sponsor and partner of the Education Our Gift Foundation (EOG) which supports similar programs in nearby Nyeri, Kenya.
Board of Directors
Chris Bennett
President & CEO
Chris is a long time friend of Matt’s and served as an advisor during the creation of the Simama Project.
After learning about Matt’s work on the Simama Project in 2012 and returning from travels across Africa and the Middle East, Chris jumped at the opportunity to help establish Simama International and manage the Board of Directors. He leverages his eight years of experience managing global programs at NGOs large and small to support Simama’s organizational development, strategic planning and fundraising. In his spare time, Chris enjoys playing with his American Bulldog puppy Layla, reading books on economics, watching any sporting event that is on TV and taking advantage of the many things to do in the Washington, D.C. area. Chris holds a BA in International Relations from UCLA and will complete his MA in International Policy at George Mason University in 2016.
Larisa Warhol
Board Chair
Larisa Warhol received her PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from Arizona State University and her Master’s degree in International Development from George Washington University as well as her BA from Yale University. As a Core Fulbright Scholar in 2013, Larisa was a visiting professor at Auckland University of Technology.
Larissa has been a social entrepreneur for the past 8 years in East Africa and has been actively involved in developing Simama's programming in its Center of Worth.
Raélle Dorfan
Board Vice Chair
Named Executive Director of the Dance Resource Centre in 2018, Raélle has been a dance artist and arts professional for nearly two decades.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Raélle studied various forms of dance and musical theater before immigrating to California, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the UCLA World Arts and Cultures Dance and Choreography Department. Raélle has been a teaching artist and choreographer at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles for a decade and prior to her role at the DRC, was Associate Director at Cadence Arts Network, Manager Director for Pentacle programs in Los Angeles and Education Director for RKDC at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. Raélle has performed at some of California’s most prestigious venues with Pacifico Dance Company and Fusion Dance Theater and served as judge and panelist for multiple performing arts programs and performances. Raélle serves on the Board of Directors for the Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles, Fusion Performing Dance Academy in East LA.
William Newsom
William joined the Board of Directors of Simama International to help establish the official structure of the organization and assist with development of the bylaws and articles of incorporation.
A college classmate of Matt’s, Will joined the board in 2012 after learning about Matt’s vision to grow Simama into a world-class charity and expand it reach to more youth in Kenya. Will leverages his legal background to help keep Simama compliant and transparent, and jumps in wherever he is needed to support Simama’s U.S. organization, from fundraising to copywriting. In his spare time, Will keeps up with local politics, reads science fiction, plays soccer, and works on his plan to one day own an asteroid mining company. Will graduated from UCLA with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Hastings College of the Law with a JD and currently works as a venture capital attorney at Cooley LLP.
Ryan Borcherdt
Ryan joined the board in 2015 after spending three months on the ground with Matt in Kenya experiencing first-hand the difference that Simama in making in the lives of Kenyan youth.
Having worked with small to medium sized businesses his entire career as both an investor and a small business owner, Ryan’s role is to continually improve the organization’s operational efficiency and procedures. Ryan enjoys playing soccer, fly fishing and backpacking whenever he has spare time. He graduated from UCLA with a BA in Business Economics and runs an organization that operates enrichment programs for children throughout the Bay Area.
Rachel & Jarod Griesbach
Rachel and Jarod met Matt and the Simama Project while working in a medical clinic in Nanyuki, Kenya in 2016.
Inspired by the difference Simama Project was making in the community, they ended up spending that year working with Matt and the kids, Rachel using her skills as a nurse and Jarod using his skills as a carpenter. Rachel works with Simama Project advising on health, while Jarod helps with building projects. They own Red Hart Brewing in Red Deer, Canada, where they live with their 2 boys, dog and 7 chickens.
Matt Orcutt
Founder & Executive Director
After graduating from UCLA, Matt spent several years in LA and San Francisco. It was a trip to Kenya in 2009 that inspired him to start the Simama Project. Currently he divides his time between San Francisco and Kenya. While in Kenya he oversees operations on the ground and in San Francisco he works closely with his Board of Directors and helps with fundraising. In his spare time he takes up the eternal search for the perfect burrito, following the San Francisco Giants, reading Shakespeare and spending time with his nephews.