
Board of Trustees

Bio
An alumna of Future Generations University, the Honorable Chido Madiwa has 25+ years’ experience working in the civil service, culminating in a position as director of gender. Currently, she holds a seat in Parliament and serves as chairperson for the Parliamentary Portfolio on Women’s Affairs and the Parliamentary Portfolio on Small and Medium Enterprises, as well as serving as a member of the Environment Committee and the Local Government Committee.

Bio
Bill Grant served in many senior positions at DAI between 1986 and 2025, always focusing on cutting edge approaches to economic development. During his last 20 years he was a leader in the promotion and tehnical delivery of Market Systems Development. Bill’s family has been involved in leading new trends in international health and economic development for more than 120 years, so it is not surprising that Bill has followed in the family footsteps. Since joining DAI he has been focused on bringing new models of
market-led, sustainable economic development to bear around the world. During this time he has worked in more than 50 countries, including 35 in Africa, concentrating on
designing, evaluating, and implementing market driven solutions leading to broad-based, pro-poor development. He applies market systems development methodologies (value chain and M4P) to identify the major systemic constraints that are handicapping equitable economic growth and then design and implement market led solutions. He is currently advising ten systemic development programs for USAID, DFID, the Swiss Development Agency for Cooperation (SDC), and private corporations to link major investment
opportunities into sectors with strong pro-poor growth potential.

Bio
Nick Bhatt is a medical doctor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. His businesses include nursing homes, home health services, pharmacy, senior living facilities, community centers, and a medical facility that treats substance use. His businesses are located in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee. Nick graduated from Sardar Patel University with degrees in medicine and surgery (MBBS). In addition, he has a masters degree in nursing from Excelsior University.

Bio
Rupin is a graduate from Dartmouth College with a degree in Film Studies and Environmental Studies. He is the Managing Director of Wilderness Films for 35+ years, creating awareness on conservation issues, and is an expert on Himalayan Botany.

Bio
Deepak Gopalakrishna is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in
leadership and research within the consulting and scientific sectors. Currently serving as Vice President and Principal at ICF since July 2014, Deepak has effectively contributed to various initiatives in this role. Prior to this, Deepak held the position of Principal Research Scientist and Program Manager at Battelle from August 2001 to July 2014, demonstrating a strong background in scientific research and program management. Deepak’s academic credentials include education at The Ohio State University from 1999 to 2001 and a degree from BITS-Pilani, highlighting a solid foundation in technical expertise.

Bio

Bio
Kimberly Pettigrew is a recent Future Generations University graduate (Class of 2025) and director of food systems for United Way of Greater Knoxville.
“I strive to always play an active role in bettering my community by being and active listener, a dedicated team member, and a unifying voice . I am passionate, hardworking, and organized. I always strive to exceed expectations, but I do so by moving slowly, steadily, and sustainably. I’m always looking forward to new challenges to grow my community and myself.”
Kimberly spent years working on numerous local farms. She serves as Local Food Initiative Coordinator for Nourish Knoxville, director of Community Health Programs at Tennessee Clean Water Network, communications director at the Market Square Farmers’ Market, and managed Knox Public House. Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Nutrition from the University of Tennessee and is also a certified cheese maker from the University of Vermont. She was president of Slow Food TN Valley and served as an associate member of the Knoxville Food Policy Council
Cabinet




Trustee Emeriti

