Kristen Norman
Project Manager
Kristen serves as a project manager for the Global Family Farms program. She brings a range of business and community service experiences to her work linking grassroots agricultural projects to consumers in the West. Her commitment to women in business adds an important dimension to Earth Open Source’s sustainable development efforts. Kristen holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and graduated with Honors from University of California, Berkeley where she concentrated in Public Health and International Development.
John Fagan
Executive Director
John Fagan was an early voice in the scientific debate on genetically modified (GM) crops. His current work focuses on sustainability, security, and safety in the global food system. He has pioneered the development of tools to verify these parameters, including methods to detect GM organisms in food, the first certification programme for non-GM foods, and a leading certification programme for sustainability and ethics in the food and agricultural industries. He holds a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Cornell University, USA. He has conducted research at the US National Institutes of Health and elsewhere, which has been published in leading scientific journals. He speaks internationally in industry, government, scientific, and public venues.
Bhupendra Nirajan
Nepal Program Director
As Nepal Program Director, Bhupendra Nirajan oversees the financial, administrative and technical activities of Earth Open Source’s agricultural programs in Nepal. Bhupendra holds a graduate degree in Natural Science and post-graduate degree in Business Administration from Tribhuvan University of Nepal. Prior to joining our staff at Earth Open Source, Bhupendra worked as a research officer at the Nepal Health Research Council in the Traditional Systems of Medicine and Herbal Resources sectors.
Shane Zisman
Programs Manager
Shane has a committed track record advocating for stronger social and environmental practices on behalf of underrepresented communities in the USA and abroad. He holds a BA in Business Management from the Maharishi University of Management and a J.D. from Vermont Law School. He joined the Earth Open Source staff in 2012 to help develop the Grassroots Agricultural Development wing of the organization. Shane is presently acting as a project manager for The Healing Herbs Nepal and Global Family Farms programs.
Paul Skinner
Board Member
Paul Skinner is a chartered marketer with extensive corporate experience in international business development and marketing. Paul speaks fluent English, Spanish, and French and currently lives in the UK. He holds an MA from Oxford University.
Aliye Aliye
Board Member
Aliye Aliye founded and organized a humanitarian organization called DHDE that benefited more than 300 young people in Ethiopia. He has worked as a management consultant for non-profit business and government organizations in Ethiopia and has managed sustainable building projects in the USA. He holds a BA in Economics, an MA in IT/Telecommunications Management, an MBA in Sustainable Business Management, and an AD in General Agriculture.