Knock Foundation

Michelle is a Nurse Practitioner in Hospital Medicine at Mayo Clinic. She is a Board Certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with a Masters in Nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She also received her BSN at UNMC. Michelle originally went to Tanzania in March 2007 to volunteer in a medical capacity, something she had always wanted to do. After arriving, she realized that her life was going to take a drastic turn as she found a new passion and meaning to her life. She does not know what is in store with her nursing career or how it will fit into her foundation work, but she feels so lucky to have found passion and purpose at such a young age and feels privileged to have co-founded and to have the opportunity to work for Knock Foundation.

Kim was born and raised in Northridge, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, having studied a pre-med curriculum and majored in Health & Societies with a concentration in African Health. She first traveled to Tanzania in November 2006 to work in a health clinic to help her in furtherance of a medical career. She did work in a clinic and loved the experience, but Kim also volunteered at a center for orphans and vulnerable children and through that, found a passion she didn’t know existed within her. She has been traveling back and forth between Tanzania and California ever since. In Tanzania, she manages Knock’s current projects and works closely with the communities there. In California, Kim spends her time working on the administrative aspects of the organization as well as fundraising efforts. Overall, she is doing work she absolutely loves and what is most important to her, making a difference in the lives of those in need.

Barry has been a practicing CPA for over thirty years, advising businesses and individuals alike, always looking to work with people who have solid life values and recognize that hard work and patience are essential to the achievement of success. He was fortunate to journey to Tanzania in January 2007 and see firsthand the needs and opportunities of the children and communities and has been committed to making a difference in their lives ever since. This is consistent with his life's work of being involved in causes and organizations to help "repair the world.” The resources of Barry’s office are being used to perform much of the Foundation's administrative and compliance work. Barry traveled to Tanzania again in August 2009 with his trip focusing on the architectural and financial arrangements for the construction of the new Matumaini Center. In addition, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, an effort which raised $60,000 for the construction project. A journal of his climb is available here.

David is the Owner and Creative Director of Grossman Design Associates (GrossmanDesign.com). David has 20 years experience designing, developing and implementing marketing programs for a wide range of clients, including Coca-Cola, 3M, Lee Jeans, Genmar Boats, General Mills, Deloitte & Touche, Footlocker and Target. David has a Bachelor of Arts and a MBA.

As a young adult, David parlayed $2,500 into a year-long, around the world adventure, getting a firsthand look at the devastating effects of world poverty and hunger. With a keen interest in third world development, David spent a few years working with The Howie Stillman Foundation in building schools, a library, a kitchen and providing clean drinking water for the village of Enelerai, Kenya. Through Knock, David hopes to further these efforts and continually work towards improving the lives of those in the developing world.

F. Bruce Cohen is the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of United Shockwave Therapies, LLC, a Chicago based company which provides healthcare services throughout the United States. Prior to joining United, Bruce was a lawyer in Chicago focusing his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and securities related issues. Bruce has traveled the world extensively and has made a number of trips to Africa. In 2007, at the suggestion of a friend and working through a non-profit foundation, Bruce raised money, traveled to and built a school in Kenya in his parents’ memory. His prior charitable involvement in Africa and elsewhere caused him to form, with others, Knock Foundation, Inc. Through Knock, Bruce hopes to continue his charitable activities on a more sustained and regular basis. Bruce received a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School, a Masters of Public Administration and Policy degree with an emphasis on economic development from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Political Science and Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Grace was born and raised in Tanzania. She has her Nursing degree and practiced as a nurse for many years. She then worked as an administrator for the Peace Corps in Tanzania and following that, for a well-known international volunteer organization. She is currently working on her own endeavor, Autism Connects Tanzania (autismconnectstanzania.org) in conjunction with EdPowerment Inc. (EdPowerment.org) while serving on the Board of Knock Foundation Tanzania. She is a wealth of knowledge and support and a source of much advice. Grace lives in Tanzania with her husband and four sons.

Edward was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and has his Advanced Diploma in Wildlife Management from the College of African Wildlife Management at Mweka outside Moshi, Tanzania. He is also a co-founder and Managing Director of Pristine Trails (pristinetrails.com), a travel company specializing in safaris and mountain trekking in Tanzania. He has been part of Knock Foundation Tanzania since its official registration in 2009 and has since been serving on the Board in an advisory capacity. He is passionate about giving back to his community and through Knock, he is able to do just that.

Max was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He completed his primary and part of his secondary education in Uganda. When he returned to Tanzania, he completed his secondary education and in 2011, received his Bachelor Degree in Community Economic Development from the Moshi University College of Cooperative and Business Studies. Upon completion of his studies, Max started work with Knock Foundation as the Tanzania Country Manager. He is extremely committed, hard-working and punctual. When not working, Max loves to play pool with his friends.