Our Team

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Elisa is a Japanese American with a long-standing interest in global youth empowerment and mental health. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and Poverty Studies from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. During her time at Furman, Elisa studied abroad at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Elisa joined Ashinaga USA full-time in 2017 after completing summer internships with Tokyo Kokorojuku in 2012 and Ashinaga Uganda in 2013. She feels grateful to work for the AAI, a unique mission to impact sub-Saharan Africa that stems from a powerful vision for the world and the generosity of the Japanese people.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Lynne completed her PhD in Ethnomusicology at The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY) with a Certificate in Africana Studies in 2021. Her dissertation research focused on children’s rights and musical activism in Senegal, and was supported by Fulbright-Hays DDRA, the American Association of University Women, and The Graduate Center, CUNY. Lynne also teaches as an adjunct assistant professor of music at Brooklyn College in New York. While researching in Dakar, she first learned of the work of Ashinaga; the connection between education and leadership potential for African youth was especially inspiring. She is passionate about children’s and youth participation in social and economic development, and is excited to be a part of the Ashinaga Africa Initiative.

SENIOR ADVISOR

Dr. Duarte-Silva graduated from the Université de Genève, in Switzerland, and completed graduate degrees at Georgetown University and CUNY-Graduate Center. For over 18 years, she was a faculty member at Princeton University, and Director of the Office of International Programs. She has devoted much of her free time to advocate for access to education for high-achieving low-income students from around the world. She has been advising Ashinaga since 2012, when she supported the first three Ugandan students in their application to U.S. universities, which they attended with full scholarships.

"I believe that talent is distributed equally around the world, and opportunity is not. Our work at Ashinaga is about tapping hidden talent and matching it with opportunity -- there is no more rewarding or joyful work!"