Our Board of Advisors

Gulzar Akbar

Gulzar is a Development Consultant with over 30 years of experience in social and corporate sectors. He has worked in telecom and computer peripherals R&D during the formative stage of his career. He has expertise in digital extension services, knowledge management, and capacity building. Gulzar earned his Master in Development Management from Asian Institute of Management, Philippines in 2008 and Bachelor of Engineering from University of Mysore, India in 1987. Gulzar has a life philosophy of ‘Learn and Extend’.

Melissa Andrews

Melissa graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor of science in accounting and finance. She is also a Certified Financial Planner with over ten years of experience in finance, including starting her career at Invest Diva Capital, where she was responsible for market research and identifying investment trends and opportunities in global markets. Melissa also enjoys wealth management and financial market analysis and is driven by the idea of helping people in impoverished countries to get the education that all people deserve. Being involved with the Locks of Love charity, raising donations, even donating her hair, and volunteering at Global Gift Foundation are other activities she is passionate about.
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Gary Bettan

Gary Bettan is a veteran within the video equipment industry. He leads two companies: a retail company, VideoGuys.com, and a distribution company, Broadfield Distribution Inc. Gary enjoys creating and growing markets for the video editing, video production, live streaming and digital content creation.

Bob Gustafson

Bob Gustafson is an Associate Professor of Media Arts in Higher Education. After spending 25+ years producing media for not-for-profit organizations and publishing houses, he returned to the classroom to teach creative video production. Gustafson holds a Masters degree (MA) in Digital Storytelling and a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Film and Television Production. He and his wife Jody live in the Chicago area.

Laurie Kaplan

Laurie’s background in communication, training and education make her uniquely suited for her role as Programs & Communications Associate. She works with project partners and other illuminAid staff to assist in implementing new programs, executing Video Education Workshops and procuring the most updated equipment in the industry.
She graduated from National University and Pepperdine University with an MFA and BA in Creative Writing, respectively. Her past experiences include remote education, online technology, hospitality and blogging/editing. In her free time, you can find her listening to audiobooks and podcasts on weird history facts, adopting cats, and trying to learn Turkish.

Victoria Lewis

Victoria Lewis is an Anthropology alumnus of Chico State University and am currently residing in Maastricht, Netherlands pursuing my Masters degree in Globalization and Development. I grew up in California, and since I was a child I’ve had a fascination with the world around me and the unfamiliarity that comes with it. After my studies in Chico, I made my way to Bilbao, Spain to work in primary schools. I’ve always had a niche for education, technology, and understanding how others learn in different cultural contexts. Soon traveling to South America to research and experience how indigenous communities sustain their heritage through community engagement and the facilitation of educational resources.

Hari Thapa

Hari Thapa is a founder of Contemporary Vision, a research based socially aware audiovisual production company in Nepal that works with local and international clients for investigative reports and documentaries.
Hari has been active in the media sector for the last 16 years working on educational and social issues. He has been carrying out programs on documentary film making, audio-visual training and holding discussions on social issues by working together with the local community. He has partnered with many organizations including the United Nations Development Programme, Swiss Development Co-operation (SDC), UNESCO and Save the Children. Hari is also a founder of the Teachers Can Make a Difference campaign which has trained more than 20 thousand teachers and guardians of over 40 districts in Nepal.

Tom Tilson

Tom Tilson has been supporting education in Asia, Africa and Latin America since his Peace Corps experience in the Philippines decades ago, including long-term assignments in Nicaragua, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya.
Currently he works in Kenya where he is Senior Education Advisor to the DFID-funded Kenya Essential Education Program. His special passion has been the application of appropriate technologies to expand access and improve the quality of basic education and teacher training. He was part of the founding team for Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) in Nicaragua in the mid-1970s and has expanded his interest to include video, tablets, mobile phones and computers.
He has had the pleasure of working with Matt York in South Sudan and Kenya. Tom has his BA and MAT degrees from Yale University and Ph.D. in education from Stanford University.

Mike Wilhelm

Mike Wilhelm is Editor-in-Chief of Videomaker based out of Chico, California. He is a 15-year veteran of the media industry, having worked in television advertising, film production and online publishing.
A graduate of California State University, Chico, Mike has produced video assets for hundreds of clients and has worked on countless independent film projects. At Videomaker, Mike strives to make video production more accessible by equipping beginners with the knowledge they need to successfully share their ideas through visual media.
Mike believes that free communication should be a universal right and that in the 21st century, video is an essential tool in the distribution of knowledge.
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Jennifer R. Wilking

Dr. Wilking is the Department Associate Chair and the coordinator of the International Relations Program at California State University, Chico. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Davis in 2010. Dr. Wilking studies and teaches in the field of Comparative Politics, specializing in development and political behavior, with a focus on China. Other interests include research design, local housing issues, and collaborative teaching and learning. With Susan Roll, she was a recipient of a 2020-2021 CSU Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award.

Nate Webb

Nate is a resource mobilization and award management specialist in the International Development sector. Through his work in the field with the United Nations and a recent role at Action Against Hunger in New York City, he has contributed to critical humanitarian responses around the globe. Nate holds a BBA and MAs in International Relations and Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, bringing both analytical and storytelling components to his work.