Our Team

Her extensive work with children and families from various backgrounds and settings, especially those coming from underserved communities both in the U.S. and internationally continues to influence her outlook on how to address the compounding challenges children and families face due to inequitable opportunities.

Dr. Negussie offers expertise in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Special Education, Infant Mental Health, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Indigenous Education Systems, International Research, Program Development, and Administration. She has demonstrated knowledge in transformational leadership, statewide program/project oversight, organizational management, teacher training, and assessment/outcome including ECE curriculum and instructional design.  She has provided strategic and operational leadership in the implementation of effective early learning program standards at the state and international levels.

Dr. Negussie holds a B.S., in Child Development, a Minor in Psychology, M.A., in Early Childhood Education, Certificate in Infant Mental Health, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on PK-12 learning environments. Currently, she is the Chair and Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Massachusetts Global. 

Her research and dissertation focused on the development and implementation of a strategic plan for increased middle school mathematics achievement.Before attending Harvard, Dr. Ifekwunigwe taught elementary school for 14 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (twice renewed) and was the co-director of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Project at UCLA for five years. Dr. Ifekwunigwe is an ASCD Faculty Member, has been a scholar at the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and has worked in the United States Senate as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow.

In addition to her doctoral degree, Dr. Ifekwunigwe holds a bachelor’s in human development from the University of California, Riverside; a master’s in education from UCLA; a master’s in administration from Pepperdine University; a master’s in education policy and management from Harvard University; an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT; and an endorsement in Gifted Education from the University of Virginia. Dr. Ifekwunigwe is the 2019-2020 fellow for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

She has been forming active community partnerships to disseminate information, raise awareness about health disparities and support healthy living in communities of color, specifically through addressing social determinants of health. She collaborates closely with a wide group of advocates and health professionals to create community-driven health solutions that are intentional and support community leadership. Ms. Negussie earned her B.A from UCLA and her MPH from Boston University.

She continued her career as an Allocation Analyst with Anna’s Linens, a home décor retail store, responsible for merchandise allocation for across 200+ store locations.    After a few years with Anna’s Linens, Tsehay ventured into becoming an entrepreneur and started a home-based online retail store focused on personalized/promotional gifts and awards. This entrepreneurship opportunity gave Tsehay the flexibility to spend quality time with her two children during their early childhood years. Aside from her career, Tsehay has done several volunteering activities in the Ethiopian Church Community, One Voice LA and LA Regional Food Bank.  Among many current issues we are facing today’s world, Tsehay is most passionate about child hunger and early childhood education.

Currently, she works at JPMorgan Chase as Relationship Banker/Small Business Specialist/Registered Representative. Tsehay holds a B.S., in Business Administration and Management. 

She stayed in practice as an assistant judge at Federal First Instance Court and later was appointed Judge at Civil Court. Fetlework served as a judge for many years at the High Court and currently, she is in private practice and engaged in business ventures. She brings to us a wide range of leadership experiences, knowledge of the legal system, and a level of astuteness valuable to any organization. We are excited to have Fetlework as the board chair of our branch office in Ethiopia and look forward to our work together.

Eyerusalem has extensive experience in mentoring, coaching, and inspiring employees towards achieving goals and providing superior customer service. Eyerusalem often volunteers her time and is involved in promoting schools and students that come from underserved communities throughout Ethiopia. Eyerusalem joins Early Childhood Education Ethiopia as a Board Member who will oversee project acquisition, implementation, and sustainable country-wide presence throughout Ethiopia.

Muluken’s expertise extends beyond conventional engineering roles, as he actively engages in effective liaison with various organizations to ensure seamless collaboration and successful project outcomes. His commitment to excellence and adeptness in navigating the layers of community-oriented projects make him an invaluable asset to our team. Muluken’s multifaceted experience underscores our organization’s dedication to delivering high-quality engineering solutions to early learning programs throughout Ethiopia.

One example is a self-sustaining elementary school in Machakel, Gojjam, which she and her teammates designed as part of the 2019-2020 Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture & EiABC exchange program. Furthermore, Her designs emphasize maximum utilization of space considering the social fabric of the places and accessibility for all. Betelhem demonstrates a keen eye for detail and flexibility, designing her buildings allowing them to adapt to a wide range of changing needs.

Her work spans diverse settings,rural and urban, where she has led initiatives that strengthen social and educational systems, build community capacity, and promote inclusive development.

Asegedech holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Addis Ababa University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. She brings to her work a deep commitment to sustainable education reform and the empowerment of local communities as the cornerstone of lasting change.

Her expertise spans budget development, grant management, and internal controls, with a strong commitment to transparency and accountability in nonprofit finance.

Endeshash holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and continues to apply her technical and leadership skills to advance sound financial stewardship and organizational growth.