Expert team

Civitas ID Board of Directors

Colin Walsh

Founder and Chairman

30+ years of leading businesses in the Financial Services industry, and most notably, as founder, board director and former CEO of Varo Bank, one of the world’s largest digital banks focused on financial inclusion and economic opportunity. Colin also serves on the board of MoneyGram, acts as a Senior Advisor to McKinsey and is a Volunteer Advisor to the UNDP. He is deeply committed to making a positive impact through his work as a founder, board director, strategic advisor, and active participant in mission-driven businesses, industry think tanks, and non-profit organizations.

Vera Zakem

Board Director

Vera Zakem is a globally recognized executive leader on democracy, human rights, and responsible and effective deployment and governance of emerging technologies, including AI and digital identity solutions. Vera has worked in Silicon Valley, academia, government, and helped launch global nonprofit organizations. Vera was the first ever Chief Digital Democracy and Rights Officer at USAID, leading on responsible technology, governance, and democracy, in partnership with government, industry, and nonprofit leaders in over 100 countries worldwide. She has served as a member and co-lead on the technology agenda for the Bipartisan Task Force on Democracy. Currently, she is the first woman to serve as the Chief Technology Innovation Officer of California, leading on effective and responsible technology, digital identity, and digital service delivery. She holds an MA from Johns Hopkins University.

Mykola Klymenko

Board Director

Mykola brings a diverse range of experience, including serving as Co-Founder of Wisetack and Varo Money Inc., and as a Technology Advisor in the FinTech space. A dedicated engineering executive and entrepreneur, Kolya is committed to leveraging technology and innovation to drive inclusive economic opportunity and create lasting social impact. Originally from Ukraine, Kolya understands the importance of building solutions to help individuals and families forcibly displaced due to conflict.

Ana Carcani Rold

Board Director

Ana brings two decades of diplomatic experience as the CEO and Founder of The Diplomatic Courier. Throughout her career, she has been committed to amplifying the voices of changemakers and thought leaders across global affairs. Her expertise in international relations, strategic communications, and thought leadership has established her as a respected voice in advancing dialogue and collaboration on critical global issues.

Ademide Adefarasin

Board Director

Ademide contributes deep expertise in strategic design and social impact. As Design Director at IDEO.org, she leads initiatives that blend human-centered design with systems thinking to address complex challenges in governance, financial inclusion, and public service. With a background in international development policy and management, Ademide is committed to empowering displaced communities by restoring access to essential services and fostering inclusive systems change.

Civitas ID Global Advisory Council

Matthias Braeunlich

Advisor

Matthias is an experienced partnership developer, fundraiser, networker, and communications lead with deep expertise in innovative finance. A seasoned professional in international development and humanitarian aid, he has a demonstrated record of success in both headquarters and field operations. Matthias brings a comprehensive understanding of the global development system, with a focus on the Africa and MENA regions.

Ambassador Ashraf Haidari

Advisor

Ashraf is a seasoned diplomat, educator, and thought leader with over 15 years of expertise in international security, foreign policy, and public diplomacy. He is the founder and president of Displaced International (DI), a global organization dedicated to advancing advocacy, policy, and support services for displaced populations worldwide, including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. Ashraf is deeply committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable communities through innovative solutions and sustained advocacy.

Chuck Muckenfuss

Advisor

Chuck brings over fifty years of senior leadership in the financial services industry. A widely recognized expert in financial institutions supervision and regulation, he has been instrumental in shaping critical regulatory frameworks over the course of his career. Chuck is deeply committed to advancing a more transparent, resilient, and equitable financial system through principled governance and strategic insight.

Bob Trojan

Advisor

Bob is a global advisor and transformational leader with an unparalleled network, widely recognized for his expertise in FinTech and RegTech. He has served on United Nations commission working groups and advises emerging nations, leveraging deep industry knowledge and strategic vision to drive high-impact, scalable solutions. Bob is committed to advancing responsible innovation and inclusive growth across global financial ecosystems.

Amit Sharma

Advisor

Amit brings deep experience that intersects financial markets, social enterprise/impact, risk management, international security, and development. He is currently head of digital products at Idemia. Previously, he developed FinClusive Capital, a digital financial services platform serving the financially underserved, leveraging blockchain technology, advanced analytics and global standard-based risk/compliance tools to drive financial inclusion, build economic resilience and protect financial system integrity. Prior to FinClusive, Amit co-founded Empowerment Capital, a strategic advisory and impact investment company assisting early stage commercially scalable social ventures.

Sarah Davies

Advisor

Sarah Davies is an accomplished executive leader with extensive experience in analytics, banking, and the airline industries. Known for her strategic vision and data-driven approach, she has led high-impact initiatives that blend innovation with operational excellence across complex, regulated sectors, including the development of the Vantage Score in the U.S.. Sarah brings a strong commitment to leveraging data and technology to improve systems and create meaningful, scalable solutions.

Aditya Khurjekar

Advisor

Aditya is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategic leader with nearly three decades of experience spanning semiconductors, software, mobile, fintech, and artificial intelligence. He has successfully founded and led two companies through acquisition, and is known for applying scientific thinking to drive creative disruption and scalable innovation. Aditya brings deep expertise in strategic development, global market expansion, and building high-impact partnerships—demonstrating a consistent commitment to solving complex challenges and delivering meaningful, real-world impact

Randeep Sidhu

Advisor

Randeep is a recognized leader in artificial intelligence, with a focus on driving innovation in healthcare, regulated industries, and emerging startups. He is an experienced advisor and public speaker, and formerly served as a director at Babylon Health, where he played a key role in scaling digital healthcare solutions across the UK, Canada, and the United States. Randeep’s work reflects a commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve systems, access, and outcomes at scale.

Andrea Fuller

Advisor

Andrea is a seasoned corporate communications executive with over 15 years of experience leading strategic communications for cutting-edge technology companies. She specializes in translating complex technological breakthroughs into compelling narratives that drive market adoption and stakeholder confidence. As VP Communications at Varo Bank, she positioned breakthrough fintech innovations and AI-powered banking solutions for one of the world’s largest digital banks focused on financial inclusion, developing strategic narratives around serving underbanked and excluded populations. Andrea brings deep expertise in mission-driven technology communications across highly regulated industries and understands the communications challenges of building trust and achieving adoption for innovative solutions serving underrepresented communities. Andrea holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Clinton White

Advisor

Clinton is a distinguished, strategic, mission-driven C-suite executive with more than 25 years of experience scaling global programs, strengthening international partnerships, and driving sustainable impact. Previously, Mr. White served as the Counselor for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and a Senior Foreign Service officer with a proven track record of leading cross-cultural teams, securing multimillion-dollar funding, and advancing human rights, climate, and education initiatives across the Caribbean, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Recognized for organizational transformation, financial stewardship, and commitment to equity and inclusion.

Alex Vogenthaler

Advisor

Alex is an accomplished economist and product leader whose career spans from his early role as an Assistant Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to his recent leadership as General Manager for Payments, Connect, Global, and Consumer at Stripe. With deep expertise in financial systems, technology, and global markets, Alex brings strategic insight and a data-driven approach to innovation and growth.

Laura Meissner

Advisor

Laura brings nearly two decades of expertise in international humanitarian response and development. She has devoted her career to supporting crisis-affected populations, with a particular focus on economic recovery and resilience-building. Laura served for over 15 years at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), holding senior roles including Senior Economic Recovery Advisor in the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and Technical Advisor in the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, where she led critical efforts to design and implement effective, evidence-based interventions in complex emergencies.

Michael Sikorsky

Advisor

Michael is a visionary technology entrepreneur and CEO who co-founded Robots and Pencils in 2008, building it into a leading firm that has created over 250 apps used by 77 million people worldwide while pioneering AI and machine learning integration. Currently serving as CEO of Copia Wealth Studios, Sikorsky brings nearly two decades of experience in operationalizing frontier technologies with a proven track record of helping major brands innovate through strategic technology partnerships.

James Curtis

Advisor

James has a wealth of experience in the humanitarian field, specifically dealing with migrants and displaced persons. James serves as the Executive Director of the Africa East and Great Lakes Region for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). Previously, he was the Regional Director of North Africa based in Tunisia, Regional Director of Ethiopia and Djibouti and Country Director of South Sudan. Prior to joining the DRC, James spent nearly three years in Afghanistan as the Country Director of Welthungerhilfe.