Inaugural Poverty Action Conference 2009

Vikram Bakhru is the Founder and Executive Director of FIMRC (Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children). After completing the Seven-Year Integrated BA/MD program from The George Washington University School of Medicine, he pursued a surgical residency in Philadelphia, PA at Hahnemann University Hospital. Vik is currently pursuing an MBA at The Wharton School and is expected to complete his degree in May 2009. Upon graduation, Vik anticipates moving to Boston with Boxer, a very moody cat.

Kate Druschel, as the Regional Director for Southeast and East Asia, oversees Grameen Foundation's work in China, East Timor, and the Philippines. Prior to this, Kate worked with the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland, serving as Associate Director of the Enterprise Development Group. While there, she developed an analytical framework for assessing how and when to implement regulatory reform for microfinance and consulted with country governments on their legal frameworks affecting microfinance and commercial investment in microfinance.

Jason Taylor works at the USAID Office of Food for Peace managing humanitarian food aid programs in central and southern Africa. He has also worked with the Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. Previously, Jason served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize. He holds a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Brandeis University and an M.A. in Development Economics and Human Security from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.