Founder, Director U.S. Operations

A former investment banker in emerging markets, Barry traveled to Timbuktu, Mali and attended the Festival au Desert in January 2010. While there he had a chance encounter with a village of Tuareg and returned home to California with the idea of rebuilding the village’s educational infrastructure. By the end of 2010, he had organized Caravan to Class as a 501c3, partnered with a local non-governmental organization to administer the project, raised funds, and started construction on Caravan to Class’ first school in the village of Tedeini.

Program Oversight, Bourse Jackie, Bamako

Doussouba has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Université de Sherbrooke and a master's in International Studies from the University of Montreal. After many years of working abroad, she returned to Mali to be closer to family and contribute to the development of her country. She worked for Accountability Lab Mali as the head of Monitoring and Evaluation, and is currently the Global Program Officer at Accountability Lab based in Washington, DC. Doussouba joined our Board of Directors in 2022.

Program Director, Bourse Jackie Bamako

Fatoumata has a Master's in Market Communication and Journalism. She is also trained in negotiation and mediation and has had an impactful career as a social entrepreneur, launching and consulting on many projects and initiatives focusing on women and girls. In 2019, she was chosen as a Laureate of Women of Ambition, Mali. She has won numerous other awards during her career and recently spent a number of months in the United States as a Mandela Washington Fellow.

Assistant Program Director, Bourse Jackie, Timbuktu

Sira was born and raised in Timbuktu. She holds a degree in Logistics and Transport Management from the Institut Supérieur des Techniques Economiques Comptables et Commerciales in Bamako. She worked as a purchasing logistician in an agricultural company that delivered 1 million agricultural producers in Mali with the aim of reducing poverty in Mali. Her journey began in 2016 when she participated in a leadership program in the United States representing the city of Timbuktu. In 2018, Sira was in the first Bourse Jackie scholarship cohort.

Founder and Director, Nord et Developpement, Timbuktu

Hamadou Toure is a Malian national from the Timbuktu Region. He has a university degree in Engineering and Applied Sciences and founded the NGO Nord et Developpement (Nor Dev) in 2010 after a fifteen year career with a number of large NGOs in Mali. Caravan to Class is Nor Dev’s first partner NGO.

Supervisor of Education Programs, Nord et Developpement, Timbuktu

A native of Timbuktu, Aboulaye holds a master's degree in French from the University Mohamed Khider Biskra in Algeria. He has worked on a number of social service projects including an emergency rehabilitation project funded by OXFAM. Abdoulaye has also worked in the area of micro-credit for women in Northern Mali.

Partner, Empyrean Capital

Chief Operating Officer, Upward Women

CEO, Thrive Acquisition

Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, Accountability Lab Mali

Distinguished Professor, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service

Former Ambassador to Netherlands

Executive Coach and Advisor