OUR TEAM

Our team comprises a diverse set of accomplished young professionals who dedicate themselves to the GEA Project’s mission of bringing economic literacy to young students worldwide while continuing to grow their careers in selective professional fields.

All GEA Project team members volunteer their time and resources motivated by a desire to leverage their skills to help underserved talented students build a successful future.

Federico Mele

Co-Founder & CEO

Federico founded the GEA Project to pursue his dream to empower students and young professionals with the vision and skills necessary to positively impact their communities. Federico worked in strategy consulting and private equity in New York, is a Fellow at the Jacobs Foundation in Zurich, and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he won the Jacobs Impact Entrepreneur Awards in both 2019 and 2020.

Howard Wei

Co-Founder

Howard founded the GEA Project to provide opportunities for students to understand the impact of economics on the world and empower them to become better thinkers and influencers for their local community and beyond. He currently works in strategy consulting in New York and received his Bachelor from Boston University.

Aadil Chitalwala

Head of Global Partnerships

Aadil has been involved since the initiation of the GEA Project. His extensive coaching and leadership experience in India and US supports his role of developing key relationships globally. Aadil is currently a finance professional working in Mumbai and graduated with a Bachelor in Finance and Economics from Boston University.

Kurtis Chen

Chief Operating Officer

Kurtis currently serves as the GEA Project’s Chief Operating Officer, after heading efforts in the New York City chapter. He was a Captain in Nairobi in 2019 and 2018 and a GEA Leader in Faridabad in 2017. Kurtis is a private equity professional based in Los Angeles. He's originally from Los Angeles where he received his Bachelor in Business Economics from UCLA.

Matthew Almeida

NYC Chapter Head

Matt is a New York based management consultant, focusing on finance and accounting operations. He joined the 2017 GEA workshop in Bangkok and currently leads the GEA Project’s New York Chapter. In 2019 Matt led a workshop in Nairobi, in 2018 in Faridabad, and in 2017 in Bangkok. He is a Classical Studies and Economics graduate of Vanderbilt University.

Albert Codorniu

London Chapter Co-Head

Albert is a London-based venture capital and strategy professional focusing on financial technology and mergers & acquisitions. Albert led GEA Workshops in Kupang in 2019 and 2018 as GEA Leader and Captain, and currently serves as London Chapter Co-Head. Albert is originally from Barcelona, Spain, and an Economics and Finance graduate from Boston University.

Thomas Barker

London Chapter Co-Head

Tom is a strategy consultant based in London specialized in mergers & acquisitions and growth strategy. Tom has led GEA Workshops in Kupang in 2019 and 2018 and currently serves as London Chapter Co-Head. Tom is a First Class Honors graduate in Physics from Imperial College in London.

Nak Suthrapreda

Thailand Local Champion

Nak has led the GEA Project’s Thailand operations since 2016, developing partnerships with key schools in Bangkok. He hopes to leverage the GEA Project’s progressive curriculum to enrich the lives of Thai students nationwide. Nak is an economics graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and a current Master’s student at Brown University.

Beja Kitondo

Kenya Local Champion

Beja is a Chicago-based management consultant and Kenya country Champion for the GEA Project. In this capacity, Beja leads the partnership with the Starehe school in Nairobi. Beja holds a Bachelor in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Valeria Giachetti

Botswana Local Champion

Valeria is a Business Analyst with significant international experience, having worked and studied in Botswana, Italy, US, UK, and Ireland. A native Italian, Valeria was raised in Gaborone and completed her education at Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration.

Sharjil Hannan

Bangladesh Local Champion

Sharjil is a Singapore-based finance professional. A native of Bangladesh, Sharjil served as GEA Leader in Chittagong in 2017 and co-leads the country’s expansion efforts. Sharjil has extensive international experience and holds a Master in Management from HEC Paris and a Bachelor in International Relations from Boston University.

Na Snidvongs

Marketing Manager

Na joined GEA Project back in 2016. She currently leads the organization’s marketing efforts and collaborates to the successful execution of the GEA Project workshops in Bangkok. Na holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design.