Richard comes to the BDA Foundation with over twenty years of non-profit management experience in the United States, Canada, and Africa. After growing up in Mali, West Africa, Richard moved to Québec, where he has lived until 2005, when he left to do a PhD in Philanthropic Studies at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Richard has also lead and worked with a wide variety of nonprofit enterprises such as; a computer recycling initiative, Developing Capable Young People Québec, the Centre for International Aide and Social Services which is a non-profit he founded to assist African immigrants in Québec City, and more recently the Lake Family Institute for Faith & Giving. As director of the BDA Foundation, Richard brings with him a strong desire to see the lives of Africans improved, along with team leadership and non-profit management skills to move projects from dreams to reality. Rich is also involved with the H2O Africa Foundation, www.h2oafrica.org, the charitable component of the Running The Sahara expedition and film project. www.runningthesahara.com