Our Team
The Social Progress Imperative is a global nonprofit based in Washington, DC, providing decision-makers and everyday citizens with the very best data on the social and environmental health of their societies and helping them prioritize actions that accelerate social progress. Since it first launched in 2014, the Social Progress Index has been embraced by innovative leaders from London to India to the rainforests of Brazil. They are applying its rigorous framework to navigate today’s social challenges and accelerate efforts to drive equitable, inclusive and thriving societies.
Meet our team! Get to know their expertise and commitment to drive social progress across the world.
London, UK
Michael Green
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Green is Chief Executive Officer of the Social Progress Imperative. An economist by training, he is co-author (with Matthew Bishop) of Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World and The Road from Ruin: A New Capitalism for a Big Society. Previously Michael served as a senior official in the U.K. Government’s Department for International Development, where he managed British aid programs to Russia and Ukraine and headed the communications department. He taught Economics at Warsaw University in Poland in the early 1990s. His TED Talks have been viewed more than four million times, and his 2014 Talk was chosen by the TED organization as one of the ‘most powerful ideas’ of 2014 and by The Telegraph as one of the 10 best ever. In 2016, he was named one of “The 100 Most Connected Men in Britain” by GQ Magazine and one of the NonProfit Times’s “Power & Influence Top 50.” Michael is @shepleygreen on X.
Request a SpeakerWashington DC, US
Luke Greeves
Chief Operating Officer
Luke Greeves has been working at the intersection of innovation and social change for over three decades. In his role as the Chief Operating Officer, he provided day-to-day operational leadership for the Social Progress Imperative's global team and network of partners using social progress data to improve the lives of people in over 50 countries. Before joining the Social Progress Imperative in 2016, Luke led global planning and operations for the American Red Cross, creating new programs and partnerships to provide humanitarian assistance to over 200 million people annually. Earlier in his career with the Red Cross, he led global disaster preparedness and health programs, and led regional efforts in the Caribbean helping communities prepare for disasters and prevent the spread of HIV among youth. Luke holds an MBA in international marketing from American University and a BS in finance and economics from La Salle University.
Michigan, US
Allison Mack
Social Impact Intern
Allison Mack is a sophomore at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in Strategy and an intended minor in Entrepreneurship. Originally from the Bay Area California, she is passionate about leveraging data and insights to expose trends and drive meaningful change. Her experience includes pro-bono consulting for clients in the local Michigan area and managing internal operations for a healthcare-focused nonprofit to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Allison is thrilled to join the Social Progress Imperative team as the new Social Impact intern and looks forward to deepening her understanding of nonprofit operations under the guidance of professional mentors.
New York, US
Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah
US Insights and Partnerships Manager
Emmanuel is a trained interdisciplinary thinker and expert in urban and regional planning, institutional economics, and public policy analysis. He is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights to advance socially just outcomes in communities, especially historically marginalized communities. He has received funding, worked with, and consulted for organizations on equity in health, housing, and food systems in the US and internationally, including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. Emmanuel also has an academic background: he is an Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, has published in some of the world’s leading planning, public policy, and cross-disciplinary journals, and serves on the editorial boards of academic journals.
Ecuador and Costa Rica
Franklin Murillo
Global Insights & Partnership Director
Franklin Murillo is the Global Insights and Partnerships Director at Social Progress Imperative where he facilitates collaboration with regional teams and local networks that translate Social Progress Index data into policy-oriented actions across the world. Previously, he was General Manager of Fundación Gente, a non-profit Costa Rican organization that seeks to strengthen the national education system through public-private partnerships. He also founded Miguía, a social enterprise that provides support to more than 40,000 mothers in Latin America. Franklin holds a BA in Education from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, an MBA and an MA in Project Management from Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología and a Master of Education and International Development from University College London (UCL). He is also recognized as a One Young World Ambassador, a Young Challenger by Grameen Creative Lab, and a Global Thinker.
Texas, US
Gia Gaston
Communications and Marketing Intern
Gia is a senior at Texas A&M University, set to graduate in May of 2025. She is majoring in Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations, and minoring in Journalism. She is a new Communications and Marketing Intern with SPI. Gia is from Houston, Texas and has a passion for content creation, graphic design, and digital marketing. She has worked with companies such as Huntsville TV and Electronic News Services and helped manage their social media platforms with new posts and analyzed their engagement through data analytics, while also handling client relations. Gia is excited to be a part of the Social Progress Imperative Team and is looking forward to creating new experiences and learning under the prestigious SPI team as she continues her professional path.
San Jose, Costa Rica
Jaime Garcia
Regional Director
As the Regional Director of the Social Progress Index for Latin America at INCAE Business School, Jaime Garcia advances subnational social progress indices using innovative methodologies. As a Senior Global Advisor at the Social Progress Imperative, he has led SPI projects since 2014 across 772 Brazilian Amazon municipalities, 15 Colombian cities, 81 Costa Rican municipalities, 32 Costa Rican tourist destinations, 700 Indian districts, 32 Mexican states, and 500 U.S. cities. He has collaborated with companies like Coca-Cola, Cargill, Ecom, and Holcim implementing SPI for businesses. He teaches SPI courses at INCAE Business School, and he has also spoken at international conferences including TEDx Pura Vida, TEDx Intel, TEDx INCAE, and What Works. A recognized expert, he contributes to media outlets such as CNN, Estrategia y Negocios, and Forbes.
Olomouc, Czech Republic
Jaromir Harmacek
Global Research Deputy Director
Jaromir Harmacek is the Global Research Deputy Director at the Social Progress Imperative. He conducts research and analysis primarily at the global level but has also participated in various research initiatives at the subnational level. Jaromir has an academic background; he holds a title of an associate professor at the Department of Development and Environmental Studies, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic. He has two master's degrees and earned his Ph.D., as well as the title of associate professor, in International Economic Relations at the University of Economics in Prague.
Brussels, Belgium
John Lisney
Europe Insights & Partnerships Lead
John Lisney is responsible for managing relations with key partners in Europe, including European institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of Regions), national and subnational governments, and other European stakeholders, including businesses and civil society organizations.
Mexico City, Mexico
Juan Carlos Gonzalez
Global Sr. Methodological Coordinator
Juan Carlos Gonzalez conducts research and analysis for the development of social progress indexes at the subnational level and for social responsibility initiatives of companies and NGO's. Regarding his background, Juan Carlos is an economist with 15 years of experience in the procurement area for the private and public sector in various industries such as telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, vehicle leasing, as well as in the area of monitoring and evaluation of projects and public programs. He has managed teams for the evaluation of programs, the design of procurement strategies, price negotiations and follow-up of contracts. He has designed studies on public finance, budget cycle and transparency for the government and civil society organizations. He has skills for planning, market research, quantitative analysis, budget management, negotiation, design of KPI's, regulatory and public policy analysis.
California, US
Leilani Tapia
Communications and Marketing Intern
Leilani is a Communications and Digital Marketing intern at The Social Progress Imperative. She supports global initiatives by applying her expertise in digital strategy, including Google Analytics and content creation, to enhance the organization’s outreach efforts. Currently studying Mass Communication and Journalism at Arizona State University, Leilani is passionate about using data and storytelling to drive meaningful social change. Her work focuses on amplifying the organization’s mission to advance social progress across diverse communities.
Olomouc, Czech Republic
Mohamed Htitich
Research Associate
Mohamed Htitich holds a Master's degree in applied econometrics from the University of Hassan II in Casablanca and is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in Development and Environmental Studies at Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Valencia, Spain
Petra Krylova
Global Research Director
Petra Krylova has more than 15 years of experience in international development with a particular focus on the construction and use of composite indices for policymaking. In her role as Global Research Director at the Social Progress Imperative she oversees the construction of the Global Social Progress Index and other research endeavours, and supports the development of locally relevant indices in countries around the world. She is also pursuing her doctoral studies at the University of Valencia. Her research focus is centered around social progress, wellbeing indicators and gender.
Mexico City, Mexico
Valeria Horton
Marketing and Communications Associate
Valeria Horton specializes in creating innovative communication strategies that translate data into insights for the diverse stakeholders served by the Social Progress Imperative. She leads global initiatives, social media campaigns, events, and partnerships for the organization. In 2022, Valeria was named the "Operación COP" Youth Climate Ambassador for Mexico by the Climate Reality Project and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As one of the first youth negotiators at the UNFCCC and Mexico's lead negotiator and advisor on Loss and Damage at COP27, SB58, and COP28, she has championed human rights and social progress which have been incorporated in final international agreements on climate change. Valeria participated in the Negotiation and Leadership Program at Harvard Law School and also founded Green Reconnection, partnering with local and international organizations to inspire youth participation in climate action.
David Cruickshank - Chair
Former Global Board Chair, Deloitte
David Cruickshank is the current Chair of the Board for the Social Progress Imperative. David is the former Chairman of Deloitte’s global organization, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, and was elected into this role in June 2015 having served on its Global Board for eight years from 2007. Prior to this, he was Chairman of the Deloitte UK member firm from 2007 – 2015. Prior to becoming the Deloitte UK member firm Chairman in 2007, David led Deloitte’s tax practice in the UK for eight years, during which time he was a member of the UK firm’s Executive Group and a member of the global organization’s tax management group. He is a Chartered Accountant and a graduate in business and economics from the University of Edinburgh. Outside the firm, David is a member of the World Economic Forum Chairman’s group, a council member of the International Integrated Reporting Council, a Board Member of the Social Progress Imperative and, in the UK, he chairs the board or Trustees of the Education and Employers Taskforce and is one of the founder chairman of the 30% Club.
Álvaro Rodríguez Arregui
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, IGNIA Partners, LLC
Álvaro Rodríguez Arregui is co-founder and Managing Partner of IGNIA Partners, LLC, an impact investing fund for Latin America focused on commercial enterprises that serve the base of the pyramid. He is also the Chair of Compartamos Banco, the largest microfinance institution in Latin America. Previously, Álvaro served as Chief Executive Officer of Farmacias Benavides, the largest drugstore chain in Latin America and Chief Financial Officer of Vitro and Grupo Salinas’s retail arm, Elektra. Álvaro was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2005 and was included on the Forbes list of the world’s top 30 social entrepreneurs in 2011.
Brace Young
Partner, Head of USA, Arabesque Asset Management
Brace Young is a partner at Arabesque Asset Management—a global group of financial technology companies offering sustainable investment, advisory, and data services through advanced ESG and AI capabilities—and has extensive experience in both social impact and finance. Prior to joining Arabesque Partners in 2017, Brace served as the Chief Executive Officer at Eclat Impact and before that as a partner and Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Investment group. He has also served as a partner at Goldman Sachs and worked in New York, Tokyo, and London. In addition to his financial career, Brace is also an experienced board leader, and currently chairs the boards of GWAVE, a wave-based renewable energy company, and Social Finance, Inc., a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing investment capital to drive social change.
Francis Ebong
Chief Service Experience Officer, PayPal
Francis Ebong has spent his career focused on business operations and product development, scaling user experiences, marketplaces, and supply chain networks across consumer and enterprise tech. He most recently served as Managing Director at Google X, where he focused on scaling early-stage projects to solve some of the world’s hardest problems. Previously, Francis was Director of Global Operations & Partnerships at Facebook, where he oversaw consumer operations for Emerging Services, a global team responsible for the localization, operation, and engagement of products and businesses. Before joining Facebook, Francis held leadership roles in operations and business development at Apple, focused on semiconductor procurement, and subsequently led operations, partnerships, and go-to-market teams at on-demand logistics marketplace, Postmates. Prior to Apple, Francis worked as a management consultant for both public and private sector clients at Deloitte, where he focused on go-to-market strategy & operations. Francis started his career serving as a Naval Supply Officer, leading teams in global operations, contract negotiations, and supply chain management with local businesses and governments in Japan, East Africa, and Washington, D.C.
José Viñals
Group Chairman, Standard Chartered
José Viñals is the Group Chairman of Standard Chartered. José began his career as an economist and as a member of the faculty at Stanford University, before spending 25 years at the Central Bank of Spain, where he rose to be the Deputy Governor. He has held many other board and advisory positions including Chair of Spain’s Deposit Guarantee Fund, Chair of the International Relations Committee at the European Central Bank, member of the Economic and Financial Committee of the European Union, and Chair of the Working Group on Institutional Investors at the Bank for International Settlements. José joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2009 and stepped down in September 2016 to join Standard Chartered PLC. He was the Financial Counsellor and the Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department and was responsible for the oversight and direction of the IMF’s monetary and financial sector work. He was the IMF’s chief spokesman on financial matters, including global financial stability. During his tenure at the IMF, José was a member of the Plenary and Steering Committee of the Financial Stability Board, playing a key role in the reform of international financial regulation.
Marcia K. Thompson
Chair, Department of Criminal Justice & Assistant Professor, Aurora University
Marcia K. Thompson is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Aurora University in Illinois, USA. Prior to this she was a global human resources executive at Amazon and served as the director of community innovation. An attorney by training, she has more than 20 years of experience of working in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the corporate, academic and public sector. Marcia began her career working for the US Department of Justice (DoJ), where she realized her passion for DEI. During her tenure she worked in policy review, consensus building, mediation, and civil rights protections in the workplace and became a volunteer EEO counselor. She created a diversity recruitment initiative at the DoJ within her agency to assist with creating access to and diversifying one of the core positions; the award winning program changed the way recruitment was conducted. During the course of her career as a leader in DEI, Marcia has advised organizations, leaders, corporations, state and federal government agencies. She has held roles that include chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and general counsel. She has developed customized training and curriculum on DEI topics, taught for years as a social justice professor and often served as a curriculum reviewer for other entities to minimize unintended bias, or civil rights concerns on how those materials were presented. Marcia works nationally on social justice, equity, reform, and community engagement in some of the nation’s largest cities seeking assistance with police reviews, assessments, reform and community trust building. She began her career in law enforcement, as an intelligence analyst for the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Matthew Bishop
Visiting Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author, "Philanthrocapitalism"
Matthew Bishop is currently a visiting senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is a founding board member of the Social Progress Imperative, an economist and co-author of Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World and The Road from Ruin: A New Capitalism for the Big Society. Matthew previously held the role of managing director of the Bellagio and Fellows program at The Rockefeller Foundation. He spent 27 years as a writer and editor at The Economist, most recently in the role of business editor and New York bureau chief. Before joining The Economist, he was on the faculty of the London Business School, where he co-authored three books for Oxford University Press. Matthew helped to launch the #GivingTuesday campaign, and was a member of the G8 Taskforce on Social Impact Investing and chaired the World Economic Forum’s Council on Philanthropy and Social Innovation. He is a graduate of Oxford University.
Nick Viney
Chief Executive Officer, Global App Testing
Nick Viney is a dynamic three-time CEO and senior executive comfortable operating in different environments: private equity-backed or publicly traded; start-ups / mid-market or larger established enterprises; and in the commercial sector or with not-for-profit / B Corp organisations. He has over 25 years of international experience in the Software, Payments, Cyber Security and Technology, Media & Telecommunications industries. He has consistently driven long-term sustainable growth (including from complex turnaround situations) and strong returns both organically and from M&A transactions.Over this time, he has also fulfilled multiple Board of Director roles and Advisory Board positions as well as performing as a business advisor delivering consulting engagements. He has always been active in the marketplace and contributes regularly to both industry panels and leading research associations. He hold the values of openness and inclusivity, playing to win and always putting the customer first. After 15 years of international travel and living abroad, he now lives with his family near London and his main interests outside of work are coaching rugby, watching netball and playing padel.
Oki Matsumoto
Chairman and CEO, Monex Group
Oki Matsumoto is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Monex Group, a major online financial institution that operates retail online brokerages in Japan, US, China (including Hong Kong), and Australia. With the acquisition of Coincheck in April 2018, crypto-assets became one of the core pillars of the business and Monex became home to one of the largest crypto exchanges in Japan. Oki began his career at Salomon Brothers before joining Goldman Sachs where at 30yrs old, he became the youngest person to make general partner. He took charge of trading, risk management, capital markets businesses in Asia, and also founded the special situations unit at Goldman Sachs. In 1999, he founded Monex which was jointly capitalized with Sony. The group has about 1100 employees worldwide with over half of its staffs located in the United States and Costa Rica. Oki has served as financial counsel to the Prime Minister of Japan and as outside directors of several companies including the Tokyo Stock Exchange from June 2008 to 2013. He presently is an outside director of MasterCard and a Vice Chair of Human Rights Watch.
Sally Osberg - Vice Chair
Senior Advisor to Jeff Skoll and the Jeff Skoll Group
Sally Osberg is the Vice Chair of the Social Progress Imperative Board. Sally is a Senior Advisor to Jeff Skoll and the Jeff Skoll Group. She was formerly the President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation, which aims to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems. She serves on the boards of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, the Oracle Education Foundation and the Palestine-based Partners for Sustainable Development, and the advisory council of The Elders. She received the John Gardner Leadership Award from the American Leadership Forum, was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, and was named by the San Jose Mercury News as one of the “Millennium 100” for her role in shaping and leading Silicon Valley.
Brizio Biondi-Morra - Founding Chair Emeritus
Chair Emeritus, INCAE Business School and former President, Avina Foundation
Brizio Biondi-Morra is the founding Chair Emeritus of the Social Progress Imperative, he served on the board until December 2020. Brizio is the former President and Chair of Fundación Avina, and former Chair of Avina Americas, the sister organization of Fundación Avina in the United States. He continues to be a board member of both organizations, which work in partnership with civil society and business leaders toward sustainable development in Latin America and the world. Brizio is also the Chair Emeritus of INCAE Business School, the leading business school in Latin America, where he served as Chair (1999-2012) and Dean (1991-1999). He also served as Chair of Fundes International, a foundation promoting small and medium enterprise development in Latin America, from 2000 to 2010. He holds a doctorate degree in Business Administration from Harvard University, and a doctorate degree in Economics from Bocconi University, Italy.
Michael E. Porter
Harvard Business School Bishop William Laurence University Professor Emeritus and Social Progress Imperative Advisory Board Chair Emeritus
Michael Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. Throughout his career at Harvard Business School, he has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment, and health care. His extensive research is widely recognized in governments, corporations, NGOs, and academic circles around the globe. His research has received numerous awards, and he is the most cited scholar today in economics and business. While Michael Porter is, at the core, a scholar, his work has also achieved remarkable acceptance by practitioners across multiple fields.
Scott Stern
David Sarnoff Professor of Management, MIT Sloane School of Management
Scott Stern is the David Sarnoff Professor of Management and Chair of the Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management Group at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He works widely with both companies and governments in understanding the drivers and consequences of innovation and entrepreneurship, and the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in competitiveness and regional economic performance. Dr. Stern is the director of the Innovation Policy Group at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He holds a B.A. in economics from New York University and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University. In 2005, Dr. Stern was awarded the inaugural Kauffman Prize Medal for Distinguished Research in Entrepreneurship.