Misikir Aklilu, economist by training, is a young African leader who has years of experience in teaching, inspiring and counseling young Ethiopian students and graduates to become what God intends them to be (i.e., light and salt in the world). He is happily married to Sara Gelaye, a young Ethiopian entrepreneur, and they now have three boys. Misikir is passionate about workplace ministry and working with the Church to equip, transform and unleash believers into the marketplace as change agents and solution innovators. Misikir earned his BA in economics at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.
The combination of mission and business have always been Jon’s ambition since graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Horticulture and Agricultural Business. Jon’s professional career was established as he worked for a values driven company, Paragon Landscape Inc., learning much about the difficulties of human resource management, sales and operational management in the midst of an economic downturn. Jon and his family moved to Ethiopia in 2013 and have been working in the Agriculture sector while founding and establishing KIBIR Consultants, along with its dynamic international team. Since January 2021, Jon and his family moved back to the US and are currently working with SIM USA as the Missional Business Advocate. Though majorly located in the US, Jon has continued to work with KIBIR as a founder, trainer, blogger and business development consultant. He has recently completed His Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) emphasizing International Entrepreneurship from Cairn University.
An engineer by training, Nebyou has an educational background that reflects his passion for the natural sciences. He has worked in an international telecom company with a multicultural workforce as well as had the opportunity to learn abroad (Sweden), both enabling him to learn from different cultures and appreciate diversity. His passion for technical learning is only superseded by his love for the word of God and its power to transform the individual as well as society. To this end, he is involved with KIBIR as resource translator and an assistant trainer.
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Darci is an American entrepreneur with a desire to see God glorified in the marketplace. She has a BA in International Business from Illinois State University and cofounded a company selling missional business products while she was a university student. She served as an intern with the KIBIR team and became passionate about sharing the stories of what God is doing in the lives of entrepreneurs in Ethiopia and inviting others to be a part of God's big story of redemption. Darci is excited to be a part of starting a USA office to support and expand the work being done in Ethiopia. She lives in Iowa with her husband, Justin, but is grateful for every chance she has to spend time with the team on the ground in the beautiful nation of Ethiopia!
Ryan is an American businessman, passionate about leading cross-cultural teams and utilizing missional business as a vehicle to see the Kingdom grown through hope, opportunity, empowerment, and discipleship. After receiving his B.A. in Economic Consulting and International Business from Indiana University, he embarked on an 11-year career at Amazon.com, with roles ranging from site operations leader to senior launch program manager. His work there provided a wealth of experience in new business development, as well as problem solving unambiguous operational environments. Seeking a way to pair his practical skills and primary passions, he was led to the groundbreaking work being performed by KIBIR Consultants across Ethiopia. Ryan, his wife (Jenny), and their 4 young children, moved to Addis Ababa in September 2022 and invested much of their time in language and culture acquisition, until finally joining the KIBIR team full-time in May of 2023.
Eyoel is a young Ethiopian man passionate about ministry and God’s kingdom. He has a diverse formal training in the fields of health, finance, and leadership – earning diplomas and a bachelor degree. He also has a rich experience in management and administration since he had served as the general manager of Bridge School of English, founded as a missional business. KIBIR has given him a unique opportunity to bring together his training in finance, his passion for the Kingdom of God and his experience in managing a missional business. He is also a techie – familiar with tools of graphic design, and audio and video editing. All of this has come in handy during his stay at KIBIR, allowing him to juggle the roles of administration, trainer, and content developer quite easily. Eyoel is married to Aster Kifle, a young entrepreneur, and they have two young daughters.
Yeabsira is a young woman who practices her faith by making space for others to abide in Christ and work for His glory. She ensures that people have all they need to be their best at trainings, marketing events, and day-to-day operations. This drive to create healthy working environments makes her the best at her role of coordinating training and educational events. She also enjoys using her formal training in marketing (BA) to showcase what her colleagues have achieved, which makes her great at promoting KIBIR’s initiatives. She also has experience in the banking and corporate worlds. Yeabsira volunteers at charity organizations that work with the vulnerable and recently completed a postgraduate degree in counseling psychology at Addis Ababa University. Her heart goes out to KIBIR’s partners who work with these groups. She is married to Misgana Degefa, a young Banker, and they are preparing to welcome their second child. Yeabsira likes to read, cook, clean, and host guests in her home.
Tensae is a God-loving, compassionate young woman who finds joy in serving and helping others. This character of hers is an asset in the KIBIR team making her the person who will do the follow-ups with KIBIR’s target groups and ensure they have long-term relationships with KIBIR. She served at Evangelical Students and Graduates Union of Ethiopia (EvaSUE) and has experience of working in a bank. KIBIR has allowed her to have an impact on people’s lives. Even though she had faced a lot of hardships in the past, with the grace of God she persevered. She enjoys spending time with friends, she loves hiking and long walks.
After getting a BFA in Graphic Design in 2004, Jon has developed his design skills while working for both non-profit and for profit clients. He is an award winning designer and as a Christian it is his passion to design with a purpose. Jon has been pivotal in helping launch and curate the KIBIR brand.
KIBIR Consultants desires to see restoration of the Ethiopian marketplace. As of 2017 TransparencyInternational has Ethiopia’s Corruption Perceptions Index rank at 107 out of 180 countries. We want to set the standard of what Biblically-based business looks like in Ethiopia, influencing the entire nation to move its perceived corruption level into the top 10 least-corrupt markets in the world by 2038.
Facilitate meaningful discussion between leaders of the faith community and marketplace leaders both in their spheres of influence and in the communities in which they work.
Provide biblical training in business, technology, and other trade skills for faith leaders, business leaders, and for young entrepreneurs.
Coordinate networking cohorts with ongoing meetings and peer support. Arrange mentoring relationships between established business leaders and younger entrepreneurs.
Foster multiplication by those who previously were on the receiving side of a mentor relationship, and are now mentoring others.
KINGDOM IMPACT BUSINESSES
& INVESTMENT RESOURCES
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