Our Team
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Sarah Teachout, Project Manager
Sarah was born in Seoul, South Korea, adopted at the age of 4 months and raised in Mason, MI. She attended North Park University in Chicago where she got her BA in Psychology. Sarah has interned for World Vision and hopes to pursue an MA in International Development. Her volunteer work includes various international organizations in Mexico, Lesotho, and Jamaica.
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Brady Josephson, Director of Resource Development and Investor Relations
Brady was born and raised in Western Canada but now calls Chicago his home after spending the last four years there. He recently received a Masters of Nonprofit Administration with a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the North Park University School of Business and Nonprofit Management. As an undergraduate he was named Senior of the Year and Sportsman of the Year while playing baseball and volunteering as a tutor, treasurer, and member of the student athletic committee. He has been a Research Associate Intern at Opportunity International, led a Habitat for Humanity trip to New Orleans, and has also volunteered in Jamaica.
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Richard Johnson, Executive Director
Richard Johnson is co-founder of Spark Ventures and has served on the board since its inception. He was born and spent his early childhood in Okinawa, Japan with missionary parents, prior to moving to northern Illinois. Rich attended Trinity International University and Divinity School receiving a BA in Communication and an MA in Faith & Culture. He has served on various church staffs, worked as a marketing/communications manager and consultant, and has spent the last five years at North Park University as an administrator. Rich has been involved with various charities including Breakthrough Urban Ministries, Chicago and FFHM working with orphans in Mexico.
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Scott Barbeau, Board Member
Scott Barbeau is co-founder of Spark Ventures and has served on the board since its inception. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. He spent the first 15 years of his professional career working at Lucent Technologies, Parson Group, and Hyperion Solutions in sales and management roles. He has been actively involved with Mercy Home, Chicago for Boys & Girls, FFHM Orphanage, and Songs of Love Foundation. He is currently employed as a professional musician.
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Daniel Marcus, Board Member
Daniel Marcus is co-founder of Spark Ventures and has served on the board since its inception. He was born in Santiago, Chile and immigrated to the United States at the age of 8 years old with his parents and two brothers. Dan attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he received a BA in Economics. He has worked in finance most of his career. He worked at Bear Stearns and currently is an Investment Advisor at Marcus Capital, LLC. Over the past years Dan has been involved with various charities including 10 years as a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago and two years at The Night Ministry, an organization working to serve homeless and runaway youth.
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Princess Kasune Zulu, Board Member
Princess (her given name) Zulu was born and raised in Zambia, where by the age of 15, she had lost both of her parents to AIDS. She was left to care for her three younger siblings, and she herself tested positive for HIV in 1997. Princess moved to the United States in 2005 to work with organizations promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. She often travels back to Zambia to help with humanitarian efforts in her home country. Princess currently lives with her two daughters in Seattle, Washington where she serves as a national spokesperson and speaker for World Vision on the global AIDS pandemic.
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From Africa to Chicago
How Spark Started
Meet the Kids
Make a Contribution
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