Spark Ventures

Richard Johnson

Board of Directors President and 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 Japan and California, prior to moving to northern Illinois. Rich attended Trinity International University and Divinity School in Deerfield, IL, receiving a BA in Communication and an MA in Faith & Culture. He has worked as a marketing/communications manager and consultant, a program director for several churches, and has spent the last seven years on the staff of North Park University. Rich has been involved with various charities including Kids Club and Breakthrough Urban Ministries in Chicago, and FFHM working with orphans in Mexico.

Brady Josephson

Director of Resource Development

Brady was born and raised in Western Canada but now calls Chicago his home after spending the last four years there. He 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.

Joann Chen

Program Director

Joann was born and raised in Plano, TX. She attended the University of Chicago where she received a BA in Economics with a minor in African Studies. As an undergraduate, Joann was an intern at the South African Consulate General in Chicago and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. After graduating she worked as an analyst for The Cambridge Group, a growth strategy consulting firm. Joann has volunteered internationally in Togo, and she currently volunteers as an advocate for children with Court Appointed Special Advocates of Cook County and as a consultant with Pivot Nonprofit Consulting.

Sarah Teachout

Project Manager

Sarah was born in Seoul, South Korea, adopted at 4 months old and raised in Mason, MI. She attended North Park University in Chicago where she received her BA in psychology. Sarah has interned for World Vision and hopes to pursue an MA in International Development. Her volunteer work includes various organizations in Mexico, Lesotho and Jamaica.

Scott Barbeau

Board of Directors Treasurer, VP/CFO

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 BA 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 for Boys & Girls, FFHM Orphanage, and Songs of Love Foundation. He is currently employed as a professional musician.

Dave Hryszczuk

Accounting Manager

Dave was born and raised in Rockford, IL. He received a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and currently works as a computer consultant. In 2006 he went through an alternative certification program called Chicago Teaching Fellows and earned a degree in Elementary Education from National Louis University and spent 3 years teaching 6-7th grade math and literacy in two different Chicago Public Schools. He met Rich and Scott in 2002 on a trip to FFHM Orphanage in Mexico. He has also tutored at Kids Klubs in Cabrini Green.

Sonya Ringer

Non-Profit Management Intern

Sonya is from Berkeley, CA. She came to Chicago three years ago to attend the University of Chicago, where she is currently working toward a degree in Fundamentals: Issues and Texts. She spends most of her free time rowing for the University of Chicago crew team, of which she is a varsity rower and the current president. She joined Spark this summer to explore non-profit management.

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