The leadership approaches its work with professionalism, broad-spectrum skill sets and a tenacious work ethic. Their grassroots knowledge coupled with their deep business background and willingness "to get their hands dirty" is hard to come by."

Neil Blumenthal,
Director of Programs,
Scojo Foundation

One of the unique and most important parts of the services we provide and the experience you will have involve working with our staff of development professionals in the field. Through their individual experiences working in Guatemala, they each bring a deep understanding of the language, the landscape and the various cultures throughout the country. But what really makes them excellent guides are the personal relationships they have made with locals and the successes and failures that they have each experienced in their work in rural development.

Senior Leadership

Greg Van Kirk – Co Founder

Greg began working in rural economic development as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2001 and created five tourism focused businesses (a restaurant, Spanish language school, guiding service, internet café and artisan store) before co-founding The New Development Solutions Group in 2003.   Previous to beginning a career in economic development Greg managed a language school in Kitakyushu, Japan and worked in investment banking for five years at a boutique firm in San Francisco and with UBS in New York. Greg closed structured finance deals for clients such as Boeing, Cisco Systems, Verizon and Irish Telecom totaling over $3.5 billion and led two transactions that were awarded "Deal of the Year" by "International Structured Finance" magazine. Greg graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Miami University in 1991.

"When I left investment banking and came to Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer almost six years ago I never would have imagined that I would have the opportunity to work with such amazing people to create opportunities for others to improve their lives and those of their families and communities. But when I think about it, there is just nothing I would rather be doing with my life and nowhere else I would rather be doing it. Culturally, historically, geographically...you name it....Guatemala is just such an incredibly diverse and compelling place to be. But most importantly, the Guatemalan people are inspiring to work with. Friendships come easy and generosity is abundant. Development work can be very challenging on the best of days, but having the opportunity to work and lead in a field that creates long-term value for people makes every second worth it. Our goal is that you, as a Social Entrepreneur Corps volunteer, can share this life changing experience with us"

George Bucky Glickley - Founder

George ("Bucky") began his work in rural economic development as a Small Business Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Peten, Guatemala before co founding the New Development Solutions Group in 2003. While in the Peace Corps he developed models for and provided business training to the association Bio-Itza, a group of 70 Maya Itza families in Peten, Guatemala. While working with Bio-Itza he helped to create/manage a spanish school, a carpentry group, a medicinal plants group as well as 36km jungle reserve in the Mayan Biosphere. Before joining the Peace Corps he worked as a market analyst/ product designer for Advise4Stock, an Internet based company designed to provide entrepreneurs and businesses in "start up" phase with tools/consulting to create successful businesses. Bucky graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2000 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Economics and Small Business Management/ Entrepreneurship.

"I first came to Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2001 wanting desperately to expand my horizons and to be a part of a positive change. I had just graduated from college and was really looking for something different to do with myself but wasn't sure how much success I would have living outside of my element. Flash forward six years and now I have a hard time finding where Gringo Bucky starts and Guatemalan Bucky stops. In my time in Guatemala I have smiled, I have cried, I have laughed and have been laughed at, but I have never had to do any of it alone. I have made friendships with people that I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to interacted with in the States and they have helped me to become a better person because of it. Development work is the perfect combination of opportunity, hard work, adventure, culture, language and personal relationships. Everyday brings a new challenge meaning everyday you have to get more creative."

"As a Kenyan national, I thought I had witnessed enough organizations in my home country to know what effective development work was all about. Therefore, I took the journey to Guatemala anticipating to be part of just another development organization. Instead, I found a family. A family whose passion for their work is truly what constitutes effective development. It is the genuine hearts of all those individuals that continues to drive the organization. The success of the Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership is depicted in the ability of its staff to give hope to so many men and women. For example, watching Guatemalan women working with the organization make their very first journey for a conference to a city only a few hours away from their own homes. Or watching what would have appeared like a 'miracle' to local Guatemalans when given access to a simple pair of eyeglasses. The organization endeavored to give responsibility and support to local Guatemalans to carry out the work needed to revive their own communities. This kind of empowerment is what gives people real hope. Hope that liberates and enables both men and women to stand on their own two feet with the opportunity of a brighter future. It is the sincerity of genuine hearts that has made and will continue to make Social Entrepreneur Corps and Community Enterprise Solutions the success that they are. Looking back on the experience now, I can truly say that I could not take in enough of the country's beauty, but most of all; I fell in love with the people I met there."

Elsie M., Student,
Tufts University,
2006 Participant

Select Team Leaders

Ruairi Nolan
Team Leader
"During my time in Guatemala I have been able to carry out programs that have impacted hugely on the lives of individuals and communities. It is a great honor to take part in this, and to see on a daily basis what all of our efforts have achieved. But what is even more exciting is constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to fulfill the great needs that exist in this beautiful but tragic country."

Conor Tomas Powell
Team Leader
"I had been to latin america many times before but I never expected that working here in Guatemala would have yielded the fruits that it has.  The work that we do here has been harvested by ideas that are, by nature and experience, derived directly from Guatemalan needs.  This is a completely organic organization and has taught me to listen and react to the complexities of this diverse and economically deprived culture.  The best thing about this work is that its taught me to get to the root of rural Guatemalan necessity and to a point where we can truly add value here."

Richard Leo Sawyer
Team Leader
"Development isn´t the easiest field to break into and small business is a particularly competitive area. It´s the classical conundrum of not being able to obtain a job without experience, and not being able to obtain experience without a job. Volunteering with CES gave me the opportunity to obtain first-hand experience without the need to acquire highbrow references or the hassle of a lengthy application process. It´s a great way to strengthen you resume and improve you professional skills."

Andrew Hass
Team Leader
"You'll be hard-pressed to find a country as richly diverse as Guatemala, a place where about 30 languages characterize different, unique micro-regions. The wardrobe, the language, and the customs may change, but the warmth of the Guatemalan people is universal. Built into our model is a belief that, despite these idiosyncrasies throughout the country, the (often-untapped) potential of all Guatemalans is the same. Having read about and having experienced other development projects, I think this belief is something that sets us apart. We rely upon Guatemalans' own desires and needs for self-betterment, and it has paid off tremendously." 

Arathi Ravichandran
Team Leader
"Guatemala is a fascinating country, alive and thriving in its cultural, geographic, and economic diversity. CE Solutions has done an incredible job of working within these constructs to create a viable model which efficiently and effectively addresses real problems of economic and health inequities which plague thousands of Guatemalans today.   Working alongside such a talented group of foreign and local professionals has been personally, culturally, and professionally enriching on the deepest of levels.   I am finally equipped with a concrete understanding of ways in which to attack seemingly insurmountable problems both here in Guatemala as well as on a global scale."

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