J. Tyler Blickhan
Board Member
Tyler Blickhan is an Associate Director for Ascension Investment Management with experience in social and impact investing. At MPA, Tyler has utilized his professional experience with impact investing and portfolio management while serving on the Partners and Finance Committees, before serving as Board President in 2020. Tyler moved to St. Louis in 2003 to attend Saint Louis University, having grown up in Quincy, IL. Tyler and his wife Jenna have a special interest in utilizing the power of microfinance to help women and their families acquire the tools necessary to improve their health, education, and financial outcomes.
Tim Bubenik
Board Member
Tim Bubenik is an attorney with McMahon Berger, PC, where he specializes in labor and employment law. While he came to the Board simply looking for an opportunity to give back, he has found his time and service extremely rewarding as he has seen the remarkable difference MPA makes in the lives of so many people half a world away.
John DeGregorio
Board Member
John DeGregorio joins the MPA board with a degree from Georgetown University in Economics and Government and a Law degree from Washington University School of Law. John has practiced law at Medco Health Solutions (today, Express Scripts, Inc) as well Kimberly-Clark Corp. where he was responsible for commercial, regulatory and litigation matters in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for brands like Huggies®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Viva®, Scott®, Depends® and Kotex®.
DeGregorio will bring his years of law practice and expertise with some of the largest brands to serve MPA and help our partners grow.
Linda Hall
Board Member
As the Director of the Tiffany & Company – St. Louis store located in Plaza Frontenac, St. Louis’ premier retail shopping mall, Linda has been serving on the board with an interest in the challenges and potential of the beautiful people of Africa and how microfinance can aid their communities. Along with her husband Ed Hall, Linda currently lives in University City.
Fr. Brad Modde
Board Member
Fr. Brad is a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the pastor of St. Simon the Apostle parish. Since being ordained in 1997, he has served at a number of parishes as well as St. Mary’s High School. When he arrived at St. Simon parish, he noticed “the cow project” display, and learned about MPA. After meeting Sr. Toni and learning about how MPA directly changes the lives of people, he accepted her invitation to join the board of directors, connecting with “the Church spread throughout the world.”
Tapiwa Mupereki
Board Member
Meet Tapiwa Mupereki, a pharmacist and public health practitioner with extensive experience working domestically and internationally, including in Africa and Europe. Tapiwa is the Co-Founder and CEO of JewelRide, a healthcare mobility company focused on providing non-emergency medical transportation. Based in Edwardsville, IL, JewelRide operates in Southern Illinois and the greater St Louis, MO metro area with a dedicated staff of 25 employees as of 2023.
In addition to his work with JewelRide, Tapiwa is also the Co-Founder and President of T and R Philanthropies, a 501c3 organization focused on increasing access to education and public health services in disadvantaged communities in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Tapiwa was inspired to join the board of MPA because he admires their approach that prioritizes building sustainability in all their programs. As an African who was born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tapiwa has a deep connection to Africa and a first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by impoverished communities. He believes that Africans have great potential if given access to opportunities.
In his free time, Tapiwa enjoys reading business books, especially biographical ones that talk about ultra-successful entrepreneurs. Tapiwa’s dedication to healthcare and philanthropy, along with his extensive experience in both fields, make him an invaluable member of the MPA board.
Paul Mutuura
Board Member
Paul Mutuura, originally from Kenya, overcame numerous challenges when he moved to St. Louis at the age of 15. He discovered his passion for Marketing and Branding and earned a Marketing degree from the University of St. Louis Missouri. Currently, he holds the position of Director of Marketing and Branding at Bieg Plumbing, where he utilizes his decade of experience in strategy and problem-solving to assist organizations in efficiently achieving their objectives. In addition to his passion for marketing, Paul is committed to creating positive change in mental health and poverty alleviation, constantly seeking opportunities to use his expertise to make a difference. During his free time, he enjoys staying active playing sports like pickleball or volleyball and exploring new destinations.
Christina Anderson Oridota
Board Member
Christina Anderson serves as Vice President, Senior Business Banker for Enterprise Bank & Trust. She has a combined 7 seven years with Enterprise and the 2017 acquisition of Eagle Bank & Trust. In 2018 Enterprise relocated her to Kansas City making her able to serve the business community across the state and Kansas. Her 15 years in banking began in Human Resources – Talent Acquisition for U.S. Bank, transitioned into Project & Product Management for Eagle Bank & Trust and currently Business Development. She holds a BS in Business Marketing from Fontbonne University.
Paul Piechowski
Board Member
Paul is a native of Chicago, IL. After completing his accounting degree from Marquette University and Masters in Finance from De Paul University, he spent the next 45 years in the financial services industry. Paul and his wife Cindy have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. He spends his free time playing golf, traveling, reading, gardening, and being with family. Paul’s reason for working with MPA is his passion to support the idea of eradicating extreme poverty in Africa.
Tika Shah, DMD
Board Member
Mark Schaeffer
Board Member
Recently retired from the marketing communications business, Mark brings to MPA hands-on experience in microfinance as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic where he worked with micro-entrepreneurs receiving loans from a Dominican microfinance bank. Mark later received his Master’s degree in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis where his thesis explored microfinance models in Latin American and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Julie Shearburn
Board Member
Ryan Shortal
Board Member
Ryan Shortal works in the biotech industry as a research scientist at MilliporeSigma. From 2013-2015 he lived in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania serving as a United States Peace Corps volunteer where he taught high school biology at Kwakoko Secondary School. Ryan holds a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri and an MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Arizona where his graduate research focused on water purification and wastewater treatment. He believes that access to clean water is a basic human right, so at MPA he focuses his efforts on the Clean Water Program.
Toni Temporiti, CPPS
Founder & Executive Committee
Antoinette “Toni” Temporiti was born and raised on The Hill in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1975, she joined the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood in O’Fallon.
In 2003, Sr. Toni Temporiti took a sabbatical, camping overland over 8 months from Cairo to Cape Town to Africa. On this trip, Sr. Toni met local women who asked where would they get food for their families; would their children be able to go to school; and what if they or their children got sick?
Upon her return to St. Louis, while eating at a restaurant in Clayton, Sr. Toni realized that for the cost of her lunch, a woman in Africa could get a small loan (microfinancing) to help her business, and have an answer to those questions.
In November 2006, Sr. Toni attended a microcredit summit in Nova Scotia and met Ingrid Munro, founder of Jamii Bora Trust, and Mohammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, both of whom filled her with ideas. With the help of friends and colleagues, Microfinancing Partners in Africa was founded and received 501c3 certification in December 2006.
Shilpa Thornton
Board Member
Shilpa Thornton, MD joins MPA with unique experience as an Ophthalmologist. With a BA/ MD from the University of Missouri- Kansas City and completing her residency at Washington University School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science Residency she has over 20 years in the medical field.
