Development Advisory Team Bio

Mitch Kochanski

Mitch Kochanski is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Political Science. His areas of professional/academic interest include non-profit strategy, education policy and international development. In his time at Notre Dame he has consulted for non-profits in the US and South America. He is currently writing his thesis in collaboration with the Alliance for Catholic Education, an alternative teacher training program head-quartered at Notre Dame. After graduation he will be joining The Bridgespan Group, a mid-sized non-profit consulting firm. Beyond broader questions of non-profit strategy, Mitch is particularly interested in the design of measurement & evaluation systems, and thinking critically about how to leverage evaluation to improve outcomes.

Stephen Zerfas

Stephen Zerfas is a senior studying economics and interested in political science and philosophy. His academic and professional interests have been shaped by the belief that there is great potential at the intersection of the efficient and accountable strategies of the private sector with the often more noble and substantial aims of the public. To find that sweet spot, Stephen has consulted for foreign and domestic socially focused enterprises involved in education reform, youth development, and fair trade. Stephen has also worked for a Fortune 500 healthcare corporation, presented in China on economic development, and written an article in Spain on entrepreneurial economics. After graduation, he will be joining GE Capital’s Financial Management Program. Stephen is interested in “thinking big and acting small” by emphasizing big-picture strategy and targeted action enhanced by internal evaluation.

Together, Mitch and Stephen have a variety of academic and professional experiences they hope to leverage to identify underappreciated education metrics and how they might best apply to measure and enhance Enseña Chile’s operations. Their professional engagements have led them to appreciate structured thinking because of its ability to direct specific action, and they look forward to zeroing in on the most value-added space they can work in for Tomás and Enseña Chile.