About Us
B Global by Design is a nonprofit created to fill a critical gap in global funding for creative economies, particularly in developing and underrepresented regions. We believe that creatives are catalysts for economic growth, social cohesion, resilience, and cultural renewal. Through our work, we empower designers, artists, musicians, and innovators to thrive, while fostering global connections and opportunities.
Our Members
B Global by Design seeks to become one of the largest global convenors of public, private, nonprofit, financial, and educational institutions and individual practitioners. Our platform (a multimedia B Global Café) will bring together research, news, best practices, lessons learned, and changemaker stories on creative economies and industries. Our members will provide peer-to-peer mentoring, trainings, and other services, on demand and through donor-funded projects, to tangibly support those in underrepresented markets, and to create business-to-business/ culture-to-culture linkages. Members come from fields including human-centered design/innovation, branding, marketing, advertising, film, music, art galleries, universities, impact investing, small town to large city governments, and more.
Our Network
We are building a network of artists, designers, musicians, small artisan manufacturers, fashion designers, human-centered design specialists, animation, Ux/Ix, interior design, event planning, and more to showcase their work on our multi-media platform B Global Café (forthcoming in 2025). We will support exchanges, collaborations, trade linkages, workforce development, and more through our network.
With our Members and Network, we can host competitions for innovation, new branding, re-designs, and more. We’ll be hosting workshops, conferences, podcasts, and other interactive events to build a globally connected creative community.
Staff
Kristin Lobron
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Kristin Lobron is the founder and executive director of B Global by Design, focused on building creative economies and local development through international market exposure. She founded B Global by Design driven by her passion for making international development programs more impactful by a) creating a broad base of members from around the global to encourage collaboration instead of contract-to-contract management; b) the realization of how critical branding, marketing, design, art and other creative fields are to catalyzing local economies; c) a strong belief in peer-to-peer mentoring/ volunteer exchanges to promote best practices and cross-cultural connections; and d) the desire to collate art from under-represented areas of the world to show an accurate, modern view of what resilience and thriving look like, told through artists and designers. She has 25+ years background in international development and private sector growth, she designed and led multi-million-dollar contracts projects as a USAID economic growth officer and served as chief of party for USAID/Afghanistan’s trade show activity. She holds a master’s degree from UCLA in African Studies and Urban Planning, and a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. As the Founder of B Global By Design, she is passionate about empowering creatives to transform local and global development.
Annie Gallant
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Annie Gallant is a Project Management Professional specialized in supporting the business operations of startups and small businesses and projects, including the development and management of work plans, compliance paperwork, ISO certification, and audits. Annie served as the project specialist on the USAID/Afghanistan Trade Show Support activity. Annie has a master’s degree in business from Ithaca College and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from John Carroll University.
Evelyn Kretzer
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Evelyn Kretzer is a storyteller with a passion for creative writing, brand voice development, and social media management. With experience gained through internships, she excels in transforming information into engaging content for various audiences, while maintaining brand strategy. She has managed social media accounts for nonprofits, businesses, and her own jewelry brand. Evelyn also values critical and creative thinking, which she applies to solving challenges and developing strategies. She is a School of The New York Times alum, where she studied digital technology and innovation. She has a Bachelor’s degree in strategic communication with minors in business, Spanish, and professional writing.
Board of Directors
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Desi Dzhurkova is a senior executive manager with over 20 years of experience in development programs globally. She holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences. Desi has led startups, managed stakeholder relations, and overseen capacity building programs for civil society organizations. She has expertise in fundraising, program development, budgeting, financial and administrative management, human resources and event management. Over the past decade, Desi has supported women-owned businesses and nonprofits and operated a franchisee business in the USA. During her prior professional career, she has worked on various USAID-funded programs such as the Trade Show Support activity, the Initiative to Promote Afghan Civil Society, the Afghan Civic Engagement Program, the Bulgaria Community and Social Enterprises Program amongst others. She also worked for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency International Counter-Proliferation Program and Proliferation Security Initiative. Desi has served as an executive staff member at organizations such as ECPAT International, a global network dedicated to combating the commercial sexual exploitation of children, and the American University of Afghanistan, where she played a key role in establishing the institution from inception to fruition.
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Loren Stoddard is a seasoned USAID Foreign Service Officer with over 20 years of experience in delivering superior results through collaborative partnerships across corporate, government, and municipal sectors. As a Senior Advisor for Power Africa at USAID, he has guided a team of 60 in program planning and power investments, managing a $500M budget over 5+ years. Stoddard's expertise spans large-scale energy deals, program turnarounds, and strategic partnerships in challenging global environments. His accomplishments include closing 20 energy deals totaling over $1 billion in leveraged funds, facilitating a $400M public-private partnership for renewable energy in African health facilities, and coordinating an $8B G7 clean energy initiative in South Africa. With a Master's in International Management from Thunderbird and an MBA from Arizona State University, Stoddard has consistently demonstrated his ability to navigate complex international landscapes, earning recognition such as the US Embassy Superior Honor Award in Afghanistan and multiple USAID Meritorious Honor Awards
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Rebekah Stutzman is the Associate Director of Institutional Philanthropy at Digital Green. Since joining Digital Green in 2017 as a team of one to lead development of all grant applications and donor communications, she has expanded her role to manage a small team that has doubled the non-profit’s number of donors and annual funding in five years. Prior to joining Digital Green, she worked with Kristin as a managing partner for Collaborative Development Network, a small business they co-founded to assist non-profits and small businesses to secure USAID funding for international development work across multiple sectors and geographies. Her international development career began at USAID supporting missions in Central America and the Caribbean with strategic planning, congressional reporting, and developing projects to address trafficking in persons. Her previous board experience includes steering committee chair and finance officer for Asylum Seekers Housing Network in Baltimore and treasurer for Baltimore Children’s Choir. Her interest in international development grew from early experiences with her family living in Ecuador and Costa Rica. Rebekah has a BA in journalism from Goshen College and Masters in Public Policy from University of Michigan. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she enjoys discovering new places to hike.
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Kimberley Ready is a seasoned compliance, finance and business development expert with over 20 years of experience in the non-profit and international development sectors. Currently a Senior Consultant at Harbor Ledge Consulting, she previously served as Director of Contracts and Grants Administration at DevTech Systems, Inc., and held key roles at JSI | John Snow, Inc. and SNV. Kimberley has managed significant programs, including a $4.1 million State Department initiative on Countering Violent Extremism, and overseen budgets totaling $20 million at The World Bank. Her expertise in financial management, program implementation, and strategic planning has earned her recognition from both The World Bank and IFC Advisory Services.
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Liz Muir has over 20 years of experience at top consulting firms and Fortune 100 companies where she has brought a unique blend of business acumen and award-nominated creativity to global industries. With 14+ years focused on social impact, Liz has successfully strategized, developed, and launched programs delivering economic, social, and environmental impact worldwide. Her expertise spans managing multi-million dollar budgets, transforming consumer brands, and executing high-profile launches that have garnered global media attention and concluded in significant potential deals. As a digital brand and marketing strategist, she has created award-winning content and e-commerce platforms. Her entrepreneurial spirit is evident in founding an ethical consumer brand that integrated artisans and women-run factories in developing countries, earning nominations for prestigious design and fair trade awards. With a track record of structuring and executing ambiguous projects for diverse clients ranging from the US Government to startups, Liz consistently delivers results in challenging environments.
