New Roots Team
Our team is committed to advancing opportunities for immigrants and refugees from around the world through self-employment and financial education. Our approach is client centered; with an open-door policy and ease of access to information, we ensure that every client who walks through our doors is able to explore the option of starting a business.
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Greg Hope
Director of Operations
Greg Hope has spent over 30 years working with immigrants and refugees. He was one of the first in the Puget Sound to provide micro-finance loans to immigrants and refugees through the JumpStart Fund. Greg has dedicated his life to empowering others through meaningful programs and advocacy.
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Sumonnat Rattanakom
Administration Manager
Sumonnat holds an MA from the Earlham School of Religion, an MA from Mahidol University, Thailand and BA in Liberal Arts from Silpakom University, Thailand, and a Financal Management Certificate from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She has over 20 years of experience providing technical support on government contracts and nonprofit financial management.
Abid Rahmani
Economic Development
Specialist
Abid graduated from Peshawar University with degrees in Law and Political Science. Abid has extensive experience assisting clients with business plans, loan applications and leading trainings.
Karina Leonard
CDBG Business Developer
Karina studied Spanish and Piano at Brigham Young University. She spent two years in Mexico City teaching and developing lesson plans. Now she uses her experiences to reach out to the Spanish speaking community in Auburn to help them grow their businesses.
Maksym Hornostai
Business Developer
Maksym is from Ukraine and works directly with the Ukrainian community in the Auburn area. He does outreach and provides information about starting a business in the US.