Ep 40: USAID Market Annual Year End Show

Sabrina Amburgey, Vice President of Business Development at ACDI/VOCA, Udunopa Abalu,
Director of New Business at the International Development Group, Velora Loughmiller, Chief
Business Development Officer at Blumont, and Christy Hollywood, Chief Operating Officer at
Konektid International join Mike Shanley to discuss 2024 market trends, local partner
engagement and how contractors can serve in Localization agenda, sustainability plans, and
look ahead to the aid market in 2025.

BIOGRAPHIES:
Sabrina Amburgey provides leadership to business development at ACDI/VOCA, a US nonprofit
that helps people and communities improve their lives by increasing economic prosperity and
social inclusion. She has over 25 years of experience in international development in various
business development, technical, and project management roles focused on food security,
resilience, market systems, agriculture, capacity strengthening, and democracy and
governance. As a board member and Global Guidelines Working Group lead for the
Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance (AMEA), a global network for accelerating the
professionalization of farmer organizations and agri-SMEs, she was instrumental in drafting the
recently published ISO18716 Professional Farmer Organization Guidance.

Udunopa Abalu is currently Director of New Business at the International Development Group
Advisory Services, LLC (IDG), a rapidly growing international development organization works
to reduce global poverty through sustainable and inclusive economic development. Udunopa
brings over 10 years of experience in new business development and strategic partnerships,
development economics, international trade, and private sector development.
Prior to IDG, Udunopa worked for Kaizen - A Tetra Tech Company, Improving Economies for
Stronger Communities (IESC), KeyLime International, OFED International, and O’Neill Paragon
Solutions. Udunopa also consulted for the International Labour Organization (ILO). Udunopa
has lived and worked in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Brazil. She holds an M.A. in International
Trade and Investment Policy from George Washington University and a B.S. in Economics and
International Studies (with minors in Political Science and Speech Communication) from Iowa
State University. During her personal time, Udunopa enjoys reading, bicycling, hiking, traveling,
cooking, Zumba, yoga, and meditation. She is also a member of the Association of Women in
International Trade.

Velora Loughmiller is a leader in strategy, planning, and business development based on two
decades of work across the USG, including USAID, Departments of State, Agriculture, Defense,
and Energy, as well as an array of bi- and multi-lateral partnerships. When it comes to market
analysis, she’s a firm believer that it takes a healthy combination of deep-dive data analysis and
leveraging your network, and equally enjoys catching up with colleagues over coffee or nerding
out over CBJ details. Velora holds a master’s in European studies, bachelor’s in geography, and
is a certified project management professional (PMP). Based in the DC area for fifteen years,
you’ll find her enjoying local and regional outdoor haunts for great hiking; continuing to hone
covid-era learned skills of bread and candy making; and trying out the many types of cuisine the
area has to offer.

Christy Hollywood supports Konektid clients and consultants with skills honed during 20+ years
of leadership in international development, professional services, and consulting organizations.
She led a successful consulting firm of her own for 11 years. Earlier, she served as Vice
President for BD of Cardno (a large USAID and MCC contractor, since acquired) and held
pivotal business development roles at KPMG’s Emerging Markets Group, RTI International,
PATH, as well as Fidelity Investments and Noblis. A recognized expert in business development
consulting, she’s authored several articles and is five-time invited presenter at international
conferences on proposal management, competitive intelligence, and business development.

Resources
https://blumont.org/
https://www.internationaldevelopmentgroup.com/
https://www.acdivoca.org/

LEARN MORE
Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Aid Market Podcast. You can learn more about
working with USAID by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and AidKonekt. To
connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn.