Cheryl Nemazie

Director of Communications & Programming

Cheryl came across The NEO Fund in Managua’s La Chureca while documenting the work of a physicians' group in Nicaragua back in 2010. She quickly came on board to develop their communications and document their growth from a handful of families in the garbage dump to communities throughout Managua and beyond. 


While growing a career in the hospitality industry as an art director, designer, and stylist, she honed her photographic skills working with NGOs and nonprofits across the globe. Her first glimpse of microfinance and the potential it has to lift women out of poverty was in a small village a few hours north of Kathmandu where she was shooting for Médecins du Monde. Fast forward two years to a fateful day in Managua when she met Ron and a group of American businessmen heading to the Managua dump to check on their work there. NEO was just starting a pilot microfinance project, and Cheryl was hooked. Learning everything she could along the way, she worked closely with the team to grow the program in Nicaragua as well as develop the projects in India and Guatemala.