Inspired by the work of William Kamkwamba, Moving Windmills Project was founded in 2008 to pursue rural economic development and education projects in Malawi, Africa.
Our motto is, “African Solutions to African Problems.” Rather than invest in top-down, externally imposed agendas, Moving Windmills works with local leaders to determine, organize and implement the appropriate solutions. Areas of focus include: food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, health, education, clean water and community building.
Tom Rielly
Founder, Executive Director and Board Member
Email: tom [at] movingwindmills.org
In addition to his work at Moving Windmills, Tom’s day job as TED’s Community Director includes managing the international TED Fellows program, which he created.
For his true vocation at TED, however, Tom hijacks the final session of the TED Conference for a whip-smart satire of all that year’s speakers. Tom skewers the egos, mocks the flights of fancy, and imagines a world where Al Gore tells him, “I wish I knew how to quit you.” Fearless and unfailingly funny, Tom’s lightning performances bring a flash of brilliance to the closing session and draw a standing ovation every time.
A lifelong performer, Tom found a second love in personal computing. Recognizing early the incredible power of Macs and the Web, Tom co-founded Yale’s Macintosh User Group in 1984, and later worked for SuperMac, Farallon and Voyager.
At TEDGlobal, Tom met our youngest TED Fellow, William Kamkwamba, whom he has mentored for the past two years. Rielly produced the Moving Windmills short film, with director/editors Ari Kushnir and Scott Thrift of m ss g p eces. Moving Windmills won Participant Media’s North American Filmmaker’s Award at the Pangea Day worldwide film festival. Currently, Tom is working to create a feature-length version of Moving Windmills.
Emeka Okafor
Board Member
Emeka Okafor is an entrepreneur and blogger. He served as Director of the TED Global Conference in 2007, titled Africa: The Next Chapter.
Emeka is passionately committed to the issues and ideas surrounding Africa’s future. As the founder and author of the publicly acclaimed blog Timbuktu Chronicles, Emeka shares stories of entrepreneurship, science and technology in Africa, by Africans. An additional blog, Africa Unchained, examines issues including governance, policy, education and institution-building on the Continent.
Emeka sits on the global advisory board for Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE), an organization that seeks to advance youth entrepreneurship and community service around the world. SAGE emphasizes ethical business practices, social responsibility, civic engagement and environmental awareness.
Emeka also serves as Director of Research for the Direct Expatriate Nationals Investment initiative, a poverty-reduction and external resource mobilization program for countries that have received massive debt cancellation.
He is a founding member of the IPEGroup, a volunteer group that promotes the role of private enterprise and capital markets with the goal of catalyzing economic development and collaboration among international projects.
Emeka is a partner in Caranda Fine Foods, a line of gourmet, naturally harvested fair trade beverages developed and produced in several African countries and distributed globally.
Born in the Stoke-on-Trent, U.K., Emeka grew up in Canada and Nigeria. In 1987, he earned a degree in Architecture from the University of Nigeria. He lives and works in New York City.
Michael Markiewicz
Michael Markiewicz, CPA, CFP, is Senior Director with CBIZ Mahoney Cohen Private Client & Family Office Services. Mr. Markiewicz has 30 years of diversified experience in providing strategic financial advice and management to high net worth individuals, focusing on entertainment professional and family offices. Throughout his career, Mr. Markiewicz has advised several premier entertainment professionals C-level executives and others on wealth preservation, tax planning and contract negotiations.
Prior to joining CBIZ Mahoney Cohen, Mr. Markiewicz was associated with firms, including Marks Paneth & Shron, Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now part of Deloitte & Touche) and The Boston Company, where he focused on business management, wealth enhancement and preservation, due diligence, risk management, contract negotiations and cash flow management. He was also a Vice President and CFO of a private family office for the Norman-Weil family.
Mr. Markiewicz graduated from Tufts University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology. He received his Master of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees in Accounting from Northeastern University in 1975.
Mr. Markiewicz is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served on the Entertainment and Sports Committee, and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served on its Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee for three years. Additionally, he served as the Financial Planning Committee Chairman for New Hampshire’s State Society of Certified Public Accountants. As a recognized expert, Mr. Markiewicz has written articles on financial planning for individuals and has spoken at events sponsored by a number of state CPA societies and financial planning organizations.
Board Member
Michael Markiewicz, CPA, CFP, is Senior Director with CBIZ Mahoney Cohen Private Client & Family Office Services. Mr. Markiewicz has 30 years of diversified experience in providing strategic financial advice and management to high net worth individuals, focusing on entertainment professional and family offices. Throughout his career, Mr. Markiewicz has advised several premier entertainment professionals C-level executives and others on wealth preservation, tax planning and contract negotiations.
Prior to joining CBIZ Mahoney Cohen, Mr. Markiewicz was associated with firms, including Marks Paneth & Shron, Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now part of Deloitte & Touche) and The Boston Company, where he focused on business management, wealth enhancement and preservation, due diligence, risk management, contract negotiations and cash flow management.
Mr. Markiewicz graduated from Tufts University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology. He received his Master of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees in Accounting from Northeastern University in 1975.
Mr. Markiewicz is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served on the Entertainment and Sports Committee, and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served on its Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee for three years. Additionally, he served as the Financial Planning Committee Chairman for New Hampshire’s State Society of Certified Public Accountants. As a recognized expert, Mr. Markiewicz has written articles on financial planning for individuals and has spoken at events sponsored by a number of state CPA societies and financial planning organizations.
Ben Nabors
Documentary Film Producer
Email: ben [at] movingwindmills.org
Ben Nabors is a New York-based experiential producer focused on documentaries, short narratives, commercial video work and live performance events.
In 2005, Ben served as Executive Producer to the Semi-Permanent Conference at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. This international, two-day creativity conference hosted thousands of designers and artists.
For two years, as Director of LVHRD, “a fight club for creatives” (Fast Company Magazine), Ben focused on live events and secret performances geared towards creative professionals in New York City. In addition to coordinating all live productions, Nabors oversaw the club’s media initiatives, including a weekly video series and quarterly magazine.
In 2007, Ben shifted to focus on film production. Since then, he has produced more than 50 short films and documentaries, including collaborations with entertainment leaders the TED Conferences, The Sundance Channel and music producer Chris Blackwell.
In late 2007, Ben produced the short film Moving Windmills, winner of the North American Filmmaker award at the Pangea Day film festival, and has contributed to the Moving Windmills documentary project since then.
Blessings Chikakula
Country Manager
Email: blessings [at] movingwindmills.org
Blessings Chikakula was born on August 28th, 1972, the youngest of his family. He attended Chinkhuti Primary School and obtained a Malawi School Certificate of Education from St. John’s Secondary School.
In 1994, Blessings received a primary-school teaching certificate from Lilongwe Teacher’s Training College. After teaching primary school for six years, he was posted at St. Martin’s Community Day Secondary School, where he taught English grammar and literature.
In 2002, Blessings attended African Bible College, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education. He soon acquired a teaching job at the African Bible College Christian Academy, where he met and tutored William Kamkwamba.
Blessings is proud to see William’s tremendous improvements in his education, and believes William will be a great leader in Malawi and in broader Africa. Blessings is committed to helping the Moving Windmills Project make William’s dreams a reality.
Blessings is married to Memory Chikakula. They are blessed with four children, three boys and a girl, whose names are Flora, Chimwemwe (Joy), Ian and Victor. They are 13, 11, 8 and 6 years old, respectively.
Non-profit status
Moving Windmills Project is a New York-based 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. Copies of the IRS determination letter and/or certificate of incorporation are available upon request at info@movingwindmills.org.
The Moving Windmills Project U.S. executive director and board members are volunteers. The participants in the documentary project are paid at non-profit rates, with the exception of the director, who is a volunteer. The country manager is a paid position. In Malawi, Moving Windmills Project may engage services of local individuals, companies and NGOs to execute projects.
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About Moving Windmills Project
Inspired by the work of William Kamkwamba, Moving Windmills Project was founded in 2008 to pursue rural economic development and education projects in Malawi, Africa.
Our motto is, “African Solutions to African Problems.” Rather than invest in top-down, externally imposed agendas, Moving Windmills works with local leaders to determine, organize and implement the appropriate solutions. Areas of focus include: food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, health, education, clean water and community building.
Tom Rielly
Email: tom [at] movingwindmills.org
In addition to his work at Moving Windmills, Tom’s day job as TED’s Community Director includes managing the international TED Fellows program, which he created.
For his true vocation at TED, however, Tom hijacks the final session of the TED Conference for a whip-smart satire of all that year’s speakers. Tom skewers the egos, mocks the flights of fancy, and imagines a world where Al Gore tells him, “I wish I knew how to quit you.” Fearless and unfailingly funny, Tom’s lightning performances bring a flash of brilliance to the closing session and draw a standing ovation every time.
A lifelong performer, Tom found a second love in personal computing. Recognizing early the incredible power of Macs and the Web, Tom co-founded Yale’s Macintosh User Group in 1984, and later worked for SuperMac, Farallon and Voyager.
At TEDGlobal, Tom met our youngest TED Fellow, William Kamkwamba, whom he has mentored for the past two years. Rielly produced the Moving Windmills short film, with director/editors Ari Kushnir and Scott Thrift of m ss g p eces. Moving Windmills won Participant Media’s North American Filmmaker’s Award at the Pangea Day worldwide film festival. Currently, Tom is working to create a feature-length version of Moving Windmills.
Emeka Okafor
Board Member
Emeka Okafor is an entrepreneur and blogger. He served as Director of the TED Global Conference in 2007, titled Africa: The Next Chapter.
Emeka is passionately committed to the issues and ideas surrounding Africa’s future. As the founder and author of the publicly acclaimed blog Timbuktu Chronicles, Emeka shares stories of entrepreneurship, science and technology in Africa, by Africans. An additional blog, Africa Unchained, examines issues including governance, policy, education and institution-building on the Continent.
Emeka sits on the global advisory board for Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE), an organization that seeks to advance youth entrepreneurship and community service around the world. SAGE emphasizes ethical business practices, social responsibility, civic engagement and environmental awareness.
Emeka also serves as Director of Research for the Direct Expatriate Nationals Investment initiative, a poverty-reduction and external resource mobilization program for countries that have received massive debt cancellation.
He is a founding member of the IPEGroup, a volunteer group that promotes the role of private enterprise and capital markets with the goal of catalyzing economic development and collaboration among international projects.
Emeka is a partner in Caranda Fine Foods, a line of gourmet, naturally harvested fair trade beverages developed and produced in several African countries and distributed globally.
Born in the Stoke-on-Trent, U.K., Emeka grew up in Canada and Nigeria. In 1987, he earned a degree in Architecture from the University of Nigeria. He lives and works in New York City.
Michael Markiewicz
Board Member
Michael Markiewicz, CPA, CFP, is Senior Director with CBIZ Mahoney Cohen Private Client & Family Office Services. Mr. Markiewicz has 30 years of diversified experience in providing strategic financial advice and management to high net worth individuals, focusing on entertainment professional and family offices. Throughout his career, Mr. Markiewicz has advised several premier entertainment professionals C-level executives and others on wealth preservation, tax planning and contract negotiations.
Prior to joining CBIZ Mahoney Cohen, Mr. Markiewicz was associated with firms, including Marks Paneth & Shron, Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now part of Deloitte & Touche) and The Boston Company, where he focused on business management, wealth enhancement and preservation, due diligence, risk management, contract negotiations and cash flow management.
Mr. Markiewicz graduated from Tufts University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology. He received his Master of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees in Accounting from Northeastern University in 1975.
Mr. Markiewicz is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served on the Entertainment and Sports Committee, and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served on its Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee for three years. Additionally, he served as the Financial Planning Committee Chairman for New Hampshire’s State Society of Certified Public Accountants. As a recognized expert, Mr. Markiewicz has written articles on financial planning for individuals and has spoken at events sponsored by a number of state CPA societies and financial planning organizations.
Ben Nabors
Email: ben [at] movingwindmills.org
Ben Nabors is a New York-based experiential producer focused on documentaries, short narratives, commercial video work and live performance events.
In 2005, Ben served as Executive Producer to the Semi-Permanent Conference at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. This international, two-day creativity conference hosted thousands of designers and artists.
For two years, as Director of LVHRD, “a fight club for creatives” (Fast Company Magazine), Ben focused on live events and secret performances geared towards creative professionals in New York City. In addition to coordinating all live productions, Nabors oversaw the club’s media initiatives, including a weekly video series and quarterly magazine.
In 2007, Ben shifted to focus on film production. Since then, he has produced more than 50 short films and documentaries, including collaborations with entertainment leaders the TED Conferences, The Sundance Channel and music producer Chris Blackwell.
In late 2007, Ben produced the short film Moving Windmills, winner of the North American Filmmaker award at the Pangea Day film festival, and has contributed to the Moving Windmills documentary project since then.
Blessings Chikakula
Email: blessings [at] movingwindmills.org
Blessings Chikakula was born on August 28th, 1972, the youngest of his family. He attended Chinkhuti Primary School and obtained a Malawi School Certificate of Education from St. John’s Secondary School.
In 1994, Blessings received a primary-school teaching certificate from Lilongwe Teacher’s Training College. After teaching primary school for six years, he was posted at St. Martin’s Community Day Secondary School, where he taught English grammar and literature.
In 2002, Blessings attended African Bible College, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education. He soon acquired a teaching job at the African Bible College Christian Academy, where he met and tutored William Kamkwamba.
Blessings is proud to see William’s tremendous improvements in his education, and believes William will be a great leader in Malawi and in broader Africa. Blessings is committed to helping the Moving Windmills Project make William’s dreams a reality.
Blessings is married to Memory Chikakula. They are blessed with four children, three boys and a girl, whose names are Flora, Chimwemwe (Joy), Ian and Victor. They are 13, 11, 8 and 6 years old, respectively.
Non-profit status
Moving Windmills Project is a New York-based 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. Copies of the IRS determination letter and/or certificate of incorporation are available upon request at info@movingwindmills.org.
The Moving Windmills Project U.S. executive director and board members are volunteers. The participants in the documentary project are paid at non-profit rates, with the exception of the director, who is a volunteer. The country manager is a paid position. In Malawi, Moving Windmills Project may engage services of local individuals, companies and NGOs to execute projects.