The PIER Institute Team

Rich Mitchell, Executive Director

Rich Mitchell co-founded PIER Institute, developed its social enterprise model, and designed our market-based Source Community Connexion, Verifica and Resolute models. He has been involved in aid and development work overseas since 2005 in regions as diverse as Colombia, the Amazon rainforest, and post-tsunami Sri Lanka. Rich is a corporate attorney with more than 20 years' experience in corporate, international, securities and nonprofit law. He is a certified mediator and many of PIER's programs draw on interest-based conflict resolution theory. Rich has taught more than 25 college courses including the subjects of Global Political Economy, International Business, and U.S. Business Law. Rich has a B.A. from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law.

Melody Divine, President

Ms. Divine co-founded the Institute, shares senior management responsibilities, and leads our human rights, religious freedom, anti-human trafficking, and international security programs. Ms. Divine served as Middle East and Counterterrorism Advisor, and Counsel and Foreign Policy Advisor to Members of the U.S. Congress in Washington D.C. As advisor on judiciary, foreign policy, human rights, religious freedom, terrorism and national security issues, she worked on developing policy, strategic communication, and legislative action for the offices. Prior to her work in Washington, Ms. Divine practiced commercial litigation and attorney ethics. Her experience includes working with both Fortune 500 and start-up companies. Ms. Divine obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law, Colorado, and Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College, Illinois. She studied comparative constitutional law and comparative natural resources law at the University of Nairobi Faculty of Law, Nairobi, Kenya.

Andrea Pineda, Project Engineer & Country Coordinator (Colombia)

Andrea is based in Denver and coordinates our development and logistics efforts throughout the Americas. She is an industrial engineer with specializations in automation and computer science and directed the technical training of the indigenous team at their water purification micro-enterprise along the Amazon River. She is a trainer in our Verifica program to fight human trafficking and working on the development of our family nutrition program.

Edwin Pineda, Project Coordinator (Colombia)

Based in Bogota, Colombia, Edwin coordinates our PIER projects in Colombia, is a trainer for our program to fight human trafficking, and assists with our relief efforts. Edwin leads the installations of the Gravity Pure water micro-enterprises and is a native of Colombia.

Paola Romero, Project Coordinator (Colombia)

Paola also coordinates PIER projects in Colombia from Bogota, is a trainer for our program to fight human trafficking, and assists with the development of our educational materials. She does most of our graphic design work and is a native of Colombia.