Board of Directors
Sophia Richards, Board President
Commerce Bank, Personal Banker
As a Personal Banker, Sophia assesses persons’ financial situation and makes tailored recommendations to better improve their lives. At Commerce, Sophia co-chairs the Education and Development Committee of the multicultural Employee Resource Group VIBE, which facilitates courageous conversations surrounding racial inequality and promotes people of color in the workplace. Sophia’s experience as an immigrant in America has encouraged her to educate others on the discrimination and misconceptions that immigrants and the African Descent community face. Sophia first handedly experienced immigration in the US with MICA Project being both legal representation and a resource to navigate her path here to live a happy and prosperous life. Sophia is happy to be hands on in giving back and to make a difference through service to the MICA Project.
Commerce Bank, Personal Banker
As a Personal Banker, Sophia assesses persons’ financial situation and makes tailored recommendations to better improve their lives. At Commerce, Sophia co-chairs the Education and Development Committee of the multicultural Employee Resource Group VIBE, which facilitates courageous conversations surrounding racial inequality and promotes people of color in the workplace. Sophia’s experience as an immigrant in America has encouraged her to educate others on the discrimination and misconceptions that immigrants and the African Descent community face. Sophia first handedly experienced immigration in the US with MICA Project being both legal representation and a resource to navigate her path here to live a happy and prosperous life. Sophia is happy to be hands on in giving back and to make a difference through service to the MICA Project.
Malini Rao, Board Vice President
Assistant General Counsel, Equifax
Malini Rao manages contract negotiations and new product initiatives as an in-house counsel at Equifax. She previously worked on commercial litigation matters with a special focus on white collar cases involving whistleblowers. A transplant to St. Louis, she enjoys introducing her out-of-town guests to the many delights of St. Louis, including its busy restaurant scene, gorgeous parks, and many theater offerings. Malini is excited to contribute to MICA's work on important and urgent immigration issues and to help address the needs of immigrants in St. Louis.
Assistant General Counsel, Equifax
Malini Rao manages contract negotiations and new product initiatives as an in-house counsel at Equifax. She previously worked on commercial litigation matters with a special focus on white collar cases involving whistleblowers. A transplant to St. Louis, she enjoys introducing her out-of-town guests to the many delights of St. Louis, including its busy restaurant scene, gorgeous parks, and many theater offerings. Malini is excited to contribute to MICA's work on important and urgent immigration issues and to help address the needs of immigrants in St. Louis.
Kelly Simon, Secretary
Community Volunteer
Kelly’s passion for immigration law took root as an Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistant specializing in immigration matters for the office of U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. From there, Kelly attended Georgetown University Law Center, where she studied immigration law and interned at Hogar Hispano-Immigrant Legal Services. Now Kelly practices exclusively in the area of immigration. In 2014, she was included with the Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list and in 2014 was named an Up & Coming attorney by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Kelly lives in the Shaw neighborhood of St. Louis with her husband, Tim Schoemehl, and their daughter.
Mark Chao, Board Treasurer
Vestech Securities, Financial Consultant
Born in Philadelphia and a graduate of Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, Mark Chao has been active in financial consulting since 2009. He has experience with various forms of securities such as mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and alternative investments as well as life insurance and annuities. Until recently he worked at Farmers Insurance for 2 years as an insurance agent as an independent broker, and maintains an active property and casualty insurance license as well as access to Medicare advantage plan (Part C) and short term health insurance plans. Mark lives and works in Saint Louis County with his wife and daughter.
Vestech Securities, Financial Consultant
Born in Philadelphia and a graduate of Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, Mark Chao has been active in financial consulting since 2009. He has experience with various forms of securities such as mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and alternative investments as well as life insurance and annuities. Until recently he worked at Farmers Insurance for 2 years as an insurance agent as an independent broker, and maintains an active property and casualty insurance license as well as access to Medicare advantage plan (Part C) and short term health insurance plans. Mark lives and works in Saint Louis County with his wife and daughter.
Nithi Angamuthu
Peabody Energy, Senior Business Analyst
Born and raised in Coimbatore, India, Nithi Angamuthu is a graduate in production engineering with 15 years’ experience in Information Technology. His expertise is predominantly around ERP solutions, process automation, digital transformation, better user experience and enhanced operational performance. Having moved to the USA in 2007 on a H-1B work permit visa, it took him 14 long years to get his green card. The current visa system has impacted his life both personally and professionally. As someone who has directly gone through the tough process of becoming a permanent resident, he understands the challenges every foreigner will have to face, and the emotional battle they must go through in this long journey. Nithi is passionate about working on projects that empower people and he runs his own nonprofit in India.
Peabody Energy, Senior Business Analyst
Born and raised in Coimbatore, India, Nithi Angamuthu is a graduate in production engineering with 15 years’ experience in Information Technology. His expertise is predominantly around ERP solutions, process automation, digital transformation, better user experience and enhanced operational performance. Having moved to the USA in 2007 on a H-1B work permit visa, it took him 14 long years to get his green card. The current visa system has impacted his life both personally and professionally. As someone who has directly gone through the tough process of becoming a permanent resident, he understands the challenges every foreigner will have to face, and the emotional battle they must go through in this long journey. Nithi is passionate about working on projects that empower people and he runs his own nonprofit in India.
Sarem Hailemariam
Millipore Sigma, Senior Scientist
Sarem holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. She was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2006 to pursue her undergraduate degree. Sarem has always had an interest in social justice and has participated in efforts to promote gender equality.
Millipore Sigma, Senior Scientist
Sarem holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. She was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2006 to pursue her undergraduate degree. Sarem has always had an interest in social justice and has participated in efforts to promote gender equality.
Annie J Mbale
Project Manager: World Trade Center-St. Louis & St. Louis Mosaic Project
Born and raised in Malawi, Annie obtained an MBA at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2019. Prior to starting her marketing consultancy, Flames Digital Marketing Media. Previously, Annie worked at Odd Couples Housing as the Marketing Communications Director. Annie is a proud international student graduate and has a desire to use her experiences to give others the same opportunity she had in this country. It is her spirit of giving back that inspired her to join the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA) board.
Annie has worked directly with international students since her undergraduate years serving in a leadership and mentoring role to international students and to domestic students seeking to expand their cultural awareness. In grad school, Annie worked for the International Business Institute (IBI) helping exchange students, promoting student involvement on campus, and helping promote intercultural interaction between all UMSL students. Annie is also a freelance Marketing Consultant, is the founder of A Community for African Female Entrepreneurs (ACAFE), and is also a co-founder of Missouri Young African Professionals (MOYAP). Annie also holds a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business and Marketing and a minor in Political Science with honors.
Project Manager: World Trade Center-St. Louis & St. Louis Mosaic Project
Born and raised in Malawi, Annie obtained an MBA at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2019. Prior to starting her marketing consultancy, Flames Digital Marketing Media. Previously, Annie worked at Odd Couples Housing as the Marketing Communications Director. Annie is a proud international student graduate and has a desire to use her experiences to give others the same opportunity she had in this country. It is her spirit of giving back that inspired her to join the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA) board.
Annie has worked directly with international students since her undergraduate years serving in a leadership and mentoring role to international students and to domestic students seeking to expand their cultural awareness. In grad school, Annie worked for the International Business Institute (IBI) helping exchange students, promoting student involvement on campus, and helping promote intercultural interaction between all UMSL students. Annie is also a freelance Marketing Consultant, is the founder of A Community for African Female Entrepreneurs (ACAFE), and is also a co-founder of Missouri Young African Professionals (MOYAP). Annie also holds a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business and Marketing and a minor in Political Science with honors.
Virginia Murray-Torres
VIPKID, Inc.
Virginia Murray-Torres is a veteran educator who specializes in English as a Second Language
(ESL), teaching recent immigrants, ESL curriculum development, ESL professional development,
diversity alignment and inclusion, as well as educational account management and marketing.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Preprofessional Studies (Pre-Medicine) from the
University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Growing up on the Texas-Mexico border, Virginia has a
strong passion for education, immigration, and the promotion of cultural, language, and
diversity awareness.
VIPKID, Inc.
Virginia Murray-Torres is a veteran educator who specializes in English as a Second Language
(ESL), teaching recent immigrants, ESL curriculum development, ESL professional development,
diversity alignment and inclusion, as well as educational account management and marketing.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Preprofessional Studies (Pre-Medicine) from the
University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Growing up on the Texas-Mexico border, Virginia has a
strong passion for education, immigration, and the promotion of cultural, language, and
diversity awareness.
Sandra Oh, J.D., Ph.D.
Apertus Pharmaceuticals, LLC, General Counsel
Pageview Pharmaceuticals, LLC, President
Sandra attended Wash U law school and began her legal career as a litigator at Husch Blackwell, where she specialized in mass tort and product liability defense. After practicing as a litigator for several years, Sandra’s practice began focusing on the pharmaceutical regulatory space. Today, Sandra is President of Pageview Pharmaceuticals as well as general counsel for Apertus Pharmaceuticals. Prior to attending law school, Sandra obtained a Ph.D. in Rhetoric from U.C. Berkeley and was a professor at the University of Miami.
Apertus Pharmaceuticals, LLC, General Counsel
Pageview Pharmaceuticals, LLC, President
Sandra attended Wash U law school and began her legal career as a litigator at Husch Blackwell, where she specialized in mass tort and product liability defense. After practicing as a litigator for several years, Sandra’s practice began focusing on the pharmaceutical regulatory space. Today, Sandra is President of Pageview Pharmaceuticals as well as general counsel for Apertus Pharmaceuticals. Prior to attending law school, Sandra obtained a Ph.D. in Rhetoric from U.C. Berkeley and was a professor at the University of Miami.
Christina Pope,
Welcoming America, Senior Network Director
Christina Pope is Senior Director of Welcoming International, a program of Welcoming America that supports and connects civil society and governments worldwide to advance migrant inclusion, belonging, and equity. Christina’s background is in community development and international education, including prior roles at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the community-based organization CASA in Maryland, and public schools in Recife, Brazil as a Fulbright grantee. She is passionate about policy and programs that create more equitable communities for people of all identities, including immigrants. She speaks Portuguese and Spanish and credits her Romanian and Portuguese family for her dedication to this work.
Welcoming America, Senior Network Director
Christina Pope is Senior Director of Welcoming International, a program of Welcoming America that supports and connects civil society and governments worldwide to advance migrant inclusion, belonging, and equity. Christina’s background is in community development and international education, including prior roles at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the community-based organization CASA in Maryland, and public schools in Recife, Brazil as a Fulbright grantee. She is passionate about policy and programs that create more equitable communities for people of all identities, including immigrants. She speaks Portuguese and Spanish and credits her Romanian and Portuguese family for her dedication to this work.
Angela Strum
Community Volunteer
Angela grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and is a graduate of University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Advertising. She worked in the advertising field until the birth of her children, and then focused on volunteering and fundraising with local not-for-profits in addition to providing volunteer opportunities for children and families of all ages. Some of those agencies include the MICA Project, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Cornerstone Center for Early Learning, Gateway 180, Peter and Paul Community Services, Maryville University's Kids Rock Cancer, Reach Out and Read, Our Little Haven, Operation Baby Shower, Operation Food Search, Church of St. Michael and St. George and YMCA Headstart. She has an extensive network of contacts within St. Louis's not-for-profit sector and loves creating meaningful partnerships with those folks. She is a firm believer that everyone wants to do good, and will, if given the opportunity. Angela speaks German, loves to read and travels extensively with her husband and two children.
Community Volunteer
Angela grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and is a graduate of University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Advertising. She worked in the advertising field until the birth of her children, and then focused on volunteering and fundraising with local not-for-profits in addition to providing volunteer opportunities for children and families of all ages. Some of those agencies include the MICA Project, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Cornerstone Center for Early Learning, Gateway 180, Peter and Paul Community Services, Maryville University's Kids Rock Cancer, Reach Out and Read, Our Little Haven, Operation Baby Shower, Operation Food Search, Church of St. Michael and St. George and YMCA Headstart. She has an extensive network of contacts within St. Louis's not-for-profit sector and loves creating meaningful partnerships with those folks. She is a firm believer that everyone wants to do good, and will, if given the opportunity. Angela speaks German, loves to read and travels extensively with her husband and two children.