careers
Meet the Co-Founders
paNhari wasn’t intended to be an organization—it was sparked by a light-bulb moment shared among friends who wanted to bring real change to education. After college, we returned to our university city with a vision: to make education not only exciting but also relevant to the problems that urgently needed solutions. We volunteered our time, working alongside our close friends, to create programs that could reshape learning, connect it to community needs, and inspire hope.
In communities burdened by hyperinflation, massive brain drain, and struggling infrastructure, we saw the difference our efforts were making. What started as a passionate initiative among friends soon evolved into something with even greater potential. Recognizing this, Phil and Donald took the lead in organizing and scaling our work, transforming it into a structured organization that could have a sustained impact.
paNhari owes its beginnings to this group of friends who believed in a better future, and to the commitment of Phil and Donald, who institutionalized these efforts to create lasting change. Here’s a brief introduction to the two co-founders who have helped shape paNhari’s mission and vision.
Donald Bodzo
Donald Bodzo is the co-founder of paNhari and a dedicated social entrepreneur with a deep passion for youth empowerment. Through his leadership, paNhari has evolved into a global network focused on harnessing the potential of young leaders to create sustainable, innovative, and impact-driven solutions. Donald’s work is rooted in his belief that youth are the catalysts for future change, and he has dedicated his career to coaching and mentoring the next generation of leaders.
With over 15 years of experience, Donald has mentored hundreds of young professionals, providing them with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive in fields such as climate tech, ethical AI, public health, and sustainable agriculture. His leadership has been instrumental in leading and developing programs like the Youth Economic Participation Initiative (YEPI), the Next Generation Leaders (NGL) initiative, and the For Youth, By Youth (FYBY) movement – all of which focus on empowering young people to lead community-driven change.
Donald’s passion for seeing youth thrive is reflected in his coaching philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of personal growth, leadership development, and collaborative learning. He has been globally recognized for his work, receiving several prestigious fellowships, including the Top 20 YouthActionNet Laureate International Youth Foundation Global Fellow and the Atlas Corps Fellowship.
As paNhari continues to grow, Donald remains committed to ensuring that young leaders have the support they need to become the innovators and change-makers of tomorrow. His vision is clear: to build a future where empowered youth lead with purpose, creating lasting impact in their communities and beyond.
Phil Mlanda
Phil has over 13 years of experience in service development, with a career that spans the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nepal, Korea, Chile, Mexico, and the U.S. His diverse interactions and travels have shaped his belief that fostering a culture of responsibility among young people is essential to driving sustainable development in communities. Through paNhari, Phil is dedicated to empowering young innovators, helping them unlock their potential to address local challenges.
Parallel to his work in community development, Phil emerged as a tech leader driving transformative programs. He advanced his career as a lead software engineer (C#, Python), Solutions Architect (AWS, Azure), and currently as a Technical Program Manager, with expertise in both the private and public sectors. This journey has refined his technical skillset while underscoring his commitment to placing people at the center of his work, with coaching as a personal passion. Building complex engineering solutions that impact millions has reinforced his trust in human potential and the power of collaboration. In addition to his technical and development work, Phil raises Brahman and Simmental cattle on a farm in rural Zimbabwe, reflecting his deep connection to sustainable agriculture.
Phil holds an MA in Sustainable Development and a BSc in Computer Science. Notably, through paNhari, he led the development of a McJannet Prize-winning digital platform that provided data-driven support to informal traders and MSMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping communities recover economically by connecting them with vital resources and insights.
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