President and Founder

Laurel is a champion of technology and education. She worked fifteen years in the telecommunications industry before taking time off to focus on family. She was the executive director of operations at AT&T Broadband overseeing the operations for national cable and broadband deployment and she was director of commercial operations at EchoStar, Corporation, where she was responsible for their satellite distribution in commercial environments. She holds a master's degree in Technology Management, master's degree in Global Studies, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science, all from The University of Denver, Colorado. Laurel resides in Castle Rock, Colorado with her husband Tony and their two German Shepherds. She volunteer teaches and is dedicated to bringing technology and education to rural villages in Tanzania in an effort to improve lives and reduce poverty. Laurel loves Kilimanjaro and considers it her second home and family.

Vice-President and Founder

Tony has more than 25 years of engineering and technical management experience and is passionate about technology. Tony is a dedicated family man and always strives to find new ways he can improve the lives of others through philanthropy and volunteering. Tony never meets a stranger. He loves photography and is a master at telling stories through his photos. Tony has a degree in Engineering and loves to work in rural areas and help advance technology and products. 

Legal Counsel - Tanzania

Asella is an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania and courts subordinate for the primary court and currently working with Mawalla Advocates www.mawalla.co.tz as an Associate. She holds a Bachelor degree from the University of Dar es Salaam. On meeting Laurel Werner in 2017 as a client and helping Laurel set up KiliTech's legal structure and compliance matters, Asella and Laurel saw the need in joining forces. Her advisory services will be useful to the board and the foundation in ensuring compliance with the local laws and also add valuable insight to the projects benefiting the people of Tanzania.

Creative Director

Leslie is president of Ellis Edits Inc, a Denver-based provider of technology “translation” services designed to detangle and clarify the technology landscape including writing gigs, public speaking, video production, research, and interviewing. Since 1987, she’s moderated more than 200 industry panel discussions, conducted hundreds of video interviews, and is an accurate and creative “translator” of techno-lingo. Leslie graduated from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1986 with a B.S. and B.A. in computer science and business information systems. She volunteers with FIRST Robotics, a global organization dedicated to showing students at every age that they can become science and technology leaders. She’s similarly passionate about the world’s pollinators, -- as a 6th year beekeeper, founder of the Women Who Bee club, and executive producer of BEE PEOPLE, a 2014 documentary focused on the backyard beekeeping community and how we can all help the decline of the honeybee population by aiming for the existence of a beehive every 2 miles.​

Legal Director

Seamus Patrick Smith is an attorney with Creative Planning Legal and practices in the areas of estate, business and tax planning. Seamus is dedicated to protecting the well-being of his clients and their families. Seamus speaks frequently on estate and tax planning topics and has been quoted in articles by numerous publications, including the Kansas City Business Journal, Investment News and Ingram's. He has also taught business and tax law for the MBA programs of Benedictine College and the University of Saint Mary. Seamus was selected as a 2012 Rising Star by KC Business Magazine and a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Seamus received a B.A. from Benedictine College, a Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law and a LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He is a member of the Overland Park South Rotary Club, Children’s Mercy Hospital Planned Giving Council, and the Kansas City Estate Planning Society. Seamus resides in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife and daughter.