About Próspera
Potential for Prosperity
Economic Development Platform Enabling Sustainable, Profitable Growth In Partnership with Governments and Communities
What We Believe
Each person has equal
potential for prosperity.
Positive-Sum Economics
Prosperity and sustainability can grow together.
Human rights are right for business.
Prosperity grows by instituting ethics in all our dealings with each other.
People are the measure of prosperity.
Prosperity is measured in the flourishing of individuals and the health of our communities.
Who We Are
Our Executive Team
Erick A. Brimen
CEO & Chairman of the Board
Erick started his career in investment banking at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, before working as an M&A advisor for AG Edwards & Sons (now Wells Fargo). He then joined Ernst & Young’s London advisory practice. After that, he led the creation of multiple business units as CFO of LATAM at the Borealis Group, and as an entrepreneur in the financial services industry. Erick is a member of the Society for International Development, in Washington DC.
Joel Bomgar
President
Joel is an entrepreneur and technology executive. He currently serves as State Representative in the Mississippi legislature. Joel is the Founder of Bomgar Corporation now BeyondTrust), the global leader in remote support technology and Privileged Access Management (PAM), with more than 20,000 customers, including 78 of the Fortune 100, and offices worldwide. Joel is the Honorary Chairman of the Hazlitt Coalition of Young Americans for Liberty and the Founder of Out of Last Place Institute in Mississippi. Prior to coming on board in this formal capacity, Joel has served as an advisor and board member of Próspera.
Gabriel Delgado
Chief Development Officer
Gabriel is a Central American entrepreneur who has worked in the telecom, cryptocurrency, and internet spaces. Among his ventures are Widefense – an IT Security Managed Services Provider – and Ubiquo – an A2P and Market Research software company. Gabriel is a Trustee of Universidad Francisco Marroquin, an Aspen Institute Fellow, and a member of both the Central America Leadership Initiative and YPO’s Guatemala chapter.
Tom Murcott
Executive Director
Prior to joining Próspera, Tom served in the EVP positions of CMO and later Global Foreign Investment Officer at Gale International. In the latter role, Tom was tasked with bringing investors and residents to Songdo IBD - the 1,500 acre $35-billion, smart, sustainable city rising in Incheon, South Korea. Tom was also a leader on the joint master plan development task force for the 1,700-acre Meixi Lake Eco-City project in Changsha, Hunan, PRC.
Nick Dranias
General Counsel
Over his two decades of private practice, Nick maintained a successful business and real estate practice in multiple states. Recently, he served as Senior Litigator in the Arizona Attorney General’s Government Accountability Unit. He has served as the General Counsel for the Goldwater Institute, and led 5 states to join a compact to advance a federal balanced budget amendment, won a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and broke up licensing monopolies in numerous industries.
Trey Goff
Chief of Staff & Chief Marketing Officer
Trey Goff is the Chief of Staff & Chief Marketing Officer to the CEO. Prior to joining Próspera, Trey led the Out of Last Place Institute in Mississippi, co-founded the National Liberty Coalition, and co-authored “Promoting Prosperity in Mississippi” with the Institute for Market Studies.
J. Robertson
VP of Development
J. Robertson serves as the Sales Manager. Prior to this, he worked as a policy analyst supporting the passage of criminal justice reform legislation in Mississippi. He served as the Director of Employability and Criminal Justice Reform at Empower Mississippi and has worked as a consultant helping policymakers craft public policy solutions to challenging problems.
Max Medina
Director of Architectural Projects
Max Medina is a Honduran Architect, and Junior Partner in LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture). Max was president for four consecutive years of the architecture school of the University of San Pedro Sula. This led him to become the President of the Coordination of Architecture students of Honduras CEAH, Association affiliated with the Latin American coordinator of Architecture students (CLEA). He is now focused on creating a brighter future for his home country.
Fae Narciso
Operations Manager
After obtaining a degree in Communications from Miriam College in Manila, Fae started her career working as a freelancer for various companies. From photography to event organization, until becoming one of the "Top Rated Plus" contractors on UpWork. These experiences gave Fae the wide-range of skills to become the go-to person for any task. She joined Próspera in 2018 as Executive Assistant to the CEO, and currently serves as Operations Manager.
Próspera Council
Jorge Colindres
Technical Secretary
Jorge has experience advising local and regional business groups in the design and implementation of their corporate governance system, international tax planning, strategic acquisitions, regulatory compliance, and asset protection strategies.
Also, he is author and co-author of several studies on economic freedom, tax reform, energy market liberalization, special economic zones, constitutional law, and civil liberties. International recognition for his advocacy on behalf of the taxpayer due process rights, through which 15 out of his 20 policy proposals were adopted by the National Congress in the country’s new Tax Code, benefitting over 2 million registered taxpayers (Free Market Solutions to Poverty, 2017).
Duane McNab
Council Observer, CEO, MAX Communications
Duane McNab is the CEO of Max Communications, dedicated to providing stable and consumer internet services, television, and voice over IP phone services throughout the Island of Roatán. His company also provides business solutions, including data transport services, dedicated Internet links, and corporate telephone service across the island via a fiber-optic network and wireless redundancy. McNab and his family participate in island culture through activities such as lobster diving and his Christian charity, Roatán for Christ Alliance.
Deborah Mills
Council Member, Founder of the Center for Economic and Social Research at the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise
Deborah Mills received a Bachelor in Economics with a Master in Development of Socio-Economic Policies, which she has leveraged in her extensive professional experience to develop socio-economic studies for Central America, including as the founder and general director of the Center for Economic and Social Research at the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (Consejo Hondureño de la Empresa Privada) from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2004 to 2006. Mills also has more than thirty years of experience directing and managing a wide variety of urban projects in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She recently decided to direct her education and expertise to the development and promotion of Zones of Employment and Economic Development (Zonas de Empleo y Desarollo Economico) (ZEDE).
Erick A. Brimen
Council Member
Erick started his career in investment banking at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, before working as an M&A advisor for AG Edwards & Sons (now Wells Fargo). He then joined Ernst & Young’s London advisory practice. After that, he led the creation of multiple business units as CFO of LATAM at the Borealis Group, and as an entrepreneur in the financial services industry. Erick is a member of the Society for International Development, in Washington DC.
Gabriel Delgado
Council Member
Gabriel is a Central American entrepreneur who has worked in the telecom, cryptocurrency, and internet spaces. Among his ventures are Widefense – an IT Security Managed Services Provider – and Ubiquo – an A2P and Market Research software company. Gabriel is a Trustee of Universidad Francisco Marroquin, an Aspen Institute Fellow, and a member of both the Central America Leadership Initiative and YPO’s Guatemala chapter.
Oliver Porter
Council Member, Founder of Sandy Springs, Georgia
Oliver Porter is an expert in the field of city governance with years of experience developing innovative public-private partnerships for cities. Oliver is the founder of Sandy Springs, Georgia, a fully privatized city in the USA of 100k+ residents. Oliver’s book on municipal governance is wildly considered to be the best guide for practices in Public-Private Partnerships for cities. Oliver has catalyzed the creation of several new cities based upon his new model of public-private partnerships around the world.
Jeanette Doran
Council Member, President, NC Institute for Constitutional Law
Jeanette Doran has served on the Appellate Rules Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association for nine years. Also, in 2012, she was appointed by the North Carolina House of Representatives to serve a two-year term on the Rules Review Commission and continues in that capacity today. Doran is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs and has published scholarly articles in law reviews, whitepapers and op-ed commentary.
Rodrigo Quercia
Council Observer, CEO, Grupo SolPanamby
A profound strategic thinker, Rodrigo Quercia led the creation of multiple business units at the Brazilian Grupo SolPanamby while shepherding the group’s strategic plan. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Quercia experienced first-hand the devastating effects poverty can have, driving him to focus his efforts on sustainable socioeconomic development. Prior to membership on the Council, Quercia worked in the investment banking industry in Hong Kong and Brazil.
Tom Murcott
Council Observer
Prior to joining Próspera, Tom served in the EVP positions of CMO and later Global Foreign Investment Officer at Gale International. In the latter role, Tom was tasked with bringing investors and residents to Songdo IBD - the 1,500 acre $35-billion, smart, sustainable city rising in Incheon, South Korea. Tom was also a leader on the joint master plan development task force for the 1,700-acre Meixi Lake Eco- City project in Changsha, Hunan, PRC.
Advisory Board
Paul Critchlow
Former Vice Chairman, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch
Paul is the former Vice Chairman, Public Markets for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Over 30 years, he headed global communications & public affairs at Merrill Lynch and then became lead municipal banker with governors, treasurers, and mayors around the United States.
Jeff Singer
Former CEO of Dubai International Financial Center & Nasdaq Dubai
Jeff is the former CEO of the Dubai International Financial Center Authority (DIFC) and former CEO of Nasdaq Dubai. Singer led the DIFC out of the global financial crisis in 2008 and through a sustained period of rapid growth. Prior to his move to Dubai, Mr. Singer, was senior vice president of Nasdaq OMX Group, which runs stock markets in 26 countries around the world as well as clearing houses and central securities depositories.
Chirag Shah
Former Strategy Executive at Dubai International Financial Center
Chirag was a Senior member of the executive team of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) from founding until 2017, ending as Chief Strategy Officer. He was the longest serving leadership executive of the DIFC from the start through its entire 12-year history. He led various phases of the DIFC through start-up and high growth.
Patrick Schumacher
Principal, Zaha Hadid Architects
Patrik is a Principal Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects in London, the world’s top architectural design firm. Schumacher has a PhD in philosophy as well as an architecture degree. Schumacher has been teaching at a variety of architectural schools in Britain, Continental Europe, and the USA since 1992. He also founded the “Design Research Laboratory” at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and continues to serve as one of its co-directors.
Mike Dieckman
Council Observer
Mike is a seasoned executive and a technology and marketing entrepreneur; founder of WSIMetrix, a digital marketing and consulting firm. He has extensive experience in digital transformation, technology, retail, and distribution. He currently serves as the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is also the president of the board of FEREMA, a leading education NGO in Honduras. Michael is a fellow of the Central America Leadership Initiative of the Aspen Institute and member of Young Presidents Organization YPO. Michael has served on the board of several education and leadership organizations. He is committed to the transformation of education and the economy through technology, strong civil society, and the application of sound and consistent government policy.
Jonathan Swanson
Co-Founder, Thumbtack
Jonathan is the Founder & Chairman of Thumbtack, a $1B+ Silicon Valley–based online services platform and Founder & Chairman of Athena, a startup that specializes in harnessing global work-from-home talent. Before starting technology companies, Swanson, a graduate of Yale University, worked for three years in the White House for the President's top economic advisor.
Shanker Singham
CEO, Competere
Shanker Singham is the CEO of Competere and a fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs. As one of the world’s leading international trade experts and competition lawyers, he has worked on the revitalization of the UK electricity market, the transition of Central and Eastern European economies to market-based economies and integration of Latin America into global markets.
Uwe S. Brandes
Principal, Brandes Partners LLP
Uwe Brandes is an award-winning urban planner with 25-year track record translating innovative new ideas into urban investment. He is professor and founding director of the Georgetown University urban planning program and the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative. He serves as chairman of the District of Columbia Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency.
Shajay Bhooshan
Senior Associate, Zaha Hadid Architects
Shajay is a Senior Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects where he co-founded and heads the research activities of the Computation and Design (ZHCODE) group. He also works as a studio master at the Architectural Association Design Research Lab (AADRL), Master’s program in London. He pursues his research in structure and fabrication aware architectural geometry as a PhD Candidate at the Block Research Group, ETH Zurich. Previously, he has worked at Populous, London and completed his M.Phil from the university of Bath and M. Arch from the AA School of Architecture, London.
Akira Back
Michelin-Starred Chef
Born in Korea and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Chef Akira Back has enticed the culinary world with his bold interpretations of Asian fare with American influence. From extreme sports athlete to Michelin Star award-winning chef, Akira Back’s journey to culinary success had been anything but dull.Chef Akira’s success also translates into operational excellence overseeing all of the company’s locations across the globe. With 14 venues currently open worldwide in cities such as Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Dubai, Singapore, Toronto, Seoul and another 9 restaurants set to open in the next 3 years, Chef Akira Back has a global reach that is unmatched.
Thomas Anderson
CFO, Akira Back
Thomas Anderson has served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Akira Back’s global hospitality portfolio since 2015. Thomas is responsible for all aspects of business operations and corporate finance including financial analysis, risk analysis, accounting, budgeting and forecasting, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations.During his tenure with Akira Back, Thomas has overseen the strategy and development of 13 different venues around the globe in 8 different countries. Prior to working with Chef Akira, Thomas held senior management roles in global hospitality, commercial real estate, gaming and convention industries where he has led M&As and the development of multiple hotels, commercial centers and F&B outlets from pre-construction financing to daily operations.
Michael Weber
President, DIA
Michael is a true cryptocurrency veteran and the current President of DIA, building on the vision of creating a Wikipedia for financial data. He founded, scaled and exited several blockchain companies in the EU and Switzerland after working in investment banking in London and Paris. His focus is the institutional cooperation on digital asset compliance, acceptance and regulatory frameworks. His latest company DIA Data is valued at ca. US$1bn.
