Inspiring Girls to Achieve
Raised on a sugarcane farm in rural Western Kenya, Dr. Juliana Otieno was an exceptionally bright child and at age 14 was called to a top national school. Her family could not afford to send her, but her village took up a collection so she could go. It was a kindness she would never forget and has paid back several times over. Dr. Otieno would return to her community as a pediatrician and ultimately serve as CEO of Western Kenya’s largest teaching and referral public hospital. After retiring from public health, she entered the Inspired Leadership Initiative and has since established the Rusalia Resource Foundation, designed to identify, financially support, and mentor high potential girls. Hear from Dr. Otieno and learn about her foundation in her talk: “Inspiring Girls to Achieve.”
Meet the Faculty
Presented by Chris Stevens
Chris Stevens ’74
Co-Founding Director, Inspired Leadership Initiative
Chris Stevens ’74 oversees the Inspired Leadership Initiative as its Co-Founding Director. He is a former Irish basketball player and past member of the Notre Dame Monogram Club Board of Directors. He is one of the three original developers of the Keurig Premium Coffee System and developed the brand, sales, distribution, and marketing strategies. He was also responsible for all aspects of Keurig’s corporate social responsibility practices as part of its commitment to donate at least five percent of pre-tax profits to environmental and social causes.
In the fall of 2012, Chris joined the Mendoza College of Business as a professional specialist teaching undergraduate courses. After retiring from Keurig in 2013, he began teaching M.B.A. courses in business problem-solving, change management, and entrepreneurship at Notre Dame’s South Bend and Chicago campuses. In 2017, he joined Mendoza as a full-time faculty member.
Introducing Dr. Juliana Otieno, Senior Lecturer, Uzima University, Medical School & Founder, Rusalia Resource Foundation
Presented by Chris Stevens
Chris Stevens, Co-Founding Director of the Inspired Leadership Initiative, provides an introduction to this week’s topic: “Inspiring Girls to Achieve,” and special guest, Dr. Juliana Otieno.
Dr. Juliana Otieno
Presented by Chris Stevens
Dr. Juliana Otieno, Senior Lecturer, Uzima University, Medical School & Founder, Rusalia Resource Foundation
Juliana Otieno grew up on a Kenyan sugarcane farm, traveling eight miles to attend school as a child. Her passion for education ultimately led her to earn a medical degree from the University of Nairobi before embarking on an accomplished three-decade career in public health, one that challenged her to work as the only pediatrician in an area and to serve as chief executive officer of Western Kenya’s largest public teaching and referral hospital. Dr. Otieno worked with colleagues to obtain a grant to enable them to open the first public HIV clinic at the hospital in Kisumu, Kenya and tackle an urgent public health crisis. Despite her busy schedule, Dr. Otieno continued to teach and mentor students throughout her career before retiring in 2018.
View the Event
Presented by Chris Stevens
Subscribe to the ThinkND podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
Featured Speakers:
- Chris Stevens, Co-Founding Director, Inspired Leadership Initiative
- Dr. Juliana Otieno, Senior Lecturer, Uzima University, Medical School & Founder, Rusalia Resource Foundation