International Carpe Diem Foundation

Our Board

Ethan Knight

Ethan is the founder of Carpe Diem International Education, the service organization to which ICDF provides support. He has travelled extensively on four continents and has led countless leadership training seminars.

Ethan was previously the Assistant Director of LEAPNow, another highly regarded study abroad program based in California. Ethan has been invited to speak at the City of Portland's Tri-County Diversity Conference, and is on the board of trustees for Project Aasha (meaning "Hope" in Hindi), also based in Portland. He holds certificates from the ManKind Project and Byron Katie, and has received formal training in Drs. Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks and Gary Zukov's works. He is a graduate of Willamette University in Portland Oregon, with a degree in English and Philosophy.

Nick Knudsen

Nick is a Sr. Project Manager at Worksystems, Inc., where he oversees a portfolio of workforce projects aimed at aligning local jobseeker skills with regional industry demand. Nick also spent six years at Open Meadow as Career Services Program Director, where a big portion of the work involved providing exposure, immersion, and access to college for 1st generation college students. His college access program was recognized nationally and funded through the Gates Foundation for its promising practices. Nick brings program development expertise and a passion for helping youth achieve their dreams to the ICDF Board. He has a BS from Cornell and an MA in Educational Policy from Stanford.

Emily Powell

Emily is the Vice President of renowned Powell's Bookstores, the country's largest independent book retailer. Emily's expertise in business management, fundraising, and philanthropy, are tremendous assets for the ICDF board. She holds a degree in urban planning and design from Haverford College, and an MBA from the University of California Berkeley and an MBA from Columbia University.

Stefanie Siebold

Stefanie is a Workforce and Economic Development Manager for Portland Community College. She has worked with disadvantaged young adults seeking educational opportunities and personal growth for over 15 years through her work with Job Corps. In her current position with Portland Community College, Stefanie oversees grant programs that allow dislocated and unemployed individuals the opportunity to receive occupational training to obtain self-sufficiency. Stefanie brings to the board her experience with youth, grant writing and non-profit management. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management and a Master's Degree in Public Administration.

Dr. Elizabeth Pepper Lahti

Elizabeth is a Hospitalist physician at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center where she practices inpatient medicine and volunteers at the Essential Health Clinic. She completed residency at OHSU and was chief resident of Internal Medicine. She has a BA in Spanish and English literature, and is a former high school teacher who is passionate about global awareness starting at a young age. She has lived internationally and traveled extensively in Central & South America, especially her father's native Peru. She brings her enthusiasm and eye for future medical volunteer opportunities with Carpe Diem students.

Margaret Hoffmann, J.D.

Margaret Hoffmann joined the products liability litigation group at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in January 1990. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced in Los Angeles with the law firm of Morgan, Wenzel & McNicholas from 1983-1989. Ms. Hoffmann has focused her litigation practice for the past 28 years in the areas of personal injury defense with an emphasis in the defense of pharmaceutical companies for ethical drugs and medical devices.

Ms. Hoffmann is a member of the American Bar Association, the Oregon State Bar, the California State Bar Association and the Multnomah Bar Association. Ms. Hoffmann is also a member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the Drug and Medical Device division as well as the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). Prior to attending law school, Ms. Hoffmann was the Assistant Director of Canon & Company, a residential correctional treatment center in Los Angeles which specialized in providing counseling, employment and lifestyle management services to inmates from the Federal Bureau of Prisons who were serving the last six months of their sentences in a community-based facility.

Shawn Chandler

Shawn brings extensive value to the ICDF board, including a background in corporate finance, international economics, and operations management. Shawn is the Enterprise System Architect for Portland General Electric, Oregon's largest electric utility. He also serves as one of PGE's education outreach representatives. Prior to PGE, Shawn was the Chief Technology Officer of Camouflage Media in NYC. He is currently pursuing his PhD in systems science and economics from Portland State University, and holds a B.S. in Science, also from PSU.