The people who steward Ilanzi's light forward.

Sue Pujdak
Board Director & Secretary

Board Director & Secretary

Sue Pujdak

There are moments in life when a connection feels too meaningful to ignore. In 1973, my parents married while working in Zambia, and growing up, I was captivated by their stories of their time there. Since losing them, I’ve felt a strong pull toward the country that holds such an important place in my family’s story.

That connection became even more meaningful when Cindy’s son became close friends with my son. Cindy is a fellow parent and the founder of the Ilanzi Foundation. As I learned more about Cindy’s vision and Ilanzi’s mission, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I’m honored to serve as Secretary on the Board.

Throughout my career as a business and technology leader, I’ve been passionate about bringing people together—connecting individuals, ideas, and resources to solve problems, create opportunities, and help communities thrive. I believe meaningful progress happens when people with different experiences and strengths come together around a shared purpose. I bring that same focus to my volunteer work, including serving as a Healing Conversations Coordinator with the Colorado chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and volunteering at my church’s coffee shop.

I’m also an avid runner and have used running to bring people together in support of mental health. In October 2024, I ran the Chicago Marathon and raised $5,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Later this month, I’ll run the Berlin Marathon in support of Still I Run, and I’m proud to have raised nearly $10,000 for the organization. These experiences have reinforced my belief that individual efforts can become something much more powerful when people unite behind a cause.

At the heart of my work with Ilanzi is a simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and build a future filled with possibility. I’m excited to help bring people, resources, and ideas together to make that opportunity more accessible to children and families in Zambia.

Sue Pujdak

Kilolo Hazel Mpundu
Board Member

Board Member

Kilolo Hazel Mpundu

Ilanzi was my daughter. Her time with us was brief, but she changed the course of my life forever. In my native language, her name means “Light” — and even now, I find that fitting. She has never stopped illuminating the path in front of me.

In the years since losing her, God has blessed me with four more children, and being their mother has taught me daily what it means to hold both grief and gratitude in the same heart. I’m also a wife, a student of Scripture, and a finance professional.

I hold an MBA in Finance and bring over a decade of experience in finance, financial management and corporate governance, alongside experience in business development, organisational leadership and building businesses from the ground up. Every skill I’ve gained along the way — in numbers, in leadership, in building things that last — feels like it was preparing me for this.

These experiences have given me a deep appreciation for leadership, stewardship and accountability, and a passion for building things that create lasting value. I am especially passionate about initiatives that give children and vulnerable individuals access to education, basic needs and opportunities to build better futures. I believe every person deserves to be seen, valued and given the opportunity to thrive.

Serving on the Board of The Ilanzi Foundation is deeply personal to me. It is my way of turning sorrow into service, and of making sure that no child in need goes without the things Ilanzi never had the chance to grow up and ask for herself — an education, a safe place to sleep, and someone who sees them and says: “You matter.”

I believe God brings purpose out of our pain when we let Him.

It is an honour to serve on the Board of The Ilanzi Foundation, and I do so with a grateful heart — carrying both the memory of the daughter I lost and the gratitude for the life and opportunities God has given me to serve others.

With love and gratitude,
Kilolo