Andrew Raphael is a Licensed teacher of Spanish and English to Speakers of Other Languages from Brooklyn, New York. After teaching for several years in New York City, he finished his graduate studies in TESOL and moved to Guatemala in September of 2011. Soon thereafter, Andrew moved to San Marcos La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlán. After a year of living in the community, he heard about a program providing daily meals to food-insecure families, a program that would have to close due to lack of funding and administration. Andrew committed to take over day-to-day operations so that Konojel would be able to remain open. 

Under Andrew’s direction, Konojel grew significantly over the next six years to include an Enrichment Program for primary-aged children, a Center for Educational Technology, and a Social Enterprise Restaurant, among others. During this time Konojel became a fixture at the local municipal council and subcommittees in collaboration with other nonprofits, schools, and government agencies.

Andrew left his role as Executive Director in 2018 and now continues his support of Konojel as a board member of the All Together Foundation. He remains dedicated to supporting underserved communities, in particular in Guatemala and the United States. He created a Digital Equity program for immigrant parents from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador at Parent Services Project in San Rafael, California. Andrew currently serves as Executive Director of Antigua, Guatemala-based Nursing Heart, Inc.