My Most Exciting Moment? Meeting U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, of course!

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Secretary of State John Kerry ( at center) greets African women business leaders in Washington, DC

Teta Isibo of Rwanda visited the United States this summer as a participant of the International Visitor Leadership Program’s (IVLP) African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP).  She is the Managing Director and Founder of Inzuki Designs – a company that specializes in handmade jewelry, accessories and interior décor, fusing traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.  

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African Women Entrepreneurs Leave the U.S. Empowered and Inspired

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African Women Entrepreneurs in the AWEP Program

Friday, August 9th saw the conclusion of the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, more often referred to by its acronym, “AWEP.”  30 women business leaders from 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa bid farewell to the Meridian and State Department program planners, and to one another.  This concludes their three weeks of professional meetings, workshops, cultural activities, participation in volunteer activities, and networking in Chicago, Portland, Ore., Seattle, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Washington, DC.  The participants of the program are leaving the United States with a set of experiences and contacts that will contribute to the advancement of their respective careers and business ventures.  They are heading back to their countries with a renewed sense of urgency and empowerment, as well as friendship and solidarity between themselves and the Americans with whom they engaged during their U.S. visit.

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Hope in Detroit

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General Motors' Headquarters in Detroit

Soon after Detroit filed for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy, rumors began to surface about the Detroit Institute of Arts selling off its artwork to raise much needed funds. Then there came reports that developers are “pushing for the city to sell” Belle Isle, a 982-acre island in the Detroit River for $1 billion. Supporters forecast that a privately owned Belle Isle would rival Singapore ‘as an economic miracle’, and that the island could generate ‘billions of dollars in desperately needed economic growth’, and become ‘a social laboratory for the western world’ — “an experiment in small government.” Meanwhile plans are in motion for a new Red Wings hockey arena despite the bankruptcy.  Continue