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Home > About > Our History |
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Our History The two founders, Renae Adam and Kristin Johnson, met in 1992 in Ghana during their tenure in the US Peace Corps. Stationed in nearby communities (1992–1995), they collaborated on many projects working to empower women. Both Renae and Kristin fell in love with Ghana, its people, and the drive of many business women to grow their enterprises in order to provide better lives for their children. Over the next eight years as the co-founders obtained MBAs and gained valuable experience in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, they continued to volunteer their time in finding markets abroad for several women batikers in Ghana. Seeing noticeable improvements in the quality of life of the women as a result of their limited volunteer time, they decided to form a nonprofit organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of women in Africa. Women in Progress was established as a US nonprofit corporation in May 2002. The US operation, led by Kristin, focuses on finding markets for the products made by women in Ghana and recruiting local volunteers and students to donate their expertise to female micro entrepreneurs. Relocating to Ghana, Renae established the organization as a local NGO in Ghana in September 2002 and began offering business development services in March of 2003. Since that time, utilizing small private donations, Women in Progress has been able to extend exporting services to many woman-led businesses in Ghana.  Kristin Johnson (left) and Renae Adam (center) with the founding members of the Women’s Batik Co-op in Prampram, Ghana. Renae Adam - Executive Director Prior to co-founding Women in Progress, Renae Adam managed the application outsourcing division and network consulting practice at Integrated Information Systems in the US. She managed several large eCommerce projects and consulted on IT/business strategy issues at American Express and held other roles in strategic planning and communications. Renae also helped Motorola implement a supplier-managed inventory system in Toulouse, France. Her inspiration for women's efforts to advance in business stemmed from her Peace Corps assignment as a Small Enterprise Development volunteer in Ghana (1992-1995). She enabled a community of women to bring a new product idea to fruition in addition to co-founding a women’s cooperative credit union and business center. Renae has an MBA and Master in Information Management from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Boise State University. Kristin Johnson - International Trade Director Kristin Johnson, Women in Progress co-founder, has nearly a decade of experience working with women entrepreneurs to develop and finance their companies. Currently at the Women’s Business Development Center of Chicago, Kristin oversees the Business Opportunity Center, Women’s Business Enterprise Certification program, WBDC web site, in addition to Springboard, a venture capital forum for women-led companies. Kristin first became interested in women’s economic development issues while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana, West Africa. While working in Ghana, Kristin founded the Cape Coast Women’s Business Center and the Progressive Women’s Credit Union, both of which continue to provide women entrepreneurs with access to credit and business education. Kristin has an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. |
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