Rahama Wright, Founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty Has Been Appointed to the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Rahama Wright, the Founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty, along with 14 other private sector leaders, were appointed to the newly established President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. PAC-DBIA members were hand-picked to advise the President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on strengthening commercial engagement between the United States and Africa.
"Economic growth on the Continent will continue to drive demand for U.S. exports, which will ultimately help create jobs at home and provide valuable investment opportunities for U.S. businesses," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. "With Africa being home to six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world, the President's Advisory Council will provide expert counsel on strengthening our partnerships with African countries to leverage opportunities for U.S. companies committed for the long term."
The appointments were announced in Atlanta on November 5th at Discover Global Markets, a Commerce-led business development forum held in Atlanta that focuses on export opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana, among others.
"I am honored to be among a diverse group of private sector leaders who will be responsible for helping guide Secretary Pritzker in achieving President Obama's goal to strengthen and improve business development in Africa," said Wright upon receiving her appointment. "I hope that my perspective as a social entrepreneur supporting grassroots economic development for women in rural Sub Saharan Africa will add value to the Advisory Committee."
About Rahama Wright
Rahama Wright was introduced to shea butter production in 2002 during an internship for the Department of State at the American Embassy in Burkina Faso. She discovered the challenges women shea producers faced bringing products to market. Soon after, she committed to a two year Peace Corps service in Mali, where she worked to create the first shea butter cooperative in her village. A first generation Ghanaian American, Rahama connected to the struggles of many of the women in her village. In 2005, Rahama launched Shea Yeleen International, a 501c3 that helps women in West Africa organize cooperatives and provides training and micro-enterprise development. In 2012, she created Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty, LLC a for profit sister organization focused on the distribution of shea butter products. Shea Yeleen is working to help women in Northern Ghana earn a living wage through the production and sale of shea and gain more visibility within the US marketplace. In 2008, the White House Project and O, Oprah Magazine selected Rahama as a national leader through their Women Rule program. Rahama holds a degree in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo and is an avid traveler.
For more information, please visit www.sheayeleen.com and www.trade.gov/pac-dbia.
SOURCE Rahama Wright
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