a co-founder | Academic Programs International

Brittany Fowler Norman is a mom, wife, mentor, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. She is a co-founder of Academic Programs International, one of the leading Study Abroad organizations in the United States, and has helped manage, lead and support the mission of international education for over 20
years.

Along with her husband, Michael, she has invested in many emerging companies in the U.S. and globally, with the purpose of investing in people and enterprises that affect change in the world on all scales. She enjoys mentoring women on
the topics of family, life and business, and hopes to encourage other women as they weave together the roles and identities of being a child of God, a wife, mother and entrepreneur. Together with her family, she strives to impact these forums through the local and global church, strategic projects and investments,
relationships and business.

Brittany is the mother of 5 and active in the lives of each member of her family and many in the community. She is passionate about languages and cultures, the global issues of poverty, adoption, education and international education and the empowerment of people to be functioning, successful members of their families and communities.

Global Head | Board Engagement

Byron’s career has focused on developing efficiencies in the areas of management, technology and business development. His experience includes roles as a CEO, directorship, and in finance.  His board experience consists of both corporate and not-for-profit director roles.  Along with corporate governance and management expertise, Byron has worked in England, Europe, post-war Balkan countries, and Australia. Byron is a member of the Society for Corporate Secretaries, ICSA, NACD, and IOD.Byron is a graduate of Harvard Business School (OPM) and James Madison University (BA – History and Literature).

LINKS

• Center for Board Excellence

• LinkedIn

Founder & Executive Chairman, Akola

Brittany is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Akola, “She Works”, the premiere social impact brand in the luxury space that sells high- fashion jewelry retailing at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. At Akola, with every unit sold, a woman’s life changes and her family is transformed.

Akola offers employment, economic mobility, and empowerment for women in need in Uganda. Over the past 15 years, Brittany and the Akola team have worked to build Akola’s manufacturing business in rural Uganda, exclusively employing women in poverty who care for an average of 9 dependents. Back in the states, Brittany and the Akola team have built a retail brand selling in top retail brands throughout the country. Simultaneously, the organization operates Akola Academy, a non-profit, teaching Akola women to use their income to transform the lives of their families and communities.

Brittany is honored to be a part of creating a high-impact hybrid model paving the way for other businesses that seek to change the world. Akola’s model aligns with strong market trends including women’s empowerment, vertical integration, transparency, sustainable sourcing, and social impact.

Brittany has been featured on the Katie Couric Show, CNN, Fox Business and in Modern Luxury. Akola jewelry has been featured on the pages of Vogue, Town and Country, Harper’s Bazaar, and People Style Watch.

Brittany has a Master’s degree in Inter-cultural Studies and worked for over 4 years as an Adjunct Professor of Social Innovation at Souther Methodist University. Today, Brittany continues her work at Akola as Executive Chairman and Founder and serves on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa to advise the U.S. President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on ways to strengthen commercial engagement between the United States and Africa.

LINKS

• LinkedIn

• Akola

Awards:

• 2018: Named one of 25 people reshaping the future of retail by the National Retail Federation

• 2017: Named one of the World’s Top 10 CEOs by Inc Magazine

• 2016: Awarded a silver medal from the Business & Interfaith Peace Award given by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

• 2014: Named the ‘Best Person in the World” by Yahoo

• 2014: Honored by clothing manufacturer Levi as one of 50 women around the globe who have changed the political, cultural, and spiritual shape of the future

• 2014: Awarded the Young Leader Award by the Dallas Women’s Foundation

• 2013: Awarded the Emerging Leader Award by Southern Methodist University

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LINKS

This article was originally published here by The Bible Project

— by The Bible Project and Jon Collins

Conversations about racial injustice continue to rage across the country, and as so many are doing, we’re trying our best to listen, to learn, and to help initiate progress toward a more equal and just society. That’s why we want to share this video from the team at The Bible Project. We recently had Jon Collins on the podcast, and they’re doing incredible work to make the Bible easier to understand and access. This video is just one timely example of that.

Founder and VP | Kaleo

Evan is Vice President, Product Development. He is a co-founder of Intelliject and is co-inventor of Intelliject’s technology platforms. He manages all areas of the invention and design process, including the company’s intellectual property portfolio. Evan has been recognized among his peers for his expertise and work in human factors engineering (HFE) and he is actively involved with the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society (HFES) and serves on the Medical Devices for Injection and Human Factors Committees for the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).

Evan is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Systems Engineering with a concentration on HFE.

LINKS

• Kaleo

• LinkedIn