Dr. Terry Neese
Serial entrepreneur Dr. Terry Neese, is a lifelong Oklahoman and has spent over thirty (30) years finding careers for men and women. She is the founder of Terry Neese Personnel Services (TNPS), National Grassroots Network, Women Impacting Public Policy and the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW). Terry’s daughter, Kim Neese, is now the President/Owner of TNPS.
Under the umbrella of IEEW operates the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program which educates and empowers women entrepreneurs in developing countries to achieve their dream of financial independence, community involvement, and political activism. Since its creation in 2006, the program has trained nearly 600 women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda, who have in turn employed over 13,000 of their countrymen and women.
A member of the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council, past national president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and founder of Terry Neese Personnel Services, Dr. Neese is known as a small business expert and was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the “Power 30”—the most influential small businesspersons in Washington, D.C. She has been featured throughout several media outlets including MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, SBTV, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times and The Washington Post.
Terry is an inductee into the National and Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fames; her involvement with women business owners and family issues is well documented through her participation in the following:
- Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)– WIPP joins together a membership across the nation totaling over half-million women entrepreneurs and executives and serves as a voice for women in business at the United States Capitol.
- National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA); Distinguished Fellow – Terry led the organization’s Family Policy Center, where she developed policy ideas that helped women, families, and small businesses keep more of their earned money, and make better financial and health choices. In addition, Terry conducted bipartisan briefings on family issues with congressional leaders and their staffs and has regularly testified before the U.S. House and Senate.
A successful businesswoman, Terry made history in 1990 when she became the first woman nominated by a major political party for the seat of Lt. Governor of Oklahoma. She was named an Outstanding Business Leader by the Northwood University Board of Trustees in 2006, and received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the university in 2008. In 2013 she received the Enterprising Women Legacy Award, the National Women Business Owners Corporation Leadership Award, and the Journal Record’s “Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO.” In 2014, Dr. Neese was only the second woman to be honored with the Oklahoma Sister Cities Global Vision award. Other notable accolades include NAWBO’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Terry has been appointed to numerous councils and positions with nominations by prominent leaders, such as Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Current and previous roles include:
- Board of Director to the Euro-American Women’s Council
- S.-Afghanistan Women’s Council, through which she traveled to Afghanistan in 2007
- National Advisory Council on Indian Education
- Les Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales (FCEM) Regional Commissioner for the Americas
- National Women’s Business Council (a bipartisan federal government council created to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President and Congress)
- Advisory Council for the United States Committee for United Nations Development Fund for Women
- National Finance Chair for Republican presidential nominee, Carly Fiornia
Terry is also a pilot and a former bastetball phenom in Southwestern Oklahoma and Northern Texas. Daughter, Kim Neese, TNPS, is the proud mom of Emily and Erin. They reside in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, along with Neese’s 94 years young mother, Vida Bowles.
Contact Dr. Terry Neese at [email protected]
Caroline Cohenour
A proud Oklahoma City native, Caroline studied, lived and worked in California for over a decade, following her passion for writing in positions ranging from Silicon Valley copywriter to Hollywood agency script coverage writer. Working in both the tech and entertainment industries helped hone her use of words to move hearts and minds while giving her a respect for and ability to work within tight deadlines in fast-paced environments.
Caroline joined IEEW in the Fall of 2015 as a part time staffer and came on full time in January of 2016, recently transitioning to the role of Communications & Student Coordinator. Experiencing her first PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS ® Leadership Development in July, she enjoyed meeting all the amazing women and global entrepreneurs that comprise this program, from students to volunteers.
A photographer and painter, Caroline is also one of a dozen resident artists/co-owners at co-op gallery In Your Eye Gallery in Oklahoma City’s historic Paseo Arts District.
Contact Karen at [email protected]
Karel Ford, CMP
Karel brings to her position an extensive and wide-ranging educational background, including a bachelor’s degree in business-finance, another degree in creative studies, a certified meeting professional certification, career development through business organizations and even a 200-hour yoga training certificate. Prior to joining IEEW, she spent 20 years with an Oklahoma-based meeting and incentive travel company, serving as an independent planner who helped corporations and associations conceptualize and organize major programs and events. Much of Karel’s time involved working with suppliers from around the world, and many of those people were from emerging countries. She had the opportunity to watch several of the latter individuals grow their businesses over the years.
Coming from a long line of empowered women, both of Karel’s maternal great-grandmothers ran away from their husbands and started their own businesses to make ends meet. Her grandmother ran her own business until she married at age 26, and her mother, a valedictorian, went to college at age 49, the year of the Oklahoma oil bust. Her mother, who is now 74, is still working and volunteering.
Karel’s responsibilities as the Director of Operations at IEEW include developing, implementing and managing programs. Among her many duties she also books speakers, matches mentors and hosts with the students, recruits volunteers and outlines the agenda for the summer PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Leadership Development program.
Karel and her husband are members of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Myriad Gardens, and enjoy going to the movies and stage productions. Her leisure pursuits include teaching three yoga classes per week, cycling, hiking, reading books; traveling, and trading healthy, superfood inventions with a few close friends. Each day, Karel walks her shepherd mix, Fate, in downtown Oklahoma City while black cat, Lila, tags along.
Contact Karel at [email protected].
Manizha Wafeq
Manizha Wafeq is currently earning her MBA at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) and has been working over 14 years with various development projects for women’s empowerment and gender equality. Manizha served as Gender Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Her achievements include activating the Gender Units within both Commerce and Economy and providing higher education opportunities for female employees of the two ministries. Ms. Wafeq has co-authored a Gender and the Legal Framework of Afghanistan training manual, as well as a training manual for Start-up Businesses. She has trained more than 500 government staff in Kabul and the Provinces on Gender Mainstreaming. Manizha has worked as Afghanistan In-Country Facilitator for The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women’s PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program and has trained more than 270 business women from Kabul and the Provinces. She is an entrepreneur, creating a clothing production company, Wonderland Women-Saleeqa, featuring both one-of-a-kind fashions and ready-to-wear. Though she has a busy schedule, Manizha’s commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality encouraged her to serve a two year term on the Executive Board of the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) and to help found both the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network and Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan Development (LEAD) in order to advocate for women’s economic rights and roles in Afghanistan.
افغانستان، مدت 14 سال میشود که در پروژه های انکشافی در بخش جندر و توانمند سازی زنان کار میکند. از جمله کارهای که منیژه وافق انجام داده و دست آورد هایش شمرده میشود مشاوریت جندر در وزارت تجارت و صنایع و وزارت اقتصاد میباشد که واحد های جندر را در این دو وزارت فعال و تعداد از زنان وزارت تجارت و اقتصاد را در زمینه تحصیلات عالی شان کمک نموده.او رهنمائی آموزشی جندردر چارچوب قانونی افغانستان و رهنمائی آموزشی برای آغاز تجارت ها با دو موءلف دیگر نوشته که به بیشتر از 500 تن از کارمندان وزارت خانه ها در کابل و ولایات آموزش های جندر، شامل سازی جندر و تحلیل پالیسی ها و بودجه به اساس جندر، دایر نموده. خانم منیژه وافق 9 سال میشود که مسئول برنامه “تجارت مایه صلح PEACE THROUGH BUINESS®” با انستیتوت توسعه اقتصادی زنان که در ایالات متحده امریکا موقعیت دارد کار مینماید. از طریق برنامه “تجارت مایه صلح ” برای بیشتر از 250 تن زنان تجارت پیشه کابل، بامیان، هرات، مزار، دایکندی، جلال آباد و غزنی آموزش داده است. منیژه وافق با دو شریک شرکت تولید البسه خویش “Wonderland Women” و نام تولید اش سلیقه پیش میبرد. ضمن مصروفیت هایش نسبت تعهد که برای توانمند سازی زنان دارد عضویت بورد شبکه زنان را برای دو سال نیز پذیرفته بود و از جمله موسسین مجتمع “تجارت مایع صلح” و اتحادیهLEAD میباشد که برای حقوق اقتصاد زنان دادخواهی مینماید. وظیفه فعلی اش مشاور جندر و ارزیابی در یکی از پروژه های کمک های ایالت متحده امریکا در کابل میباشد.
Contact Manizha at [email protected].
Chantal Munanayire
Born in Rwanda, Chantal Munanayire has been married to Wycliffe Kwikiriza for 21 wonderful years and is mother to 4 beautiful kids; Emery, Elisa, Anais and Sandra. Chantal holds both Rwandan and Canadian citizenships.
A successful businesswoman, Chantal is the only woman to own a garage in Rwanda, QUICK & C LTD. Ms. Munanayire is also the first woman elected to be the President of Rwanda Garage Association, a post she has had since 2011.
In 2014, Chantal graduated from PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Entrepreneurship Training Program and was named an Enterprising Woman of the Year 2014 by Enterprising Women Magazine of USA.
Since 2015 Chantal has taken on the role of Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women’s PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® In-Country Facilitator Rwanda, where she teaches entrepreneurship during the January through March Training Program for 30 Women, and facilitates the best 15 women to go to the USA for mentorship and graduation in July.
Chantal is Co-founder of MCDC (Mother and Childhood Development Center), a non-profit organization. MCDC is dedicated to improving the socio-economic lives of low income women and children.
In 2015, Chantal was elected as the 1st Vice President of the Chamber of Arts and Crafts, one of 9 Chambers forming the Private Sector Federation of Rwanda. Chamber of Arts and Crafts has 5,400 members nationwide.
Recently, Chantal became one of 7 directors on the board of Gasabo Investment Company, a public company providing various business activities, including the development of property/real estate projects.
Contact Chantal at [email protected].
Teresa White
Teresa White brings over 20 years of international relief and development experience to the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women; a quarter of those years were spent with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of their Financial Services for the Poor initiative. She has enjoyed traveling to developing countries, seeing, experiencing and learning from the vast cultures that make up our world today. Having spent time in 14 countries in all corners of the globe, including Afghanistan, Kenya, and Ecuador, she hopes to grow that number in the upcoming years.
Teresa grew up on beautiful Whidbey Island in the state of Washington; however, she lived most of her life in and around the Seattle area. She moved to Oklahoma City in recent years to be closer to her mother and was excited to find an international non-profit where she can add value in her role as Executive Assistant to Dr. Terry Neese.
Contact Teresa at [email protected].