Facilitators

Ralph Christy
Ralph Christy is the J. Thomas Clarke Professor of Emerging Markets at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he teaches and conducts food marketing research and educational programs on the economic performance of markets and distribution systems. He has advised industry leaders and public policy makers on food marketing strategies, economic development, and the organization of the global food economy. A Ph.D. graduate of Michigan State University's Department of Agricultural Economics, Christy is past President of the American Agricultural Economics Association, and is currently a Board Member of the Winrock Foundation and the African Agribusiness Capital Fund.

Mohammad Karaan
Mohammad Karaan is a lecturer in Agribusiness Management and Marketing at Stellenbosch University. Before joining the University in 1997, he worked in the nongovernmental sector focusing on rural enterprise development. He also has experience working as a project economist at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. He works on commercialization and market integration of emerging markets and commodities. His research interests include rural development and supply chain analysis.

Edward Mabaya
Edward Mabaya is a Research Associate in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. His research interests include food marketing and distribution, spatial market integration and equilibrium, commodity price analysis and the role of efficient agricultural markets in rural economic development. An award-winning instructor, Mabaya has been recognized for his teaching excellence in Marketing Management. He is the coordinator of the Seeds of Development Program, a capacity- and network-building initiative for African seed companies. Prior to Cornell, he worked as a research assistant at the University of Zimbabwe where he earned his B.Sc. Mabaya received his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural Economics at Cornell University.

Joyce Cacho
Joyce Cacho is a finance consultant with expertise in agribusiness, branded food, and agriculture environments. She has wide ranging international experience in Southern Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Her unique background combines corporate banking, credit and market risk assessment, and investment policy strategy design. From 1997 to 2003, Cacho established, developed and managed Rabobank International/USA & Canada Food & Agribusiness Research Department. An excellent, cross-cultural communicator, she is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and chi-Bemba. Cacho earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri.

Jose Jackson
Jose Jackson is a food scientist with graduate degrees from Cornell and Michigan State Universities, is Assistant Director of Research in the Office of Research and Development at the University of Botswana. She conducts research on the quality and safety evaluation of under-utilized indigenous fruits and vegetables, as well as diet, nutrition and its relationship to health outcomes such as obesity and HIV/ AIDS. She has consulted internationally in the areas of food processing and food safety. Previously, she was Director of Research at a food research institute in Botswana and Lecturer of Food Science at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Jose is chairperson of the Fruit and Vegetable Products Division of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

Willene Johnson
Willene Johnson is an adjunct professor of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. She served as United States Executive Director at the African Development Bank (ADB) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from January 2000 through September 2001. She actively supported the African Development Bank's program of debt relief for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) in Africa and remains committed to assisting countries to develop effective strategies and operational capacity to combat poverty. Prior to her appointment at the ADB, Dr. Johnson was Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where she was responsible for coordinating the bank's activities in Africa. Her education includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Columbia University.

Ndunge Kiiti
Ndunge Kiiti is Senior Director for Partnerships at MAP International, non-profit organization that promotes the total health of impoverished people in over 115 countries worldwide. A native of Kenya, Dr. Kiiti began her tenure with MAP in 1991 as assistant director and then director of the communications department of MAP's African regional office, where she designed, coordinated and implemented a communications program for relief and development, conflict mitigation and reconciliation, and HIV/AIDS materials. Currently she is responsible for developing partnerships with other NGOs, government agencies, academic institutions and funding entities within the global health community to promote and enhance MAP International's health education programs for both Africa and Latin America.

Pete Ondeng
Pete Ondeng is the Managing Director of ASET Capital Ltd., a business development services company providing management, marketing and financial services to commercial enterprises in Eastern and Southern Africa. He is a business development specialist with over twenty years of professional experience working for bilateral and multilateral donor organizations, governments and private sector institutions in over 15 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He attained his professional qualification as CPA in the U. S. where he began his career as an internal auditor for McDonalds Corporation. Prior to establishing ASET Capital, Pete was the CEO of the NEPAD East Africa Secretariat. He is a well known commentator and public speaker and the founder and National Coordinator of the Kenya Leaders Network. He has authored two books: How to Start Your Own Small Business (1989) and Africa's Moment (2004).

Onkutlwile Othata
Onkutlwile Othata is a Lecturer in the Department of Accounting and Finance at the University of Botswana. He has been with the University since 1993 and has lectured in both managerial and financial accounting. His research interests are in the areas of accounting and accountability in both organizational and social contexts. His research has been disseminated both locally and internationally in conferences, workshops and scholarly publications. In addition, he has provided consultancy and advisory services in various business environments.

Francisco (Frank) Pedraza
Francisco (Frank) Pedraza is an International Management Consultant on marketing and strategic planning who has worked with consumer products enterprises in emerging markets. A former top executive with leading international companies Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods and Chiquita Brands in Asia, Latin America and the U.S.A, Frank has extensive international marketing and management experience. Born in Colombia, South America, his education includes a B.S. in Agricultural Economics (Cornell University), an MBA (Cornell), and an AMP from the Harvard Business School. Frank is a member of the Cornell University Council, and the International Board of Advisors of Zamorano University, Honduras.

Quinetta Roberson
Quinetta Roberson is an Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. Her teaching and research interests include organizational justice, diversity, and strategic management. She has worked as a financial and marketing analyst, and as a consultant for several organisations on a variety of topics, including diversity, performance appraisal and reward systems, and business process improvements. Roberson earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Maryland and a M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in Finance and Strategic Planning.

Kenneth Robinson
Kenneth Robinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics at Clemson University. His research interests include economic development, planning, and public policy. Prior to Clemson, Robinson was a Research Associate in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. As a Fulbright Fellow, Robinson conducted research on the social and economic impacts of small-scale, commercial agriculture on disadvantaged communities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Robinson has worked as Assistant to the Director for Policy at the USDA Economic Research Service, providing management and research assistance on rural development and environmental policies. Robinson received his Ph.D. in Development Sociology at Cornell.

Krisztina Tihanyi
Krisztina Tihanyi is Chief Operating Officer of Market Matters, Inc. Her diverse educational background includes degrees in Psychology, International Peace Studies, and Anthropology. A graduate of Cornell University, Tihanyi has a keen interest in developing educational programs that lead to social and economic transformation. In her current position at MM, Inc., she coordinates the Making Markets Matter workshop series, as well as other activities such as public relations, financial management, and fundraising.

Mark Wenner
Mark Wenner has over 15 years of international development experience in rural finance and enterprise competitiveness. As Senior Financial Officer at the Inter-American Development Bank, Wenner is responsible for conducting and supervising research and providing technical support in the preparation of lending operations involving rural finance and community development. Wenner worked as an agricultural economist for Abt Associates, and for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. Wenner earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Norbert Wilson
Norbert Wilson is an Assistant Professor of Agribusiness Management in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Auburn University, Alabama. There he teaches Microeconomics and Advanced Agribusiness Management. Wilson's teaching and research interests cover areas of agribusiness management and international trade and development. He has recently completed an assignment with OECD in Paris, where he analyzed agricultural trade policies. Wilson, a recipient of the prestigious Rotary International Foundation Fellowship, has earned degrees in Agricultural Economics at Wye College, University of London (M.S.), and the University of California, Davis (Ph.D.).