ABWI Founder and Chairman
    Francesca B. Close

Francesca Close is Founder and Chairman of the Alliance of Business Women International. She brings 25
years of business experience, SME development and support, and a network comprised of decision makers
from foreign governments, non-profit organizations, international agencies, and corporate entities to create
the roadmap for public-private sector investor participation.  Presently she works with elected officials, local
governments, and grassroots participants to create sustainable economic development programs and equitable
education initiatives. These efforts strengthen SME business sectors and create strong workforces throughout
global communities. 

Her expertise and success in the identification and implementation of economic opportunities and revenue-
generating projects to empower developing countries, underserved communities, micro business, and rural
initiatives for the poor has brought recognition from the United Nations, UNICEF, World Bank, the Commission
on the Status of Women, and Women's Federation for World Peace International.

In 2002, at the invitation of WFWPI and the ambassadors from Mozambique and Malawi, she delivered a speech
at the UN conference on Eradication of Poverty: Follow-up to the World Forum on Sustainable Development.

Ms. Close's former corporate experience in the areas of marketing and business development on the president's
staff of two Fortune 500 companies, Sara Lee and American Hospital Supply Corporation, prepared her well
for leadership of ABWI and her own company.  As the CEO of The Orbis Group, she brings a highly rated
e-education distance learning package and an e-financial package to a customer base in the U.S. and overseas. 
Using a group of alliance partners, handpicked as some of the best niche market small business owners in America,
she has developed a formidable team that can hold its own in a standard competitive market, yet has the ability
and flexibility to move quickly from center outward to assess the need for special tailor-made programs when required. 

Her dedication, time, and support within her home state to address welfare to work, children's day care initiatives,
and international trade issues led her to be named Outstanding New Mexico Woman by the governor.  She also was
honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Business Women of Albuquerque.  In New Mexico, she drafted a "second
level mentoring" bill for ABWI and the Commission on the Status of Women, and worked with her congressional
and district representatives to pass it herself in the legislature. Within the United States she has received recognition
from The White House, The Small Business Administration, the Department of Commerce, Department of Education,
Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture and state and local government. 

In Washington D.C., she served as moderator at the e-Commerce Summit hosted by the Department of Commerce,
SBA and Department of Agriculture. She addressed the need for the public non-tech marketplace, high tech companies,
and government agencies to work together to create more basic user-friendly, technology-driven programs.  She served
women as the Chairman of the Ambassadors' Luncheon for the Business Women's Network International Conference.

This year, she received a U.S. Speaker & Specialist Award from the U.S. State Department to deliver the message of
"Advancing Women in Business" in partnership with the DOC Commercial Services and Public Affairs sections of our
foreign embassies. She made her first trip to Vladivostok, Russia in March 2004. Next month a small group of women
from that city will travel to China during the week of the ABWI Trade Mission to discuss formation of an international
alliance.

As principal of a woman-owned company and founder of ABWI, Ms. Close has represented the United States throughout
the world as a delegate and speaker where she addresses programs that reflect the changing needs of the global
economy.  Her continued interest, strong commitment, and understanding of rural development stems from her roots
growing up on a farm, and led to an honorary speaker's role at the China Green Food Development Summit in Beijing
in late 2003. She will continue to work on the green food initiative as vice chairman of the China Green Food International
Advisory Council.  See See 2002, 2003 & 2004 ABWI Chairman's Special Activities and Work in China

Ms. Close has also been invited to serve as co-chairman of the China International Foundation for Entrepreneurship
(CIFE) and will interface with small and medium sized business enterprises (SMEs) in programs to grow this important
sector.  In addition she will serve as an advisor to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Liaoning
Province (CCPIT).

Because of her continued commitment to narrow the digital divide by supplying affordable/basic technology to serve the
general public, Wuhan University, one of China's top seven universities in the country, has named her a senior advisor
of Technology-Research and Development. And last but not least, she will work in collaboration with the office of the
Secretary General in an agricultural city in Anhui Province to develop a large-scale, income-generating program for
SMEs and farmers. A women's empowerment program and an international education program are also to be included. 

She attended Honolulu Business College and Northern Illinois University


Francesca Close
Founder and Chairman
Alliance of Business Women International
chairman@abwi.org