Biography: Dr. Marcy Hessling O’Neil is assistant professor of anthropology and Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Specialist with Global IDEAS at Michigan State University, and co-founder of the Three Sisters Education Fund in Benin Republic. Hessling O’Neil has nearly 20 years experience working on education projects in countries including Benin Republic, Mali, Kenya, and Malawi. These projects have been funded by the IDRC, USAID, the Alliance for African Partnership, the US Department of State, and the US Embassy in Cotonou. O’Neil currently serves as the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Officer on the USAID-funded Transforming Higher Education Systems project in Malawi. O’Neil is a Fulbright alumna and McNair Scholar. She has served on various committees with the American Anthropological Association, including the Mentorship Task Force, and has been a reader for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (Young African Leaders Initiative). Media appearances include BB24 Television in Benin, WDET Radio in Detroit, Michigan, and the I Heart Radio Network (syndicated globally) to discuss gender and social entrepreneurship. Leadership positions include the UN Major Group on Youth and Children (contributing member), African Studies Association Program Committee, Thematic Chair “Youth in Africa: Restive and Productive Energies,” SolutionsU Innovation Advisory Council, and the Concordia Africa Partnership Accelerator. She has presented research at conferences and workshops in the US, Nigeria, Canada, Finland, Benin, and the UK. O’Neil earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from Michigan State University.

Biography: John Whims is an economist with over 25 years of experience in strategic planning and business development consulting in both the private and public sectors having worked with Fortune 500 food and agriculture businesses, investment firms, and numerous federal, state, and local government agencies.

Prior to joining MSU, John was a Senior Consultant in the consulting division of the firm Informa Economics from 1999 to 2009 and was a Senior Commodity Analyst from 1996 to 1999. Currently Dr. Whims is a fixed-term assistant professor in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics with an additional appointment within ISP’s Global IDEAS where he is involved in data analytics. Growing up in the shadows of Michigan State University, Whims received his B.S. degree in business from Greenville College, Greenville, Ill., his M.B.A. from Central Michigan University, and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University.