Angela Chester-Johnson

Chief Executive Officer, GROW International Inc

Angela Chester –Johnson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for GROW International Inc. (www.growinternational.net). She has enjoyed a long career in international affairs; largely as a technical writer, child and maternal health policy analyst, Africa advocate, and trade and business development consultant.

Angela has specialized in providing business solutions and building capacity and strategic partnerships for small and women owned businesses since 1995. Her efforts have generated economic development in emerging economies; led to greater export revenues for her client base; produced positive social outcomes for recipient communities; and documented benefits for all stakeholders involved.

Ms. Chester-Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Morgan State University, and a Masters in Public Administration from California State University, East Bay; with a focus in Public and International Policy. She has traveled throughout the world extensively in service of private and governmental clients in the trade and development arena. Angela subscribes to “pro-social capitalism”, and has been dubbed as a social engineer. She has spent almost two decades in support of the elevation of women and children worldwide, through literature, policy implementation and advocacy.

She is the author of many children’s literary works; and is the published author of two books: Fierce and Fabulous; Whispers of Wisdom in Times of Change and Mack and Missy (www.fierce-fabulous.com) – an early reader fiction. She additionally authored and self-published a series of travel pamphlets entitled “Kicking It on the Continent”. Ms. Chester-Johnson served as the city of Oakland’s Children’s Services Coordinator; and the Program Quality Division Chief for the District of Columbia’s Office of Early Care and Education. Her career has been a platform from which she has provided technical assistance and advocacy in the fields of entrepreneurship, child and maternal health/education, gardening/nutrition, and international affairs; spanning four continents. Her professional motto is aptly coined: “Teaching the World Through Trade”. She currently is a consultant for the Center for Technology in Education - Johns Hopkins School of Education, and serves as Director of Education and Gender Equality, on the board of Professionals for Humanity (PROFOH) the Global Thinker’s Forum’s Humanitarian Organization of the Year for 2013.

Angela resides in Washington, DC with her husband Mohamed Mbodj.