Mary Gershwin is the Founder and President of US-Brazil Connect, the leading non-profit organization linking Brazil and the US through educational exchange and economic development. She has championed creation of US-Brazil Connect global leadership experiences for over 5000 students and professionals in the United States and Brazil, raising the bar on accountability, depth, impact of global service learning. Developed partnership with leadership of the Brazilian Confederation of Industry and US Embassy in Brazil, programs have generated over $8 million in support from Brazilian and US partners. Gershwin first went to Brazil as a high school exchange student, when the country was under a dictatorship; a person born poor in Brazil was destined to die poor, and the flow of global trade was a trickle of what exists today. Brazil is now a democracy with the eighth largest economy in the world. Like the United States, Brazil now faces the challenge of educating an emerging workforce for challenging jobs. Gershwin believes this demand for global skills cannot be solved by working in isolation; both countries are stronger by coming together. Formerly, Gershwin served as Advisor to White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board (2009-2010); Designed and led workforce initiatives as consultant to The Lumina Foundation, Ford Foundation, Joyce Foundation, US-Embassy in Brazil, The National Association of Manufacturers, The American Association of Community Colleges (2004-2010); Colorado Community College System, Ex Director of System Foundation, Director of Workforce Development/ Strategic Initiatives, Director of National Workforce Development Programs (1989-2004)
Gershwin has taught at the graduate level and holds a B.A. in Economics and a PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Denver. She is fluent in Portuguese.