Annice Brown — Subject Matter Expert and Writer

annice-brownAnnice Brown has over 25 years of economic development experience designing, managing, and implementing policies and programs to create public and private sector partnerships. Her career has allowed her to focus on the areas of business she cares most about: small business development; entrepreneurship; training; project management and strategic planning.

After 20 years being involved in international projects in Washington, DC and abroad, Annice decided to seek a simpler lifestyle and settled in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.  There, she found her perfect job with the North Carolina Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC) where she spent almost 15 years assisting hundreds of clients grow and expand successfully.  Combined with her passion for entrepreneurship, Annice was equally committed to creating collaborative networks throughout the region.  Her passion for collaborative work with stakeholders across the state has been celebrated over the years by numerous awards not only from the SBTDC, and other stakeholders, but also from the U.S. Small Business Association and the Women’s Advocate Award for North Carolina in 2014.

Annice attended the University of Cincinnati, The Sorbonne, and Case Western University where she earned an undergraduate degree in French Studies and Political Science and a Masters Degree in French Studies.  After graduate work, Annice worked for the French Government where she assisted small and medium-size high-tech companies seeking U.S. partners for technology transfer and licensing agreements.  She was often found on Capital Hill taking notes on committee hearings for small business and tech transfer.  From there, Annice spent 8 years at the World Bank where she worked in West Africa, and East Asia promoting economic development through public private partnerships.

Recently retired as the Assistant Regional Director of the SBTDC (Western North Carolina) Annice is now working as a consultant in economic development and technical writer, something she has wanted to do for a long time. She has joined the Expansion Experts team as a subject expert and writer.