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Taking the Leap:
MEDA convention to explore issues around international development, business, and faith
T
aking the Leap is the urday tour option, with visits theme of MEDA’s annual to several local restaurants. Business as a Calling Other Saturday excursions convention, to be held Oct. 31include a jeep tour of a ranch Nov. 3 in Tucson, Arizona. to learn about desert flora and Tim Dearborn, a professor, fauna with trained guides. coach, pastor, mission execuStargazing near the resort tive and author of more than a Friday evening will be another dozen books, (see excerpt, page highlight. Arizona Star Tours 14), will deliver the opening will bring their mobile observplenary on Thursday evening. atory. Attendees can view the Dearborn has served with World The Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona will be night sky through several teleVision and several universities. the site of MEDA’s annual Business as a Calling scopes or watch green lasers convention Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. Among other convention that guide Benjamin Loker highlights: Mennonite — a progressive, multi-culwill use to point out constellations • A Friday lunch plenary will tural Anabaptist church in Tucson, will and stars. feature MEDA clients from Ukraine, deliver Sunday morning’s message. As always, seminars will cover a Ethiopia and Myanmar. Nataliya Tucson is Arizona’s secondwide range of topics related to faith, Sudarkina, co-founder of Agro-Patriot, largest city, and perhaps the oldest business and international developwill talk about her 11-year-old Ukraicontinually inhabited settlement in ment. Among the sessions are: nian garlic firm, which now exports North America. It has a population • Talks by international field staff to five other countries. Metasebia of more than 900,000 and is home to and clients, including the three memAsfaw, whose Ethiopian gemstone the University of Arizona. bers of Friday’s plenary panel; business was profiled in the May The city enjoys more than 350 • MEDA’s Jennifer Denomy on issue of The Marketplace magazine, days of sunshine each year and offers the (Ghana) GROW learning series will discuss plans to expand his businumerous outdoor attractions. and Linda Jones discussing her new ness. Mr. Nyan Linn, owner of Shan World famous for its restaurants, book on women’s empowerment. Maw Myae, will relate the story of his Tucson is designated a City of Gastron• Ed Zuercher, chief administrative firm, which supplies agriculture and omy by UNESCO (the United Nations officer of Phoenix, Arizona, will dislivestock products in Myanmar. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Or- cuss keys to high performance leader• A Friday afternoon MEDA pitch ganization), one of only US cities and ship. In 2017, Phoenix was recognized competition. Young entrepreneurs will 26 worldwide with this designation. by Governing Magazine and Living compete for a grand prize of $10,000, Attendees will have several Cities as the top city in their inaugural with $5,000 going to the runner-up. opportunities to experience some of Equipt to Innovate survey, which rec• Saturday’s night plenary will Tucson’s best restaurants. A Thursognizes Phoenix’s capacity and complifeature Angie Bastian, the co-founder day excursion to visit the Sonoran ance in high-performing governance. of BOOMCHICKAPOP, a natural popDesert Museum and a Tucson-area • a charitable giving seminar led corn brand. Angie and her husband, business will include lunch at El by staff from Everence and AbunDan, founded the kettle corn company Charro Cafe, the nation’s oldest dance Canada; in their garage to build their children’s Mexican restaurant in continuous • a discussion of impact investing; college fund. The business grew operation by the same family. • an exploration of issues related Friday evening there will be across the US and international marto migrant labor; kets. BOOMCHICKAPOP was acquired a dine-around where people can • Consultant Rebecca Sutherns dischoose from a range of area restauby Conagra Brands in late 2017. cussing five recent, relevant books that rants. A Taste of Tucson will be a Sat- she has read so you don’t have to. ◆ • Carol Rose, co-pastor of Shalom 23
The Marketplace September October 2019
