Village Enterprise
Brett Slezak has a diverse work experience spanning over several years. Their most recent position is as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Village Enterprise, starting in February 2022. Prior to this, they worked at Chicago Scholars as the Director of Communications and Marketing from August 2019 to February 2022.
Brett also has experience working at buildOn, where they held multiple roles and responsibilities. Brett was a Storyteller & Content Strategist from October 2016 to August 2019. In this role, they served as the head copywriter for the Marketing and Communications team, produced various marketing materials, managed social media channels, wrote blog posts, and captured visual content. Brett also played a role in empowering students and stakeholders to share their stories.
Before their time at buildOn, Brett worked as a Programming Intern at 826CHI in 2015 and as a Graduate Student Instructor at Columbia College Chicago from 2013 to 2015. Their earliest work experience was as an Education Volunteer with the Peace Corps from July 2008 to September 2010.
Overall, Brett Slezak has a strong background in marketing, communications, storytelling, content creation, and education, with a focus on non-profit organizations.
Brett Slezak completed their Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Iowa from 2003 to 2007. Following that, they pursued a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Columbia College Chicago, which they completed from 2012 to 2015.
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Village Enterprise
We believe it is possible to end extreme poverty. But climate change, conflict, and other shocks are threatening the progress that has been made. Backed by rigorous evidence, we have a solution that lifts families in rural Africa out of extreme poverty, improves their well-being and resiliency, and ensures a brighter future for generations to come. Partnering with governments, nonprofits, United Nations agencies, conservation organizations, and private sector companies, Village Enterprise equips women, refugees, and youth living in extreme poverty with the resources and skills to become first-time business owners and start climate-smart businesses and savings groups. For over 30 years, we have worked in rural African communities where most people live on $2.15 a day or less. Over 97% of our team is African, and more than 83% of our entrepreneurs are female. To date, we have impacted the lives of more than 1.6 million people in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Mozambique. To learn more about our work to eradicate extreme poverty and how our model empowers women, youth, and refugees, cultivates resilience against climate change, and protects the environment and endangered species, visit our website.