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About

April Thompson is a writer, entrepreneur and consultant. For more than a decade, April has worked with a variety of clients, to include businesses, publications, nonprofits, and individuals, covering a range of topics from travel to global, environmental and community issues. Contact for a project quote.

Resume (PDF)

Education

2005 - 2007 American University, Washington, DC.

Dual MBA and MA in International Development, with a concentration in socially responsible business. Graduated in two and a half years with a 3.9 GPA. Recipient of scholarships from the American Association of University Women, Datatel and AU's School of International Service.

1993 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. B. A. in Psychology.

Graduated in three years with 3.8 GPA. Inducted into Golden Key and Psi Chi national honor societies.

Professional Highlights

 • Oversaw consumer campaign to end child labor in the rug industry and promote sales of certified child-labor-free rugs. Developed and executed launch strategy for the rebranding of a rug certification program, developed strategic partnerships with trade associations and other organizations, managed a national traveling photo exhibition co-sponsored by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, negotiated sales and marketing opportunities in collaboration with member network of 75 national rug companies, developed marketing collateral for a network of more than 1,000 retailers, managed a high-profile media campaign, developed a customized carbon offsetting program for organization’s industry partners. (Washington, DC)

•   Worked for more than ten years as a freelance writer and editor, authoring articles on myriad topics appearing in dozens of books and magazines, including Via, Alaska Airlines, Asian Geographic, Natural Home, The Sun, the San Francisco Bay Guardian and The Christian Science Monitor. Media consultant for organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

• Consulted for a variety of business clients, to include a fair trade sports company, a fair trade retail store, a travel agency and musical performers, to bolster their sales and marketing efforts. Tasks included developing pipeline of leads, conducting sales calls, organizing in-store promotions, developing community partnership activities, creating newsletters and other marketing materials, representing clients at festivals and special events, and conducting a customer survey. (Washington, DC)

• Started own line of fair trade products from Guinea and Brazil, handling everything from packaging to marketing, sales and distribution. (Washington, DC)

• Conducted pilot research on the impact of fair trade on Tanzania’s tea-producing communities for master’s thesis, while consulting with TechnoServe on the feasibility of future fair trade certification for tea farmer cooperatives. (Southern Highlands, Tanzania.)

 • Developed a bi-lingual website and newsletter, co-produced a documentary, evaluated field offices, designed projects, and secured five grants for a recipient of the UN Human Rights prize. (Conakry, Guinea.)

• Researched, wrote, designed, and photographed a bilingual 60-page magazine, translated documents, and trained local staff in communications for a USAID-funded natural resources project. (Labe, Guinea)

• Wrote, edited and designed bi-lingual publications, managed staff, organized diplomatic missions and special events, and collaborated with journalists for a UN agency. (Conakry, Guinea.)

• Mentored low-income entrepreneurs and helped them develop business strategies. (Conakry, Guinea)

• Wrote and designed a 40-page profile for a grassroots organization’s work in education, natural resources, agriculture, health, economic development and good governance. (Andhra Pradesh, India.)

Professional Experience: Chronology

Interests & Activities

• Sports: Runner, boxer and cyclist.
• Volunteering: Mentor a homeless teenager via Community of Hope and teach boxing at DC-area recreation centers.
• Music: Member of Batala, all-woman drum corps performing throughout the Washington, DC area.
• Other interests include dance and photography.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: French (advanced); Portuguese (conversational); basic vocabulary in Arabic & Spanish