The Venture Council
Supporting entrepreneurs. Changing lives.
The Venture Council is a community of leaders who believe entrepreneurship is the most powerful engine of stability, dignity, and economic growth.
Launched in 2026, the Venture Council will work alongside Building Markets leadership to co-create the pathways that expand opportunity for entrepreneurs by raising awareness, unlocking capital resources, and strengthening the partnerships that allow small businesses in fragile and overlooked communities to thrive.
Members contribute their expertise, networks, and generosity to advance this work. Through briefings, events, experience trips, and connection to a community committed to inclusive growth, the Venture Council engages directly in creating opportunity for hard-working entrepreneurs around the world.
Our first Experience Trip to Colombia will take place from November 16-21 in Bogota and Cali. A Building Markets Experience Trips offer a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystems, blending meaningful connection, unique perspective, and authentic cultural exchange.
Venture Council Members
Gina Schaefer
Gina Schaefer is the founder and former CEO of a thriving chain of Ace Hardware stores in the Washington, D.C., area. She grew a single location into a 15-store enterprise with more than 300 team members, many of whom are now co-owners of the business. An author and dynamic keynote speaker, Gina inspires audiences to think differently, take bold action, and achieve more.
Founder & Former CEO, ACE Hardware
Sue Dwyer
Sue brings more than three decades of experience in international humanitarian and development work, having held senior leadership roles with organizations including CorpsAfrica, the Peace Corps, the International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps. Her career has spanned headquarters and field assignments across Africa, Asia, and Europe, with each experience informing and strengthening the other. Sue holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. An avid hiker, she has completed three Camino de Santiago pilgrimages.
Consultant
Cristina Killingsworth
Cristina Killingsworth is the co-founder of Start Grow Remain, a company focused on accelerating the production of critical technologies. She previously served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, where she led the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and held additional senior roles as the agency’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs and as Chief of Staff for the International Trade Administration. Earlier in her career, Cristina was a vice president at WestExec Advisors, senior advisor to the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, director for strategic planning and African affairs at the White House National Security Council, and an examiner at the Office of Management and Budget.
Co-Founder, Start Grow Remain
Christine Mahoney
Chief Innovation Officer, University of VirginiaChristine Mahoney is chief innovation officer and professor of public policy and politics at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She is a global expert in social entrepreneurship and impact investing and has secured more than $40 million to research, teach, and advance innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges. Christine is the author of several books, including Banking on Belonging, Failure and Hope, and Brussels versus the Beltway. She also co-founded the Refugee Investment Network, directs the Tadler Program on Impact Investing in Appalachia, chairs the Impact Investing Fund of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and serves on the board of Cav Angels