About the IWTT - Board of Directors
As a think tank our mission is to be an “ideas organization” Promoting Research, Critical Thinking and Innovative Solutions on issues related to Women and Girls. We encourage the discovery of solutions to problems, and facilitate interaction in pursuit of these goals. We work to stay on the cutting edge of issues and will continue to meet and bring inspired people together to ensure that we provide current updates about issues related to women and girls.
Women are the fastest growing economy. As the world becomes more global, IWTT also works to empower women and girls by increasing intercultural understanding, driving economic growth, exploring collaborative opportunities and partnerships that uplift the human condition and improve the quality of life.
Brenda Morant (Founder/Chair)
Ms. Brenda Morant is a social entrepreneur and a champion of using innovative strategies and solutions to improve people's lives.
Women continually are recognized as the largest and fastest growing economy and as they strategically position themselves both collectively and individually, to have a greater impact in the economic mainstream, it is important that women are comprehensively prepared to participate in all aspects of society. Their impact on the global economy will be historic and have significantly multiplier effects. PepsiCo's Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Indra Nooyi, stated that "Women are the biggest emerging market in the world".
The International Women’s Center (IWC) is the program and implementation support “arm” of IWTT.
The IWC actively advocates for the personal and professional enrichment of women and girls of the global community through mentorship, intercultural exchange, entrepreneurship, business development, leadership training and the sharing of ideas. IWC’s motto is: “Educate a Woman, Educate the Community, Educate the World”. Presently, in the United States, we are one of a very few think tanks that are devoted to issues related to women and girls which is also co-joined with an International Women’s Center. IWTT is definitely a pioneer.
Dr. Girish Panicker (Agriculture Resident Expert)
Dr. Girish Kumar Panicker, Director of the Center for Conservation Research, Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi, is an internationally renowned agricultural scientist; an authority on C-factor (cover and management) research. Dr. Panicker had the privilege of exhibiting his research findings on organic fruit production at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C, the largest educational, research and museum complex in the world.
His advanced research methodologies on sustainable and organic production practices with plant and animal residues for a healthier environment are being podcasted globally by the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), American Society of Agronomy, International Society for Horticultural Science, USDA, and e-Organic-e-Extension. Invited by the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), Belgium, Dr. Panicker represented the United States twice to deliver lectures on conservation research on horticultural crops. Dr. Panicker received the 2011 Pride of India Award (Bharat Gaurav) in New Delhi, during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
Manori de Silva, Esq.
Manori de Silva is an Attorney at Carreras & Lemoine, LLP, Atlanta, Georgia. She assists small to medium-sized businesses
to do business in the U.S. and advises on various aspects of employment law. Manori regularly represents businesses in
lawsuits in state and federal courts. Manori is familiar with many aspects of European culture having lived in Europe for many
years. She speaks fluent Dutch and is proficient in French. Manori is also Vice President of the Netherlands-American Chamber of Commerce for the Southeastern U.S.
Dr. Paddy Sharma
Dr. Paddy Sharma is a Philanthropist, Entrepreneur and Business Executive and holds many key community positions such as
President, Rotary Club of Clayton County, Trustee of Clayton State University Foundation and Director of Indian American Cultural
Association. She has initiated several medical camps and other relief camps in India.
Dr. Paddy is from a family of educationists and received her Doctorate from Vanderbilt University. She believes strongly high values and the importance of cross cultural understanding in the educational systems and states that "Imparting Education to a Child is Educating a Nation”.
Dr. Paddy's also started "FIHI Hope Foundation" a Charity organization that helps young students to have a constructive effect of good education and clean living.
A proclamation for “Outstanding Georgia Citizen” was presents to Dr. Paddy in 2009 by Georgia Secretary of State for her commitment and dedicated service to the business and community at large.
Dr. Mary Lou Frank
Dr. Mary Lou Frank is a licensed psychologist and mediator. Her Ph.D. and M.S. in Psychology as well as her M.Ed. in Counseling
and B.A. in Speech Communication are from Colorado State University. Completing training in Advanced Negotiations for
Executives at Harvard University, she also received mediation training at Brenau University and Georgia State University. She
served as a mediator for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and serves as a state approved neutral for the courts in Georgia. She is the current President, Chair of the Law School Tournament Committee, and an executive committee board member for the International Academy of Dispute Resolution. She is co-founder of the consulting group, Transforming Mediation.
Dr. Frank is a Fellow at the Institute for Higher Education at the University of Georgia and continues to teach at Brenau and Middle Georgia State Universities. She has provided mediation training for bar associations, graduate and law students, and young leaders throughout the world, most recently in Ukraine and Poland. At universities, she has served as a professor, department chair, dean, associate vice president, and interim vice president and continues to consult and train nationally and internationally on mediation, civility, diversity, ethics, and leadership.
For over twenty years, she has published in journals and textbooks in psychology and counseling. Her textbook, “The Mind of a Peacemaker: The Psychology of Mediation,” the first book on mediation written from the psychological viewpoint, has gone into second edition. She received the Distinguished Provider Award in Counseling, has served as the president of the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education, and has been the recipient of grants and awards in leadership, teaching, diversity, and community service.
Dr. Linda Gray (Vice President, Small Business Development)
Dr. Linda Gray is a nonprofit business consultant with expertise in nonprofit start-ups, nonprofit management, grant
research and strategic planning and development for small businesses, grassroots faith-based organizations and community
organizations. She is a Certified Mentor with SCORE a Volunteer Resource Partner with the Small Business based
Administration (SBA) and is currently serving as an Executive Officer and Business Coach at the Dallas, Texas SCORE
Headquarters. As Resource Partner, Linda is responsible for recruiting and providing assistance in business planning and proposal development, business certifications, registrations, and business financial packaging for minority, women owned, disabled and veteran businesses.
