Blandine Chantepie-Kari is the Program Manager for International Programs & ENRICH in the USA at Temple SBDC. She is an international strategist with 15+ years of experience, specializes in international trade, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction programs, and ecosystem building. ENRICH in the USA is a European Network of Research and Innovation Centers and Hubs funded by the European Commission. As a consortium partner, Temple SBDC leads the ENRICH initiative in the USA with the support of NCURA National Council of University Research Administrators.
Since February 2016, Blandine is also the Vice President, University & Entrepreneurship – Soft Landing Programs of the European American Enterprise Council, member of the Enterprise European Network (EEN). As a grant writer, she has developed and contributed to different governmental funded transatlantic programs and initiatives. In 2018, Blandine was the initiator and manager of the Global Startup Accelerator (GSA) under the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians directed this EDA-funded initiative in partnership with the University City Science Center. Previously, Blandine served as Co-Director of Trade Services for the Philadelphia Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC).
Blandine received a Master’s Degree in Economics, majoring in International Business, from the International School of Business and Management of Lille (IESEG) in France. She researched and completed her Master’s thesis as a grad student in the Border Studies Department of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). During her studies, she was also a Research Assistant at UTEP’s Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research & Planning. And she was part of a one-year Erasmus student exchange program at Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary. Over the years, in Europe, Canada, and United-States, Blandine has acquired valuable experience in a wide range of industries, including Biotech/MedTech, CleanTech, IoT, SmartCity, Manufacturing, and Consumer Goods.