Anysie Ishimwe graduated in 2016 with a degree in business management and psychology. She began her career as a staffing specialist at Haworth, Inc. and she was selected as a Global Health Corps fellow, a leadership development fellowship founded by Barbara Bush. During her fellowship, she worked as a partnerships coordinator at Gardens for Health International to implement nutrition programs in 104 schools in four provinces in Rwanda. She also established a women’s social group that brings together women at all levels of the organization to discuss issues that hinder their progress. After her year-long fellowship, Anysie joined Karisimbi Business Partners, a management consulting firm, as a senior business analyst. During her time, she was able to work on various strategic advisory engagements for clients in banking, health, manufacturing, education, etc. One of her notable achievements during that role was developing a turnaround strategic plan for a maternal health clinic giving neonatal care for an underserved community in Kigali. Anysie currently works as a country manager for Genesis Energy, a renewable energy firm working to provide alternative sources of power to commercial and industrial clients.
Anysie Ishimwe is using her talents to build better businesses in her community and we are proud of her and her contributions.
What was an impactful experience you had as a student at Hope?
- Participating in the Center for Leadership’s consulting program was a great opportunity to apply what I was learning from both my business and psychology majors towards real life cases. In the process, I also had the privilege of being mentored by knowledgeable people such as Dr. VanderVeen, Mary Ellen Kettelhut, and Jim Cnossen.
- One project I would highlight was when our team worked on a semester long project to help Gordon Food Service improve their e-commerce platform, and presented our recommendations to the management team at the end of the semester. Such experiences challenged me to constantly think about how what I am learning can be applied to solve problems outside the classroom.
To you, what makes Hope special?
- The faculty really cares about the students. I knew I could walk into any professor’s office and discuss challenges I was having with the academic material or ask for guidance as I discerned my future. I also appreciate that have been able to keep in touch with some of my professors and it’s been five years since I graduated.
- Another thing I would say that makes Hope special is the sense of community. The environment is friendly and welcoming to students with different needs and backgrounds.
What is your current job title? In your own words, describe what you do.
- Country Manager. I am helping a foreign renewable energy company set up their operations in Rwanda. Our subsidiary is still in its start-up phase, so my job consists of leading business development efforts; hiring as the team grows; managing relationships with existing clients, among other mundane daily tasks.
What do you love about your chosen career?
- I love the diversity of problems that I get to solve every day. It is an engaging world to be in.
What was your favorite food at Phelps?
- Scrambled eggs, sausage, and home fries from the Comfort Corner.
What is a relationship that started at Hope that remains in your life today?
- I met my mentor Emilie while I was at Hope and she remains an instrumental part of my life today.
Which class would you want to retake if you could? Why?
- I would like to retake business computing. It is a class that teaches a specific skill. Whenever I encounter advanced spreadsheet processing in my work, it is not as daunting.
What is your hope for Hope’s future?
- I would like to see students from across the globe attend Hope in increased numbers. I would also want to see increased need based scholarship opportunities for incoming students, as well as opportunities for alumni to play a role in making that happen.
Hope College is proud to honor Anysie Ishimwe ’16 with the 2021 10 Under 10 Award. The “10 Under 10 Awards” honors emerging leaders who are making significant contributions by living out their callings; engaged in the local and global community through professional and/or volunteer involvement; and use their education to think about important issues with wisdom and clarity, communicate effectively to bridge boundaries that divide human communities and act as agents of hope living faithfully into their vocations. Designed for alumni who are within 10 years of graduation, they are presented by the Hope College Alumni Association. Make a nomination today!