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Mr. Robbins is an economic and organizational development specialist who has spent the past decade implementing projects in Africa, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and the United States. As SBTDC Business Launch Specialist at UNCA, he is tasked with supporting pre-venture entrepreneurs in the Asheville, NC area to start their businesses through counseling and cohort-based learning.

In his previous role as Associate Program Manager at the Kaizen Company, Mr. Robbins managed USAID project backstopping for multiple prime contracts simultaneously, two of which established international startup accelerators. Prior to joining Kaizen, he worked as a Project Coordinator at the Equitable Food Initiative, where he supported the development of organizational systems for a startup food certification aimed at increased assurance around food safety and working conditions. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he spent 2 years in Ukraine designing and implementing youth development programs.

His technical expertise includes startup acceleration/incubation, organizational development, ICT for development, blending learning, economic and business development, financial inclusion and youth development. Mr. Robbins received a Master’s in International Relations with a concentration in Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He speaks English and Russian.