Marie A. Principe

Marie A. Principe is a Program Director for the Middle East & North Africa at CIPE where she manages CIPE’s programs in the Levant – the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, and Lebanon. Current projects in her portfolio include building the capacity of a businesswomen’s association in the West Bank and Gaza, expanding the role of micro-and small-sized enterprises through advocacy in Jordan, and partnerships with think tanks and business associations in Lebanon to advocate for urgent economic reforms aimed at minimizing the impact of successive crises on those most affected. Principe also managed the Livelihoods Innovation through Food Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Project, which developed mutually beneficial and sustainable livelihood solutions for Syrian and other refugees and their host communities in the food sector in Turkey.

With 15 years of experience working in Middle East and North Africa, her work primarily focuses on inclusive entrepreneurship, economic and civic empowerment of women, and advancing underrepresented voices in the policymaking. Prior to joining CIPE, Principe was with the Global Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Wilson Center and, before that, an Iraqi women-owned development consulting company in Baghdad, Iraq. She also authored a Special Report on Women in Nonviolent Movements for the U.S. Institute of Peace and worked closely with Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, to publish a policy toolkit titled Advancing Women Leaders in Africa. Principe holds a Master of Arts in International Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science from Appalachian State University in North Carolina.