ACCPNW Info: Bio - Peter Gishuru, CEO

Mr. Peter Gishuru, President and CEO
African Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest

Mr. Gishuru, originally from Kenya, is the President and CEO of the African Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest. He graduated from Seattle University with a degree in science, specializing in chemistry. Mr. Gishuru has extensive experience in running small businesses. He was the owner of an African imports store at Pike Place Market and Bay Pavilion for 14 years and was the owner of a small real estate company for 7 years. For the past 13 years, he has run the African Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest, whose mission is to promote an environment of direct trade and investment between Africa and the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

One of the many highlights from his experience in trade and politics was in 1999, when he co-chaired the WTO African Event during the 2nd WTO Ministerial meeting in Seattle. The event attracted over 400 attendees, including trade ministers and ambassadors. In February 2000, Mr. Gishuru participated in a five day summit in Washington, D.C., helping to finalize the National Policy Plan of Action for US-Africa relations in the 21st century. More recently, in 2010, Mr. Gishuru was awarded a certificate of appreciation, from the U.S. Department of Commerce, for achievements in trade and business development. During the course of his time with the African Chamber of Commerce, he has overseen networking events, trade missions, and the annual Africa Day Business Forum. The forum has seen such notable speakers as Bill Gates Sr. and the ambassadors from Uganda, Angola, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cote d’Ivoire. Mr. Gishuru currently serves on the Board of the National Summit on Africa and is a member of the Initiative for Global Development (IGD), a national network of business leaders that champion effective solutions to global poverty.