Inclusive Global Trade and Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
Maria Luisa Boyce (O’Connell) is a woman on a mission. Her drive and dedication have helped her become an advocate for an inclusive trade agenda, enabling all businesses to be part of global trade. Her work has centered around empowering women entrepreneurs and supporting initiatives like #shetrades and #upswomenexporterprogram, which focus on helping women-owned businesses access global markets.
Maria’s journey began over 20 years ago when she started working as an executive director at the Office of Trade Relations for the US Customs and Border Protection. In this role, she facilitated dialogue with the international trade community in the development of new trade policies and advised the Commissioner and senior leadership on the best trade policies and operations. During her tenure, she launched and implemented CBP’s trade transformation strategy and a private sector engagement plan.