Who Are We?

Mission

The Foundation For Emerging Markets is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit corporation that is committed to economic development in Southern California. Small businesses are a critical segment of the economy and represent significant potential for economic growth. We promote economic opportunity by helping small businesses achieve their goals.

History

Founded in 2000, FFEM was created to support small businesses in Emerging Markets. FFEM defines an emerging market as any market, domestic or foreign, where a new business process or technology has created a situation where demand exceeds supply.

Our Team

Dr. Joseph Greco
Finance Director

Dr. Greco received his B.S. Degree at Pennsylvania State University, in History/Economics. He received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Irvine in Financial Economics. He is currently a professor of International Finance, at the California State University Fullerton.

Dr. Joe Greco has a broad background in financial markets and investment analysis especially in international investments. He began his business career with the Santa Fe International Corporation and later founded Global Financial Strategies (GFS), a financial services company. Before entering academia, he held positions in the oil and gas, and aerospace industries as a tax, project, and corporate accountant as well as a financial analyst responsible for the analysis of mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Dr. Greco is trained in the integrated software SAP especially in the foreign trade module that he uses in his MBA Seminar in International Finance. He has written and published many articles in the areas of global security markets, portfolio management and high-tech industries. His research, specialty in the fields of high-tech firm behavior and internet financial payments has led him to focus on the behavior and attributes of information technologies. For the last several years he has published articles on the growth of high tech clusters especially in Orange County, California and on the financing challenges facing high tech firms who want to expand globally. Working with many funding sources, for whom he reviews and recommends business plans that fund high-tech projects in the United States as well as abroad, he also sits on the Board of Advisors of the Private Funding Group. He has been a director on the Board of Directors for Metro Pacific Bank in Irvine, California and Pacific Bank (in organization) in Cerritos, California. Dr. Greco co-founded and acts as the Director for the Center for the Study of Emerging Markets in the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton. Besides maintaining two websites that promote international e-commerce, the Center funds faculty research, updates international business curricula, and maintains a database of local exporters, Orange County hi-tech firms, and foreign buyers. The Center is currently expanding with mirror sites in Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria, Russia, and Germany. Staffed by student interns, the Center offers buyer/seller matching as well as export management services to small and middle-sized companies. In addition to extensive travels, he is also a professor in the Finance Department at CSUF where he teaches courses in investments, international financial management and export-import finance. As President of GFS he has consulted for many local municipalities and private companies such as the Pacific Life Insurance Company where he conducted a feasibility study for international annuity markets. Besides professional membership in the FMA and AIMR organizations, Dr. Greco is a member of many trade associations, planning committees, and advisory councils to local government agencies. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a Ph.D. in financial economics earned at the University of California, Irvine.

Howard Krisvoy
Board of Directors

Arman Nadershahi
Board of Directors

Gurinder Shahi
Board of Directors