Marga Fripp, the President of Entrepreneurship Academy for Artists and Empowered Women International, is an art marketing coach and consultant to artists, non-profits and creative entrepreneurs. She is a former broadcast journalist and entrepreneur with over 13 years experience in marketing, art management, media relations, non-profit leadership, gender and entrepreneurial development.

Marga worked with underprivileged women and youth in Romania, Kenya and Ethiopia, immigrant and refugee women and families in the US and culturally diverse artists, artisans and creative entrepreneurs.

An award-winning journalist and a native of Romania, Marga has been active in promoting issues of women’s equality, human rights and social support and integration of orphans and street children during the difficult first years of Romania’s transition from Communism. Marga was banned from broadcasting in 1995, due to her critical portrayal of social policy of the post-Communist Iliescu government.

In 1998, Marga founded and developed a successful women’s service and advocacy organization – The Association for the Promotion of Women in Romania (APoWeR) - to counteract violence against women and provide economic opportunities for women in Romania. As part of her strategy of development, she formed and led a multidisciplinary team of lawyers, judges and prosecutors to draft a domestic violence bill (2001), and she mobilized citizens, politicians and non-profit activists to advocate for it.

In 2000, Marga also produced and hosted a TV talk show to address women’s human rights in Romania. The talk show’s popular debate format for discussions of discriminatory practices towards women, combined with APoWeR's three years of legislative advocacy efforts, led to a national Domestic Violence Bill signed into law by the Romanian Parliament in May 2003.

After immigrating to the United States in September of 2001, Marga has created an innovative non-profit organization, Empowered Women International (EWI), to give voice to immigrant and refugee women by promoting their art and cultures, and leading them to entrepreneurial success.

Each year Marga works with more than 300 immigrant and refugee women and families to promote their art, and provide marketing and entrepreneurial skills. Through her work with Empowered Women International, Marga built relationships with entrepreneurs, reputable galleries and shops in the art market. This journey gave Marga new perspectives and insight into the business acumen and stamina needed to thrive as a successful artist and entrepreneur.

In 2008, she formed Entrepreneurship Academy for Artists to expand her marketing and business training and coaching services to artists, artisans, arts organizations and entrepreneurs in creative industries in the United States and internationally.

Marga and her work have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Alexandria Gazette, WETA and have appeared on The Voice of America Television and WUSA 9News, among others. For her art entrepreneurship and community development efforts Marga Fripp received many awards including Governor of Maryland’s Award for Service and Volunteerism, 2003, Making a Difference Award, Soroptimist International, Arlington, 2006, and the Cultural Affairs Award, the Alexandria Commission on Women, 2005.