VWEC invites you, to join us this year on the 3rd Fridays of each month through May 2025 for ITC Cohort Training Series.
Each 2-hour training session will provide vital insights into how business owners can effectively explore and engage in international trade opportunities.
Join us for an exciting roundtable discussion with our ITC Fellows
Our Speakers:
Angie Yu, President, Two Rivers Fisheries, Inc.
Angie Yu, originally from China, immigrated to the United States in 1991 and became a U.S. citizen in 1997. With a background in international trade, she established her import and export business in 1991, specializing in textiles and seafood. In 2005, she successfully commercialized lumpfish bodies from Iceland, expanding her expertise in global seafood markets.
In 2013, she founded Two Rivers Fisheries, Inc., which has since become the largest processor and exporter of Asian carp in Kentucky. Based in Wickliffe, the company has processed over 30 million pounds of Asian carp and exported its products to 11 countries worldwide till 2024.
Two Rivers Fisheries operates with 20 full-time employees and collaborates with over 60 contract fishermen, playing a crucial role in controlling the invasive Asian carp population while promoting economic growth in rural communities. Driven by a mission to reduce, reuse, and redefine Asian carp, Two Rivers Fisheries is committed to industrializing the species, transforming it from an environmental challenge into a valuable resource. By turning “trash into treasure” along the Mississippi River, the company contributes to cleaner waterways and job creation in distressed regions.
Angie Yu’s vision extends beyond individual business success. The Mighty Rivers Regional Center, covering Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri, has been approved to support the establishment of an Asian carp chain processing network, further strengthening the industry’s infrastructure.
Under her leadership, Two Rivers Fisheries has gained international recognition, with features in The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, PBS, The Paducah Sun, CCTV, and other prominent media outlets.
Moderator:
Jonathan Brady, Lead Business Development Specialist, Export-Import Bank
Jonathan Brady is a Lead Business Development Specialist with the Minority and Women-Owned Business (MWOB) Outreach Group at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).
Based in Washington, DC, his primary role with the MWOB Outreach Group is to serve as an export counselor and trade finance specialist for the underserved business community. Jonathan possesses a strong background in international relations and economics from having worked for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the U.S. Treasury Department (International Banking Office), and ten years with the Ohio Department of Development’s International Trade Division.
Before joining EXIM, Jonathan worked at ExportDC, a division of the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). Promoted to Program Manager in 2015, his primary responsibilities consisted of administering business support grants for DC-based exporters, organizing trade missions, providing export counseling services, conducting international business seminars, and coordinating special projects with the foreign embassies located in the District of Columbia. Jonathan holds a B.A. and Master of Financial Economics (MFE) from Ohio University, and is a 2009 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, with a Master of International Public Policy (MIPP).
