By training, Pete Giovale is an engineer.  His work includes serving as a Director for W.L. Gore & Associates, President of GeoFamily Foundation, Board member for a Waldorf-based charter school in Flagstaff, AZ, founding partner in a Hawaiian permaculture chocolate farm, filmmaker, and father.  These divergent projects share the common orientation of interesting people, relationships, and ideas.  Pete loves to learn about and support people's dreams, especially those that are geared toward social justice, sustainability, health, and vitality.

 

Pete was first introduced to Neema's work after his wife Hilary joined a delegation on sexual violence in conflict to Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  After watching Hilary's process of recovery from the traumatic stories she heard and ingesting news stories, films, and photography generated by the delegation, Pete became viscerally aware of the urgent need to empower feminine leadership within Congo and throughout the world.

 

Pete joined the Hero Women Rising Board in 2016, after getting to know Neema through various shared experiences and conversations. As an HWR Board member, Pete uses his masculine skills and approach to support the emerging feminine leadership in DRC and beyond.