Diplomacy has become second nature to Wendy Da\u2019Cruz \u201912\/M.A.\/M.P.A. \u201915 in all facets of her career: as entrepreneur, consultant and mentor.<\/p>\n
So has versatility: Da\u2019Cruz, who has Seton Hall graduate degrees in diplomacy and international relations as well as public administration, worked as a consultant for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in addition to launching two businesses. (She studied creative writing and business administration as an undergraduate.)<\/p>\n
Da\u2019Cruz earned the nickname \u201cThe Digital Diplomat\u201d in 2016 as cofounder of the Virtual Global Consultant (VGC) Group, working to promote the use of technology to drive economic development. VGC helps clients worldwide adopt digital processes to find new revenue.<\/p>\n
Later, in 2020, she took on the role of food innovator, when she and her husband, Dominique, started a food business after Wendy took a trip to Malawi, where she was served a chickpea meatball.<\/p>\n
That culinary experience led her to investigate and develop alternative meat products through Mushroom Angel.<\/p>\n
The company produces whole foods \u2014 like burgers made from mushrooms \u2014 and was created partly to develop better eating habits for herself and her family and to respond to the scarcity of fresh food in Detroit, where her family now resides.<\/p>\n
Mushroom Angel\u2019s mission, Da\u2019Cruz says, is to provide impact locally and build globally; the firm contributes to economic development and job creation in the Detroit area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I think about the Mushroom Angel Company, I think about food diplomacy. Everything for me comes down to diplomacy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Da\u2019Cruz says her faith came into play when she and her husband moved their family to Detroit to start a new life, and then when they started Mushroom Angel. \u201cIt took us four years to really understand why we believe God brought us to Michigan,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Although her path to success has provided plenty of twists and turns, Da\u2019Cruz credits Seton Hall for her years of personal and professional development. While working as a graduate assistant in Public Relations and Marketing, Da\u2019Cruz discovered how to be an effective communicator, and she says the lessons she learned in the classroom are still important in her business career today.<\/p>\n
She notes that her mentors allowed her to grow both academically and personally, adding value and providing advantages to her as both a business owner and a mother.<\/p>\n
Looking to the future, she is in a doctoral program at the University of Michigan, and hopes to pursue another venture, training corporate presidents and CEOs in global leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to leave this world empty of every gift that God has given me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Diplomacy has become second nature to Wendy Da\u2019Cruz \u201912\/M.A.\/M.P.A. \u201915 in all facets of her career: as entrepreneur, consultant and mentor. So has versatility: Da\u2019Cruz, who has Seton Hall graduate degrees in diplomacy and international relations as well as public administration, worked as a consultant for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in addition…<\/p>\n