Profile

Caron leads the Global Entrepreneurship Program in the Economic Bureau, which is a U.S. State Department-led effort to promote and spur entrepreneurship by catalyzing and coordinating private sector and U.S. government programs to support entrepreneurs around the world.

Prior to the State Department, she worked for USAA, the 5th largest auto insurer in the U.S., for 14 years.  Her last USAA position was as a Director of Insurance Claims Operations for eight Midwestern states.  Simultaneously, she owned an executive recruiting firm and was an angel investor, in addition to being on the board of directors of an Austin startup.

Caron De Mars has been a Foreign Service Officer the State Department since 2001.  Her first assignment was in Brazil, where she handled transportation and energy issues.  She finalized a maritime liberalization agreement on behalf of the Department of Transportation and an aviation safety agreement on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration while serving as an Economics Officer.  She moved to Washington as an aviation negotiator in the Office of Aviation Negotiations, where she was responsible for expanding markets for U.S. cargo and passenger airlines in Asia and Africa.  Her next assignment was in the Philippines.  Her portfolio there included energy, disaster relief, science, technology, environment, call centers, and ICT sectors.  She advocated for U.S. businesses, negotiated a scientific cooperation agreement, and got clearances for and participated in a National Geographic/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine exploration that discovered two new species of deep sea creatures.

Next, she served as a Diplomat in Residence at the George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C., took graduate courses in GWU’s Center of International Science and Technology Policy, and gave talks on U.S. foreign policy.  Her follow-on assignment was as the Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Hub Director for 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.  There she launched the Women in Science Hall of Fame to celebrate outstanding scientific achievement in the region.  Here are the links to the most recent honorees: http://jordan.usembassy.gov/wshf_2013.html.  She did extensive work in supporting science and technology entrepreneurs through the State Department’s annual pitch competition entitled “Global Innovations in Science and Technology”.

Caron has a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcasting from the University of Wyoming and a Masters of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University.  She is a Wyoming native who enjoys the outdoors, scuba diving, music, travel, cinema, plays, and foreign affairs.