PARTNERS
Through Overseas Strategies, Emily Karem has provided a comprehensive suite of international business services to small and medium-sized companies, education organizations, and non-profit entities, in both the U.S. and abroad, expanding globally for nearly 15 years.
Most recently, Emily also served as Vice President of Community and Global Engagement for TCS Education System, a non-profit higher ed conglomerate. Emily launched the global program from inception managing all aspects of global business development and community impact (both international and domestic). Through this work, Emily was able to create a worldwide network of educational entities, government non-profits, and corporations positioned to serve students who then
go on to create positive change in the world.
Prior to TCS, Emily worked in international trade ultimately serving as the managing director of the World Trade Center Illinois. Through the World Trade Centers network, Emily worked directly with both foreign governments globally to provide first-class solutions to their international trade and investment promotion goals and small businesses, both domestic and international looking to expand to new markets.
Ms. Karem earned an MBA with concentrations in international business, marketing, and entrepreneurship/innovation from Northwestern University's University’s Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, IL; a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus on cross-cultural communication from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY; an international business development certificate from Thunderbird University in Phoenix, AZ; and a certificate in Innovation and SocialEntrepreneurship, from Kellogg’s Center for Non-Profit Management. Throughout her education, she completed coursework in the Netherlands, Thailand, and South Africa.
Marcelino Garcia was a founding member of Overseas Strategies and has provided global expertise to clients for more than 15 years. Marcelino serves as the Commissioner and Chairman of Finance for the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and is an attorney with expertise in local and international governments, healthcare, and community affairs. Marcelino is also the Director of
Community Affairs for Cook County Health, the nation’s third-largest public health system. His work focuses on ensuring that Chicago and Cook County are recognized as true international hubs with the many different businesses and cultural attributes the city and region have to offer.
Marcelino has many years of international business development experience having worked as Senior Manager of International Relations for Chicago 2016 the Olympic Candidacy Committee and as Assistant
Managing Director of the Illinois Office of Trade and Investment (OTI) where he worked with Illinois companies looking to export to new markets in the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.
Marcelino is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He earned his J.D. from Northwestern University and his Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is proficient in French, Italian, and Portuguese.
