Her company, Verve, Inc., was conceived in 1992 on a visit to a Northern Guatemalan chicle-producing community. Verve was founded in 1995 with an eye towards providing a sustainable income for the Petén Basin chicle-producing communities, and started producing their popular Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit soon after that. Now, the company’s main product is Glee Gum, their signature chicle-based gum (the only gum with a chicle base manufactured in the US). It comes in six delicious and all-natural flavors, and is available at select retail locations and their website.

(Small side note: the company mascot, the Glee Guy is adorable!

Their other products include education materials for parents and teachers, and the Make Your Own Chocolate Kit , and the Make Your Own Gummies Kit. Deborah’s company is setting a great example for all small businesses, and is demonstrating how a small business can have a global effect. Her company promotes social and environmental responsibility and awareness, provides a sustainable income for communities in developing nations, and remains profitable.

In addition to running Verve, she is the founder of several local groups and organizations, including:

• International Charter School-a dual-language immersion education facility (Teaching alternates between English and one other language on a weekly basis)
• Southside Community Land Trust-an organization which buys vacant lots  and helps the communities turn them into urban gardens
• Save Our Branches-a group created to oppose the closing of 5 branches of the Providence Public Libraries

Deborah graduated from Brown University in 1980 with a Comparative Literature degree, and holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard. This Diva was born running and never looked back! She was the Principal of the Environmental School in Monteverde, Costa Rica from January, 1999 to June of 2000, and is currently a board member of the Brown University Entrepreneurship Program. She’s also working on a cross-promotion with the FOX Network for the new show “Glee”, which sounds very exciting! Deborah is a true Diva who does it all and gives back to Mother Earth at every opportunity, and we’re excited to have her this week.

Have your questions handy because this is going to be a delicious show!

For more info on Deborah’s company and her products, visit GleeGum.com.

When: Wednesday, April 29, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. EST

Where: http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live

That’s it for now! Until next time…wear your heels well & I’ll see YOU at the show!