Avery Bang is an entrepreneur who is changing lives for people in rural areas by connecting them to essential health care, education and economic opportunities by building footbridges.

I believe that every person has a right to safe access – and the innovative, scalable approach Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) embraces is built to act on that belief. Since joining B2P as a volunteer in 2006, I’ve worked alongside a growing team of leaders and game changers who, in partnership with isolated communities around the world, provide safe year-round access to education, healthcare, and markets through pedestrian bridge-building. Together, we’re connecting the rural last mile.

My passion for engineering began early – I was a passionate fan of legos as a kid (still am, as a matter of fact). I pursued a BSc. degree in Civil Engineering and a BA in Studio Art at the University of Iowa, and later completed a graduate degree in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. My graduate research was conducted with National Academy of Engineering member Bernard Amadei, and considered locally-appropriate geotechnical survey and pedestrian bridge design for rural applications. I have taught Cable-Supported Pedestrian Bridge Design at the University of Colorado in the Mortenson Center for Engineering in Developing Communities, and in 2016, took a sabbatical to complete an MBA at Säid Business School at the University of Oxford, where I served as the Managing Director for the Oxford Seed Fund. In this role, I selected and managed a team of 10 fellow MBAs to oversee deal flow, due diligence, and term negotiation for high growth Oxford-led startups, while also being responsible for screening applicants of the Skoll Venture Awards.

As exciting and inspiring as my time across the pond was, I’m excited to be back with the B2P team and in the state I love. When I’m not mulling over the next exciting step for the organization, I’m usually enjoying a good brew in the Colorado sunshine, rock climbing, or tackling my newest home renovation project.

See more at https://bridgestoprosperity.org

rock climbinghome renovation