Under his leadership, HRA has successfully spearheaded six international and national trade shows promoting the theme “Haiti is Open for Business.” These expos have led to the creation of several new start-up ventures, in-country partnerships, and a strengthened global image of Haiti. Most importantly, they have inspired members of the Haitian diaspora to return, invest, and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
In partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Mr. Backer also led the development of OneDiaspora, a coordination framework enabling the Haitian diaspora to respond effectively to disasters — an initiative funded by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance at USAID.
Professionally, Mr. Backer is an intellectual property expert with over 22 years of experience as a Supervisory Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office within the Department of Commerce. Trained as an electrical engineer and scientist, his expertise spans technical innovation, quality assurance, and power energy systems.
Mr. Backer holds multiple advanced degrees from Stony Brook University and New York University (NYU), and he has pursued doctoral studies in Physics at Western Michigan University.