Phoenix Ricks is the founder and CEO of Girl Friday, a boutique global affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Previously, Phoenix led government relations and social impact initiatives for SHEIN in the U.S. and for PepsiCo in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Before joining the private sector, she directed public diplomacy programs at the U.S. Department of State. When Phoenix is not working with clients, she writes fiction under the penname Pixie Carlisle. She has earned degrees in the sciences, public affairs, and creative writing from Howard University, American University, and the University of Cambridge, respectively.