Glenn, on the other hand, spent 16-1/2 years as a systems progammer at Eastman Kodak, followed by another 15-1/2 at IBM. As an expert in small IBM mainframes, Glenn had opportunity to do consulting internationally on numerous occasions. Opportunities through our church gave us both occasions to travel internationally as well. As a result, we have developed a love for travel and especially getting to know people and their cultures.

With our two children grown and out of the "nest" as we looked ahead, we knew we could continue to pursue our careers but realized that we would likely become successful "ships passing in the night" - not an appealing view of the future. So what to do with the years ahead?

In 2004, a good friend visited Cambodia looking for a place to expand his precision optics business. He was seeking a location that needed economic development, but quickly realized that Cambodia lacked the necessary infrastructure to support his needs. While there, he was introduced to Pierre Tami, founder of Hagar International and was deeply moved both by the plight of women and children caught in sexual trafficking AND by Hagar's holistic approach to addressing that need. He came home from the trip and approached us about the idea of starting a business to import Hagar Design products for sale in the US. With no background in retail, wholesale, importing, fashion, or anything remotely related, it sounded like a crazy idea. But crazy as it was, it DID address our desires to travel, build relationships with people of other cultures, and make a difference in people's lives.

So in March 2005, we incorporated Kingdom Ventures.

One of our suppliers told us near the beginning that if we wanted this to be successful (not just a hobby), it would take at least one of us working full-time in the business. So in late June, Rebecca left her job as a Vice-Principal and began working for KVI. The following March, Glenn retired from IBM and both of us now work full-time in Kingdom Ventures.