Yeshimebeth T. Belay

Yeshimebeth T. Belay founded the business directory Ethiopian Yellow Pages in Washington DC in 1993, started an Amharic newspaper and a restaurant, and has led economic regeneration initiatives in the Shaw Howard area of Washington.

Belay was born in 1962 in the eastern city of Jijiga. She was the fourth of eight children. Her father Tesfaye Wondemagegnehu was a lawyer and later provincial governor in southeastern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. Her mother Lakech Beyene is descended from Ethiopian royalty.

Belay attended elementary and secondary school at Notre Dame School in the town of Dire Dawa. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at the Southern University at Baton Rouge. She studied marketing and business. After graduating from Southern University, she moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Belay completed her master's degree in Business Administration in 2008, specializing in marketing, at Strayer University in Alexandria, Virginia.

Belay's first major endeavor was to found Feker Inc, the publisher of Ethiopian Yellow Pages. After moving to the DC area, Belay came to believe that the Ethiopian community in Washington lacked sources of information. She undertook research to identify this community's information needs, which led to the idea for a business directory eventually called the Ethiopian Yellow Pages.

Ethiopian Yellow Pages was officially launched in 1993. The first edition contained 80 pages. The directory has since been made accessible through the internet. Washington DC Council declared September 15, 2007 to be “Ethiopian Yellow Pages Day” in the District of Columbia. The directory was described by the Washington Post in June 2011 as an "Immigrant’s Directory ... an all-purpose tool for cultural acclimation."

In 2000, Belay founded The Ethiopian Expo, a non-profit organization engaged in promoting a strong relationship between the Ethiopian community and various organizations. Belay remains the president of the Expo.

In 2008, Belay founded Bawza, a newspaper and online publication published in both Amharic, the Ethiopian national language, and English. Bawza (English: "a powerful beam of light") was launched to inform the Ethiopian community about business, culture, music, art and family matters.

Belay served two terms (2011–2012; 2013–2014) as a board member of the Shaw Main Streets organization, a 501(c)(3) organization aiming to revitalize commercial life in the Shaw Howard area of Washington. Belay is also a founding and active member of the 9th and U-street Business Association, which she later campaigned to have renamed "Little Ethiopia" in recognition of the Ethiopian businesses around the area. Even though the official request to rename the area Little Ethiopia was declined, many Ethiopians still unofficially call the area "Little Ethiopia Street.""Mango & Tomato: Little Ethiopia in DC". mangotomato.com. Retrieved 2014-04-06. Belay has campaigned to persuade the council of Washington to approve Amharic as an official language in the District of Columbia.

Belay was managing director and owner of Little Ethiopia Restaurant, in the Washington DC’s Show Howard historical area.

With her husband Yehunie Belay, Belay has two children, Feker and Selam.

Belay completed her master's degree in Business AdministrationBusiness Administration in 2008, specializing in marketing, at Strayer University in Alexandria, Virginia.

Belay attended elementary and secondary school at Notre Dame School in the town of Dire DawaDire Dawa. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at the Southern University at Baton Rouge. She studied marketing and business. After graduating from Southern University, she moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Belay attended elementary and secondary school at Notre Dame School in the town of Dire Dawa. She completed her BachelorBachelor's Degree at the Southern University at Baton Rouge. She studied marketing and business. After graduating from Southern University, she moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Yeshimebeth T. Belay founded the business directory Ethiopian Yellow Pages in Washington DC in 1993, started an AmharicAmharic newspaper and a restaurant, and has led economic regeneration initiatives in the Shaw Howard area of Washington.

Belay attended elementary and secondary school at Notre Dame School in the town of Dire Dawa. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at the Southern University at Baton Rouge. She studied marketing and business. After graduating from Southern University, she moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan areametropolitan area.

Belay attended elementary and secondary school at Notre Dame School in the town of Dire Dawa. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at the Southern UniversitySouthern University at Baton Rouge. She studied marketing and business. After graduating from Southern University, she moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Belay was born in 1962 in the eastern city of JijigaJijiga. She was the fourth of eight children. Her father Tesfaye Wondemagegnehu was a lawyer and later provincial governor in southeastern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. Her mother Lakech Beyene is descended from Ethiopian royalty.

Belay completed her master's degree in Business Administration in 2008, specializing in marketing, at Strayer University in Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, Virginia.

Belay completed her master's degree in Business Administration in 2008, specializing in marketing, at Strayer UniversityStrayer University in Alexandria, Virginia.

Yeshimebeth T. Belay founded the business directory Ethiopian Yellow Pages in Washington DC in 1993, started an Amharic newspaper and a restaurant, and has led economic regeneration initiatives in the Shaw Howard area of Washington.

Belay was born in 1962 in the eastern city of Jijiga. She was the fourth of eight children. Her father Tesfaye Wondemagegnehu was a lawyer and later provincial governor in southeastern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. Her mother Lakech Beyene is descended from Ethiopian royalty.

Belay attended elementary and secondary school at Notre Dame School in the town of Dire Dawa. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at the Southern University at Baton Rouge. She studied marketing and business. After graduating from Southern University, she moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Belay completed her master's degree in Business Administration in 2008, specializing in marketing, at Strayer University in Alexandria, Virginia.

Belay's first major endeavor was to found Feker Inc, the publisher of Ethiopian Yellow Pages. After moving to the DC area, Belay came to believe that the Ethiopian community in Washington lacked sources of information. She undertook research to identify this community's information needs, which led to the idea for a business directory eventually called the Ethiopian Yellow Pages.

Ethiopian Yellow Pages was officially launched in 1993. The first edition contained 80 pages. The directory has since been made accessible through the internet. Washington DC Council declared September 15, 2007 to be “Ethiopian Yellow Pages Day” in the District of Columbia. The directory was described by the Washington Post in June 2011 as an "Immigrant’s Directory ... an all-purpose tool for cultural acclimation."

In 2000, Belay founded The Ethiopian Expo, a non-profit organization engaged in promoting a strong relationship between the Ethiopian community and various organizations. Belay remains the president of the Expo.

In 2008, Belay founded Bawza, a newspaper and online publication published in both Amharic, the Ethiopian national language, and English. Bawza (English: "a powerful beam of light") was launched to inform the Ethiopian community about business, culture, music, art and family matters.

Belay served two terms (2011–2012; 2013–2014) as a board member of the Shaw Main Streets organization, a 501(c)(3) organization aiming to revitalize commercial life in the Shaw Howard area of Washington. Belay is also a founding and active member of the 9th and U-street Business Association, which she later campaigned to have renamed "Little Ethiopia" in recognition of the Ethiopian businesses around the area. Even though the official request to rename the area Little Ethiopia was declined, many Ethiopians still unofficially call the area "Little Ethiopia Street.""Mango & Tomato: Little Ethiopia in DC". mangotomato.com. Retrieved 2014-04-06. Belay has campaigned to persuade the council of Washington to approve Amharic as an official language in the District of Columbia.

Belay was managing director and owner of Little Ethiopia Restaurant, in the Washington DC’s Show Howard historical area.

With her husband Yehunie Belay, Belay has two children, Feker and Selam.