Chemonics
Chemonics International, Inc. is an employee-owned private international development consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., founded in 1975 by Thurston F. Teele.[1][2] The company designs and implements technical assistance and project management services to promote social and economic development in emerging markets, primarily through contracts with U.S. government agencies like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).[3][4] With a workforce of approximately 6,000 professionals operating in more than 150 countries, Chemonics focuses on sectors such as health supply chains, environmental sustainability, agriculture, and governance.[5][3] Its stated mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives.[6] Notable achievements include managing USAID's largest environmental project in the 1990s and establishing Ukraine's Agricultural Commodity Exchange in the mid-1990s.[1] However, Chemonics has encountered significant controversies, including criticisms of project mismanagement in Haiti and failures in oversight leading to fraud in the $9.5 billion USAID Global Health Supply Chain initiative, culminating in a $3.1 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2024 for undetected fraudulent overbilling by subcontractors.[7][8][9]