Every year during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in November, the Department of State celebrates entrepreneurship and innovative solutions to local challenges around the world. Since 2007, GEW has served as a platform for connection—engaging a range of entrepreneurship players, including innovative startups, incubators, mentors and investors.
Last November, U.S. embassies engaged with policy makers, industry experts, innovators and entrepreneurs in support of GEW and its mission to fuel economic growth and strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems. GEW events demonstrated how entrepreneurship is integral to advancing U.S. social, political and security priorities while enhancing American and global prosperity. Embassy Warsaw led events throughout Poland to highlight entrepreneurship opportunities, foster dialogue between the startup community and business leaders and leverage entrepreneurial expertise from the United States and Poland. In Taiwan, the U.S. team showcased socially conscious tech innovation through entrepreneurship. American diplomats used GEW to promote economic empowerment and inclusion for women and minorities in Haiti, and, in Honduras, diplomats focused GEW on addressing the root causes of illegal immigration.
Entrepreneurship remains a Department priority. By modeling American innovation and entrepreneurship, the Department promotes market-oriented approaches, strong business climates and U.S. action to support solutions to global problems. Promoting entrepreneurship provides hope while inspiring action in the face of global challenges. The Global Entrepreneurship Program in the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau leads the Department’s entrepreneurship promotion efforts and works closely with the Department’s bureaus, the interagency and the private sector to coordinate GEW activities. The Department continues to promote and build entrepreneurial networks through the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, public diplomacy programming and active engagement.
Jamal Jones is a foreign affairs officer in the Expanded Professional Associates Program. Antonia Blair is a program analyst in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
