Connecting Women Entrepreneurs in the Americas Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
go to original September 22, 2015

Women's Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs)

Recognizing that investing in women-owned small and medium enterprises is one of the best ways to accelerate economic growth and prosperity, 18 women entrepreneurs are in the United States beginning this week to form connections with their U.S. colleagues and share best practices to expand their business networks. The Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) Initiative – launched by President Obama at the 2012 Summit of the Americas and part of his Spark Global Entrepreneurship initiative – leverages public-private partnerships to encourage inclusive economic growth and break down the barriers that women entrepreneurs face.

The 2015 WEAmericas exchange, part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, will take place September 21-October 9. Beginning in Washington, D.C., the women will attend meetings with government officials and private sector leaders, and also participate in a Spanish-language Webchat on September 25 at 3 p.m. EDT, exploring how partnerships can strengthen businesses. Following smaller group visits to Cleveland, OH; Kalamazoo, MI.; and Syracuse, NY, the women entrepreneurs will reconvene in Kansas City, MO, for sessions with the Kauffman Foundation. The exchange will conclude in San Francisco, CA, where the participants will meet with women business leaders.

The women are from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The WEAmericas exchange is a core element of the larger WEAmericas initiative. The State Department has worked with partners, including the Walmart Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Thunderbird for Good, Cherie Blair Foundation, the Multilateral Investment Fund, the Inter-American Investment Corporation, Ernst and Young, and others since 2012. Over 20,000 women in more than 20 countries are expected to benefit from these partnerships by the end of 2015.

Follow the women on social media using the #WEAmericas and #StarttheSpark hashtags. For more information on the exchange, contact eca-press@state.gov.

See the original at U.S. State Department

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