The sixth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit took place July 25-26, 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya. Organized by the U.S. Government, the event seeks to bring together entrepreneurs at all stages of business development, business leaders, mentors, and high-level government officials.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who launched the Summit in 2010, co-hosted the event with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. Addressing the increasing terrorism threat in Kenya, Obama said “entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that all too often can fill the void when young people don’t see a future for themselves.”
Airbnb executives participated in the gathering and used the opportunity to meet with some of their local hosts. Courtney O’Donnell, Head of Global External Affairs, was excited about the “fantastic group from all over the world” and thought one of the best features of the conference was an “awesome pitch contest for women and youth to pitch their startup ideas for different social impact projects around the world.”
Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri was invited to attend GES as a panelist for the Social Entrepreneurship fireside chat at the Youth and Women’s Day Summit. “I was able to share my story and journey as a young entrepreneur founding ‘Circles Of Unity’ seven years ago as a college freshman and creating my brand around something I was passionate about.”
Davuluri explained more about her GES experience, “I’ve been completely revitalized and inspired meeting with the young woman entrepreneurs. From solving sanitary and clean water issues to textile and fish farming start-ups, these youth entrepreneurs are sparking social change and empowering young women. I’m most excited to create partnerships with these amazing companies and organizations to work together and multiply our messages on women’s issues globally. I’ve been able to see first hand the talent, spirit, and heart of the youth entrepreneurs here — Kenya is a vibrant market and I’m excited to partner with them.”
Through GES, the U.S. Government seeks to demonstrate its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship around the world. Since 2010, when the U.S. hosted the first Summit in Washington, D.C., GES has expanded to a global event hosted by the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Morocco.
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