President Obama elevated entrepreneurship to the forefront of the United States’ engagement agenda during a historic speech in Cairo in 2009. Since 2010, when the U.S. hosted the first Summit in Washington, D.C., GES has expanded to a global event, subsequently hosted by the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Morocco. The 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit was held in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 25-26. The Summit was the sixth annual gathering of entrepreneurs at all stages of business development - business leaders, mentors, and high-level government officials - demonstrating the U.S. Government’s continued commitment to fostering entrepreneurship around the world.

 

Highlights

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U.S. Culinary Ambassador Encourages Chefs to Change the World

While at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, last month, I had the opportunity to witness a powerful exchange between U.S. Culinary Ambassador for Clean Cookstoves and famous Chef Jose Andres and a group of African chefs who were catering the event.

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Joins President Obama in Kenya for Global Entrepreneurship Summit

As the Administration’s point person on entrepreneurship, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker joined President Obama in Nairobi, Kenya to attend the sixth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES). At the summit, Secretary Pritzker had the opportunity to highlight the work that the Department of Commerce does to address and support innovation, and meet with entrepreneurs, investors, educators, government officials, and business representatives from around the world.

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Obama visit to Kenya highlights Africa’s immense potential

“Kenya may well be on its way to becoming a ‘silicon savannah,’ a hub of excellence and innovation in technology,” OPIC President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield wrote in a piece published in All Africa, as she joined President Barack Obama on a historic trip to Africa. “The goal, of course, is to ensure that Africa can do more than catch up with others. The goal is to give Africa a chance to lead,” Littlefield wrote.

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PAGE Video Series: Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes is committed to improving living conditions around the world for women, young girls and developing economies. As CEO and founder of Theranos, a consumer healthcare technology company, she wants people to know that they can stand up for themselves and live their best lives.

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PAGE Video Series: FUBU’s Daymond John

Daymond John, known for his role as an angel investor on ABC’s hit television show “Shark Tank,” says that “the idea of being an entrepreneur is the DNA of this country.”  Daymond John is the CEO and Founder of FUBU, a global lifestyle brand and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales. For his entrepreneurial work, he has received over 35 awards including the Brandweek Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, and Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

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MEDIA ADVISORY: 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit - Schedule and Logistics for Sunday, July 26

Launched by President Obama in 2009, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) brings together entrepreneurs and investors from across Africa and around the world annually to showcase innovative projects, exchange new ideas, and help spur economic opportunity. 

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Solar Lamps Shed Light in Rural Communities

Paris Wanjiru Uses a Solar-Powered Light Created by M-Kopa  When Paris Wanjiru, a 17-year-old student in Muranga, Kenya, first saw the solar-powered lamp her mother bought, she was so excited she stayed up until 1 a.m. studying chemistry. Now that she can study after the sun sets, her grades have improved; she now aspires to study chemistry at Kenya University.

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Remarks by President Obama During Visit to Power Africa Innovation Fair

Our Power Africa initiative has been leveraging private capital to invest in electrification all across the continent.  And our preliminary goal was 10,000 megawatts; now we’re looking at 30,000 megawatts, and we’re well on our way.

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Remarks by President Obama at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit

Entrepreneurship creates new jobs and new businesses, new ways to deliver basic services, new ways of seeing the world -- it’s the spark of prosperity.  It helps citizens stand up for their rights and push back against corruption.  Entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that can all too often fill the void when young people don’t see a future for themselves. 

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Fact Sheet: Power Africa

In 2013, President Obama launched Power Africa, an innovative partnership to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa where more than 600 million people currently lack access. During the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in 2014, President Obama reaffirmed that Power Africa’s reach extends across all of sub-Saharan Africa and tripled Power Africa’s goals to work towards adding 30,000 megawatts (MW) of new, cleaner electricity generation capacity and increasing electricity access by at least 60 million new connections. 

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