Economic Statecraft Day – Embassy Hosts Entrepreneurs Roundtable

June 15, 2012

GEORGETOWN – On Thursday, June 14, in celebration of Secretary Clinton’s Global Economic Statecraft Day, the U.S. Embassy hosted a roundtable with entrepreneurs to discuss economic opportunities and areas of possible collaboration in supporting small enterprises. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched her Economic Statecraft agenda last year, highlighting that the United States recognizes that global leadership rests on a foundation of economic prosperity and cooperation.

The United States recognizes the role of small businesses and entrepreneurs as innovators and drivers of economic growth. As such, the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown is engaging with the Guyanese business sectors to deepen cooperation on shared challenges, and to explore ideas on how linkages between the United States and Guyana might further support innovation and job creation. The round-table discussion on Thursday, which included members from EMPRETEC and the Small Business Bureau, covered a range of topics, including entrepreneurship, building an online presence, intellectual property rights and protections, accessing and partnering with U.S. markets, and the experiences and challenges in establishing and running a successful business.

The roundtable underscored the strong interest among participants to foster a healthy small business environment and promote opportunities that increase economic development and financial inclusion. Participants also reviewed existing programs and opportunities, including the Caribbean Idea Marketplace (CIM), which Secretary Clinton launched through the Inter-American Development Bank. The CIM seeks to link Diaspora with small local investors by providing grant funds to proposals that meet the initiative’s criteria.