Santo Domingo – U.S. Ambassador James Brewster and Mr. Bob Satawake held a roundtable discussion today with entrepreneurs, financiers, and Dominican government leaders to discuss the importance of entrepreneurism in the Dominican Republic and its role as a vehicle for economic growth.
The Ambassador led the discussion of best practices for and challenges to entrepreneurship here in the Dominican Republic, while offering personal insights based on their private sector experience. The Ambassador stressed the importance entrepreneurism in the Dominican Republic, to encourage innovation, creativity, perseverance, and hard work – all critical factors in creating new jobs and growing exports. The discussion also highlighted the contribution of youth to the overall economic prosperity of a nation and its connection to the global entrepreneur ecosystem. The Ambassador stated, “Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship are vital for any nation to grow and prosper.”
The roundtable was part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), a worldwide initiative organized by the Kauffman Foundation to promote the entrepreneurial spirit in over 70 countries. GEW is the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship, connecting participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors. This year’s celebration may be the largest to date in terms of activities, partners, and participants. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology are participating in the various events along with over ten local universities. As part of GEW, the U.S. Embassy also supported the recently held 2014 Entrepreneur Fair.
