#startthespark

Today, even as innovation and entrepreneurship spread rapidly around the world, there are many marginalized groups unable to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations.  Access to capital, training, and markets, as well as cultural and legal barriers continue to prevent millions from starting their own ventures.  For this reason, the President directed U.S. programs to increase efforts to attract investment for women and young entrepreneurs.  In 2014, the Administration set a goal for its global entrepreneurship programs, led under the umbrella of the U.S. government’s Spark Global Entrepreneurship Initiative, to generate over a billion dollars in private investment for emerging entrepreneurs around the world by the end of 2017.  Half of this goal will be specifically for women and young entrepreneurs.

Ahead of his travel to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi this July, the President issued a call to action, challenging companies, organizations, and individuals to increase their investments in global emerging entrepreneurs -- especially women and youth.  This support can come in the form of financial investment, mentorship, networking, education, and exchange programs.  By putting women and youth at the center of our efforts, the U.S. Government will bring entrepreneurship, innovation, and empowerment to underserved communities around the world.  Commitments can be made throughwww.state.gov/spark.

A report on the initial pledges put forward in response to the call to action will be presented at GES in Nairobi.  The summit will provide a platform for elevating and linking these commitments.

President Obama announced nine new Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE), enlisting even more of America’s top talent to expand the frontiers of inspiration, opportunity, and development around the world.  Each PAGE member has developed a signature initiative, designed to make significant contributions to the U.S. Government’s goal of generating over $1 billion for emerging global entrepreneurs. He said, "Today, we’re welcoming nine new ambassadors from companies working on shared challenges -— how to build a business in underserved communities; how to improve the affordability and accessibility of medical care; how to inspire young girls to pursue science and engineering.  And each of our ambassadors has committed to a signature project focused on the communities we’re looking to help."

Finally, President Obama recognized the creation of the Spark Global Entrepreneurship coalition, made up of leading entrepreneurship organizations who will support his call to action and better connect, coordinate, and communicate entrepreneurship efforts across the globe.

After the U.S. Government launched its Spark Global Entrepreneurship initiative last November, leading entrepreneurship organizations came together to form an umbrella coalition.  The aim of the Spark Global Entrepreneurship Coalition is to connect, coordinate, and create common goals across public, private, and non-profit sector efforts to advance entrepreneurship around the world. The coalition will help to advance the efforts of the U.S. Government’s Spark Global Entrepreneurship Initiative to invest in emerging entrepreneurs by linking participants from those programs with resources, networks, and opportunities.  One of their first activities will be to work with the U.S. Department of State on coordinating partnerships for this summer’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kenya.

President Obama challenged partners across the private sector and around the world to join this effort. He also urged governments, companies, organizations, and individuals to make their own commitments, noting that everyone has a role to play -- whether that’s through training and mentorship programs, helping entrepreneurs access capital and connect to markets, or improving educational opportunities and exchanges.

Do you want to be a part of the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit? Registration is open! http://www.ges2015.org You can also follow the conversation online using #StartTheSpark and by following @EconEngage on Twitter.

For more information:

Remarks by the President at Global Entrepreneurship Event

U.S. Government Spark Programs

This ambitious initiative sparked the attention of a number of leading organizations, companies, and figures working on entrepreneurship, who gathered at the White House to discuss how they might collaborate. This coalition is coalescing around a number of key goals, ideas, and actions.

To open a dialogue about the common goals shared by those working to promote entrepreneurship, today, the White House hosted a #StartTheSpark Twitter chat on U.S. Government support for entrepreneurship in Africa.   During the Twitter chat, the White House announced that President Obama will travel to Kenya in July to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).  President Obama's trip will build on the success of the August 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit and continue U.S. efforts to work with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, to accelerate economic growth, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve security.  

Since the creation of the GES in 2009, it has become a pre-eminent platform for entrepreneurs and businesses leaders, international organizations, and governments looking to support them. 2015 marks the first time the Summit will be held in sub-Saharan Africa with the Government of Kenya serving as co-host.

The programs selected to the President's Spark initiative represent the best work being done by the U.S. Government to advance entrepreneurship around the world. Together, the effort can help to increase communication, coordination, and collaboration across all our efforts to support entrepreneurs around the world. Connecting these entrepreneurial sparks can help set alight a bright beacon of new hope, shared purpose, and opportunity.

For More Information

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and the President’s Travel to Africa

U.S. Government Spark Programs