The Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit
Yesterday, in an effort that highlights its commitment to increased global engagement and diplomacy, the administration concluded its two-day Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit, where 250-plus entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders from Muslim-majority countries met in Washington. President Obama opened the summit by observing that, “throughout history, the market has been the most powerful force the world has ever known for creating opportunity and lifting people out of poverty.” In the closing session, Secretary Clinton discussed the newly-created Office of Global Entrepreneurship at the State Department. The office will expand access to capital, strengthen business education and facilitate “entrepreneurship exchanges,” in which Silicon Valley innovators will travel to Muslim-majority countries, and promising talent from the Muslim world will spend time in enterprises in the United States. Consistent with her focus on women’s rights, Secretary Clinton concluded the Summit by talking about the role of women in entrepreneurship, and the benefits presented by women-run businesses in driving economic growth: “We cannot expect there to be greater foundations built for security, democracy, opportunity, unless women are at the table,” she said.
