Under the theme of “Women First, Prosperity for All” the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 will be co-hosted in India and the United States, bringing both entrepreneurs, investors, decisionmakers from all over the world under one umbrella.
The summit will be held in Hyderabad, India in the period from November 28-30, and to attract 1,500 participants include nearly 300 investors and ecosystem supporters who will catalyze investment and networking at the summit.
The theme of this year’s summit is “Women First, Prosperity for All.” It focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.
Egypt will be presented with a delegation this year that includes nine entrepreneurs who were funded by the US Embassy in Cairo to travel and participate in India.
Egyptian entrepreneurs are already running their booming start-ups in Egypt to achieve many goals, such as empowering women, raising school students’ entrepreneurial culture, reviving the Egyptian food heritage, and others who are focusing on sectors such as fashion and technology.
Among the Egyptian startups are Injaz, Techne Summit, Fustany, Entreprenelle, and LED Cube and Zooba. Among the nine entrepreneurs, there are four women entrepreneurs including Sherin Ewase of LED Cube, Rania Ayman of Entrepreneur, Dina El-Mofty of Injaz, and Amira Azouzz of Fustany.com.
The ambitious entrepreneurs are anticipating the chance of mingling with their like-minded entrepreneurs from all over the world.
Sherin Hassan Ewase, a female entrepreneur and CEO of event organizing start-up LED Cube, said during the US embassy reception during the Entrepreneurship Week event in Cairo that she started her entrepreneurial journey in the coastal city of Alexandria with many start-ups.
“Travelling to India is a great opportunity for networking, exposure, and adding tech to non-tech industry to make it more accessible, meeting and consulting mentors, and grasping the chance for meeting ambassadors”.
Ewase is glad to find new partners for her start-up, as well as to get acquainted with the latest technology in event organization when attending GES in India.
Women will represent 52.5 percent of entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem supporters at GES 2017. This is the first time that women have been the majority of participants at a GES.
Women from 127 countries are participating. More than ten countries will be represented by an all-female delegation, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Overall, participants hail from 150 countries and territories across the world.
According to US Embassy in Cairo Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Goldberger: “In the past five years, hundreds of startups and youth initiatives have been launched all over Egypt — some receiving worldwide recognition. The US government is committed to supporting this spirit of innovation by helping entrepreneurs hone the skills they need to be successful.”
“The Embassy also sponsors numerous job fairs throughout the country, the RiseUp, and Techne summits, and mentorship programmes,” the official noted.
Chris Khalifa of Zooba, who was one of the speakers at the US Embassy reception, said,”I am anticipating the moment when we will gather with like-minded entrepreneurs during GES in India.”
Chris told Startup MGZN that Zooba started in March 2012 with three branches; now it has six branches. Zooba is an Egyptian brand that delivers contemporary Egyptian street food in a modern way.
Approximately one-third of the entrepreneurs are from the United States, one-third are from India, and one-third are from other countries around the globe, according to a statement released by the US State Department.
The American entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters come from 38 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Indian entrepreneurs from the length and breadth of the country will join GES and connect with entrepreneurs and investors from around the world.
The participants from all over the world at this year’s GES represent four key industry sectors: Energy and Infrastructure, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Financial Technology and Digital Economy, and Media and Entertainment.