The Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative was created to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad. President Obama launched the initiative last April in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.
In the initiative’s first year, PAGE members utilized their knowledge, ideas, and talent to inspire and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and around the world, by using their voice and platforms to deliver on the program’s mission.
Domestically:
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Steve Case launched the “Rise of the Rest” – a bus tour that has traveled over 3,000 miles and championed and invested $1.5 million in startups in 14 cities across the country.
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Tory Burch’s Elizabeth Street Capital initiative partnered with Bank of America to increase mentorship opportunities and loans to female entrepreneurs.
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Hamdi Ulukaya announced the launch of a food incubator in Brooklyn designed to help entrepreneurial food companies launch and develop their ideas.
On the global stage:
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Nina Vaca traveled with Secretary Pritzker to Accra, Ghana for two days of mentorship and workshops with African entrepreneurs.
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Alexa von Tobel and Steve Case addressed the Mandela Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellowship Summit to encourage young African leaders to follow their passions and expand their skills to foster entrepreneurial change in their communities and countries.
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Alexa von Tobel, Hamdi Ulukaya and Daphne Koller traveled to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco where they joined Secretary Pritzker and Vice President Biden in discussing how entrepreneurship can further grow local, regional, and global economies.
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Rich Barton took part in TechConnect live, a broadcast sponsored by the Global Innovation through Science and Technology initiative, to discuss disruptive innovation that helps create a new market and value network, ultimately displacing incumbents and earlier technology.
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Daphne Koller’s Coursera produced an entrepreneurship specialization in partnership with the University of Maryland – an online course that teaches entrepreneurship fundamentals accessible to anyone with an internet connection around the world.
Building on the success of the initiative’s first year, the White House, under the chairmanship of Secretary Pritzker and the Commerce Department are bringing in new voices and initiatives to address the growing demand for engagement with this country's most respected and celebrated business creators.
As part of their commitment to entrepreneurship, each PAGE member has agreed to lead a signature initiative, delivering on the core tenets of the PAGE mission: to provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to access capital, talent and education, inspiration, and hope. These signature initiatives are designed to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, expand the networks and global exposure of existing entrepreneurs, and increase the deal-flow between investors and entrepreneurs. PAGE members will participate in public events and use their voice and platforms to connect with and inspire entrepreneurs, at home and abroad. The PAGE signature initiatives are listed below:
Rich Barton
Rich will work with tech entrepreneurs in Mexico to build up and foster the country's entrepreneurial spirit and capacity. He will evaluate business plans and judge pitch competitions through the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) program and the Mexican-US Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council (MUSEIC).
Tory Burch
Through the Tory Burch Foundation, Tory will continue to host mentoring and networking events for women entrepreneurs around the U.S. and will build on her partnership with Bank of America to provide access to affordable loans through Community Lenders. In PAGE's first year, Tory held events in Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia.
Steve Case
Steve will take his "Rise of the Rest" bus tour through more cities across the U.S. to celebrate local innovators and invest in local start-ups. So far, Steve has taken the bus to 14 cities across the country and has invested nearly $1.5 million in the most promising entrepreneurs.
Brian Chesky
Brian will work to expand Cuba's entrepreneurial ecosystem by increasing Internet literacy; promoting practical education in areas including photography, art, and marketing; and introducing online payment systems to support Cuban entrepreneurs. Additionally, through Airbnb's global community and footprint, Airbnb will provide lodging and meeting-space opportunities at global gatherings and events for entrepreneurs to enhance collaboration and partnerships.
Antonio Gracias
Antonio will work with the recently launched Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) to further empower entrepreneurs from Latin America with the training, tools, networks, and resources they need to grow their businesses and contribute to the overall economic development and prosperity of the region. This partnership will include the placement of selected YLAI fellows in a range of dynamic and growing companies for training and mentoring, and attaining commitments from other investors and organizations both in the U.S. and the region.
Helen Greiner
Helen will work to inspire young people to become engineers and then entrepreneurs through exposure to robotic technologies. Her speaking engagements include keynoting the 2015 Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders and the 2016 BotBall Championships. Helen will follow up on these early exposure programs, and continue to foster technological literacy through her work as a trustee of the Boston Museum of Science and advisor to Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Julie Hanna
Julie will democratize access to capital for entrepreneurs with a focus towards women and youth. Kiva will become an official global partner for all PAGE events and activities. Over the next year, Julie's Signature Initiative, "Global Capital Access" is committed to delivering $100 million in crowdfunded loans to 200,000 women and young entrepreneurs across 86 countries, including the U.S. Entrepreneurs participating in PAGE events all over the world will have an opportunity to receive crowdfunded loans through Kiva, giving them access to Kiva's global network of 1.3 million lenders in 198 countries.
Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth’s PAGE initiative focuses on two central tenets core to her own life mission: empowering women in science, technology, mathematics and business and working on breakthroughs in global health. Elizabeth will spend time in Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East mentoring and supporting young women, and will partner with the U.S. Department of State's TechWomen program to work with the next generation of global female leaders in Silicon Valley and in their home countries. Elizabeth will also work with USAID’s Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact (CII) and USAID's Bureau for Global Health on realizing breakthroughs in global health, especially related to the containment of infectious diseases.
Daymond John
Daymond will work with underserved entrepreneurs and emerging digital influencers to help them develop customer bases and brands. He will work with this audience on developing new business models that can turn homegrown operations into successful businesses. Daymond will share his story of hope and opportunity, along with his knowledge of building a business with entrepreneurs around the U.S. and abroad through his role in Shark Tank, and new financial inclusion partnerships. In March, Daymond teamed up with Capital One and General Assembly to launch an Opportunity Fellows Fund, which will aim to make education for careers in the digital economy more accessible to people across country from diverse, and often underserved, backgrounds.
Most recently, Daymond's announced a multi-million dollar commitment to offer digital educational and financial literacy tools for The My Brother's Keeper Alliance and plans to partner with other brands to offer mentorship, resources, and empowerment to the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Daphne Koller
Daphne, in partnership with the University of Maryland, has developed a Coursera Specialization in Entrepreneurship: a new online series of courses for entrepreneurs to help them start and grow their businesses. The Specialization will continue to expand by adding new content, in more languages, and allowing for other PAGE members to share their knowledge globally.
Daniel Lubetzky
Daniel will focus on challenging the next generation of global entrepreneurs to develop creative business models that balance commercial success with social purpose. This Initiative intends to spark a dialogue about redefining the role of business in society. He will partner with organizations and participate in speaking engagements to further this message, as well as provide educational opportunities in this area including a pitching competition for entrepreneurs whose mission includes doing well by doing good.
Ali Rosenthal
Ali will help entrepreneurs incorporate strategic partnerships into their business models by presenting several frameworks and meeting with groups of entrepreneurs at all levels to discuss how to build effective partnership programs. Ali hopes to teach budding entrepreneurs how to set realistic goals and achieve them through effective partnerships.
Debbie Sterling
Debbie will work to introduce girls to STEM through a variety of mechanisms, including the production of a video series focusing on the need for more female innovators and highlighting the exciting opportunities STEM provides for girls. She will also partner with organizations like Alex's Lemonade Stand and the Girl Scouts of America, which provide platforms for exposing girls to their first experience as entrepreneurs.
Hamdi Ulukaya
Hamdi will open the Chobani Food Incubator, a New York-based accelerator program where entrepreneurs will have access to up to $2 million in investments and mentorship opportunities.
Nina Vaca
Nina will work with the National Women's Business Enterprise Council (WBENC) to provide resources including mentorship and funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs. WBENC works to offer needle-moving opportunities for the more than 9 million women-owned businesses across the country. Additionally, Nina will grow her “At the Table” initiative as chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation. “At the Table” leverages networks and resources to help women business enterprises scale their companies.
Alexa von Tobel
Alexa will provide complimentary business plan evaluations and mentorship to fellow entrepreneurs. This service will be a key tool in helping entrepreneurs better craft their pitch to potential investors, identify gaps in the marketplace for them to fill, and develop a product or service that has the greatest potential for commercial success. Alexa will also work to build partnerships with local schools and community colleges to help students learn firsthand what it takes to start a business.
Andrew Yang
Andrew will provide the technical assistance to enable the adoption of a native "Venture for Country" in nations interested in stimulating regional economic growth and the development of entrepreneurs. Domestically, Andrew will recruit and train 500 aspiring young entrepreneurs in the United States, including 200 women and 100 underrepresented minorities, to work and launch companies in Detroit, Baltimore, New Orleans, Cleveland, St. Louis, Providence, and other U.S. cities.
