stealing africa OR
Afirica's Entrepreneurial Youth and Women- Obama Kenya Visit Summary

Are there any urgent ways to amplify this conversation through hubs 1 2 and open learning channels 1.. 2

thanks chris macrae  www.economistafrica.com mobile 240 316 8157

Remarks by President Obama at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/25/remarks-president-obama-global-entrepreneurship-summit

Young people like you are harnessing technology to change the way Africa is doing business, as President Kenyatta alluded to.  And that creates incredible opportunities for Africans and for the world.  It means more growth and trade that creates   jobs in all our countries.  It's good for all of us.  This   continent needs to be a future hub of global growth, not just African growth.  (Applause.)   And the country that's hosting us today is setting an important example -- Kenya is leading the way.  (Applause.)    Today, Kenya is the largest economy in East Africa.  High-speed broadband and mobile connectivity are on the rise, unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of even more Kenyans.  Every day around the world, millions of people send and save money with M-Pesa -- and it's a great idea that started here in Kenya.  (Applause.)    From Zimbabwe to Bangladesh, citizens work to keep elections safe, using the crowdsourcing platform Ushahidi -- and that’s a great idea that started right here in Kenya.  (Applause.)  Here in Nairobi, startup incubators are nurturing new businesses every day -- maybe some of yours -- each with the potential to be the great next Kenyan innovation.   And the good news is that I’m not the only one who sees the promise of Africa.  I’m joined on this trip by some leaders not just across my administration, but I'm also joined by 20 members of the United States Congress from both parties -- because supporting a strong partnership with Africa is something that unites Americans.  (Applause.)  We've got some incredible entrepreneurs and business leaders who are well-established from the United States who are with us.  They see the promise, as well.  And they’re putting their money where their mouth is.  So today, we’re taking the next steps to partner with you.  First, we’re offering entrepreneurs more startup capital.  At last year’s Entrepreneurship Summit, we set a goal of generating $1 billion in new investment for emerging entrepreneurs around the world, with half the money going to support women and young people.  (Applause.)  A few months ago, I challenged governments, companies, organizations and individuals to help us reach this target.  Today, I am proud to announce that not only   did we make our goal, we surpassed it.  (Applause.)  We’ve secured more than $1 billion in new commitments from banks, foundations, philanthropists, all to support entrepreneurs like you.

Everywhere I go, across the United States and around the world, I hear from people, but especially young people, who are ready to start something of their own -- to lift up people’s lives and shape their own destinies.  And that’s entrepreneurship.  Entrepreneurship creates new jobs and new businesses, new ways to deliver basic services, new ways of seeing the world -- it’s the spark of prosperity.  It helps citizens stand up for their rights and push back against corruption.  Entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that can all too often fill the void when young people don’t see a future for themselves.   Entrepreneurship means ownership and self-determination, as opposed to simply being dependent on somebody else for your livelihood and your future.  Entrepreneurship brings down barriers between communities and cultures and builds bridges that help us take on common challenges together.  Because one thing that entrepreneurs understand is, is that you don't have to look a certain way, or be of a certain faith, or have a certain last name in order to have a good idea.         The challenge is -- as so many of you know -- it’s very often hard to take those first steps.  It’s hard to access capital.  It’s hard sometimes to get the training and the skills to run a business as professionally as it needs to be in this competitive world.  It’s hard to tap into the networks and mentors that can mean the difference between a venture taking off and one that falls flat.   And it’s even harder for women and young people and communities that have often been marginalized and denied access to opportunities.  You run into old attitudes that say some people, because of where you come from or what you look like, don’t have what it takes to lead or create a business.  And sometimes it's subtle.  You go into pitch an idea and maybe the response you get might not be as enthusiastic as if someone else pitched the exact same idea.  Sometimes women or folks from communities that historically have not been viewed as entrepreneurial may not have the means of opening those doors just to get in front of the right person.   Of course, the best answer to that kind of thinking is the example that all of you are setting -- your success.  And that’s why I’ve made encouraging this spirit of entrepreneurship a key part of America’s engagement in the world.  I launched the first of these summits in Washington five years ago.  And since then, we’ve helped empower hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs, giving them a boost to launch thousands of new businesses and initiatives.  Here in Africa, our Young African Leaders Initiative is empowering tens of thousands of dynamic leaders not only in business, but also in government and civil society.  Because one of the things that we have come to understand -- and this is particularly relevant to Africa -- is that in order to create successful entrepreneurs, the government also has a role in creating the transparency, and the rule of law, and the ease of doing business, and the anti-corruption agenda that creates a platform for people to succeed. So this is our first Global Entrepreneurship Summit in sub-Saharan Africa.  We wanted to come here.  I wanted to be here because Africa is on the move.  (