Impressive performance of Curaçao at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Medellín
Willemstad - Curaçao achieved a great milestone last week in Medellin, Colombia, where the Curaçao delegation took part at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC).
Elgenia Pieternella, leader of the delegation, skillfully managed to negotiate and convert Curaçao into the headquarters of the Caribbean Business Angel Network. The new network will be managed for GBAN and EBAN in Curaçao. GBAN is the acronym for Global Business Angel Network and EBAN stands for European Business Angel Network. A Business Angel Network is comprised of investors who are willing to act as 'Business Angels' and in doing so invest their own funds in start-ups. Especially companies that have difficulty obtaining financial support from mainstream financial institutions are granted the opportunity to grow, because of the confidence their "angel" has showed in them.
With the signing of this agreement between EBAN and the Curaçao representation, for the first time starting March 16th, 2016, Curaçao has established an Angel Business Network in the Caribbean. This agreement comprises all 33 islands in the Caribbean region. Consequently, Curaçao has become the latest leader of large areas that already constitute the headquarters of these organizations. EBAN has headquarters in areas such as America, the Middle East and Europe. Soon the Caribbean Business Angel Network will provide more information pertaining to the content of the agreement and the way in which the private sector, the public sector, but most importantly local businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from the role Curaçao has taken on. It will also determine how the rest of the Caribbean will be guided based on the Curacao leadership.
The delegation of Curaçao was led by Miss Elgenia Pieternella, a professional in the field of entrepreneurial development. Elgenia is well-known as the founder and president of Fundashon Negoshi Pikiña. The organization has been the engine behind the Global Entrepreneurship Week efforts in the Dutch Caribbean. The delegation that participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress consisted of 6 professionals. This year the congress of the Global Entrepreneurship Network was held on March 14th thru 17th. Moreover, the importance of this conference can be derived from those who support it and have had their name associated to it. The US government, through President Barack Obama, along with the Kauffman Foundation are a few of the main sponsors of this global initiative which promotes entrepreneurship and business support. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that Curaçao was recognized as one of the countries that organized the Global Entrepreneurship Week for the first time in 2015, showing a determination to invest in more local entrepreneurship.
Member countries
A total of 162 member countries of the Global Entrepreneurship Week participated at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Medellin, where they showcased their accomplishments of the previous year.
These 162 countries represent all regions and continents of the world. In addition to distant countries like Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Kosovo, The Netherlands, Ireland and Germany, there are other nations situated nearer such as Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Panama, Mexico, Jamaica and Venezuela. Curacao and Bonaire also participated with one delegation. Curaçao stood out again after it was nominated as one of the new countries that have undertaken interesting and innovative activities in 2015.
On the third day Curaçao again excelled, as the representative of the Kauffman Foundation and co-founder of among others companies such as Booking.com launched a contest in a congress hall filled with more than 2,000 participants. Elgenia Pieternella from Curaçao won the prize: two round trip tickets to one of the destinations of the "Viva Colombia" airline. The Colombian press picked up on this news.
