TechWadi Announces Global Entrepreneurship Forum in Beirut, Lebanon on June 23, 2010

June 17, 2010 - PRLog -- The technology industry flourishes on the key contributions of Arab and Arab-American professionals. TechWadi is a leading non-profit association seeking to build bridges between Silicon Valley and the MENA region in order to promote entrepreneurship and economic development.

The TechWadi Global Entrepreneurship Forum, hosted on June 23, 2010 by the Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut, is the catalyst for that mission, drawing together leading entrepreneurs, investors, and executives to find opportunities for collaboration and partnership.

The Forum emphasizes accelerating entrepreneurship and venture capital in Lebanon and across the MENA region, and will bring together distinguished individuals who are united in their vision to create a vibrant world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem.  

Also joining the forum will be a Delegation led by the United States Department of State, including prominent business leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking to expand cross-border ties with the MENA region.

Speakers at the conference will address strategic topics, notably: the key role of mentors and incubators in building the support infrastructure for start-ups; the application of best practices in venture capital; opportunities for technology transfer and collaboration; the US Government’s programs aimed at fostering entrepreneurship, and last but not least; what makes Silicon Valley tick – and how to repeat it in MENA.

The Forum will be followed by a lunch and reception, offering ample opportunity for attendees to grow their own network with local and international investors, executives, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.  

In his "New Beginning" speech, President Obama spoke of a new vision for the MENA region, rooted in entrepreneurship. At the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, Hillary Clinton announced TechWadi as partner to the US Government in working to achieve this inspiring vision.

Our Beirut Forum is the first step in building the future of entrepreneurship in MENA. The success of the TechWadi initiative will require the active involvement of local and expatriate executives, investors, and entrepreneurs - leveraging their knowledge and experience to accelerate the development of the community – as mentors, guides, Angel investors, executives, and venture capitalists.

For more information about the Forum program and to register for our event, please visit: http://techwadi.org. The Forum will be live-tweeted on #GEF2010

The Forum is supported by the generosity of: Berytech Fund, PowerMeMobile, Kafalat, and Banque Libano-Francais.

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About TechWadi
TechWadi is a leading non-profit association dedicated to building bridges between the US and MENA to support entrepreneurship and economic development.  Based in Silicon Valley, TechWadi reaches over 1,000 technology leaders in the United States and across the globe.

About Berytech
Berytech Technological Pole is a center dedicated to providing hi-tech hosting, incubation, skill training, and mentorship to small-medium enterprises.  Besides physical incubation, Berytech also provides virtual incubation to a number of entities through networking, support, and training.

About the Olayan School of Business
Building on over a century of prominence in business education, the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business is committed to providing quality undergraduate and graduate programs aimed at developing and enhancing global managerial leadership in the Middle East region and beyond.

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TechWadi is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to building bridges between the United States and the MENA region to promote entrepreneurship and economic development. Based in Silicon Valley, TechWadi reaches more than 1500 technology professionals worldwide.