“Women in Entrepreneurship” was the theme for this large multi-regional project. The delegation consisted of 19 visitors from Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Gambia, Germany, Hungary, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, People’s Republic of China, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, and Venezuela. The Department of State outlined the following specific objectives for the national project:
- To provide examples of entrepreneurial efforts in the U.S, particularly those initiated by women;
- To illustrate the essential role of non-governmental and grassroots organizations in supporting and empowering the development of women-owned businesses;
- To highlight the social, economic, and political factors that influence and encourage the development of private enterprise in the U.S.
The Pensacola leg of the project started bright and early with a volunteer activity with Habitat for Humanity, with lunch provided by Appetite for Life, a local nonprofit which provides meals to families affected by HIV/AIDS. We would like to give a special thank you to Rachel Cox and Sean Smith who organized the activity.
Following this, the group traveled to Gulf Power for a discussion on the environment and corporate social responsibility in the United States with Sean Smith and Jennifer Grove. Their last appointment of the day ended with a panel discussion at city hall with Deborah Dunlap, Diane Mack, Natasha Parvey, Mary Sievers, and Jena Melançon.
Their second day in town was packed full of meetings, starting with a city orientation hosted by Maren DeWeese, president of the Pensacola City Council. Jeff DeWeese joined the group to give an historical overview of the area before the group moved to the Gulf Coast Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship where Bridgette Price discussed support mechanisms and innovations for economic development and the use of technology to manage and grow a small business. A special luncheon Ruth White, Cecilia Nanni, and members of the Pensacola Women’s Alliance included a talk given by University of West Florida President Dr. Judy Bense. This was followed by time at Workforce Escarosa where Leah McMillan and her colleagues discussed their mission of helping “businesses succeed by linking them to the workforce development resources they need.”
At the end of the night, the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council hosted their annual Citizen of the World Soiree at the home of Ms. Marianne Estess where the visitors met with members of the local council.
We also extend a special thanks to Colleen Rogers and Elizabeth Martin who both proved themselves to be invaluable during the visitors’ visit!
