Morocco will become the first African nation to host the annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (#GES2014) now in its fifth year and the largest gathering of entrepreneurs during Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Set to be hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco, and held under the High Patronage of his Majesty King Mohammed VI, brings together over 3000 entrepreneurs, Heads of state, government officials, global entrepreneurs, small medium enterprises (SMEs), corporate leaders, and young entrepreneurs, this year’s Summit, “Harnessing the Power of Technology for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” aims to explore the positive impact of technology on innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Summit speakers will discuss financing new ventures, scaling up enterprises and moving to the formal sector, turning talent into entrepreneurship and engaging in social entrepreneurship.
Vice President Joe Biden will lead the United States (U.S) delegation to the Summit in addition to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Members of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative (http://goo.gl/ylZVKD) will be joining Secretary Pritzker, as entrepreneurship ambassadors.
Some of the speakers include Daphne Koller, Co-Founder and President, Coursera; Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO, Chobani and Alexa von Tobel, Founder and CEO, LearnVest.
Other U.S. speakers include Toni G. Verstandig, Chair Middle East Programs, Aspen Group, Kerry Healey, President of Babson College and John Macomber, Senior Lecturer in Finance, Harvard Business School, Ron Bruder, Founder, Education for Employment, and Zainab Salbi, Founder of Women to Women International.
Moroccan speakers include Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mohamed Boussaid, Minister of Economy and Finance, Mbarka Bouaida, Delegate Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Moulay Hafid Alami, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Digital Economy, Nizar Baraka, President, Social, Economic & Environmental Council (CESE).
Moroccan corporate leaders include Mohamed El-Kettani, CEO, Attijariwafa Bank, Othman Benjelloun, President and CEO of BMCE, Abdeslam Ahizoune, CEO of Maroc Telecom, Anas Sefrioui, CEO of Addoha Group, and Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, President, Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM).