Cultivating SMEs Report and Research Funding Launch

Objectives

The webinar will present  the findings of a report examining the strategies to promote the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There is a growing dialogue in most countries in the world on the importance of three interlinked areas of policy emphasis:

• The first of these is promoting the development of SMEs as a means of stimulating economic growth, increasing employment opportunities, and encouraging more inclusive development.
• The second is bolstering information and communication technologies and integrating a focus on digitalization within economic policies.
• The third is emphasizing the empowerment of women to contribute to entrepreneurship development and greater equity in societies.

The report presents strategies that Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Senegal have adopted on these three fronts, and describes their efforts in building entrepreneurship ecosystems.

The presentation will discuss the report's main findings together with perspectives from invited discussants. The webinar will conclude with an introduction to an action research program designed to deepen research and practice.

Registration

• https://bit.ly/2QG2g41
• Alternative registration link: https://bit.ly/2SGjZJ9

Please join us via UNiteVR at: https://webvc.video.un.org/

Conference id: 12209996

PIN: 7891

Speakers

  Mr. Joshua Setipa, Managing Director, UN Technology Bank 

Mr. Joshua Phoho Setipa assumed the role of Managing Director for The Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries in November 2018. With over 20 years’ experience in senior roles on international trade, economic policy, investment strategy and economic development at the national, regional and multilateral levels, Mr. Setipa has a wealth of experience and knowledge on issues affecting least developed countries.Mr. Setipa comes to The Technology Bank from the from The World Bank where he has been leading strategic engagements with West Africa. From 2015 – 2017 Mr. Setipa was the Minister of Trade and Industry for the Government of Lesotho, spearheading the adoption of national industrial policy. Prior to this he worked as Chief Executive Officer for the Lesotho National Development Corporation. Mr. Setipa was Senior Advisor to the Director General of the World Trade Organization for over six years where he was a member of the Executive Management Team.

  Dr. Halla Thorsteinsdóttir, University of Toronto and Small Globe Inc.

Dr. Halla Thorsteinsdóttir, is the Director of Small Globe Inc. and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada and at Cinvestav, Mexico. She has actively researched innovation and international cooperation in low-and-middle income countries. Her research has been published in high-impact journals such as the Nature journals, Science, Research Policy and The Lancet, and has been covered by media including the Economist and the Financial Times. Halla has advised a number of organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, the World Health Organization, the International Development Research Centre, and South Africa’s Technology Innovation Agency on innovation and partnership issues.

  Mr. Naser Faruqui, International Development Research Centre

Mr. Naser Faruqui, is the Director of Education and Science at IDRC where he leads a global team that helps vulnerable children and adults benefit from high-quality education and strong science systems in which women emerge as leaders, producing essential knowledge and innovations. His areas of expertise include education, water management, urban development and climate change, science and innovation systems in developing countries, science diplomacy, open science, and digital innovations for improving education, entrepreneurship, and governance. Naser oversees programs such as the Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI), the Artificial Intelligence for Development in Africa (AI4D), and the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) program in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education. He is the chief architect of IDRC’s Open Access to Research Outputs Policy and Chairs IDRC’s Open Data Working Group. 

  Ms. Tina Jabeen, Startup Bangladesh

Ms. Tina Jabeen is appointed as the first Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Startup Bangladesh Limited, ICT Division – the first and only venture capital fund sponsored by the Government of Bangladesh. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Jabeen has served as the Investment Advisor to Startup Bangladesh – iDEA Project, ICT Division since 2016 where she spearheaded major strategy and technical initiatives of the Project. Formerly a Senior Director for PwC USA and Director of Finance and Tax for Horsley Bridge Partners, a fund-of-fund with 23+
billion under management with a portfolio of 4000+ Startups, Ms. Jabeen brings decades of executive experience having held senior positions in such prestigious global firms in the areas of financial due diligence, valuations, equity structures, cross border taxations and venture capital governance models.

  Dr. Hussein Hassen, The Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC)

A mission-driven leader and humanist educator blending multiple perfectives and with a track record of leading change at various corporations, non-profit organizations and social movements at the local, continental and international arenas. Off his many duties, both out of passion and profession, Dr. Hassen designed/taught courses at St Mary’s University, United States; helped African immigrants in the United States build wealth and power through entrepreneurship, quality education, grassroots organizing and advocacy for enabling policy environments; wrote Op-Eds, academic papers and creative pieces; and analyzed the Horn of Africa complex political-economy and security situation – frequently appearing on Al Jazeera, BBC, NPR, VOA and DW and being quoted by various print media. His writings have appeared in Africa Portal, the New York Times, GlobalPost, and World Policy Review – to mention just a few.

  Mr. Abdoul Aziz Sy, Impact Hub Dakar

Born and raised in Dakar with a 3 year stint in the US where he studied International Affairs and Sustainable Development, Mr. Aziz Sy has been steadily involved in the Senegalese entrepreneurial scene since 2014. A project manager at CTIC Dakar for 2 years, he has since founded a couple businesses among which Impact Hub Dakar, an incubator and coworking space providing young entrepreneurs and innovators with human capital and a strong network. He has experience in entrepreneurial programs and the coaching of young entrepreneurs as well as ecosystem building through events and networking. He sees himself as a connector of people and is passionate about entrepreneurship as a human development tool and a creator of new solutions. 

  Ms. Chema Triki, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Ms. Chema Triki is a development economist working on economic transformation and private sector development in Sub-Saharan Africa with the Tony Blair Institute of Global Change. She has recently advised the Ethiopian Government on industrial development, job creation, and employment policies. She worked before on private sector development in the MENA region at the OECD and contributed to several studies on employment and investment in North Africa. She has also worked for several years in management consulting in financial services. She is an Engineer with applied mathematics as a major and holds a Master of Public Administration from Sciences Po Paris and London School of Economics, with economic policy as a major.

  Dr. Van Munin Chhieng, Khmer Enterprise

Dr. Vanmunin Chhieng has many years of experience working in the ICT industry. He has been consulting Startups, SMEs, and Nationals & International Corporations across all various sectors within the ICT industry. With a lifelong commitment to entrepreneurship, Dr. Vanmunin brings a unique perspective from extensive years of experiences working with these diverse sectors such as University, R&D, Banking, Telecom and Fintech. Before accepting the role as CEO of Khmer Enterprise, Dr. Vanmunin started his career in IT sector in Australia. His academic and industry experiences includes: UNSW — an Australian University, Data61 — an Australian government’s centre of Research and Excellence, Macquarie Bank — an International investment bank, Freelancer.com — a multi-million dollars online business, NBNCo — an Australian National Broadband Network, eBay — an eCommerce retailer, Data Republic — a Security Data Exchange, RGC — Royal Government of Cambodia. 

Please note that the event time is: 11 May 2021 | 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM EDT / 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM TRT