Google, Kauffman, others’ roles as partners in GES 2016

Since May 26, 2016, the US State Department had released the list of partners for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which holds this month at the Silicon Valley, United States of America. The partners include Al Jazeera Media Network, Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Bloomberg L.P., Dalberg Global Development Advisors, Dell Inc., Deloitte, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Microsoft, Omidyar, Stanford University, Google, Stripe, Walmart and World Bank Group, among others.

While attendees will participate in the three-day event which features interactive discussions and workshops with top Silicon Valley executives and investors from around the world, what are the roles of the partners at the global, as well as annual event?

The State Department says it is working with selected partners through the SPARK Initiative, a consortium of organisations committed to supporting greater investment in global entrepreneurship, to  direct services for the entrepreneurs including connections with top mentors and investors in Silicon Valley, funding and prizes for the winning youth and women entrepreneurs of the GES+ Spark the Fire pitch competition, travel sponsorship for need-based entrepreneurs to attend, global media coverage, and programs to help entrepreneurs continue to grow and scale even after the Summit.

The partners are also creating networking lounges, a “portals to” project to connect entrepreneurs around the world, opening and closing receptions to solidify investor and entrepreneur relationships.

Also, their Global Launch Lounge will encourage new commitments toward global entrepreneurship in addition to the creation of the Innovation Marketplace – the main hub of activities, tools, and resources for attendees, the State Department said.