Ambassador and leading entrepreneurs welcome new Executive Director of GEPI

January 11. 2012

Ambassador and leading entrepreneurs welcome new Executive Director of GEPI

Ambassador Marciel hosted a reception at his residence the evening of January 10. Over 185 business leaders, government officials, academics, NGOs and entrepreneurs gathered to welcome GEPI’s first full time Executive Director, Mark Wang.
 
The Ambassador opened the event with a discussion of the U.S. interest in growing Indonesia’s entrepreneurship sector and introduced Chris Kanter, Chairman of GEPI. Chris spoke of the great interest from the 13 prominent business leaders who joined GEPI’s board and contributed their time and resources to ensure GEPI’s success. Mark Wang announced GEPI’s plans for 2012 which include the establishing a business incubator and providing investor financing options for GEPI. These plans include collaboration with LGT, a Liechtenstein based private equity fund, to identify and provide seed money for up to five social entrepreneurship-focused business proposals.  GEPI also plans to establish an "angel investor" network. which require collaboration with Indonesian investors.
 
Five Indonesian women who will participate in the State Department-sponsored "10,000 Women's Entrepreneurship Partnership program", also attended the reception.  They will go to the U.S. later this month to  attend a program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.  The event was an opportunity for Indonesian business leaders and government officials to meet the new GEPI Executive Chairman, Mark Wang and network with entrepreneurs.