Annual Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum to be held on July 27, in Washington DC

Press Release

Washington, D.C.– Organized annually by The Ethiopian American, an Ethiopian Diaspora business and investment group, the 8th edition of the Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum and the 2013 Pioneer Diaspora Awards Dinner, will be held on July 27, 2013 at the George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium in Washington DC, the organizers announced.

The 8th Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum will focus on “Investing in Agri-business: Opportunities and Challenges for Diaspora Investors”. Specifically, the Forum will discuss specific investment opportunities in agri-business, agro-processing and financing and value chain development opportunities in select sub-sectors.

The Forum this year is organizing an agri business concept competition and the winning teach will be rewarded with a round trip ticket to Ethiopia and technical support from the Forum and its sponsors as well as participate in a USAID-funded matching grant program to support investments in select agricultural value chains.

The 2013 Ethiopian Diaspora Pioneer Businessperson Selection Committee is currently accepting nominations from the public and will announce the awardee by July 19, 2013. It may be recalled that the 2012 Pioneer Ethiopian Diaspora Business Person award was shared by Ato Tadiwos Getachew Belete, founder and CEO of Boston Partners PLC, and Ato Zemedeneh Negatu, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Ethiopia & Head of Transaction Advisory Services (Corporate Finance) Eastern Africa Ernst & Young LLP.

The Forum and Awards Luncheon are expected to attract a large number of Ethiopians, and non-Ethiopians, interested in Ethiopian Diaspora business and investment opportunities in Ethiopian and the U.S.

“The Forum and Awards Event will highlight the work of the Ethiopian Diaspora entrepreneurs and various business and investment opportunities available for Diaspora businessmen,” said Yohannes Assefa, Managing Director of The Ethiopian American and Founder and Executive Director of the Forum.

This year’s Forum marks the 8th year since The Ethiopian American begun organizing this annual event. In the past six years, the Forum has grown tremendously.

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, Ernst & Young Ethiopia, Boston Partners PLC, Ethiopian Airlines and The George Washington University, Business School are this year’s Title Sponsors.

For more information, please visit our website, www.theethiopianamerican.com.

About The Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum

The Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum is organized by The Ethiopian American, a Virginia based Ethiopian Diaspora business and investment group with offices in New York. The Ethiopian American was first established as non-partisan, professional business publication in 2004 by a group of young Diaspora professionals to create a positive and non-political platform devoted to the issue of business and investment in the Ethiopian Diaspora community.

In June 2005, the magazine organized the first Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum (the “Forum”) with the generous financial support of USAID/VEGA Ethiopian AGOA + and several Diaspora businesses. Over the years, the Forum served as a key platform for Diaspora discussions on many important issues such as trade and investment in Ethiopia and the United States, the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), business environment and related regulatory affairs. Seven years later, the Forum has grown and continues to grow strong in every aspect by empowering the Diaspora business community with valuable information and enabling the community to participate in Ethiopia’s economy and development in a meaningful way.

This year, organizers are publishing the second annual full length event magazine covering many issues of interest for the Diaspora business community. The magazine will be distributed for free both in the U.S. and Ethiopia.