Senior officials launch new Business Fellows matching program

Partners of the Americas in Washington shared the photo below from the official launch of the new Business Fellows matching program yesterday. Our Minnesota-Uruguay Chapter has offered to assist with the ambitious endeavor. The meeting was covered by the Tico Times in Costa Rica. More details below.

Pictured from left, Mr. Alejandro Buvinic, Head of the Economic Department, ProChile, Mr. Matt Clausen, Vice President for Partnerships and Programs, H.E. Muni Figueres, Ambassador of Chile to the United States, Mr. Francisco J. Sanchez, Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade, Ms. Roberta Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, and H.E. Felipe Bulnes, Ambassador of Chile to the United States.

Official Launch of the Matching Program

Today marks the official launch of   the International Business Fellows Matching Program! In a ceremony at the Chilean Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C., these officials will kick off the program:  H.E. Muni Figueres, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States H.E. Felipe Bulnes, Ambassador of Chile to the United States Mr. Francisco J. Sanchez, Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade Ms. Roberta Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Mr. Matt Clausen, Vice President of Partnerships and Programs at Partners of the Americas       They will each speak to this unique partnership between the private and public sectors to promote the exchange of expertise and best practices among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Americas.   Matching is a being launched as a pilot program with Chile and Costa Rica, but there are opportunities to expand it to  additional countries with the right support. Why Matching? Fellows and host organizations can both greatly benefit from the relationships ignited by the Matching program. It's a wonderful opportunity for SME leaders to share best practices, target skill-building, and forge potentially life-long partnerships to build strong businesses. 1-2-3 Match! Qualified Fellows and their SMEs are recruited and selected Partners works with Chapter members to select host organizations and works with Fellows to craft meaningful and educational experiences Fellows apply lessons in their home organizations and work to build a hemispheric network of professionals

If you are interested in Partners implementing Matching in your country and think that there is public and private sector support for this initiative then contact Lauren Boetsch atlboetsch@partners.net or Melissa Golladay at mgolladay@partners.net to learn more.