UNCTAD and Alibaba Business School Kick Off eFounders Initiative for Asian Entrepreneurs
March 26 2018 - 4:08AM
Business Wire
Second cohort of 37 participants follows
inaugural program for African entrepreneurs in 2017
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
and Alibaba Business School today enrolled the first class of 37
Asian entrepreneurs for the eFounders Initiative at an opening
ceremony held on the Alibaba campus in Hangzhou, China.
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the full release here:
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The first class of 37 entrepreneurs from
Asia receiving first-hand exposure to e-commerce innovations as
part of the eFounders Initiative organized by Alibaba Group and
UNCTAD, which aims to enable them to be the future digital
ecosystem builders in their home countries. (Photo: Business
Wire)
The 11-day course is part of a commitment by Jack Ma, Alibaba
Group’s founder and Executive Chairman and UNCTAD Special Adviser,
to empower 1,000 entrepreneurs from developing countries in five
years.
The launch of the first program for Asian entrepreneurs comes
after the success of the inaugural class for 24 African
participants last November.
Following a rigorous selection process, the final candidates
from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines,
Thailand and Vietnam will embark on an 11-day intensive course
providing first-hand exposure to e-commerce innovations from China
and around the world and become eFounders Fellows.
Eventually these young entrepreneurs will become catalysts in
their home country that will spur the digital transformation of
their economies.
Smart partnerships
“We want to reach out to youth and include them in the work we
do for inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” Arlette
Verploegh, Coordinator for the eFounders Initiative at UNCTAD,
said. “The initiative is about bridging the digital divide for
young entrepreneurs and unlock their potential. It is part of a set
of smart partnerships UNCTAD is creating to reach the sustainable
development goals.”
All participants are founders of their respective start-up
companies, ranging from e-commerce, big data, logistics, fintech,
payment and tourism.
“We are excited to extend this fellowship to entrepreneurs from
Asia for the very first time as part of our commitment to empower
digital champions and communities around the world,” said Brian A.
Wong, Vice President of Alibaba Group, who heads the Global
Initiatives program.
“Our goal is to inspire entrepreneurs to serve as pioneers for
building a more inclusive development model that is not just good
for their business, but also good for society by creating platforms
that all can participate in and benefit from.”
Under the auspices of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, the initiative is aligned with the wider call to
action to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital economy,
and to help bridge the digital divide faced by businesses in
emerging markets.
Jointly organized by UNCTAD and Alibaba Business School, the
eFounders Initiative also supports Alibaba’s mission to help small
businesses succeed in their home markets and beyond. It was first
announced in 2017 by Jack Ma in his capacity as the UNCTAD Special
Adviser for Young Entrepreneurs and Small Business when he,
together with Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD,
visited Africa.
E-commerce ecosystems
The participants of the eFounders Initiative will learn
first-hand the transformative impact e-commerce and technology have
on society in China and participate in lectures and discussions
with local practitioners and executives to identify the lessons
that can be applied to their own markets. Topics covered will
include e-commerce, payment, logistics, big data and tourism from
Alibaba Group and other successful companies in the e-commerce
value chain, with sessions touching on digital finance, smart
logistics and rural e-commerce development, among others.
Upon graduation, participants will officially become Fellows of
the eFounders Initiative and make formal commitments on how they
will apply the learning from this program. As part of the wider
eFounders Initiative community of promising young entrepreneurs
around the world, UNCTAD and Alibaba Group will also continue to
advise on and provide support for the creation of e-commerce
ecosystems jointly with other stakeholders.
The first class of eFounders Fellows – 24 entrepreneurs from
Africa – completed the program in November 2017 after a similar two
week intensive workshop in Hangzhou.
To continue the impact of the initiative, UNCTAD and Alibaba
have already completed a full round of follow up meetings with the
fellows, each of whom are actively applying what they have learned
to their own enterprises, as well as sharing insights with their
home communities. Fellows are working toward achieving their
commitments and will continue to check in with UNCTAD and Alibaba
every three months.
For more information on the eFounders Initiative, please visit
https://agi.alibaba.com/efounders-fellowship and
http://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=1615
About UNCTAD
The eFounders Initiative is part of a set of smart partnerships
UNCTAD is creating to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.
About Alibaba Group
Alibaba Group’s mission is to make it easy to do business
anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of
commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live
at Alibaba, and that it will be a company that lasts at least 102
years.
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UNCTAD Communications and Information Unit+41 22 917 5828 / +41
79 502 43 11unctadpress@unctad.orgorAlibaba GroupKatie Lee, +852
9728 0979k.lee@alibaba-inc.com
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