As Pinnacle Group continues its global expansion, establishing its presence in developing markets, I recently traveled to Chile for the remarkable opportunity to speak at a series of leadership events hosted by the U.S. Embassy and Becarius for Impact. These meetups with Chilean entrepreneurs and thought leaders were part of the Embassy’s initiative to further cultivate the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. It’s such a privilege to foster deeper relationships with these driven Chileans in business.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Index that measures the health of countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystems, Chile currently ranks at #1 in Latin America and #18 in the entire world. Through initiatives like the U.S. Embassy’s, we’re able to strengthen economic ties between Chile and the United States at the grass-roots level, using innovation to move both our nations forward.
Many of the bright entrepreneurs I spoke with are alumni of U.S. State Department programs and the White House’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Professional Fellows Program – a program that I had the pleasure of helping launch in 2016. These young business leaders serve as a true testament to the power of a strong ecosystem, using their support and new skills to build their businesses and in turn, help their communities.
Coming from a family of Ecuadorian entrepreneurs, I’ve seen first-hand how entrepreneurship has the potential to change a family for generations to come. But in order to get there, it takes getting plugged into a robust ecosystem.
That’s what my work as a diplomat has centered around, particularly since 2014 when the White House appointed me a Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship, along with figures like Tory Burch, Daymond John, and Steve Case. In that role, I had the privilege of traveling with Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to provide hope and inspiration to entrepreneurs around the world – in eight countries across five continents.
Throughout my international relations career, I’ve sought to provide information and inspiration to entrepreneurs around the world and I plan to continue doing so through my latest role as a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
It is always remarkable to see the impact this has on a region and Chile was no different. Every time we empower an entrepreneur, we empower a family. When we empower a family, we empower a community. When we empower a community, we empower a society. When we empower a society, we empower a country. Together, we have the power to change the world – one entrepreneur at a time.