VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTC #0729/01 3381702
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041702Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3533
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/P - GREG BEHRMAN 
USDOC FOR 4212/USFCS/MAC/EURA/OWE - DCALVERT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SOCI NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: NOMINEES FOR PRESIDENTIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP 
SUMMIT 
 
Ref: STATE 112495 
 
¶1. Post is pleased to submit 10 nominees to attend the Presidential 
Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington in early 2010 (see 
paragraph 3).  This initiative complements a wide range of 
activities already underway at this Mission to promote diversity and 
outreach to the Netherlands' large Muslim minority. 
 
¶2. Below is a summary of post's proposed public diplomacy activities 
for the Summit. (Note:  Reftel also requested that post conduct a 
roundtable in December to engage key stakeholders on 
entrepreneurship.  Due to scheduling constraints this month, post 
will conduct this roundtable in early 2010 and report septel.  End 
note.) 
 
- Target-of-opportunity speaker Margot Badran will speak on "Islamic 
Feminism: Gender Equality and Social Justice" during a roundtable 
discussion for Mission contacts at the American Consulate General in 
Amsterdam on December 23. 
 
- Post will utilize its Speakers Program to bring U.S. experts to 
the Netherlands to address audiences on a range of diversity issues, 
including entrepreneurship and business development for Muslims and 
other minorities. 
 
- The Chief of Mission (Ambassador Fay Levin) could host a 
pre-departure reception for Dutch participants in the Washington 
summit and others who play a leading role in promoting minority 
entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. 
 
- Post will host a major conference entitled "Hyphen Nation" that 
will feature Ebo Patel and Rev. Jesse Jackson as keynote speakers. 
Two of the conference panels will focus on diversity in the 
workplace, including affirmative action and diversity in 
media/advertising. 
 
¶3. Following are post's 10 nominees for the Summit: 
 
-- Mr. Ahmed Larouz:  If only one Dutch Muslim were to be invited to 
the summit, it should probably be Ahmed.  He is on the board of a 
dozen influential business and social institutions in the 
Netherlands and has a track record of successfully using his 
position to focus these institutions' policies on problems of ethnic 
minorities in European society.  He is a founding member of 
WereldsOndernemen, an international entrepreneurship network that 
works to improve economically challenged immigrant neighborhoods in 
Amsterdam.  He founded Bridgizz Ltd., a communication and marketing 
company operating in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. 
Last but not least, he is the guiding light behind the Dutch Ramadan 
Festival, an innovative effort supported by the U.S. Mission.  This 
festival began as an effort to teach the non-Muslim Dutch a bit more 
about their Muslim fellow citizens.  It now includes programming in 
Belgium, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Norway, with 
additional countries to be added next year. 
 
-- Mr. Abdelilah Kasem:  Abdelilah is recognized throughout the 
Netherlands as a leading figure in the Muslim community.  Of 
Moroccan descent, he is a high-profile advisor to the Dutch 
government on social issues of importance to the immigrant/minority 
population; he is extremely well connected professionally through 
his work on various commissions and boards.  He may well be the 
single most influential individual on issues concerning the Muslim 
population in the entire country.  He has a solid background in 
management, gender and ethnic issues, cultural identity, and policy 
development.  In his work as a management consultant at Bunt 
Consultants in Amsterdam, he builds bridges between the government 
and Muslim populations, as well as among different sectors within 
minority communities.  He is also a successful Muslim entrepreneur 
Qminority communities.  He is also a successful Muslim entrepreneur 
within his own right. 
 
 
-- Mr. Rachid Majiti:  Rachid brings his great business acumen and 
strong technical background to bear in his work at McKinsey and 
Company, the leading international management consulting firm in the 
Netherlands.  As an Associate Principal at McKinsey, Rachid works 
with governments (local, national, and international), Fortune 500 
companies, NGOs, and local businesses to help them adapt to changing 
market conditions.  As a result, he understands the way changing 
demographics affect business models and how best to implement 
changes in those models.  As a co-founder of the Moroccan Dutch 
Leadership Institute, he designed and directed a program to develop 
the leadership abilities of Moroccan-Dutch students and young 
professionals.  Individuals selected to participate in the program 
attend a rigorous leadership development program for a full year, 
with a strong focus on community development.  At the end of the 
program, they are expected to apply what they have learned to help 
further develop their community. 
 
-- Ms. Bercan Gunel:  Bercan is a very dynamic, professional Muslim 
 
woman of Turkish origin.  She has extensive experience with leading 
international accounting and management firms and has worked as a 
consultant to local governments in the Netherlands.  She is the 
co-founder and partner of "Woman Capital," an executive search firm 
focusing on women for top management and supervisory positions in 
the private and non-profit sectors.  She is deeply committed to 
equity and diversity issues and has a good deal of experience in 
NGOs working in these areas.  She is one of the most knowledgeable 
people in the country about the challenges and opportunities for 
minority women professionals. 
 
-- Ms. Sepideh Datoobar:  Sepidah came to the Netherlands from Iran 
as a refugee and retains a strong interest in working with immigrant 
populations.  She is an advisor to several government ministries, 
including the State Secretary of Economic Affairs, and is a leading 
member of IVEN, the network for professional immigrant women which 
advises several government ministries as well as the City of 
Rotterdam.  Sepideh founded Nova Uitzend Bureau in 1995, a 
recruitment and placement agency that focuses on highly educated 
refugees. Nova has two offices in Amsterdam that provide intensive 
support to its clients, both before and after job placement.  The 
company was awarded the highly regarded Integration Prize from the 
Edger Doncker Fund for its work in private integration initiatives 
in the Netherlands. 
 
-- Atilay Uslu:  Atilay is a rags-to-riches success story.  He was 
born in Turkey and moved to the Netherlands as an infant.  After 
high school, he worked in his uncle's shoarma restaurant and saved 
enough money to start a small travel agency in Haarlem in 1994.  By 
2000, the travel agency had evolved into a tour agency.  In 2005, he 
bought his first four airplanes.  Today, his business "Corendon" is 
the largest Dutch travel agency for trips to Turkey and the fifth 
largest tour operator in the Netherlands. Corendon has annual 
revenue of one million euro.  Most recently, Atilay has begun 
selling real estate on the Turkish coast.  He also sponsors the 
European champion baseball team Kinheim in Haarlem and the Haarlem 
soccer club HFC.  Atilay enthusiastically supports other minority 
businesses and is a model for aspiring minority entrepreneurs. 
 
-- Mr. Atilla Aytekin:  Atilla, CEO of Triodor Software, was the 
first winner of the Amsterdam Entrepreneur Prize in 2008. He has 
worked in both Turkey and the Netherlands and is considered by many 
to be the perfect example of a successful immigrant entrepreneur. 
Triodor Software is an international software development company 
with offices in Amsterdam and Istanbul.  Atilla is also the founder 
and chairman of the "Dutch Dream Foundation," which encourages and 
spotlights successful entrepreneurship.  In 2008, he published 
Atilla's Dutch Dream, a semi-autobiographic discussion of 
multicultural entrepreneurship, especially for beginning 
entrepreneurs. 
-- Ms. Naoual Dinia: Born in the Netherlands to Moroccan parents, 
Naoual is a prime example of a minority entrepreneur who 'gives 
back' by helping to create social and economic opportunity for 
Muslim and other minorities, particularly in the city of Utrecht. 
She owns "Novodor," a marketing and consulting company in Utrecht 
that specializes in helping minority/ethnic small businesses.  She 
is the head of a project called "Partners in New Entrepreneurship" 
to promote minority entrepreneurship in Utrecht; the other partners 
include the City of Utrecht and the Central Holland Chamber of 
Qinclude the City of Utrecht and the Central Holland Chamber of 
Commerce.  Naoual is also a member of the Utrecht Development 
Board. 
 
-- Mr. Tamim Chebti:  Tamim is Chairman of "TANS," or Toward a New 
Start.  This organization is dedicated to helping young Moroccans 
(especially university students and young professionals) to become 
successful and achieve roles of responsibility in business, 
 
government, and cultural spheres.  One of TANS's major initiatives 
is a contest to choose the best proposal from a young aspiring 
Moroccan entrepreneur, with the winner earning a cash prize to help 
finance their project and expert advice from experienced business 
professionals for six months.  Tamim works full time as a Policy 
Advisor at the Dutch Ministry of Finance, in the sovereign debt 
department.  With his leadership role in helping young, educated 
Moroccans to reach their full potential, Tamim is perfectly situated 
to convey the message of the beneficial role that entrepreneurship 
can play in the Dutch Muslim community. 
 
-- Ms. Olcay Gulsen:  Olcay is a Dutch fashion designer of Kurdish 
heritage and owner of the clothing line "Supertrash."  Olcay was 
born in the Netherlands; after studying in Rotterdam, she moved to 
Amsterdam to start her own company '2Stepzahead'.  In 2009, Olcay 
bought Supertrash (a rival clothing line), which she now sells in 24 
countries.  Dutch magazine Jackie named her "fashion entrepreneur of 
the year" in 2009. 
 
 
LEVIN