VZCZCXYZ0029
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #0046/01 0062125
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 062124Z JAN 10 ZFF6
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1905
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA

UNCLAS BOGOTA 000046 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR IIP (BARONE, WEINTRAUB) 
WHA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO CO
SUBJECT: US SPEAKER REQUEST: WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS 
 
SUMMARY:  Post requests IIP's assistance to recruit a US business 
leader to visit Colombia to participate in a speaker program at an 
Intercollegiate Women in Business Conference sponsored by the NGO 
Women for Colombia Foundation in Bogot????.  Speaker would be keynote 
speaker at the conference and would also address a large group of 
young women students from various fields at Los Andes University, 
the most important private university in the country with a strong 
business leadership program. Schedule will also include other 
public affairs activities such as media encounters and a 
representational function. Visit would extend from April 21 through 
24, 2010 and will be a follow- on program to the recently held 
Pathways Women Entrepreneurs Conference.  Post's objective with 
this program is to focus the attention of young Colombian women on 
the potential of business creation for democratic strengthening. 
End summary. 
 
 
 
BACKGROUND:  Women for Colombia Foundation is a non-profit 
organization established 15 years ago with the purpose of advancing 
and promoting professional women to facilitate their participation 
in the country's development.  The foundation promotes 
participation of women in economic, political and social 
development contexts. As such, the Foundation is supporting the 
country's efforts to promote examples of women in business 
leadership positions who can be seen as role models for women 
business owners, executives, and managers. For the sustainable 
development and growth of the Colombian economy, the business 
sector recognizes the importance of women's contribution in 
developing small and medium size businesses. Although there are 
some associations, governmental and non-governmental organizations 
that promote equal opportunities for women, there are is no one 
association that provides mentoring or other types of leadership 
training. Just over the recent years women in Colombia have been 
gaining an important role in business.  Only a few women have 
reached top positions.  Women in small and medium enterprises now 
are eager to learn about developing leadership skills and hear from 
someone they could use as a role model in economic, political and 
social development contexts. 
 
US SPEAKER, PROGRAM AND AUDIENCE: The speaker should be prepared to 
address two talks on entrepreneurship: one for about 500 women 
students at the Intercollegiate Women in Business Conference 
sponsored by Women for Colombia Foundation, focusing on development 
of entrepreneurial attitudes for young professional women. 
Presentation should address value added of exploring creative and 
innovative thinking for success in the executive world as well as 
in business development. A second talk would address professional 
women already in the labor force either as business owners or 
employed in middle to high level positions in the private sector. 
Since its creation, the Intercollegiate Women in Business 
Conference has sought to support women university students in their 
transition process from the academic to the professional world, 
informing them about multiple business opportunities for women 
through specialized panels addressing most dynamic sectors of 
Colombia's economy.  The conference is attended by over 500 young 
women eager to learn from the successful professional experience of 
women leaders around the world.  We would like to request that IIP 
recruit a woman leader active in the international entrepreneurial 
community with extensive experience on advancing youth 
entrepreneurship and community service around the world that could 
serve as a leadership model for students shaping their professional 
careers as well as for young professionals. Post would like to 
suggest Michelle Messina, President of the global direction and 
strategy agency, Explora International LLC, as best speaker for the 
program. Messina recently took part in the Pathways Women 
Entrepreneurs Conference as a mentor of Colombian participant 
Esperanza Morales. 
 
 
 
CONTROL OFFICER: Control Officer for this program is CAO Rex Moser. 
Office phone:  571-315-2201. Home phone: 571-317-2079; Mobile: 
310-260-7093 
 
Program Coordinator is CAS Pilar Cabrera. Office phone: 
571-315-2201. Home phone:  571-627-0934.  Mobile: 314-330-0948. 
 
 
 
FUNDING SPECIFICS:  Program fully funded out of I-Bucks 
 
 
 
WAIVER:  Mission requests waiver of the Department's policy not to 
send speakers to countries to which the State Department advises US 
citizens not to travel. All events in this program will take place 
in Bogot???? which is not  indicated in the State Department travel 
 
advisory as a particular area of caution. RSO concurs with proposed 
travel and program, and will arrange a security briefing for the 
speaker. Speaker will be lodged in RSO approved hotels and will be 
accompanied by a PAS officer and senior FSN for all programs. Other 
than minor theft incidents no speakers have encountered any 
problems or threats to their safety in either of these cities. 
BROWNFIELD