Partnering for Growth: How Entrepreneurs Can Work with USAID
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In honor of entrepreneurship month, representatives across USAID came to share the many ways entrepreneurs in developing countries can take advantage of USAID programs to grow their businesses. Experts from USAID's Office of Market and Partnership Innovations, Global Partnerships Division, the Development Credit Authority, and Development Innovation Ventures answered questions about accessing USAID funding. The chat highlighted USAID's new Agriculture Fast Track, as well as other USAID opportunities, grants and loans. Participants asked questions, made connections with USAID experts and other entrepreneurs, and walked away with new ideas to unlock growth in their businesses.
Watch the video below to better understand what Agrilinks #AskAg Twitter chats are, and read the guiding questions that were addressed during the chat. Also, as part of our efforts to get everyone comfortable with using Twitter, Agrilinks produced 101/102 trainings that can be accessed by clicking here.
What are #AskAg Twitter chats?
Guiding questions
- What is the role of entrepreneurs in international development?
- How can entrepreneurs work with USAID in developing countries?
- Does USAID help entrepreneurs from the United States or just people from developing countries?
- What kind of USAID resources are available for entrepreneurs in developing countries?
Twitter accounts to follow
| Experts | Organizations & featured contributors |
| Ben Hubbard: @USAID_Credit | USAID DIV: @DIVatUSAID |
| Chris Jurgens: @USAID | WEConnect Intl: @WEConnection |
| Kristen Gendron: @KlGendron12 | Liz Whitehead: @LCullenDC |
| Margaret Enis Spears: @FeedtheFuture | Women's Finance Hub: @SMEFinanceForum |
How to participate
- If you are new to Twitter, visit Twitter.com to sign up for an account. (For more tips on getting started, check out our Twitter training.)
- Explore the guiding questions that will be discussed during the chat.
- Join us for discussion by using the hashtag #AskAg and following @Agrilinks.
- You can also follow on Twubs or through the livestream below.
Livestream:
Tweets about "#AskAg"Speakers
Ben Hubbard
Development Credit Authority
Ben Hubbard is Director of the Development Credit Authority. Prior to his appointment as Director of DCA, Ben was Acting Chief of Staff, and previously Deputy Chief of Staff, to Administrator Shah. Before joining USAID, Ben was Chief of Staff at ONE. Before joining ONE, Ben worked for the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative in Nairobi, Kenya where he helped launch the Foundation's Pediatric HIV/AIDS Initiative. Ben is the co-founder of Campus Progress, a national organization that works with and for young people to promote progressive solutions to key political and social challenges. Ben started Campus Progress while working at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank in Washington, DC. Before joining American Progress, Ben worked in the personal office of US Senator Patrick J. Leahy. Ben is a graduate of Cornell University where he studied Economics and Government.
Chris Jurgens
USAID IDEA
Chris Jurgens leads the Global Partnerships Division in the Office of Innovation and Development Alliances (IDEA) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is responsible for providing overall leadership of the Agency’s public-private partnership efforts, many of which are established as Global Development Alliances. Prior to joining USAID, Chris served as Director of Global Programs for Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP), Accenture’s not-for-profit consulting practice which serves international development sector clients. Chris has a Master’s degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a B.A. in Economics from Miami University, where he was a Truman Scholar and Harrison Scholar. He is married and lives in Washington, D.C.
Margaret Spears
USAID Bureau for Food Security
Margaret Enis Spears is the Director of the Office of Market and Partnership Innovations in USAID/BFS. Her office leads private sector engagement for Feed the Future. A Foreign Service Officer with over 15 years of experience, she managed the economic and agriculture offices in Colombia and Bolivia before returning to Washington to help establish the Bureau for Food Security. Prior to USAID, she worked for the State Department, the World Bank, Catholic Relief Services, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Ms. Spears did her graduate studies at Georgetown University and undergraduate at Boston College, focusing on economics and international development.
Kristen Gendron
USAID Development Innovation Ventures
Kristen L. Gendron is part of USAID's Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) team working on strategic communications, engagement, and selection. Prior to DIV, Kristen worked in research and programming on a wide range of policy issues at the Council on Foreign Relations. She has also been involved in the planning and operations of the Aspen Institute's annual Ideas Festival, and previously wrote and edited for Brookings Senior Fellow EJ Dionne's Washington Post column and book. Kristen studied international relations and French at Johns Hopkins, and is originally from Colorado.
Sarah Burch
USAID Development Innovation Ventures
Sarah Burch is one of the founding members of the DIV team. Initially working for USAID’s first Chief Innovation Officer, Sarah has played a key role in managing agency wide initiatives such as the creation of the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) and the formation of the Office of Innovation and Development Alliances (IDEA). She serves as the water, sanitation, and hygiene coordinator for the DIV team, liaising with the USAID Water Office, Gates Foundation, and other stakeholders. She has screened over 400 business plans and served on four DIV panels focused on evaluating scalable development solutions suitable for DIV financing. Prior to her work at USAID, Sarah worked at a Federal Commission focused on religious freedom; refugees and internally displaced persons; and democracy and human rights. Sarah hails from Washington State and is a proud alumna of Notre Dame.
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