NETHERLANDS: NOMINEES FOR PRESIDENTIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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