伊万卡企业家峰会演讲

Thank you,Chief Minister Rao [Ra-ow], for that kind introduction.

On behalf ofthe United States, and the 150 other countries represented in this room, thankyou for hosting The Global Entrepreneurship Summit here in Hyderabad – a citythat is quickly emerging as the innovation hub of India.

And thank you,Prime Minister Modi, for joining us here today – and for all that you are doingto build India as a thriving economy – a beacon of democracy – and a symbol ofhope to the world.

What you are achievingis truly extraordinary.

From yourchildhood selling tea to your election as India’s Prime Minister, you’ve proventhat transformational change is possible. And now you are bringing that promiseto hundreds of millions of people across your country. Thank you.

To the peopleof India, I want to congratulate you as you celebrate the 70th anniversaryof your Independence.

You arecelebrating it as the world’s largest democracy, and one of the fastest growingeconomies on earth.

Through yourown enterprise, entrepreneurship, and hard work, the people of India havelifted more than 130 million citizens out of poverty – a remarkableimprovement, and one I know will continue to grow under the leadership of PrimeMinister Modi.

All of you arehelping India’s middle class reach its goal of nearly 500 million people by2030. You have opened new universities across the Country. Your doctors andscientists are discovering medical cures and life-saving technologies. Yourengineers and architects have built modern wonders that grace your skies. AndIndian spacecraft have traveled to the Moon and to Mars.

The people ofIndia inspire us all.

This is thefirst time India has hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. It is a symbolof the strengthened friendship between our two peoples, and the growingeconomic and security partnership between our two nations. As President Trumpsaid earlier this year: India has a true friend in the White House.

I would liketo thank the State Department for co-hosting this incredible gathering. I alsowant to thank Governor Narasimhan [Nara-sim-han] and all elected Indianofficials who are here tonight for welcoming us to your beautiful country.

It’s wonderfulto be in this ancient city brimming with transformative technology – now, yourtech centers may even outshine your world-famous Biryani [Beer-e-yan-ee].

CEOs likeMicrosoft’s Satya Nadella [Sa-ti-ya Na-de-la] went to school right here inHyderabad.  Just a few kilometers away, T-hub’s brand new facility is setto open next year – and will become the largest incubator in Asia.

In this “Cityof Pearls” the greatest treasure is YOU – the dreamers, innovators,entrepreneurs, and leaders who never give up – never abandon your aspirations –and always strive for a better tomorrow.

Today, we cometogether to celebrate what is happening here in India, what is happening in theUnited States – and all over the world: entrepreneurs are revolutionizing oureconomies, and improving our societies.

You arerewriting the rules.

You have theinspiration and drive to serve our communities through the projects you startand the businesses you build.

You have thegrit – the perseverance – and the WILL to succeed.

Each of youstarted with an idea. You’ve worked long days and nights to code the next robot,create the next app, find the next cure, and discover the next breakthrough toimprove millions of lives.

Some may havetried to convince you that the risk is too great – and the reward too small.

But you arehere today because you are not afraid to fail. You want to OWN your future.

So before I gofurther, I want to congratulate you on all you have already accomplished.

And Iespecially want to congratulate the women entrepreneurs here today.

This year’sSummit is focused on a theme that is key to our future: WOMEN FIRST, PROSPERITYFOR ALL. I am proud that for the first time ever, women make up the majority ofthe 1500 entrepreneurs selected to attend.

Only whenwomen are empowered to thrive; will our families, our economies, and oursocieties reach their fullest potential.

As a formerentrepreneur, employer, and executive in a male-dominated industry, I have seenfirsthand that all too often, women must do more than their male counterpartsto prove themselves at work, while also disproportionately caring for theirfamilies at home.

After myfather’s election, I saw an opportunity to leave my businesses for theprivilege of serving our country and empowering all Americans – including women– to succeed.

Ouradministration is advancing policies that enable women to pursue theircareers and care for their families, policies that improve workforcedevelopment and skills training, and policies that lift government barriers andfuel entrepreneurship so that Americans can turn their dreams into their incrediblelegacies.

In the lastdecade, women have made remarkable strides in starting new businesses.

Globally,between 2014 and 2016, entrepreneurship activity among women increased by 10percent.

In the UnitedStates, within the last decade, the number of women-owned firms has grown by 45percent. Even more promising, minority women have started nearly 8 in 10 newwomen-owned businesses.

Today, morethan 11 million women in the United States own businesses. They employ nearly 9million workers, and generate over $1 trillion dollars in revenue.

Many womenbecome entrepreneurs and job creators out of necessity – some weren’t given theflexibility they needed at work to care for their families. Others lackedprofessional sponsors, or they weren’t given a fair shot at a promotion.

Instead,women, just like many of those here today, are charting their own courses andachieving incredible feats.

Fueling thegrowth of women-led businesses isn’t simply good for our society – it’s goodfor our economy. One study estimates that closing the gender entrepreneurshipgap world-wide could grow our global GDP by as much as 2 percent.

The women inthis room can help lead the way to closing this gap and ushering in a new ageof greater prosperity.

Yet, despitethe soaring rate of female entrepreneurs, women still face steep obstacles tostarting, owning, and growing their businesses.

We must ensurewomen entrepreneurs have access to capital, access to networks andmentors, and access to equitable laws.

In developingcountries, 70 percent of women-owned small and medium-sized businesses aredenied access to capital. The result has been a nearly $300 billion dollarannual credit deficit for women entrepreneurs in the developing world.

In the UnitedStates, a Harvard Business Review report found that investors ask men questionsabout their potential for gains whereas they ask women questions about theirpotential for loss. This could in part explain why women entrepreneurs receivedless than 3 percent of venture capital funding in 2016.

We are workingto reverse this trend. The U.S. Small Business Administration, for example,increased its lending to women by over $500 million dollars this year alone.

When it comesto networks and mentorship, roughly half of women in the United States saythey have difficulty finding a mentor.

Yet,mentorship is critical to success. Entrepreneurs need professional guidance tohelp them start and grow their businesses.

In the UnitedStates, we are fostering mentorship through programs such as SCORE – anationwide initiative where successful men and women coach those who want tobecome their own CEOs.

And when itcomes to equitable laws, while many developed and developing countries havemade tremendous strides, there is still much work to be done.

In somecountries, women are not allowed to own property, travel freely, or workwithout the consent of their husbands. In even more countries, the cultural andfamily pressure is so great that women do not feel the freedom to work outsidethe home.

OurAdministration is striving to promote greater opportunity for women around theworld, both through our domestic reforms and our international initiatives.

This summer,at the G20 conference, the United States was a founding member of a bold, newinitiative with the World Bank – the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, orWeFi. This facility provides access to capital, networks, and mentorship forwomen in developing countries.

WeFi is thefirst facility to support women entrepreneurs at this scale, and we anticipateit will be able to leverage in excess of $1 BILLION dollars in public andprivate financing. This facility also seeks to address the legal and regulatorybarriers that limit opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

In the lastdecade, USAID has promoted women entrepreneurship through a number of programs,including providing micro-finance loans to women in Afghanistan, and bringingInternet access to women in Nigeria and Kenya.

USAIDAdministrator Mark Green is with us here today. I want to thank him and theentire U.S. delegation for their tireless work to improve the lives ofmillions, both domestically and abroad.

Further, asyou can all attest, this Summit is yet another powerful example of a U.S.initiative that connects entrepreneurs around the world with investors whobelieve in your mission and will champion your success.

I want tothank the U.S. business leaders who have traveled all the way to Hyderabad forthis inspiring event. I also want to congratulate the more than 350 Americanentrepreneurs who were selected to be here with us to represent America’sbrightest talent.

At home, ouradministration is committed to empowering women entrepreneurs through domesticreforms.

In the past 11months, we have expanded apprenticeship programs and prioritized STEM educationto ensure that women – and men – have more opportunities to master the skillsthat drive progress in the 21st century.

We havedramatically reduced job-crushing regulations, which disproportionately hurtentrepreneurs and small business owners.

And we arelaser focused on passing long over-due tax cuts. This will provide much neededrelief to working families and businesses of all sizes.

Also thisyear, for the first time ever, the President’s Budget included a proposal toestablish a nationwide program for paid family leave.

We arecommitted to supporting women, and men, who work, inside and outsideof the home.

When womenwork, it creates a unique multiplier effect. Women are more likely than men tohire other women, and to give them access to capital, mentorship and networks.Women are also more likely to reinvest their income back in their families andcommunities.

Here in India,I want to applaud Prime Minister Modi for his firm belief that “The progress ofhumanity is incomplete without the empowerment of women.”

Just consider,if India closes the labor-force gender gap by half, your economy could grow byover $150 billion dollars in the next three years.

As we kick offthis three-day Summit, I encourage everyone here today to come together, tolearn from each other, and to find new ways to lift the barriers in oursocieties so that women are free to innovate, empowered to succeed, and able toleave our children a brighter future. —

As we strivefor change, we must never forget that the best hope for our future is fargreater than any single government policy – the source of our success is foundin the spirit, the drive, and the talent of our people.

Here with ustoday from San Francisco is Dara Dotz. Dara spent over a decade working inunderserved communities around the world. She witnessed firsthand that manytimes people need very simple items – a bucket for carrying water, a splint totreat an injury, or a part to fix a generator. Dara co-founded Field Ready toprovide life-saving supplies through 3-D printing. Today, Dara’s companyresponds to disasters all over the world and delivers humanitarian aid withcutting-edge technology.

Through herinnovative solutions, Dara is saving lives and bringing hope to thousands ofcommunities. Thank you, Dara. Please stand.

RajlakshmiBorthakur [Raj-lak-shh-me   Bor-ta-kur] joins us from Bangalore,India.

When her sonbegan having seizures at a young age, she decided to create her own solution tobetter monitor his health. She invented a smart glove that predicts, manages,and detects different diseases and disorders using Artificial Intelligence.

Now hercompany, Terra Blue, aims to make specialty healthcare accessible in even themost remote places in India.

Rajlakshmi[Raj-lak-shh-me] – your courage and determination is truly remarkable. Pleasestand.

Also heretoday with us is Reyhan Camalova [Ray-yon   Kaa-maa-lo-va] from Azerbaijan. Reyhan [Ray yon] is 15 years old.  Butthat hasn’t stopped her from founding a company that harvests energy fromrainwater.

Reyhan[Ray-yon] has a powerful motto – “Light up one house at a time.” Reyhan[Ray-yon], each home you light up is illuminating the world. We are allinspired by your brilliance and hard work. Thank you. Please stand.

These womenrepresent the vision, ambition, and grit of every entrepreneur here today.

You are savinglives, creating jobs, and bringing hope to our communities. You aretransforming our societies one business, and one customer, at a time.

You prove tothe world that we have the power to rise above the challenges of our day – topioneer new pathways forward – and to leave our mark on this moment in history.

Just think howmuch better our world will be if ALL OF US, men and WOMEN, are empowered todream big, aim high, and work together towards a more just and prosperousfuture. A future where all mothers and fathers can work hard and build a betterlife for their families – where all boys and girls can go to school, discovertheir talents, and pursue their ambitions – and where the people of all nationscan live and work with one another in dignity and peace.

This is thefuture we can and will build together.

And this isthe promise of the visionaries gathered here today.

Thank you.