Startup Diplomacy: Investing in Female Founders from New York to Amman

NEW YORK, June 11, 2015  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty of the most promising young American and Jordanian women startup founders and entrepreneurs will soon have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in a week-long cultural exchange and fellowship in Amman, Jordan through a not-for-profit partnership between the Open Hands Initiative, Angel Resource Institute (ARI), and ARI's Women's First Enterprise program.

In its first exchange program aimed at building a bridge between the people of the United States and Jordan, Open Hands Initiative will host 20 top women entrepreneurs—10 from the U.S. and 10 from Jordan—in Amman this October. By creating a one-of-a-kind business training program that integrates unique collaborative engagement and intensive mentorship, Open Hands seeks to empower young women business leaders and support entrepreneurial activity in both countries.

"Entrepreneurship drives innovation and prosperity—and it's young people across the globe who hold the power to create lasting change through entrepreneurial activity. That's why we are honored to be operating a program that not only attempts to capitalize on the impact that great ideas can have on society, but also the profound effect that women entrepreneurs, in particular, have on their communities," said Open Hands Initiative Founder and Chairman Jay T. Snyder. He added, "We hope that this fellowship will not only serve as a launchpad for pioneering young women to take their companies to the next level, but that it will also create new synergies and business prospects between founders from both countries."

Led by an accomplished team of international business leaders and innovators, this comprehensive program will provide hands-on training, personal mentoring, and a unique cultural experience to all involved. The program will culminate in a "Demo Day" in which all participants get the chance to pitch their company before a panel of investors and judges to vie for a cash prize to help accelerate their businesses.

The Open Hands Initiative is in its fifth year sponsoring international people-to-people exchanges with the mission of increasing respect and understanding between the people of the United States and the people of the Middle East and the developing world. For more information about the fellowship and the mission of Open Hands Initiative and its partners, please visit http://openhandsinitiative.org/geography/whereWeAre_jordan.html.

SOURCE Open Hands Initiative