US Department of State and EY Announce Public-Private Partnership to Address Women's Entrepreneurship in the Americas through WEAmericas Initiative

- Organization's will work together to address barriers women entrepreneurs face when creating and scaling businesses

- Women entrepreneurs will come together through series of TechCamps hosted by the Department of State in four countries including: Colombia, El Salvador, Bolivia and Argentina

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Oct 07, 2014, 09:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 2, 2014, the U.S. Department of State and EY announced they will work together on an initiative geared towards helping women entrepreneurs succeed by providing them with the skills, capacity building, and leadership opportunities to scale their businesses, driving the global economy. The Women's Entrepreneurship in the Americas initiative, (WEAmericas), launched at the 2012 Summit of the Americas in Colombia, leverages public-private partnerships to increase women's economic participation and address barriers women confront in starting and growing small and medium sized enterprises.

The Department of State and EY will collaborate with U.S. Embassies and local partners in Colombia, El Salvador, Bolivia and Argentina- to bring together women entrepreneurs through a series of four TechCamps, to be held in each country between October 2014 and April 2015. The interactive agenda for the two- day TechCamps will bring together local and international technology experts with women entrepreneurs to develop tech-enabled solutions that address challenges women face in growing their businesses.

Eric Nelson, Director of State Department's Office of eDiplomacy, warmly welcomed EY's collaboration in promoting women's entrepreneurship. "Through this new relationship, EY will contribute to the long-term impact of this series of TechCamps which for the first time will specifically target women entrepreneurs, as part of the WEAmericas initiative," Nelson explained.

"Our relationship with the State Department and our commitment to supporting the WeAmericas TechCamp series is a terrific example of our commitment to and purpose of building a better working world," commented the EY International Government & Public Sector Leader, Marc Andersen.

About EY:
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.

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