Idea Village Recognized as Global Thought Leader in Entrepreneurship
Co-Founder and CEO Tim Williamson invited to Japan to Share Best Practices
For Immediate Release
(New Orleans) June 11, 2012 – At the request of the State of Louisiana, Tim Williamson, Co-Founder and CEO of The Idea Village, will be visiting Japan through June 16 to share best practices in building a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As part of the U.S. Government’s public diplomacy efforts in Japan, the U.S. Embassy organizes speaker programs with American experts to help clarify and educate Japanese audiences regarding American politics, economics, society, culture, and values. Williamson’s participation is part of a countrywide speaker program marking the one year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 tsunami.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, “New Orleans has become a leader in economic revitalization and in creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship in the wake of disaster. We are honored to help share our knowledge with other communities going through a recovery process.”
“The people and government of Japan are extremely interested in the topic of entrepreneurship and its role in their long-term recovery. We believe that Tim Williamson of The Idea Village is the obvious choice to lead the “Opportunity After Disaster: New Innovation in New Orleans” program in Japan,” says Janet Pace, Executive Director of Volunteer Louisiana, Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
“I am delighted that Tim is travelling to Japan to share and epitomize the spirit and success of the post Katrina entrepreneurial movement in the New Orleans region. Tim’s experience and dedication will play a large part in strengthening our ties and friendship with Japan as it marked the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake,” adds Donna D. Fraiche, Honorary Consul General of Japan.
Founded in 2000, The Idea Village is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to identify, support, and retain entrepreneurial talent in New Orleans. The Idea Village is a globally recognized leader of entrepreneurship by catalyzing an entrepreneurial ecosystem that has provided direct support to over 1,798 New Orleans entrepreneurs by engaging 2,028 professionals to allocate over 56,949 consulting hours and $3.1 million in seed capital. Collectively, this portfolio generates over $100 million in annual revenue and has created over 2,000 jobs for the New Orleans community.
“Over the last 12 years, New Orleans has fostered a strong entrepreneurial community and we believe that this invitation is great validation that The Idea Village is solidifying itself as a global thought leader in building such robust entrepreneurial ecosystems,” said Williamson.
The Idea Village continues to build and strengthen the ecosystem by executing an annual Entrepreneur Season that engages a collaborative network of partners, including government, universities, corporations, non-profits, and individuals, to identify, support, and celebrate New Orleans startup ventures.
For additional information on The Idea Village and the upcoming 2013 Entrepreneur Season, please visit www.ideavillage.org.
