WASHINGTON, D.C. - As part of the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will host a press conference on Thursday, June 23 at 12:30 p.m. PDT. USAID Administrator Gayle Smith, Assistant Administrator for Africa Linda Etim, USAID Chief Innovation Officer Ann Mei Chang and partners will announce new investments to help mobilize the power of entrepreneurs and innovators in the fight to end extreme poverty. These investments will connect innovators around the world with investors and capital to increase access to energy and expand food security in developing countries.   

USAID is committed to engaging entrepreneurs, innovators, and other private sector partners in developing countries around the world to advance development outcomes. Over the past seven years, USAID has directly supported hundreds of entrepreneurs and has partnered with other donors, international organizations, and local governments to develop entrepreneurial ecosystems. In 2015, USAID had over 360 active public-private partnerships that leveraged more than $5.9 billion from private sector and other partners.