SUMMIT

Four Kenyans will be among those attending President Obama’s entrepreneurial summit set for between April 26 and 27 this year.

They include Mr Yusuf Keshavjee, Ms Rehema Jaldesa, Mr Salim Amin and Ms Nuria Farah.

The four were selected based on their innovative ideas and ability to promote entrepreneurship, their commitment to community service, and gender, geographic and urban/rural diversity.

The conference A New Beginning: The Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship - builds on President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world in Cairo last year in which he promised to host a summit on entrepreneurship “to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.”

Greater exchange

“We now seek a broader engagement” that involves greater exchanges in education, health, science and shared ideals, he said in Cairo.

The conference will highlight the role that entrepreneurs play in communities in creating jobs and improving societies.

Results expected from the gathering are new programmes, partnerships, relationships and networks, which will encourage starting new businesses and social projects.

In all, about 250 people of various religious backgrounds are expected to participate in the meeting.

Mr Keshavjee is co-founder and current chair of the Boards of Honey Care Africa Ltd a social enterprise which has to-date brought over 9,000 smallholder farmers above the poverty line.

Ms Rehema is a career woman and an entrepreneur with more than 10 years experience in the banking industry.

Mr Salim Amin is the chairman Camerapix Ltd.

He also heads the Mohamed Amin Foundation and also chairman of A24 Media.

Ms Nuria Sheikh, currently pursuing a MBA at the University of Nairobi owns Risala Enterprises Ltd, a private limited company that was established in 1995.