The IMPACT EXPAT / EMERGING MARKETS SPACE DIPLOMAT

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Founded Pacific Business Forums, Hawaii's first integrated venture brand and market catalyst 2001-4 

• Spearheaded increase of seed/early stage funding for tech companies from $3MM to $100MM, 2001-5
• Silicon Valley/NYC VCs knowledge and networking forums and private sessions
• VC Master classes
• Funding showcases / $100k Business plan competitions 
• Fundraising Bootcamps
• Hawaii Venture Journal 
• Hi-Tech CEO Roundtable
• Advocated for Hawaii's historic Act 221, 100% Tax credit, investment incentive

 Lauched the  $100,000 Fusion Hawaii Venture Showcase business plan competition.

Created the Access to Capital model for Asia/Pacific minority SMEs under Executive Order of the White House funded by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2004. 

The Venture Showcase debuted at the Hawaii Convention Center delivering over $1 million in funding to start-ups on Day 1.  

Deal Engine Software - economic 2003 sector based Entrepreneur/ Investor/ Service Provider matching engine Oracle build.  

Created Arab Youth Venture Foundation (AYVF, 2007) the pioneering NGO with end goal of private sector jobs/ confront- ing youth-bulge in MENA (4) years before Arab Spring. 

MENA's first strategic extra-curricular and public programs (5.1 million, 6-24 yrs olds from 81 nations, 112 nationalities. 

34 trailblazing programs, focus:

• STEM & Space
• Entrepreneurship/Money
• Emotional Intelligence
• Literacy/Story Tent
• Creativity/Art/Design

Repeat funding by governments, MNCs, big tech, defense contractors.

Envisioned and launched in 2008 the Middle East's first programs for space education, outreach, workforce develop-ment and training (7) years before launch of a regional space agency & strategically supporting GCC 'Visions 20xx'

In 2007 pitched, 2009 secured historic NASA Int'l Space Act Agreement that actively drew NASA into Middle East markets. And enabled AYVF in 2010 to put UAE on global space map and catching NASA's attention.

Delivered Proof of Concept for foreign University student space training at NASA which formed basis for NASA's current Int'l Internship model.