Cormack: Build things, connect people, take risks!

This week is being celebrated globally as Entrepreneurship Week. Activities are being carried out to support and motivate the next generation of innovators, inventors, and company owners. Young entrepreneurs are presenting their ideas at "startup" events; experienced entrepreneurs are giving lectures and teaching the next generations; educators, students, and companies are focusing on the importance of supporting entrepreneurship for economic development. These entrepreneurs create, connect people, and take risks. Most importantly for BiH, entrepreneurs in all fields are creating jobs and helping economic growth. At this moment, it is entrepreneurs who are founding small businesses that contribute to modern capitalist economies – not state-owned enterprises. Fortunately, there are successful entrepreneurs in this country who are willing to do more. Here's why we will support them and how we plan to do it.

The essence of entrepreneurship is not just in the traditional definition of this activity where someone comes up with an idea and starts a company. This is about the "entrepreneurial spirit" which implies innovation, readiness to solve problems, and seeking new solutions. It is about creative thinking regarding the challenges we face and solving problems in ways we haven't considered before. Renowned American entrepreneur Peter Corbett visited BiH for the first time last month. One of the pieces of advice he gave to students and business people he met was that instead of trying to identify one big idea, they should start by identifying a problem and then focus on solving it. Finding solutions and the courage to take risks to achieve something is what defines the 21st-century entrepreneur.

 

Young Bosnians and Herzegovinians like Anela and Ilda are the ones who embody this spirit. They are third-year students at the International High School in Tuzla and reached the finals of Google's Global Science Fair. They presented an idea for producing biodiesel and hydrogen storage materials from chicken feathers. From chicken feathers! This spirit is also represented by Emir Memišević, a beekeeper and entrepreneur who monitors the health and production of beehives, and who competed at the Sixth World Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, which President Obama attended.

Technology and startup incubators like INTERA in Mostar, ICBL in Banja Luka, and Hub 387 in Sarajevo are also developing the spirit of entrepreneurship and nurturing a sense of community for entrepreneurs, and they are an inspiration for future innovators. The company "Networks" is creating an ecosystem for entrepreneurs that includes a training center, an innovation laboratory, and accommodation for startup companies. Finally, I am convinced that the Youth Council of our Embassy, whose members are talented young people from all sectors and parts of BiH, will lead a generation that will ensure better education and better employment opportunities for young people in BiH.

I would like this "entrepreneurial spirit" to be nurtured in all spheres of life in BiH – in politics, education, culture, and the economy. But what does that mean in practical terms? It means that if you are a high school student troubled by an issue at school, you can start a club or newsletter with your schoolmates and raise awareness about this issue, and propose solutions.

It means that if you are a student who wants better lectures or additional resources, then you organize to draw attention to that issue, find funding, or lobby professors or deans to bring about change. It means that if you are a businessman frustrated by a tax issue or law, you will form a coalition of businessmen and lobbyists. It means that if you are a young parliamentarian fighting to have your voice heard or your initiative adopted, then you will form a club or promote your issue through the media and thus gain support.

Opportunities are abundant, but the path is always the same. Entrepreneurs take initiative and do not wait for someone else, some leader, or the next generation to solve their problems. It is easy to be passive and constantly complain from a distance, especially when facing something that seems like an insurmountable obstacle, but such an approach is the only guarantee that problems will remain unresolved.

We, as the Embassy, are committed to supporting this spirit of entrepreneurship. To do our part, I will share with you a few things we will do this year to help:

First – we hosted a hackathon from November 6th to 8th, where young people from all over BiH developed great mobile applications that will be useful in their communities. Here's what they came up with: mobile applications that will make public transport use more predictable, improve the way blood is donated in emergencies, help warn the population about rising river levels, and use video games to engage young people in engineering.

Second – there is now something in BiH called the "Startup Cup" – an initiative funded by the U.S. State Department to help new entrepreneurs; the winners will be announced in a few weeks.

Finally, here in BiH, we will officially announce the launch of the "Entrepreneur of the Month" project, a new initiative that will begin in 2016 with the aim of recognizing entrepreneurs from all over BiH.

I have traveled throughout BiH and met exceptionally talented people who inspire me – we must all support their creativity and innovation. You cannot allow them to continue to be frustrated and leave the country, and allow other countries to benefit from BiH's talent. As we celebrate Entrepreneurship Week, let's develop the spirit of entrepreneurship.

Let's commit to being active, not passive; to solving problems, not just identifying them; and to supporting possible solutions instead of rejecting good ideas. Congratulations to all the entrepreneurs in BiH whom I have met and will meet – the dreamers, designers, innovators, and inventors – as well as all those who aspire to become entrepreneurs and are thinking about how to overcome the challenges facing this country and who are about to take their first steps.

Blog of the U.S. Ambassador to BiH Maureen Cormack