The WBAF USA Country Office: A Response to COVID-19

The renowned James P. Moran, long-serving U.S. Congressman (1991–2015); Manuel A. González-Sanz, former Foreign Affairs Minister of Costa Rica (2014–2018); the Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute; and the JCI Global President delivered keynotes at the virtual opening ceremony of WBAF’s USA Country Office. Dr Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes was announced as the Country Office Director. Eduard Shalsi – Minister of Protection of Enterprises of Albania and Hykmete Bajrami – Minister of Finance of Kosovo joined the opening with special remarks.

The WBAF USA Country Office will be hosted by the Washington DC-based Government Blockchain Association (GBA), an international non-profit professional association with more than 90 chapters worldwide.

The newly created country office aims to fulfil the G20’s vision and mission to facilitate access to finance for businesses, generate more jobs, and foster social justice worldwide. Through collaboration with leaders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the WBAF USA Country Office will work towards facilitating economic growth and increasing digital fluency and financial inclusion by stimulating the adoption of new technologies.

Baybars Altuntas, WBAF’s Executive Chairman, said, ‘I am confident that the WBAF USA Country Office will open up splendid opportunities and provide a wide range of advantages for U.S. startups, scaleups, SMEs, innovators, and high-growth businesses.’

Gerard Daché, GBA’s Executive Director, said, ‘The GBA aims to accelerate the digital transformation of American startups in the pandemic business environment. We believe the WBAF USA Office will be instrumental in that effort.’

Itai Manyere, 2020 JCI Global President, said, ‘The opening of WBAF’s Country Office in the U.S. will attract more investment for entrepreneurs’.

James Moran, former U.S. Congressman, said, ‘As the home of Silicon Valley, the United States always supports new business ideas and makes efforts to connect talent with smart finance. WBAF’s opening an office in the U.S. is a significant development for the early-stage equity markets of the country and will contribute to achieving this mission’.

Don Tapscott, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute, said, ‘Blockchain will be a powerful tool in post-pandemic economies. The Government Blockchain Association is pleased to host the WBAF USA Country Office. I believe this collaboration will help increase digital inclusion globally’.

Manuel A. González-Sanz, Costa Rica’s former Foreign Affairs Minister said, ‘The WBAF USA Country Office will have a meaningful impact in startup economies and entrepreneurship ecosystems. I believe the WBAF USA Office will be instrumental in connecting not only North American startups with global investors, but Central American startups as well.’

As an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) is committed to collaborating globally to empower the economic development of the world by fostering innovative financial instruments for startups, scaleups, innovators, entrepreneurs and SMEs. USA Country Office is WBAF’s 8th country office and the first in North America. www.wbaforum.org

Watch the Ceremony: https://youtu.be/FI5HJAEEAbM