Friends of the African Union

We, the African Diaspora in the USA, can be a change Africa needs – now .

Uncategorized

The US Africa Business Conference of 2012 was our start in the Business of Africa

Faumam2063

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2012
5:00 – 9:00 pm Registration
Westin Cincinnati Hotel, Third Floor

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012
7:30 – 8:30 am Registration and Coffee
Westin Cincinnati Hotel, Third Floor
8:30 – 9:00 am OPENING REMARKS (OPEN TO PRESS)
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Emceed by: William Craft, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Trade Policy and Programs, U.S. Department of State
  • Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
  • Ohio State Representative Alicia Reece
9:05 – 9:45 am PLENARY I: “Why Do Business in Africa?” (OPEN TO PRESS)
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Chaired by: Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
  • Stanislav Vecera, General Manager  for South and East Africa, Procter & Gamble
  • Her Excellency Minister of Trade and Industry Hannah Tetteh, Ghana
9:45 – 10:00 am Break
Gibson Foyer
10:00 – 11:45 am PANELS (CLOSED TO PRESS)ENERGY 1: “How Government Agencies and the Private Sector View Opportunities for Clean Energy”
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Moderated by: Cindy Thyfault, Founder and CEO, Westar Trade Resources
  • Glen Sweetnam, Director, Office of African and Middle Eastern Affairs, Office of Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Neliswe Magubane, Director General-Energy, Department of Energy, Government of South Africa
  • Andy Holzhauser, Executive Director, Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
  • Chris Cassidy, Rural Development and Acting Energy Branch Chief, U.S. Department of Agriculture

TRANSPORTATION I: “Business Opportunities in the Transportation Infrastructure Sector in Africa”
Taft Room I & II

  • Moderated by: Alex Rugamba, Director, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Regional Integration & Trade, African Development Bank (AfDB)
  • Susan McDermott, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation
  • Ellen Moran, Senior Director for Infrastructure, Millennium Challenge Corporation
  • Paul Marin, Regional Director, sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
  • Todd Johnson, Manager for Risk and Market Development, GE Africa

WATER & SANITATION I: “Public and Private Opportunities for Water & Sanitation Investment in Africa”
Presidential Ballroom III

  • Chaired by: Omar Hopkins, Director for Infrastructure, Millennium Challenge Corporation
  • Jenny Datoo, Water & Knowledge Management Advisor, Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, & Environment, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
  • Sanjay Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer, WaterHealth International
  • Additional speakers may be added
11:45 am – 1:00 pm Lunch
Fountain Room and Tyler Davidson Room
1:00 – 2:45 pm PLENARY II: “U.S. Government Programs and Services To Facilitate Investment” (OPEN TO PRESS)
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Moderated by: William Craft, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Trade Policy and Programs, U.S. Department of State
  • Marcia Brandstat, Director, U.S. Commercial Service-Cincinnati
  • Richard Ginsburg, Senior International Trade Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration
  • T. Charles Cooper, Vice President of Congressional and Public Affairs, Millennium Challenge Corporation
  • Dia Martin, Director, Small & Medium Enterprise Finance, Overseas Private Investment Corporation
  • Rick Angiuoni, Director, Africa, Global Business Development Division, Export-Import Bank of the United States
  • Paul Marin, Regional Director, sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
2:45 – 3:00 pm Break
Gibson Foyer
3:00 – 5:00 pm U.S. – Africa Business Matchmaking (invitation required)
Tyler Davidson Room
Meetings with African and U.S. businesses, approximately 30 minutes each
3:15 – 5:00 pm PANEL (CLOSED TO PRESS)ENERGY II: “Energy Efficiency and Transmission Opportunities”
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Moderated by: Commissioner Andre Porter, Ohio Public Utility Commission
  • Graham Pugh, Team Lead, International Climate Activities, Office of International Climate Change Policy and Technology, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Callixte Kambanda, Principal Infrastructure Specialist, Secretariat of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa, African Development Bank
  • Dr. Alfred K. Ofosu Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary, Ghana Energy Commission, and Deputy Chairperson, Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership
  • Craig Butler, Assistant Policy Director for Environment, Energy, and Agriculture, Office of Ohio Governor John R. Kasich
5:30 – 7:00 pm COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Westin Cincinnati Hotel, Fountain Room
Thursday Site Visits (invitation required)
1:00 – 3:15 pm Duke Energy Envision Center
1:00 – 4:00 pm Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
1:00 – 4:00 pm DHL
3:00 – 5:00 pm Cincinnati Municipal Sewer District Wastewater Facility

FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012
7:30 – 8:00 am Coffee
Westin Cincinnati Hotel, Gibson Foyer
8:00 – 8:25 am Doing Business in Louisville
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Suhas Kulkarni, Director, Office of Globliazation
  • Office of Mayor of Louisville Greg Fischer
  • Additional speakers may be added
8:30 am – 12:00 pm Informal Networking Session
Tyler Davidson Room
8:30 – 10:15 am PANELS (CLOSED TO PRESS)TRANSPORATION II: “Aviation and Air Safety in Africa”
Taft Room I & II

  • Moderated by: Amy Holman, Director, Office of Economic Policy Staff, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
  • Susan McDermott, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation
  • Rick Angiuoni, Director, Africa, Global Business Development Division, Export-Import Bank of the United States
  • Robinson Misitala, Managing Director, National Airports Corporation LTD, Zambia
  • Fernando Prieto, Senior Project Manager, LPA Group

WATER & SANITATION II: “Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships To Support Innovations in Water Technology”
Presidential Ballroom III

  • Moderated by: Sally Gutierrez, Director of Environmental Technology Innovation Cluster, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Nick Ashbolt, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati Office
  • Alan Vicory, Chairman, Confluence, Water Technology Innovation Cluster
  • Mark Hogg, Executive Director, EDGE Outreach
  • Keith Zook, Fellow, Children’s Safe Drinking Water, Procter & Gamble
10:15 – 10:30 am Break
Gibson Foyer
10:30 am – 12:15 pm PANELS (CLOSED TO PRESS)ENERGY III: “Unconventional and Alternative Energy Sources”
Presidential Ballroom I & II

  • Chaired by: Cynthia Akuetteh, Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State
  • Honorable Senator Chris Ngige, Member of the Senate Committee of Science and Technology, National Assembly of Nigeria
  • Professor A.S. Sambo, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Government of Nigeria
  • Natenna Dobson, Industry Analyst, Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Kurt Shickman, Executive Director, Global Cool Cities Alliance

TRANSPORTATION III: “Lessons Learned and Success Stories: Regional Integration”
Taft Room I & II

  • Moderated by: Raja Jandhyala, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa, USAID
  • Robert Kirk, Senior Vice President, AECOM
  • David Adolwa, Transport Advisor, USAID’s Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program (COMPETE)
  • Nathan Van Dusen, Director for Africa, Carana Corporation
12:00 – 12:15 pm Board buses for Freedom Center
12:30 – 2:30 pm Closing Lunch sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart, and DHL
(OPEN TO PRESS)
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

  • Kim Robinson, Executive Director, Freedom Center (tent.)
  • Raja Jandhyala, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
  • Mayor of Cincinnati Mark Mallory
  • Additional speakers may be added
2:30 pm Board buses for Westin or Site Visits
Friday Site Visits (invitation required)
7:30 – 10:15 am Cincinnati State Renewable Energy Labs
10:15 am – 12:15 pm Environmental Protection Agency Testing & Evaluation Facility
10:15 am – 12:30 pm GE Aviation
2:30 – 4:30 pm Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
2:30 – 4:45 pm GE Aviation
2:30 – 4:45 pm MeLink Corporation
 For more information, please visit us at: http://www.state.gov/p/af/rt/agoa/2012/usabc/index.htm