A National Business Agenda for Afghanistan

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) along with the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) hosted the launch of the National Business Agenda (NBA) for Afghanistan in Kabul on March 27. The National Business Agenda, which highlights a set of urgent economic policy priorities for the government, was developed through roundtable events and working groups that included more than 1,300 business leaders and entrepreneurs from five regions across Afghanistan.

As CIPE Executive Director John Sullivan noted in an article he penned for the Huffington Post: "Many of the challenges faced by Afghan entrepreneurs are similar in nature to their counterparts around the world. Like our small business owners in the United States, Afghan business owners face everyday challenges such as access to credit, onerous taxes, and burdensome regulation. However, they also have problems unique to the Afghan business environment: local governments engage in price-fixing despite constitutional prohibitions, good land is difficult to come by due to corruption and squatting, and women entrepreneurs require access to business parks in this segregated society."

Like many countries in the region where instability and unrest are present, creating long-term stability is reliant upon an environment favorable to investment and entrepreneurship, which will lead to job creation and widespread economic opportunities.

As Sullivan concluded in his article: "If Afghanistan is to assume control of its security environment in the short to medium term, its economic policies must encourage fast growth within the same time period. The National Business Agenda -- written by the Afghans business leaders who know their country best -- provides a solid foundation on which the Afghan people can build a resilient and sustainable economic future."

Let's hope Afghanistan's decision makers listen to the voices of entrepreneurs who are working hard to build an economic future for their country. All of us have a stake in their success.

Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO
Kerrigan was recently named as Chairman of CIPE

CIPE Names Kerrigan as New Chairman

In previous posts on the Business Trends blog I have touted my involvement -- and respect for -- the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). I have participated in progamming with CIPE, hosted the first Mideast North Africa (MENA) Women's Business Summit in Tunisia with the organization, and then accepted a board position in 2007. Now, I am honored to be serving as Chair of CIPE, being named as such at the April 12 Board meeting.

Here is an excerpt from the CIPE media release about my new chairmanship:

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) today announced that entrepreneurship and small business expert Karen Kerrigan is the new Chairperson of the Board. Ms. Kerrigan, a member of the CIPE Board of Directors since 2007, will begin her term today, with an immediate focus on CIPE’s upcoming Democracy that Delivers for Women conference on June 20-21 in Washington, DC.

Ms. Kerrigan said, “It is an honor to serve in this capacity for CIPE, and especially at a time when its expertise remains in high demand. CIPE is respected globally, with an extraordinary staff that is connected and trusted in critical areas of the globe where business leaders and reform-minded individuals desire tools and approaches to help foster economic growth and strengthen the private sector. At this key moment in time, the capacity-building expertise of CIPE is assisting reformers to construct organically-developed strategies and initiatives to shape economic reforms to help encourage investment, entrepreneurship and job creation. Finally, CIPE’s work in helping to foster the economic, political, and civic empowerment of women is of special importance to me. ‘Democracy that Delivers for Women’ will bring international leaders together to share success, challenges, and best practices. My hope is that the conference serves as a platform to determine how we best focus our resources to be more effective in our capacity-building work.”

For most of her career, Ms. Kerrigan has been at the forefront of leading key initiatives to help foster entrepreneurship domestically and around the world. Since 1994, she has served as president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, a prominent and respected advocacy and research organization, and is the founder of Women Entrepreneurs Inc., an organization dedicated to helping women business owners succeed through education, networking and advocacy.

"Karen Kerrigan brings significant expertise to CIPE and has already contributed a great deal through regular visits to our programs and partners, especially in Palestine. She combines the ideal mix of a comprehensive understanding of the public policy process integral to democratic development and extensive experience in the entrepreneurial sector essential to economic growth,” said CIPE Executive Director John D. Sullivan.

In addition to its headquarters in Washington, DC, CIPE maintains field offices in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, and a regional office in Romania. CIPE programs are supported by the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of State, the Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq Office for Private Sector Development. Ms. Kerrigan is the sixth Chairperson of the CIPE Board of Directors since the organization was founded in 1983.

It is an exciting time to be involved with an organization like CIPE. I will regularly post updates about the Democracy that Delivers for Women conference, as well as other exciting events and activities that CIPE will be hosting.

Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO

Democracy that Delivers for Women, June 20-21

In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is hosting an important conference to celebrate the achievements of women all over the world. Please save the date and join us in our countdown to this major International Women's Conference. As a board member of CIPE, I am honored to be associated with this timely event where successful approaches to political, economic, and civic empowerment will be shared and discussed.



The Keynote Speaker for the conference is U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Women's Issues, Melanne Verveer.

In this two-day conference, participants will discuss:

Connections between economic, political, and civic empowerment for women

The importance of women's leadership and participation in policymaking

The role of business associations in women's empowerment

Institutional reforms necessary for removing legal and cultural barriers to women's empowerment.


For more information about the conference, please click here. www.democracythatdelivers.com.

Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, SBE Council