Silicon Valley Entrepreneurship Program

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Affairs Office (PA) for a project to support entrepreneurship in Iraq. In cooperation with the U.S. Embassy, this project will bring together Iraqi entrepreneurs, provide them with training and mentorship on how to build a startup company, and culminate in a “Shark Tank”-type event where Iraqi teams will present their startup business concepts to a panel of judges. The program should last approximately five months and include representatives from the University of California-Berkeley Innovation Acceleration Group at both the program launch event as well as the concluding “Shark Tank” competition. U.S. Embassy representatives will be closely involved in the planning and execution of the program and will coordinate communications with IAG. Please carefully follow all instructions below. The U.S. Mission in Iraq supports political stability and economic growth while encouraging cultural exchanges with young Iraqis. This program will advance these goals by supporting the nascent yet growing entrepreneurial sector in Iraq. Iraq is plagued by difficult economic circumstances including high youth unemployment, corruption and inefficient laws and procedures, which make it difficult to open or operate private sector businesses. This program will not only provide useful skills to young Iraqi entrepreneurs, but also reinforce to the Government of Iraq the importance of developing a business climate that can foster entrepreneurship.