1st BELARUSIAN BUSINESS FORUM IN WASHINGTON DC

Event of fair Belarusian businesses in the USA

March 1, 2024

Association of Belarusian Business Abroad

THE 1st BELARUSIAN BUSINESS FORUM IN THE USA BRINGS TOGETHER BELARUSIAN BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONALS FROM THE USA, REPRESENTATIVES OF US BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND US OFFICAL BODIES AND DONORS

GOALS OF THE FORUM

CREATE

networking opportunities for Belarusian businesses and Belarusian professionals in the USA

DEVELOP dialog

between the US official bodies, US business associations, and Belarusian business

BUILD TRUST

among Belarusian businesses abroad in democratic and economic transition in a new Belarus

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KEYNOTE SPEECH

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (video)
National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet

Christopher W. Smith
Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State 

Ivonka Survilla (video)
President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic

Ambassador Erin E. McKee
Assistant Administrator for the Europe & Eurasia Bureau, USAID 

John K. Guenther
Deputy General Counsel for Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

Forum facilitators

Hanna Sharko
President of the Association of Belarusians in America (ABA)

Pavel Vasilionak
Hospitality Tech Sales Executive and Leader of Belarusian Community in Washington DC

SPEAKERS

Vadim Prokopiev
Political activist, businessman

Silvia Savich
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative

Zmarak Khan
Deputy Chief Counsel at the US Department of Commerce

Drew Roberts
Senior Attorney Advisor at US Department of Commerce

Natalia Otel Belan
Regional Director, Europe and Eurasia, Center for International Private Enterprise

Danica R. Starks
Advisor to the U.S. Executive Director, Senior U.S. Commercial Liaison to the World Bank, Head of U.S. Commerce Dept. Multilateral Development Bank Group  

Mikalaj Murziankou
Advisor of ABBA, Representative of ABBA in California, CEO of Ezrapplication Inc.

Alesya Semukha-Greenberg
Entrepreneur, Treasurer at BAZA DC

Marina Girin
Vice President of ABBA

Aleś Alachnovič
Vice President of ABBA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Economic Reforms

Yauheni Bury
President of ABBA

Sierž Naūrodski
Vice President of ABBA

Vladimir Grigorik
Chairman,President and
CTO at GVA Lighting, Inc. (Canada)

Alena Liavonchanka
Secretary of the Board
(since 2023) and President (2017-2023), Belarusian Canadian Alliance

Anton Belianski
Managing General Partner at Crockets Materials and Services Inc., Pennsylvania

Nadzeya Norton
Leader of Belarusian Сommunity of San Francisco, first President of the Association of Belarusians in America (ABA) (2021-2023)

Alice A. Kipel
Belarusian-American Association, Washington DC (BAZA DC)

Victor Shevchuk
Owner/CEO of MGM Wine & Spirits, Minnesota, ABBA member

Olga Kozak-Anlar
Experienced Corporate Policy Governance, Ethics and Diversity Equity Inclusion Leader; former Director of Policy Governance and Ethics at S&P Global, New York

Ilya Silchukou
Opera singer, Boston

Pilip Haurysheu
Founder of INeedHelpBY, Florida

Alexa Chopivsky
Executive Director, Women’s Foreign Policy Group

Sergey Kuzin
Radio presenter at Radio USA, Florida

Michael Sieveking
Director of U.S. Diplomatic Engagement at American Jewish Committee (AJC)

Andrej Stryzhak
Head of BYSOL Foundation, Vilnius

Alex Golod
Global Technology Executive and Angel Investor, Illinois

PROGRAM of the FORUM

8:30am-9:00am

Registration and Welcome Coffee

9:00am-9:30am

Welcome Speech from Christopher W. Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State 

Keynote Speech from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus, Head of United Transitional Cabinet (video)

Keynote Remarks from Ivonka Survilla, President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic (video)

Keynote Remarks from Ambassador Erin E. McKee, Assistant Administrator for the Europe & Eurasia Bureau, USAID

Keynote Remarks from John K. Guenther, Deputy General Counsel for Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

9:30am-10:30am

Panel 1. Why and how should the United States support US businesses with Belarusian roots?

• Zmarak Khan, Deputy Chief at the Office of the General Counsel's Commercial Law Development Program, U.S. Department of Commerce 
• Silvia Savich,
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative 
• Natalia Otel Belan,
Regional Director for Europe and Eurasia, CIPE 
• Danica Starks,
Senior U.S. Commercial Liaison and Advisor to the U.S. Executive Director, World Bank; Head of the Commerce Department's Multilateral Development Bank Group
Moderator: Aleś Alachnovič, Vice President of ABBA, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor
on Economic Reforms 

10:30am-11:30am

Coffee Break

11:30am-12:30am

Panel 2. How to build and develop a business diaspora?

Alice A. Kipel, Belarusian-American Association, Washington DC (BAZA DC)
Alena Liavonchanka, Secretary of the Board (since 2023) and President (2017-2023), Belarusian Canadian Alliance
Alexa Chopivsky, Executive Director, Women’s Foreign Policy Group
Michael Sieveking, Director of U.S. Diplomatic Engagement at American Jewish Committee (AJC)
• Moderator: Nadzeya Norton, Leader of Belarusian Сommunity of San Francisco, first President of the Association of Belarusians in America (ABA) (2021-2023)

12:30am-1:30pm

Lunch Break

1:30pm-2:30pm

Panel 3. How to overcome financial challenges for Belarusian businesspeople in the US? 

Alesya Semukha - Greenberg, Entrepreneur, Treasurer at BAZA DC 
Volha Kazak,Experienced Corporate Policy Governance, Ethics and Diversity Equity Inclusion Leader; former Director of Policy Governance and Ethics at S&P Global, New York
Alex Golod, Global Technology Executive and Angel Investor, Illinois
• Moderator: Drew Roberts, Senior Attorney Advisor – International at CLDP, US Department of Commerce 

2:30pm-3:15pm

Coffee Break

3:15pm-4:50pm

Inspirational speeches. Success stories from Belarusian emigrants

Vladimir Grigorik, Chairman, President and CTO at GVA Lighting, Inc., Canada 
Mikalaj Murziankou, Founder of Ezrapplication, ABBA Representative in California 
Anton Belianski, Managing General Partner at Crockets Materials and Services Inc., Pennsylvania 
Victor Shevchuk, Owner/CEO of MGM Wine & Spirits, Minnesota; ABBA member 
Andrej Stryzhak, Head of BYSOL Foundation, Vilnius
Pilip Haurysheu, Founder of INeedHelpBY, Florida 

Ilya Silchukou, Opera singer, Boston 
Sergey Kuzin, Radio presenter at Radio USA, Florida
Vadim ProkopievPolitical activist, businessman

4:50pm-5:00pm

Closing Remarks

5:00pm-10:00pm

Networking 

Minimum recommended donation:
If you are a businessman- $300.
If you are a member of ABBA- $150.
If you don't have a business but wish to participate in the forum- donation.
You can donate by a PayPal transfer.
The details are in the registration form.

Register today!
The number of places is limited

VENUE

National Press Club
BALLROOM (13th floor)
529 14th St NW, Washington, DC

ORGANIZERs

 

ASSOCIATION OF BELARUSIAN BUSINESS ABROAD

 

ABBA is the biggest association of Belarusian business abroad brining together 100 members from 10 countries from around the world. ABBA’s goal is to integrate, protect the interests and develop the legal and ethical business of entrepreneurs with Belarusian roots for the development of New Belarus as an independent democratic country.

 

Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP)
US Department of Commerce

Established in 1992, CLDP is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce that helps achieve U.S. foreign policy goals in developing and post-conflict countries through commercial legal reforms. CLDP’s unique, government-to-government technical assistance draws upon highly-experienced regulators, judges, policymakers, business leaders and attorneys from both the public and private sectors to deliver results that make meaningful and lasting changes to the legal and business environments of our host countries.




partners

Association of Belarusians in America

Belarusian-American Association

OUR CONTACTS

Any questions and suggestions about the forum or your participation please email to: info@abbabusiness.org