Advancing Canada-US Collaboration for African Partnerships
Washington, DC: May 22-23, 2024
The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business is delighted to have held our first-ever Canada-US Business Forum on Africa, a two-day program in the US capital.
The conference marks the first in a series of planned engagements - with companies in Canada's peer countries - on the subject of joint collaboration, for projects and initiatives with African partners across the continent.
The Lobito Corridor served thematically as a tangible template for the opportunities ahead, including the role of members of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.
Day 1 (May 22nd) comprised a conference-style format, one block from the White House, welcoming leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. Home to over half of accredited African Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Canada, Washington, DC is also home to major institutions, such as the World Bank, as well as numerous US-Canada joint initiatives with African countries
Day 2 (May 23rd) included a tour of the US Capitol, as well as B2B meetings, for Chamber members.
Our format followed the same curated approach as our recent 2-day program in Nairobi, Kenya, described recently in the Canadian Parliament as 'a great success' to help collaboration and grow industries. The next such 2-day program will be held in Harare, Zimbabwe.
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Program Patron
Mr Gabriel Tshitende CEO and Founder, Elephant Trade-Services DRC |
Program Chair
Paula Caldwell St-Onge, Retired Ambassador & former Director General for Pan-African Affairs, Government of Canada |
Program Agenda
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08:30 |
Arrival and Light Breakfast at the Army & Navy Club |
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09:15
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Opening Ceremony, Welcoming leaders from Canada, the United States and the African continent Garreth Bloor, President, The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business |
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10.00 |
Keynote Address: An Action Plan for Private Sector Partnerships to accelerate Economic Growth - Gabriel Tshitende, CEO, Elephant Trade-Services DRC |
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10:30
11:30
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Panel Discussion 1: Delivering the Lobito Corridor through Private Sector Partnerships Joshua Meservey, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute; Thomas P. Sheehy, United States Institute of Peace; Scott Eisner, Senior Vice President, BGR Group and former President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) and Senior Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Presentation: Assessing the Approaches of G7 Economies to Job Growth & the Green Economy Andrew Herscowitz, Executive Director, ODI North America |
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12:00 |
Luncheon |
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13:30
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Advancing Economic Freedom for Peace & Prosperity - Global insights and African successes on enabling development. A conversation with Dr. Matthew D. Mitchell, a Senior Fellow at Canada’s top-ranked think tank, the Fraser Institute. Mitchell leads the Centre for Economic Freedom, where he commissions the annual Economic Freedom of the World Report, as well as indices measuring overall human freedom and gender equality. With thanks to MineAfrica Inc for sponsoring this information-sharing think tank session |
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14:15
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Panel Discussion 2: Accelerating Entrepreneurship: Applying Insights for Collaboration Hear from private sector-focused players on why Canada-US collaboration on Africa is a priority, alongside insights for success - from investors and tech firms to infrastructure and logistics. Opening Remarks: KC Goundiam,founder and CEO of B2BeeMatch.com Eliot Pence, Founder, Tofino Capital; Emily Mahoney, Senior Manager, Investor Relations at Renew Capital; Jacques NdoutouMvé, CEO, EL Consulting and Vice President, The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business. |
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15:00 |
Closing Keynote Address |
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15:30 |
Networking & Refreshments |
| 16:00 | Break |
| 17:30 | Hospitality & Dinner for Members |
Our conference venue on Day 1 is a Historic Landmark of the Washington, DC Capital Region, re-opened by US President Ronald Reagan in 1987 following years of restorative work.
Our Site Visit Program on Day 2 for members included a tour of the US Capitol.
Congressman John Moolenaar joined by delegates during the Opening Ceremony
View photos from the event here
Explore an initial Business Plan for the Lobito Corridor
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The Executive Summary (5 pages). Click here
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The Full Business Plan Report. Click here
Chamber Headline Sponsor: 30 Year Anniversary
Conference Gold Sponsors
On behalf of all members, we are pleased to applaud the following Major sponsors of the upcoming Canada-Africa Business Forum in Washington, DC
Event Partner and Co-Sponsor
Partnership Packages
We were pleased to invite members and prospective members alike to partner with us as sponsors for our upcoming Canada-Africa Business Conference in Washington, DC.
Email washingtondc@canadaafrica.ca for more.
Join The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business. Click here
Above (Left): Chamber Sponsors (Elephant Trade Services), members (ARSP) and past speakers (including Minister Mary Ng) engage during PDAC in Toronto & (Right) Chamber Chair Paula Caldwell St-Onge invites members to the Canada-Africa Business Forum, during our 25th Annual Mining Breakfast with MineAfrica in Toronto. which welcomed over 350 industry leaders
