(Part 1) International Forum on Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Good morning and welcome to the ECOTOC Chamber. My name is Ayman El-Tarabishi. I serve as President and CEO of the International Council for Small Business. And I teach at the George Washington University School of Business. For more than 70 years, ICSB has worked across the world to advance entrepreneurship, and it is an honor to bring back that work to the United Nations. It is an honor to open the International Forum on MSMEs Days 2026. Our theme this year is "Human-Centered Entrepreneurship in an AI-Driven Future: Economic Empowerment for the Next Generation of MSMEs." We meet here today because of a decision made in this building. In 2017, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 71/2017. 279 and designated June 27 as MSMEs Day. What began as a resolution has become a global movement, reaching entrepreneurs in every region of the world and reminding us that micro and small-medium businesses are not small in impact. The movement began with Argentina, and we are honored that its co-founder, past PR of Argentina and Ambassador Martin García Moritán, is with us today. Ambassador Martin, thank you. Today also carries special significance for the United Nations itself. 81 years ago, on June 26th, June 26, 1945, representatives from around the world signed the United Nations Charter, establishing an institution dedicated to peace, cooperation, and human dignity. As we gather here today, we are reminded that entrepreneurship contributes to the same vision by creating opportunity, strengthening communities, and expanding economic empowerment across the world. Next year, we will mark the 10th anniversary of MSMEs Days. Today is not only a celebration of what has been achieved, it is a starting point for defining what the next decade of entrepreneurship and SMEs should become. MSMEs account for 90% of the world's businesses. They carry the livelihoods of billions of people and remain the foundation of global growth and economic opportunity. Entrepreneurship is not only an economic force, it is a pathway to dignity, opportunity, and hope. The question before us today is not whether MSMEs will encounter artificial intelligence. They already have. The question is whether AI will expand opportunity, dignity, and prosperity for entrepreneurs everywhere. Or deepen existing divides? The report today we release gives a clear answer: the future of SMEs will not be determined by technology alone. Our Human-Centered Entrepreneurship Index calls to place people before platforms and purpose before process, guided by three principles: empathy, enablement, and empowerment. I want to express my sincere and humblest gratitude to our co-sponsors. The Republic of Korea has provided outstanding leadership for this forum, and I am very grateful to Ambassador Ji-hoon Cha and his amazing team and hardworking team for their commitment to advancing entrepreneurship and innovation on the global stage. Korea's K-entrepreneurship model, together with the leadership of Chairman Kang Byung-jong and our Board Chair Dr. Ki-shan Kim, demonstrates how entrepreneurship can be both economically dynamic and deeply human-centered. I am equally grateful to our friends and colleagues Barbados and their Ambassador François Jackman— unfortunately he is not able to come today, but he sent us a video from the other ambassador in Geneva— for their steadfast partnership and support. Barbados has long championed the role of entrepreneurship, inclusion, and sustainable development in building stronger communities and more resilient economies. Economies. It is engagement in this forum reflects the shared belief that opportunity should be accessible to all entrepreneurs regardless of age, geography, or circumstance. Together, our partners remind us that the support of MSMEs transcends borders, cultures, and political differences. Around the world, small business remain a common language of innovation, empowerment, and hope. Finally, we will close today, and I am very, very excited with this, with the people who matter most. This afternoon, young entrepreneurs from around the world will take the floor. From Korea, Italy, Germany, United States, I can go on and on for all the countries, they are present. We are here to listen to them. Let us use this day not simply to discuss the future of MSMEs, but to build on it. Let us ensure that the next generation of entrepreneurship is not only more innovative, but also more human. Thank you. It is now my great pleasure to introduce His Excellency Ambassador Ji-hoon Cha, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, to give his welcoming remarks. Ambassador.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Excellencies, distinguished participants, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Korea, I extend my sincere congratulations on the opening of the International Forum on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises on the occasion of 2026 MSME Day. I also express my appreciation to the International Council for Small Business for convening this meaningful event and to the Permanent Mission of Barbados for its support as co-sponsor. And finally, I welcome Mr. Byungjoong Gang, Chairman Rob Nelson, who joined us today as a keynote speaker. Today's theme, the human-centered entrepreneurship in an AI-driven future, economic empowerment for the next generation of MSMEs, is especially timely as we enter into this new era. As AI reshapes the future of business, our focus must remain on the people that this new technology serves. Women entrepreneurs, young founders, and MSMEs should be empowered to innovate, take risks, and use these powerful new tools to create value for people and community. This is the essence of human-centered entrepreneurship. It goes beyond the creation of new businesses. It means building an ecosystem where innovation is focused on people's needs and dignity, as well as on creating market-based solutions that benefit all of us. Korea's own development experience has evolved to embrace this human-centered approach. After a period of rapid industrialization and growth, the Korean government has pursued various programs to empower individuals and strengthen its entrepreneurship ecosystem. Our recent example is '모도에창업' in Korean, or the Entrepreneurship for All initiative. This government-led program that promotes entrepreneurship also reflects a human-centered approach. Its value lies in lowering the barriers to entrepreneurship so that anyone with an idea can receive support, take responsible risks, learn from the failure, and turn those ideas into viable solutions that meet the needs of the market and society. This is also part of Korea's broader K-Initiative and K-Entrepreneurship efforts. Through which we seek to share our experiences in education, technology, and innovation to help build a more inclusive, human-centered startup ecosystem. Today's forum is especially meaningful as it brings the voice of the next generation— generations to this multilateral platform. I hope today's discussion will serve as a launching pad for renewed cooperation for MSMEs and next-generation entrepreneurship in the age of AI. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador Jihoon Cha, for your welcoming remarks and very deep thought. We appreciate it. Thank you. Next is the Ambassador Francois Jacquemin, Permanent Representative of Barbados. We have a video sent from Ambassador Wilson from Geneva. Sky, can you please play it?

Happy International MSME Day from the WTO MSME Informal Working Group here in Geneva, Switzerland. I'm Matthew Wilson, the Ambassador of Barbados and the Chair of the Working Group. Today is a moment to celebrate the world's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, the businesses that form the foundation of every economy and drive innovation and job creation. MSMEs may be small individually, but they matter together, and they especially matter for trade. Too often small businesses do not see themselves as traders, but many are already part of global commerce. Some are born global firms, especially in digitally delivered services or creative industries, and even businesses that believe they do not trade often import supplies, export indirectly, or participate in international value chains in ways they may not immediately recognize. At the WTO MSME Working Group, we have been consistently inspired by the businesses that have shared their stories directly with us through our MSME Spotlights. The summary of those experiences shows just not resilience, but creativity, determination, and practical initiatives to make trade work. We've also been impressed by the applicants to our annual small business competition, which we organize jointly with the ICC, the ITC, and other partner organizations. Every year we receive applications from around the world, and every year we are reminded of the extraordinary innovation happening in MSMEs everywhere. The winning projects featured on our website are only a glimpse of the talent and promise these enterprises represent. And this year's winners, to be announced on June 29th, are no exception. I urge you to join in person at the WTO or watch online. So today I want to offer a simple call to action. If your economy has not yet joined the WTO MSME Group, join. If you are an MSME trader and want to share your experience and the trade challenges you face, Engage directly with us through our Conversations with the Private Sector. Stay connected with the tools and resources we offer, including our Trade for MSMEs website, our events, and our newsletter. And most importantly, small is beautiful, and small is transformative, but small must be considered. For far too long, we have expected MSMEs to launch international operations in a trade world designed for large firms, to float in and navigate complex business waters with little training and limited support. That needs to change. We need to recognize that systems built for large firms will not automatically fit micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. They deserve to be considered consciously in policymaking. And we need better data to understand their needs. Let us use this moment to remember our small businesses and to build a future in which MSMEs can thrive, compete, and contribute fully to inclusive growth. Happy MSME Day, and thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador Wilson from the WTO, representing Barbados. Now it is my great delight and honor to introduce Dr. Ki-shan Kim, Chair of the Board of the International Council for Small Business.

Good morning, Your Excellency Ambassador Cha, Distinguished representatives of United Nations, members of ICSE family, particularly young leaders from around the world. I am Ki-chan Kim, Chair of ICSE. Some people call me KC. Yeah, KC means Korean Connect, connecting Korea with the other country world. Let me begin with a small question. Do you know what ICSB is standing for? Officially, it stands for International Council for Small Business. But today, I'd like to give ICSB another meaning. I can spot big dream, which is ICSB. And together, we can support big dreams. This is why we are here today. We are here to support the big dream of young people. We are here to support MSMEs. We are here to support a better future for humanity. Entrepreneurship is about hope. Hope is one word, dream. The hope in two words, new opportunity. Hope in three words, a better tomorrow. Today, we gathered to speak about that dream, that opportunity, and that better tomorrow. On April 6th, 2017, United Nations General Assembly designated June 27th as the UN MSME Day. This historic resolution was made possible through the effort of ICSP together with the ICSP Ambassador and the Republic of Korea and many other countries. Today, MSME represent about 90% of business worldwide. They create nearly 70% of jobs, they contribute about half of global GDP. MSME are the backbone of the world economy, but young entrepreneurs are the heart, they give life to that backbone. So today, we are not only celebrating MSME Day, we are discussing the future of humanity. The future of MSME is the future of humanity. And at the center of that future, there must always be people. Since 1955, ICSB has worked to enhance entrepreneurship worldwide. 10 years ago, here at the United Nations, ICSB declared the importance of human-centered entrepreneurship. Today, again, at the United Nations, ICSEB proposed a new declaration. It is the HIEY Initiative. H stands for human-centered entrepreneurship. I stands for inclusive growth. Y stands for youth entrepreneurship. A world that places people at the center, a world where everyone grows together, A world where young people create the future. This is the HAI, H-I-Y, initiative. First, H, human-centered entrepreneurship. We are living in a time of great transformation. Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than even before. Innovation is changing every industry, but at the same time, the world face Deep challenges. Inequality is growing. Youth unemployment is serious. Communities are weakening. And many people feel isolated. This is not only technological crisis, it is a human crisis. So we must change the question, not how can we produce more, but how can more people grow end up become happy? The answer is a human-centered entrepreneurship. Human-centered entrepreneurship see people not as a cost, but as a possibility. You see a company not only as a profit-making organization, but as a platform for human growth. The 20th century measured GDP, but 21st century must measure human growth. GDP shows the size of an economy, but it does not fully show human dignity. It does not fully show human potential. That is why ICSB proposed the Human Centered Entrepreneur Index. This index asks important question: How much do we respect people? How many opportunity do we create for young peoples. How will the company help people grow? How do we help others to succeed? ICSEB will present the Human Centered Entrepreneurship Index for 43 countries. Together with our United Nations partners, we hope to develop this index into a global framework. Second, I, inclusive growth and shared prosperity. The success of business should not be only for one person. It should also benefit society. True entrepreneurship is not about owning more. It is about helping more people live, grow, and flourish. Business must move beyond Beyond shareholder-centered growth, it must become stakeholder-centered entrepreneurship. It must grow together with the community, nation, and the future generation. Today, I would like to propose one simple phrase: BCBW, better company, better world, or better company create a better world. In Korea, this spirit is expressed through the idea of "kyeongui." "Kyeong" means respect for people. "Ui" means righteous action for the world. This spirit of kyeongui comes from the thought of Nam Myeong-jo Sik, a great Korean philosopher and the philosophical origin of human-centered K-entrepreneurship. Innovation without respect can be very dangerous. Growth without righteousness cannot be sustained. When entrepreneurship is grounded in respect and righteousness, the world will trust business again. Human-centered entrepreneurship also emphasized two Korean business values: The first is contributing to the nation through business. The second is people first. This means business success should lead to social development. It also means people are the most precious asset. Today, Chairman Kang Byung-jung is here with us. He has practiced human-centered K-entrepreneurship throughout his life, he has not kept success only as a personal achievement. Through humility and sharing, he has shared the fruit of success with the society. By donating and sharing $33 million, he has shown wealth can be righteous wealth. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving Chairman Kang Byung-jung, a warm round of applause. Thank you very much. The Republic of Korea rose from war and absolute poverty. At this time, Korea didn't have enough technology, enough capital, but Korea had a people. We educate them. That people create idea. That idea create innovation. That innovation create world-class company, Samsung, Hyundai, LG. This is a human-centered K entrepreneurship. So why youth entrepreneurship and YES! Young Entrepreneurship School? ICSB declared the age of YES! Not no. YES stands for Young Entrepreneur School. YES is a school for next generation MSMEs. YES is a global platform for young leaders. YES is a starting point of a new human renaissance. The future begins with young people. We cannot wait for future entrepreneurs. We must cultivate them now. Today, young people of the future are here. With us. They are not only future employee, they are future job create, they are future community leader, they are builder of a new civilization. Young leaders, could you please stand for a moment? Okay, please, yeah, stand up, yeah. Young leaders, please, yeah. Yes, yeah, yes, oh, yeah. From Italy, from Germany, so actually the ladies, gentlemen, again, please welcome them with a big round of applause. Thank you very much. Yeah, thank you very much for your time coming here. So yes, sit down please, yeah. The Young Entrepreneur School Program helps young people become leaders who change the world. Entrepreneurship is not only about creating a company. It is about solving problems, about creating new value, about creating new jobs. It is about creating a better future. Young people's ideas become companies, companies create jobs, jobs change communities.. And the community change the future of humanity. Distinguished guests, the world is entering a difficult time. We see war, we see conflict, we see division, we see crisis of civilization. That's why ICSP propose the HIIY initiative, Human Centered Entrepreneurship Inclusive Growth Youth Entrepreneurship. This is the ICSP New Renaissance Movement. It's a movement to protect human dignity, a movement to grow together, a movement to create a more humane world. On this meaningful journey, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Ambassador Ji-hoon Cha, the Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea to United Nations. Thank you very much. The, the Ambassador Cha Ji-hoon. Give him one more clap.

Thank you.

And the government of the Republic of Korea, their strong support has made this event more than an international forum. It has become a global agenda-setting platform. Through this platform, Korea can share human-centered K-entrepreneurship and K-Initiative with the world. The Republic of Korea overcame war, it achieved industrialization, it achieved democratization, and now it is growing through digital innovation and K-culture. I hope Korean K-Initiative will become a new agenda for the world. In this K-Initiative, the engine of growth is a human-centered Entrepreneurship. The energy of empathy is culture, K-culture, and the platform for the future is talent development. Together, you can open a new Renaissance civilization, a civilization toward a more humane world. Distinguished guests, today we celebrate MSME Day, but in truth, we celebrate human possibility. Today we speak about entrepreneur, but in truth, we speak about the future of humanity. So let us make this declaration together: HAI, Human Centered, I, Inclusive, Growth, Y, Young Entrepreneur. Yes, Young Entrepreneur School for more humane world. Now, when I say Hi, H-I-Y. Please respond loudly with a yes, young entrepreneurs.

Hi.

Hi. Hi.

Yes, thank you very much. For more human world, happy MSM Day. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Dr. Ki-shan Kim, for your amazing speech and very motivating. I will say hi and I will say yes. And for all the young people, when everybody says hi, what do you say right after?

Yes.

Good. Now next, it's my great honor to introduce my dear friend, immediate past chair of the International Council for Small Business, Dr. Winslow Sargent, the floor is yours.

Hi, and yes, good morning, Excellencies, Permanent Representative, distinguished ambassadors, representatives of the United Nations, leaders of the International Council for Small Business, Estemed government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, colleagues from international organizations, members of academia, entrepreneurs, students, and friends. I am Winslow Sargent, the immediate past chair of the International Council for Small Business. I'm also the 6th Chief Counsel for Advocacy with the U.S. Small Business Administration. It is an honor to be with each of you at the United Nations as we gather under this year's theme, Human-Centered Entrepreneurship in an AI-Driven Future: Economic Empowerment for the Next Generation of MSMEs. I wish to extend a special thank you to Ambassador Ji-hun Cha of the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Francois Jackman of Barbados, Ambassador Matthew Wilson of the WTO in Barbados, Dr. Aiman Al-Tarabishi, Chairman Kishan Kim, our distinguished speakers, every delegation represented here today, your presence demonstrates that supporting entrepreneurs has become a global priority. Today is more than another conference. It is a celebration of a milestone in international cooperation. On April 6, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES. 71/279, officially establishing June 27th as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Day. That historic action recognized something that entrepreneurs had known for generations. That the world's smallest enterprises are among its greatest engines of opportunity, innovation, employment, and hope. The adoption of that resolution did not happen by accident. It resulted from vision, persistence, and, and collaboration among governments, diplomats, and the International Council for Small Business, especially my friend Dr. Aymen El-Tarabisi as being a champion within the United Nations who believed that the voices of entrepreneurs deserve a permanent place in the global development agenda. Since that historic day, the world has changed dramatically. We have endured a global pandemic, geopolitical conflict, supply chain disruption, inflationary pressures, food insecurity, climate change disasters, and unprecedented technology— technological change driven by artificial intelligence. Every one of these challenges has tested the resilience of MSMEs. Yet during every crisis, MSMEs adapted first. They protected jobs, supplied communities, created new solutions, and reminded us that resilience often begins with one entrepreneur willing to solve one local problem. This lesson is central to the Sustainable Development Goals. Too often we think of the SDGs as government objectives, but in reality they become achievable only when entrepreneurs transform them into action. Every small business that creates employment advances SDG 1 by reducing poverty and SDG 8 through decent work and economic growth. Every entrepreneur improving food systems contributes to SDG 2. Every health innovator supports SDG 3. Every educational enterprise advances SDG 4. Every woman that starts and grows a business advances SDG 5 while creating opportunity for others. This year's theme challenges us to think beyond technology. Artificial intelligence is transforming every industry. It is changing how businesses start, finance, managed, and scale. AI can dramatically increase food productivity and expand opportunity, but AI alone cannot create trust. It cannot inspire courage. It cannot exercise wisdom. It cannot understand human dignity. Those unique human qualities define success ful entrepreneurship. Humane-centered entrepreneurship recognizes that innovation exists to serve people, not the other way around. The future reminds us that those who combine technology that is capable with creativity, ethical judgment, contextual understanding, empathy, and responsible leadership. That is the technology that we want. Our responsibility is not merely to act, is not merely to use AI, but to guide it wisely so that human agency remains at the center of every consequential decision. For MSMEs, this means ensuring that digital transformation is accompanied by investment in people. Entrepreneurs need access to finance, education, broadband, digital infrastructure, trusted data, global markets, mentors, and supportive public policy. They need an ecosystem that rewards innovation while protecting inclusion. Universities have also had an, an essential responsibility. They must prepare graduates not simply for today's jobs, but tomorrow's opportunities by cultivating curiosity, interdisciplinary thinking, ethical leadership, and entrepreneurial confidence. To the students joining us today, the future will not belong to those who simply master technology. It will belong to those who understand people, embrace lifelong learning, and use innovation to improve the human condition. As we look towards the 10th anniversary of UN MSME Day in 2027, let us remember why the General Assembly acted in 2017. It recognized that empowering entrepreneurs is one of the most effective investments the international community can make. Our responsibility is not to ensure— is to ensure that this vision reaches every community, every nation, and every aspiring entrepreneur. Together, let us recommit ourselves to building entrepreneurial ecosystems that are inclusive, resilient, innovative, and profoundly human. Together, let us ensure that, that artificial intelligence strengthens human potential. Together, let us ensure MSMEs to accelerate progress towards all 17 SDG goals. And together, let us reaffirm that entrepreneurship remains one of the human— one of humanity's greatest instrument for peace, prosperity, dignity, and shared opportunity. Thank you, and I wish everyone a meaningful, productive, and inspiring United Nations MSME Day 2026. Thank you.

Dr. Winslow. Hi.

Yes.

With that, I would like to thank the Mission of Korea and the Mission of Barbados for sponsoring us. I also would like to give a couple of small thank-yous for everybody that helped us get everybody here this morning, and a special thanks to my colleague, Mr. Sun, from the Mission of Korea for your support for this. Now, we would like to take a commemorative picture. We would like to invite all the students from Korea that flew here to come to center stage and the chairman to take a commemorative picture with the ambassador. Can you please all come to center stage? Sky, Sky, the nameplates.

Okay. Thanks.

No, no, no, no, no. All right, then go up. The Ambassador said okay.

One, two, three. Oh, everybody.

Dr. King said yes.

Yes.

One more. Yes.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you. We will now start the next session. It is my great delight to introduce Chairman Kang Byung-jong from Nexen Group on his topic on human-centered initiative and K-entrepreneurship. I am going to ask Sky to play the video.

He is not just a successful entrepreneur. He is not just a billionaire. Beyond his reputation as a tire king, he is the light of the world. Brave pioneer, great entrepreneur, beautiful philanthropist. Kang Byung-jung, Nexen Group chairman.

In 1965, at just 26 years old, he had an ingenious idea: importing used Japanese cargo trucks. It was a bold move that brought him great success. In 1973, he acquired Hunga Tire and entered the tire tube business. By the 1980s, it had achieved remarkable success both in Korea and abroad.

Chairman Kang, I'm told, has lived his whole whole life as a devoted note-taker. Whenever a new idea or a new piece of information came his way, he would write it down, recording his fresh thinking right there on the page. I believe it was from this very process of thinking and learning that his new management strategies were born. Through this practice, he was able to read the future ahead of time, and from that early reading of what was to come, he conceived new business ideas. When I look at the series of businesses Nexen Group pursued in its early days, the used truck business, the tire retreading business, and later tire manufacturing itself, they all reflect a foresight that as Korea's economy grew, the transportation industry would flourish and people's movement would increase. He could foresee, in other words, that demand in this field would surge enormously. He was also able to sense that pattern of the future in advance by studying Japan's experience. And so I believe this new kind of learning, born from Chairman Kang's openness and his spirit of emptying, became the foundation for a new future-facing enterprise and strategy.

In 1999, he acquired Woosung Tire and changed its name to Nexen Tire. Since then, Nexen Tire has developed into a global tire manufacturer that exports to more than 150 countries and produces 50 million units annually in South Korea, China, and the Czech Republic. What began as a single venture has now grown into an empire. He currently oversees Kang oversees 34 corporations worldwide, including Nexen Tire, Nexen Corporation, which produces golf balls and rubber tubes, and KNN, South Korea's largest regional terrestrial broadcaster, operating a UHD TV channel and 2 radio stations.

The language of Chairman Kang's life lies in three things: his motto, Simcheong Sadal, his pen name, Wolsock, and his company name, Nexen. Simcheong Sadal means that a pure mind brings all things to fruition. Wolsock reflected his passion to creatively carry forward the unknown world, and Nexen embodied his vision for a future that embraces generations yet to come. Leading the Nexen Group, he practiced what might be called the management of emptying, growing his business without being confined to private gain, and achieving success without losing sight of the public good. He has long dreamed of mutual prosperity across Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, a passion that remains undimmed today. This was a people-centered K-entrepreneurship spirit, a creative practice of Nam Myung-jo Sik's philosophy of Gyeong-wi, reverence and righteousness, in both business and community. In the end, the language of his life and management was Gyeong-wi Sadal, a clear mind becomes the right path of management, and that path becomes the way that brings life to people and society. Busan needs the automotive industry, not just for today, but for generations to come. I will make this happen, whatever it takes.

Thank you for this responsibility.

Here is my plan.

I will take full responsibility and build the alumni hall, whatever it takes.

His generosity extends beyond business and into the heart of the community. Serving 3 terms as chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry over 12 years starting in 1994, he led the way in regional development, playing a key role in bringing Renault Samsung Motors and the Korea Futures Exchange to Busan. He also supports students' education and helps those in need through 3 cultural and scholarship foundations. To date, his donations have surpassed $36 million. In recognition of these contributions, he was awarded the Magnolia Order of Civil Merit in 2023.

Uh, 이란게 mio이생과는... 자기에 saiye mu-murjeonko. saiye wamkiha-neung kongi geul.

Chairman Kang's achievements in business were never confined to private gain. Instead, they became a management philosophy of sharing, practicing the public good together with society.

이란게 mio이생과는... 사우보우로... 파전데요서.

I would call this the righteous wealth that so clearly represents Korea's people-centered K-entrepreneurship spirit. It grew into a form of serving the nation through business, following in the footsteps of Korea's first generation of people-centered entrepreneurs—companies like Samsung, LG, and Hyosung—who pursued that same mission toward the world, serving the nation through business and nurturing talent. As a leading figure of the second generation, Chairman Kang, guided by his own philosophy of Simcheong Saedal, has been realizing his dream through Nexen and Woolsock. I believe this is a case of real significance, one that deserves to be shared with the whole world. This may be the story of just one man, but if we can build more cases like this together with other countries, I believe it points toward a healthier form of capitalism and offers a wonderful example for healing a world that has become so selfish and divided.

We can never know how wild your dream is. We can never measure how big your passion is. We can never understand how desperate your love is. We will remember.

We will follow.

Your dream. Your passion.

Your love.

It is with great pleasure I introduce Chairman Kang Byung-jong, Nexen Group, on his topic on human-centered initiative and K-entrepreneurship. Mr. Chairman, hi.

Good morning. Greetings to the UN officials. Greetings to the members of AEC-SV. And honored guests joining us today. I am Kang Byung-jung, Chairman of the Nexen Group. I was born in 1939 in Jinju, Korea. Jinju is a city deeply connected to the roots of the founders of some of Korea's leading companies, including Samsung, LG, GS, and Hosung. For this reason, Jinju is often referred to today as an important home of the K-entrepreneurship. New York is also a city of special meaning to me. In the early 1980s, it was here in New York that I first set foot in the United States to export tire tubes. And today, I stand once again in New York before the stage of the international community at the United Nations. For me, this occasion is more than a simple honor. It is a moment of deep reflection, inviting me to look back on what I have lived for and what I have pursued through my life in business. My life was not always a smooth one. My grandpa was a Confucian scholar, and my father was a man who led our family with frugality, humility, and discipline. In 1969, when Korea's per capita national income stood at around $100. I began my business by importing and selling used cars from Japan. I later moved into the transportation business. Tread tires and tire tubes, eventually growing Nexen Tire into a major company. Today, Nexen Group is centered around Nexen Tire, Nexen Corporation, KNN, and its public interest foundations. Paul has proposed, have given, and managers. From the perspective of creative caring for the spirit of the K-entrepreneurship, I would like to share several experience from my life and business journey. First, I have lived by the values of humility, respect for people, and what I call "everything one's self." I believe this humility is part of my DNA passed down to me from my grandfather and father. Emptying oneself means a state of mind that does not cling to small worldly desires. I have taken Shincheonji Sadae as my guiding motto in management. It means only when The mind is clear and the view can all appear to be successfully accomplished. Humility and self-emptying are by no means weak virtues. I have found that wise people place insight, knowledge, information naturally gathered around me. Most definitely, the leadership of humility and self-interpreting became the foundation of my success. Second, my management has been about innovation and the ability to seize opportunities in preparation for the future. My nickname is World's Top Meeting Lunar Dog. World's top meeting lunar dog. To spread proficient ambition and great expectations of all young entrepreneurs who wanted to challenge and pioneer a new world. The name of our company, Nexen, Dekse means "decade century." It expresses our corporate commitment to move forward as a global company and create the future of Brillio. By acquiring companies in crisis, we were able to renew them and lead them toward new growth. Third, I have sought to practice shared growth with the local community through management based on giving. A company must share with its neighbors and society throughout the very experience of growth. I began providing scholarship donations to students in the 1970s. Since then, I have expanded the scope of sharing to include to include sport, polo, and police village, culture and the arts, local communities and universities. Since 2000, I have contributed about $36 million U.S. First-generation entrepreneurs led to industrialization of a poor nation through talent-centered management, harmony-centered management, and the spirit of contributing to the nation through business. Today, I would like to share this entrepreneurship that respects the people, empathy, heart, and pioneers future opportunities is what I call Korean style, human-centered entrepreneurship. This spirit This is not a story for Korea alone. It is a universal message that MSME, original business, young entrepreneurs, and the future generations can learn from together. Entrepreneurship must be responsible products This, that helps people live better lives and lead communities toward a better future. I hope that today's message will remain here at the United Nations. As a forum of the international community, as a small record of Korean style, human-centered entrepreneurship. And I hope that in the years ahead, more and more entrepreneurs will join us on the path of the respecting people, emptying the heart, and the pioneering future opportunities. Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Well, thank you, Chairman Kang, for those remarks. Very insightful. Our next speaker— just to give some context, on April 6th, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A.S. Res. 71279, officially establishing June 27th as Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises Day. I make that introduction because this day would not have been possible if our next speaker did not make the presentation within the UN General Assembly. On that day, on April 6th, Dr. Ayman Tarabish and I, we sat in the audience while, or in the seat while His Excellency Ambassador Martin García Moritán, who is now the former permanent representative of Argentina to the United Nations in New York, and also who is the co-founder of USMSME Day, he made the presentation and he was able to get us across the finish line. So it's without— so let's give a big round of applause for the next speaker because it was his speech that day that made us cross the goal line. Thank you. Welcome, Dr.

I think I don't deserve so much, but ladies and gentlemen, I'm very honored to be here. This is my former house for almost 15 years, so it's always great to come back to the UN. And it's also a great honor to have with us Chairman Kang Hyun Jung. He came directly from Korea to join us. Thank you very much. And all of you for coming to this meeting. And it's an honor, of course, to address you on the occasion of the International Day of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, a day, as was said, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the extraordinary contribution of MSMEs to economic development, job creation, innovation, and social inclusion around the world. As most of you know, Argentina introduced and led the negotiations, but the spark that initiated all this process came from ICESB, which held its 61st Annual World Conference in the United Nations in 2016 with the support of the Republic of Korea. And I thank very much the presence of the Ambassador of Korea. He has just left, but his introduction was very important and supportive. In that occasion, in 2016, with authorities from over 55 countries, ICSB made a declaration about the urgent need to have a day to recognize the important role of micro, small, and medium enterprises in the development of economies as a whole. That is when the authorities from Argentina, with the support of ICSB, especially its Executive Director, Dr. Eymann, El Telavisi, a very good friend of all of us, decided to step forward and promote this important initiative in the General Assembly. Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the global economy. They account more than 90%, as was said, of businesses worldwide. Generate a significant share of employment, and provide livelihoods for millions of families in developing countries. Their role is even more critical, contributing to poverty reduction, strengthening local communities, and creating opportunities for those who have traditionally been, been left behind. The establishment of this International Day was inspired by a shared conviction that sustainable development cannot be achieved without the contributions of those who innovate, invest, create businesses, and generate employment every day. Ladies and gentlemen, recognizing MSMEs, It means recognizing the determination and resilience of men and women who transform ideas into opportunities and challenges into solutions. Since adoption of the United Nations Resolution establishing the observance, the world has undergone profound transformations. The pandemic, geopolitical tensions, Climate-related challenges and rapid technological change have tested the resilience of economies everywhere, yet MSMEs have repeatedly demonstrated the remarkable ability to adapt, innovate, and continue serving their communities. Today we face challenges and new opportunities. Digital transformation, the green transition, artificial intelligence, and imperative of building more sustainable economies require that MSMEs have greater access to finance, technology, skills development, and market. No development strategy can succeed if it leaves MSMEs behind. We must also place special emphasis on inclusion. Women, young people, older persons, and entrepreneurs from vulnerable communities should have equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from economic growth. Entrepreneurship remains one of the most effective tools for expanding opportunity, fostering innovation, and strengthening social cohesion. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development explicitly recognizes the important role of MSMEs in advancing several Sustainable Development Goals, particularly —those related to inclusive economic growth, decent work, innovation, and reduced inequalities. Supporting MSMEs is not simply an economic policy choice. It is an investment in a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future. Ladies and gentlemen, On this special day, we pay tribute to the millions of entrepreneurs whose creativity, hard work, and perseverance drive progress in every region of the world. We also recognize the responsibility of governments, international organizations, financial institutions, academia, and civil society to create an enabling environment in which MSMEs can thrive and grow. Let this commemoration inspire us and to renew our commitment to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises by promoting policies that strengthen their competitiveness, encourage innovation, and expand opportunities for all. Because when MSEs prosper, Communities prosper, economies prosper, and nations prosper. Thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you, Ambassador Moritan. It's important for us to remember how we got here, and your remarks, it helps those of us who were with you, but also those who have come after you, they recognize the important work that that you've done, and we also want to share a video from one of the first conferences we've had, and so, Skye, can you play the video?

President of the International Council for Small Business, Dr. Ayman Tarawishi, Executive Director of the ICSP, members of the ICSP Board, co-chairs of the Ministerial Roundtable, Mr. Yoo Yong-seop, Small and Medium Business Administration Minister of the Republic of Korea, and Ms. Maria Contreras-Sweet, United States Small Business Administrator. Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to greet all participants at this conference of the International Council for Small Business. We are now well into the first year of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, our transformative plan to ensure a life of dignity for all. The ambitious Sustainable Development Goals specifically call for policies that encourage the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. That is because these businesses can create a more sustainable world with better jobs, greater respect for the environment, and more inclusive societies. I hope you will find creative ways for small businesses to help reach the SDGs, and I encourage you to join the valuable United Nations Global Compact Initiative. The United Nations fully supports your efforts to be responsible toward the societies where you operate and to help create a better future for all. In this spirit, I wish you great success. Thank you.

This was 10 years ago. And so we wanted to share that video to remind us from where we have come. But as we pass the baton to many of the youth, it's important to know those giants who have been champions for MSMEs. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Winslow. And I would like ICSB and all its partners on this stage right here. We would like to recognize key partners of MSME Day throughout the 10 years. Without them, MSME Days would have not existed and grown. So ICSB would like to go on record to recognize the following UN agencies and partners for their leadership, support, and continuous effort in creating MSME Days with us for the last 10 I would like to recognize them personally and thank them. UNDESA, ITC, UNCTAD, UNIDO, WTO, ILO, UN Office of Partnerships, and all other UN agencies that have played a role in MSME, we would like to thank you and tell you happy MSME Day from ICSB, and we look forward to supporting you on all your endeavors. Also, we would like to commemorate the 10-year of the Declaration to recognize the 54 countries that were here at the UN supporting Ambassador García Moritán, and we'll take 2 minutes to recognize every country that supported this resolution. We will start with Argentina for their support in leading this to the United Nations, and then I would like to personally recognize the following countries, and I'm going to read them because they are important to MSME Days and all the other countries. Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nambia, Niger, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Samoa, Singapore, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vietnam, Antigua and Barbuda, oops, Azerbaijan, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Islands, South Africa, Tunisia. Today we had Barbados here. The United States was here. It's around the world, and we just want to say to all of those countries, thank you for helping us create MSME Day. Without you all, We will not be here. These young people will not be here. Some of them weren't even born when we had the MSME Day here. So now we leave it to the next generation to do it and to our partners. With that, I want to give all of them— can we all please stand and give all these countries and UN agencies and Ambassador Martin Edwards a big round of applause, everybody. With that, we will end our session. I'm going to ask all the speakers to come on stage for a center— for a picture, and we'll switch to the next session, which will be led by Rico Baldeger. So we'll go here. Let's take a picture.

Picture.

Check, check.

So I'm gonna give it to Rico now, new professor, okay?

And now we have a problem., you know, we are too early. I think it's the first time at the MSME Day that we have some time to discuss after, and that is really great to, let's say, to go forward. And our session is called more or less on the programme 'Global Trends for MSME and what are the opportunities and impacts'. I think it's clearly all we know now, MSME is are important, even the 'Ms' are important, but now what will be the next step in the future? You know, what will be in 10 years, in 15 years, in 20 years? And that's a role here of this session. We have here different— let's say we have huge challenges at the moment. We heard it before about technology, sustainability, international conflicts, let's say So what will be key points? And to help us explore these global trends, financial landscapes, and sustainable pathway, we are joined today by different leaders who bring unique global perspectives to the table. Our first speaker serves as a co-chair of the US-Kuwait Business Council at the US Chamber of Commerce. He has a deep understanding of international commerce, bilateral trade relations, and how policy can foster a robust ecosystem for business to thrive. And let's say he made some parts of his education in Switzerland, I heard before. So please welcome Mr. Nasser Al-Barghash.

Thank you. Good morning. I would like to thank first the International Council for Small Business for their kind invitation to be with you today in the United Nations. It's a privilege to share this moment as we mark MSME Day. I'm also grateful for the Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea, Ambassador Bae Dose, for convening this forum. As alumni of the George Washington University School of Business, allow me to begin with a personal memory. When I first walked to the classroom of Professor Ayman El-Trebishi, President of the International Council for Small Business, we looked at each other for a few seconds with a strange sense of familiarity. We had never met, yet it felt as though we already knew one another. After class, we tried to understand where that feeling came from. Is it— was it Washington? No. Was it another university? No. We realize our memory has been formed somewhere else entirely, thousands of miles from here, on one— on the shore of small harbor in the northern Arabian Gulf. It was Kuwait. And I would like to use this floor to address a thankful, as I served as an establishment Committee for the Small/Medium Enterprises back then in Kuwait. With your efforts, Kuwait had established this fund on April 2013, which is 4 years before the MSME Day. Thank you, Dr. Ayman, for your efforts, because without it, we couldn't find the $6 billion fund for all our entrepreneurship. So please, I want you to thank Dr. Iman for that, you know. That moment reminded me that places shape us long before we notice. Some lessons stay with us for life, even when we carry them across oceans. Today I want to share one of those lessons. Because it speaks directly to the questions behind every conversation about artificial intelligence. Will the machine replace the human being? I will not answer it with a theory. I will answer it with a memory. The memory of a small country that faced this transformation of its own and did not pass through it gently. Before oil, Kuwait lived from the sea. It had its ships. It had the dhow, the wooden vessel that carried the name of Kuwait across the Gulf to Asia and East Africa. pearling was never only diver and rope. It was complete human system. There was Nocheda, who read the sea and lead the crew. The Seeb, who held the rope and it's the life of the diver. The Galath, who built the dhow with his own hand. The Tawash, who value the pearl and carry it to market across the world. Those were not only profession. They were enterprises built on skill, on trust, on risk. They were the small businesses of their age. Now I want to tell you the part of the story we usually leave it out. The war did not end quietly and did not end because oil arrived. To replace it. It collapsed first. In the early decade of last century, the cultured pearl reached the market of the world, and the price of natural pearl fell apart. The Great Depression deepened it, deepened the wound. Kuwait entered years of depth hardship that our family still remember, I remember by name. The sea economy was already broken before the first barrel of oil was ever sold. Oil didn't arrive to serve the country, politely modernize it. It arrived after long painful gap to people who had already lost their livelihood and were waiting to see what would come next. I tell you this because the lesson is not that transformation is easy. The lesson is what carried people across that gap. What survived the collapse was not the pearl. It was the human being. The skills of Nour Khouda who could navigate, the discipline of the crew, the judgment of Tataouache who understood the value on the market, the hands of the galaf who could build. When oil finally came, two things happened together, and both of them mattered. The state took the new wealth, redistributed it, it built free schools, it sent students abroad, and later it creates supreme fund to protect what oil produced. For the generation who were not born yet. But that— but the state did not build the new economy by itself. The new economy was built by people and enterprises. The families, the traders, and the craftsman who took the skills of the sea, carried them into port, shipping, logistics, concentration on trade. The state provide the capital, the human being provide the capability, neither one alone would ever be enough. And here is a detail that matter more than any other. Kuwait did not wait for oil to invest in its people. Our first formal school was built in 1911. From donation of merchants at a time where, when the burgher economy itself was already struggling, the investment in the human being came before the wealth, not after it. This is exactly what, where we stand today. Artificial intelligence, like oil before it, it's not simply software. It is the foundation of the new industrial ecosystem. It needs builder, operator, engineer, educator, investor, and countless small enterprises that turn the technology into real economy value. And like oil before it, it will not arrive gently. It will disturb before its reward. Some work will fall apart before the new work appears. We should be honest about that because honesty is what allows us to prepare. So the question is not whether the machine will replace the human being. The question is whether we will do what Kuwait learned to do, whether we will invest in a human being early, carry out our people across the gap, and make sure that when the new economy arrives, there are skilled hands and capable enterprises ready to build it. And those enterprises will be the small ones. A large company can own the technology, but it is the small enterprise close to its own community that knows what to build from. Exactly as the builder of the Dow once did. Infrastructure alone has never created prosperity. People and enterprises do. 70 years ago, oil didn't replace the sailor. It waited for the sailor to be ready and rewarded the country that had prepared him. Artificial intelligence will do the same. It will not reward those who simply own the technology. It will reward those who have invested in the human being who stand behind it. So let me leave you with one final question: not whether the machine will replace the human being, but whether we are investing enough and early enough and the human being who will carry across that content, that what come next. Thank you so much.

Thank you to Mr. Nasser Al-Barghash for this inspirational and really even new perspective, you know, how we can see it even from a Kuwait perspective. An international perspective. Let's say in this morning we heard a lot about human-centered entrepreneurship and now it's really the opportunity we have here some experts here on stage. On one hand expert working on the topic since 15 years I think so even longer, some new experts and I like to go let's say more back, you know, and gives the floor to Ki-chan Kim. Let's say, even let's say with one little topic, you know, he has to answer, you know, why he came on his topic. I think that's really an important question. Ki-chan, it's a pleasure.

Actually, the— whenever you are talking about company, society is thinking only profit-oriented organization to their own, yeah. So then with Ayman Tarabisi, 10 years ago, we discussed about the better capitalism. How to make it the better capitalism? So then we generated a new concept for entrepreneurship, which is the human-centered entrepreneurship. In the beginning, actually, when we mentioned about the human-centered entrepreneurship, actually some of them left. So then the overall over time. So we showed the evidence of performance. So this is the— in the name of human-centered entrepreneurship, actually you can make more profit, but you can contribute to society more. So I think eventually this is good for company, not only good for company, but also good for society. So then we are talking more about human-centered entrepreneurship, I think.

Cool, thank you. And we heard shortly about— before— about a human-centered entrepreneurship index, let's say. And let's say it seems to be a new concept, a new we can even say tools for policymakers, government, society, and I'd like to give the floor to Eamon L. Tarrabishi about this kind of index. Thank you, thank you, Dr.

Baldeger. We are proud to announce it took us actually 10 years of research to finally come up with a human-centered index, HCI, and in simple terms, HCI does not just measure how much entrepreneurship is happening in the country itself. It also measures human flourishing. That means how humans are doing, right? So imagine a company, a country that's doing so well entrepreneurially, but people are not. Well, it makes no sense. So we did an index to combine both together and to showcase that you can have both exist. Not just one or the other, but both. So HCI, if you Google it or if you go on the ICSB website or other websites, it's available for everybody to research, to look up economies that are there and see how they are doing, right? And the survey is not done by ICSB itself. It's— we're taking other people's surveys. We just combine them together and measure both together. The innovation is to combine human flourishing, how people are doing, how they feel, how they feel about work, how they feel about their lives, how they look at hope, and we also measure how well the economy is doing entrepreneurially. Merging together gives us a real-life example of what is critical, which is the next generation of Arabs and Nis, the young people here., right? How are you going to feel in the future and how is entrepreneurship helping you? So we are excited about this. Hopefully it picks up more and more and it gets referenced a lot and it makes the world a better place, as Nasser mentioned in Kuwait as well.

Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Iltarabishi. I saw different results about the index, and there's really some surprise in it. I think it makes me even— I made a relation to before, let's say, to the speech of Chairman and now and even his note here, what I saw, and I think it makes me a good bridge to the topic. He has mentioned, 'I believe that corporate growth can never be separated from social responsibility.' I think it's a part of— it's not a dialectic way, let's say we have to merge it. And it's a part of dialectic. I think we have to really not only to compete but find new solutions. And the same is for, let's say, in this way for sustainability. We know at the moment sustainability is, we can even say, a buzzword on one hand. It's an important topic. But sustainability is even evolving in direction of resilience.— to resilience, you know, in resilience for you as a human being or clearly for the company or for the society. In this way, I'd like to give the floor to Christian Kruse. He is at the University of Applied Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany, and he will speak about building resilient SMEs through, let's say, human entrepreneurship centered, you know, Please, Christian, the floor is yours.

Ladies and gentlemen, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, entrepreneurs, and colleagues, it is a great honor to address you today at the United Nations MSME Day. Around the world, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises face an increasingly complex reality. They operate in a world shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, climate-related disruptions, digital transformation, supply chain volatility, and social change. In this environment, one concept has become strategic imperative: resilience. Every government wants resilient economies, every community wants resilient businesses, and every entrepreneur wants a resilient organization that can survive and thrive in times of disruption. Yet resilience does not emerge by accident. The question is: What creates organizational resilience? Our research suggests that part of the answers lies in a concept known as human entrepreneurship. Human entrepreneurship is a human-centered approach to entrepreneurship and management. It combines entrepreneurial orientation with a deep commitment to people and sustainable value creation. At its core, there are four principles: empathy, equity, enablement, and empowerment. Together, these principles create organizational environments in which people are trusted, included, developed, encouraged to contribute their full potential. Why does this matter? Because resilience is ultimately a human capability. Organizations do not adapt, people do. Organizations do not innovate, people do. Organizations do not overcome crisis, people do. When employees feel valued, trusted, and empowered, they become more engaged, more innovative, and more willing to respond proactively to uncertainty and change. This is where the connection between human entrepreneurship, organizational sustainability, and organizational resilience become visible. Organizational sustainability is often understood as a long-term pursuit of economic prosperity, social well-being, and environmental responsibility. Organizational resilience in contrast, refers to a capability to anticipate disruption, adapt to changing conditions, and recover from adversity. Traditionally, this concept has been discussed separately. However, research has shown that they are deeply interconnected. Sustainability provides the direction, resilience provides the capability, and human entrepreneurship provides the human foundation that makes both possible. By investing in human and social capital, organizations strengthen their capability to innovate, learn, collaborate, and adapt. These capabilities enable them not only to withstand crisis but to pursue sustainable development over the long term. In other words, human-centered organizations become sustainable organizations. Sustainable organizations become, with resilient organizations, and resilient organizations create long-term value for society. For policymakers, this carries important implications. If we want resilient economies, we must move beyond policies that focus exclusively on financial indicators. We should encourage investments in people. We should support leadership development employee training, and lifelong learning. We should reward organizations that create high-quality jobs and foster inclusive workplaces. We should develop entrepreneurial ecosystems that promote collaboration, trust, and shared value creation. And we should recognize that human capital and social capital are not soft factors, they are strategic assets. The United Nations Sustainable The Sustainable Development Goals remind us that economic growth must serve the people and protect our planet. Human entrepreneurship offers a practical pathway forward to achieving these objectives. Allow me to conclude with a simple observation: the future will not belong to the organizations that are just efficient. It will belong to the organizations that are adaptive, and the most adaptive organizations are those that invest in people, because in the end resilience is not by systems alone, it is built by human beings. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you, Christian, for some insights for a really important topic even for the future: organization capability in relation to resilience. Let's say I like to conclude, let's say, with one or two words from Margot Lazzaro. She was not able to join today, President-Chair of NGO Committee on Sustainable Development New York. I do, let's say, one hand a resume, you know, what she put a statement together, but let's say we can say at the end she talked about turn our passion into action for change.. And we are, so to say, passionate about our work with women, youth, and people with disability to force the innovation. In this way, clearly, it's an important message and even in one hand for me a bridge to hand it over to the women-centered entrepreneurship panel. So I'd like to conclude here this session and give then the floor to Camille Burns from WPO. Organization. Thank you.

We are running a little bit early, so I want each of you to get up and stretch a little bit because I know you've been sitting and you've been listening to great speakers. So get up and and stretch and move around a little bit, huh? And take some pictures. Valeria here is willing to take your picture, and so wave at her if you want to have your picture taken. So let's stretch a little bit while Camille and her team will come up to the stage and get ready.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

I wish to one day to go to Argentina. This is very long flight in my life. We live in Washington, D.C. There is no direct flight and we have small kids. So I want to go for the steak and wine.

I know.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, ladies.

Hi. We always Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, okay. You want us to get started? Oh, wait till time?

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I need pictures.

Okay, good, good, good. You got to turn it around, please. Yeah, okay. Should you—

Yes, okay, okay. Do I have to turn it around again? Are you taking a picture of you? I'm taking pictures of you. Now can you get the group? Can you get all of them? Yeah, thank you.

Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you.

You know, this is the life of Yes.

Oh, I didn't know this.

Yes, yes.

Thank you.

Can you take one of the group with mine too?

All right, thank you.

Yes, I will take one.

Okay, then I will take when you talk, but now— okay, thank you. One more. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Nice, very nice. Thank you so much.

You know, the paper is— you saw me watching the paper. I cannot— no, because it's okay.

Beautiful. One more. Thank you, thank you, you guys.

Oh, okay, okay, okay. And then we press this to talk.

Yeah, what are we pressing? This one?

Yeah, the only time you're going to see me looking up my Okay, okay.

So it's a little bit conversational, and then, you know, whoever wants to chime in, we'll just see how much Hello everyone, we're going to get started, so if everyone can take a seat.

Thank you all.

I'm so pleased to be here. My name is Camille Burns, and I'm the CEO of the Women Presidents' Organization, or the WPO. And I want to thank ICSB. I don't think Ayman is in the room, but I want to extend my gratitude to Ayman and the rest of the ICSB board for including women in this program today and including the WPO. I also want to thank the UN and all of the countries and the ambassadors involved in bringing attention to MSMEs. This is such an important topic, and I'm so grateful to everyone for wanting to have this discussion so we can talk about these issues. The WPO, Women Presidents Organization, we're a community of women that are running multi-million dollar companies. So, we have peer advisory groups, with women who are running businesses starting at $1 million in revenue up to $1 billion in revenue, and we're a global organization. And so what we're going to do today is talk with some different women business owners about their experience in starting their business and look at this from the women-centered lens as we're talking about the, the human-centered lens of entrepreneurship. So with me today is— I'll start at this end— it's Dr. Terry Coxham, and she is of Coxham Connects, here, I believe, in New York. Meejong Ling, she is founder and president of Amel as well as Meejong Ling. We've got Hetal Parikh, who is president of Rangam Consultants. Is that the— Consultants is the name in the group now? Yes. Yeah. And Carrie Heslin from Nook Freeman Sarah. So before we get started, I wanted to talk a little bit about the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. So this report gives, I think, both some encouraging news, uh, as well as a little bit of sombering news about the, the gender gap worldwide. On the positive side, the global gender gap has closed, and it is now 68.8% closed, which is the highest level since this report began. But at the current pace, it's going to take 123 years to achieve gender parity. And so what, I think that's an interesting statistic, but the one that really gets me is we've almost achieved gender parity in education. So women worldwide are as educated as men today than they were. But they, when we look at the economic gap, That is only 61% closed. So we're not looking at a gap or an issue with talent. Obviously, the issue isn't education. It's opportunity that women lack— lacking opportunity, access to leadership, access to capital, access to networks, and economic participation. So that, to me, is where entrepreneurship is so important. Women own 1 in 3 businesses around the world, but the vast majority of these are micro or small businesses. Businesses. Most businesses don't have any employees, women-owned companies. Women who are scaling and creating significant jobs represent a much smaller share, but that's what the WPO is and that's what the WPO is about because entrepreneurs don't just create businesses, right? They create jobs. They create workplaces. They create opportunities for other. They invest in their communities, and I think this is particularly true of women entrepreneurs.— they mentor future leaders and they help shape what leadership looks like. So, you know, at WPO, we see this every day. We've got women building and scaling businesses, and the impact extends so far beyond the, the founder. It reaches all of their employees, all of their families, their suppliers, their customers, and their communities. So what we're going to talk about today is, is how can women-centered entrepreneurship create economic opportunity and human impact in this rapidly changing world, so within the theme of what we've been talking about today. So what I want to do first is to ask all of our panelists just to share a little bit about themselves, their businesses, and just a little of their story. So Carrie, I'm going to start with you at the end.

Sure, thanks, Camille. So I'm Carrie Heslin. I'm the managing partner of Nook Freeman and Serra Employment Attorneys,, and we work with businesses to actually help them build good workplaces for their employees. And we are celebrating our 20th year as a law firm. And when we started the firm, it really had two guiding principles. The first was really around women in the law. As Camille recognized in the most recent economic report, women had gained advantage in getting into and graduating from law school. So when I graduated from law school 30 years ago, 50% of my graduating class was women. But after 5 or 7 years of practicing law, you could count on one hand how many of those women remained in the private practice of law. And it was a revolving door at large law firms and companies where women would get hired, they'd get in, but they wouldn't stay. And that's because the practice practice of law in those organizations and in those law firms was not sustainable for women. It didn't recognize that women have different needs and desires and responsibilities in the home and in the community that wasn't being recognized by law firms. So we wanted to create a law firm that didn't already exist for us, where women could stay in the profession of law, practice at a high level, service high-level clients, but also be able to balance being parents and caregivers and community leaders. And the other principle on which our firm was founded was building relationships with clients outside of litigation. At the large firms where we were practicing, basically the lawyers stood around, they waited for their companies to get sued, and then they would come to the law firm and say, okay, help me get out of this or resolve this. And that could take 3 years, and that could cost hundreds hundreds of thousands of dollars, and maybe you get a successful result for the client, but nobody's really left feeling like you've had a partnership or you've really made a difference. So we wanted to focus on partnering with businesses early on, and it started out— even now today, a lot of small and mid-sized businesses that we partner with to really build a long-term relationship, to help them comply with the employment laws, to help build a workplace where there aren't a lot of employment disputes, where people want to stay and thrive in their careers. And that was something that big law really wasn't interested in. They didn't see the value in that human-centered approach to employment law, and that was something else that we wanted to create. So I'm proud to say, 20 years later, it's worked. We have almost 50 attorneys in 3 states, and a lot of businesses value what we bring to the table. Thanks so much, Carrie. And Hetal.

Thank you. My name is Hetal Parikh. I am president and co-founder of Rangam Consultants. We were founded in 1995 with a mission to accelerate and give access to and meaningful employment for everyone. And when we say everyone, we consider including individuals with neurodiversity, autism, and disability, and really creating that gender gap around women entrepreneurship, women in STEM, women in workplace. And so over the years, I would say we have— our organization has constantly focused heavily on leveraging technology to accelerate by providing education, training, and creating opportunities opportunities for individuals in the workplace, and we have seen a tremendous ability to be able to leverage that platform to be able to make a difference in the world. Really, going from— we all know that many of the small businesses and mid-sized businesses are the ones who create jobs locally and globally, and they are the ones who mostly employ and give opportunities for our marginalized community as well as underrepresented communities. But our goal and our mission was how do we bridge this gap and expand that just beyond and work with large enterprises. So from a global perspective, how do we help them build a— and not just build programs, but have scalable, sustainable programs that becomes part of their DNA. So as an organization, I'm— I will say one thing is I'm really proud to be here today speaking on this panel and really creating that ability to have that ability to influence from a global perspective, especially as we talk about the future trend of how technology, AI, is going to shape the future of the workplace. There are many fears There's skepticism. There's obviously, you know, individuals, many of us, including young kids, young kids in high school are afraid. They're not sure exactly which path that they should take because if they're— the comments and some of the messages that I've seen is, I don't know what career path to to pursue because if AI is going to take all my— all the jobs, what difference does it make? Do I even pursue college degrees? And from that perspective, I think we have an opportunity here to really shape and change that perception to say, wow, how internet created a tremendous difference and exploded for many of us to expand the businesses' growth opportunities. So is AI is going to help create jobs. And we all have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that we have ability to practice ethical best practices around AI. So we are expanding for human-centric world where we are creating jobs and creating sustainability.

Thanks, Adel.

Mijun. Hello. Hello, everyone. Hello, everyone. My name is Mee Jung Lee. I'm a designer and manufacturer right here in New York City. I am so grateful and honored to be here because I am the small business. I started as a microbusiness in New York City. It doesn't have to be all in developing countries. And I became a small business. I am so excited to make a difference in our garment district as a whole. I've been doing this for 40 years, 40 years of developing a small organic company. But as you all know what happened in 2020, the pandemic really destroyed everything. So I really believed after my Parsons School of Design, I really believed in a vertical infrastructure. And I really believe my passion was preserving the art of garment construction. So my career path in fashion has been different than the norm. So I— in 2020, I had a small organic business with 3 levels: retail, wholesale, and manufacturing. That all came to an abrupt start— a stop. The resilience of women— I know I don't want I don't hold that as gender, as women, but the resilience of women is especially micro and small business is amazing because we have companies where employees are not just a name tag. We know their life story. We know, we feel responsible. We know where they come from. I had no option of closing down and shutting down. Together, we pivoted into PP manufacturing. I had to find a solution. Well, if I can make dresses, then I can make hospital gowns. As a microbusiness and a small business, the challenges were tremendous because I was deemed to be too small. And so my answer to that— women are resilient— my answer to that is, okay, I'll go out and form a New York City Manufacturers Coalition with 4, 5 other small small companies, same like me, who are in the same boat. Together with transparency and collaboration, we were able to make in 8 months almost close to 1 million gowns. And we learned in that process. It was a very fast learning curve. But also, as we know in our history, from the ashes of disaster usually opportunities And human ingenuity comes up. I'm looking at this and I'm going, okay, what have you learned? We learned more than making a dress. We learned how to do a workflow. We learned how to do efficiency. We learned how to do volume. And using that, we started an initiative called Revitalization of Garment District 2.0. Because as you all know, New York City was one of the legendary garment District Manufacturing Center, which got destroyed. In 3 decades, it was becoming very anemic. So to counterbalance the— with fast fashion, all the manufacturing went overseas in search for cheap labor. Okay, to counterbalance that, how can we bring manufacturing back to United States? The opportunity was great because at this point we were dealing with with supply chain disruption that caused tremendous pain globally. We were also dealing with political instability globally. And so finally— we launched this initiative 2.5 years ago. Finally, the brands and the apparel manufacturing industry was trying to pay attention. The answer is a hybrid model. We are globally united, globally connected, and there's a white space for all type of manufacturing. We cannot compete with bulk mass production in Asia for low, cheap labor, but we have a white space here right in our backyards because of our skilled knowledge, because of our manufacturing of high fashion that we have done. So to leverage that, the initiative is strong— has 3 cornerstone. We had to close the gap of machinery that we have lost, the evolution of machinery in New York City. Okay, we did that. We have to nurture and gather the skilled manufacturing sewers that we are epicenter of immigration flow in United States. This level of skilled sewers are coming into New York is high and we are underutilizing them. The third and the most important in my mind is that because of our agility and because we can do it in— right in our backyard, we are able to offer consumer data-based production. So the brands do not get hostage to large volume to— that they are required to do it overseas. With all that put together, we have in last year went from producing 3,000 luxury cashmere coats this year to 6,000, and next year is promised to be over 10,000. We are doing it. We are also going to be the first test case of Vince Global Brand, who is now understanding— everybody's understanding the need for hybrid model to balance out their risks as well. We also have launched 10 young designers because with the implosion in the garment district, with the losing the young seeds of this fashion industry, have no place to grow, and we are able to do that as well. So The microbusiness, which I'm so— my heart is so into that, is because I started with one small sewing machine in my bedroom. That was 1982. So, and we managed to survive, prevail. Women, it's women can pivot, can find solutions. We can be creative. And now we are not only employing You know, still small business, but we are now helping to change the garment district. We're helping to change the apparel manufacturing in the United States. So I'm very grateful.

Thank you so much, Mijung. I recently had the opportunity to visit her manufacturing facility, and I was just so blown away. I almost cried. I was just so moved by everything that she's done. And last but certainly not least, Dr. Terry.

Hi, thank you. Thank you.

Press your button.

Thank you. Thank you so much. So I am really pleased to be here. I am also a small business owner, a certified minority business owner. My business is Koksum Connects, and it is really focused on human-centered entrepreneurship. I'm a strategic consulting I have a strategic consulting firm. I do executive coaching. I also help my small businesses get certified and get government contracts so they're able to do business with the government. In addition to having them get these contracts, I also make sure they're successful on the back end of it because a lot of contractors go in and they're skills men and they want to do the work, but they have to understand there is some paperwork and payroll and insurances and all the other things that they'll need to be be successful. So my firm works with them on that. And I'm delighted to hear a little bit more about AI because I teach my small business owners how to work smarter and not harder with technology that exists. So in addition to Coxum Connect Strategic Firm consulting firm, I also have The Coxum Report, which is a TV show, an international TV show, that we talk about various best practices and big ideas helping small businesses to find solutions to things that they need to pivot forward. My business is a connecting business. I'm connecting you because relationships matter, and so I take my background. I worked as the Region 2 Advocate for the Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration, and I covered New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, working with small business on their concerns. I also worked for Senator Chuck Schumer, the first African American woman to be his Deputy State Director, and have worked with several others. I take all of that experience and pour that into making sure that my businesses are successful. My career always centered on how do we help people and organizations succeed. Throughout all of my career, I realized that opportunities really happen in isolation. We talked a little bit about that on the panel. I'm I'm pretty sure that we'll talk a lot more about that. My journey has not been about just connecting, but connecting people to opportunities. Whenever serving in government or advocating for small business, teaching and training, coaching executives, our leading, I've learned the truth that continues to share across all boards is that talent is not universal. Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity. So it's all about finding opportunities and pivoting. And so I'm glad to share a little bit more about what we're doing in government contracting, to share what we're doing as far as building businesses and building wealth and legacy along the way. So thank you so much, Camille, and to all the panelists. Looking forward to a fruitful conversation.

Thank you. And I love that you bring up that opportunity because that is one of the things when we're talking about women entrepreneurs that there often is that access to opportunity and access to resources that sometimes is more of a challenge for women business owners. So Carrie, I'm gonna jump back to you. You know, we— one of the promises of entrepreneurship is often that it provides that flexibility and autonomy, and you talked a lot about that with the model of your firm, how it allowed women to have a life and be a successful attorney at the same time. Do you think that Do you think that entrepreneurship has delivered this for women, or has it just added another set of pressures? And then on that, what responsibility do you think entrepreneurs have to create that same type of flexibility and opportunity to support the people who work for them?

Thanks. I think that's a great— a great question that I think you have perceptions about what flexibility means when you're being an entrepreneur. And then what it actually becomes. The importance of flexibility as an entrepreneur is that it does give you the room to do things the way you want to do them. For generations, I think women were forced to fit into the work model and the work career paths of men who oftentimes do have different ways of working and different responsibilities outside of the workplace and also just different passions. So being an entrepreneur has absolutely provided me and members of our team the flexibility to work when it's most convenient for us, to work around other obligations and passions, but it definitely hasn't relieved the pressure. I wouldn't say it makes it easier, You know, being an entrepreneur certainly has a lot of its own pressures, but there definitely is a level of flexibility that you get being an entrepreneur that makes it easier, I think, to explore new things. And, and that was one of the things that we were passionate about, was we did not want to operate as a traditional law firm that we saw not working for the, especially the younger generation of attorneys. We wanted to create a place where there was flexibility for everyone, and that is important. If you only provide flexibility to the individuals who are running the organization, you're not going to attract the folks that you— that are, that are like you, or that will bring that diversity and innovative opinions to your organization. So for us, we have always allowed employees to kind of create their own work schedule. So some Some folks work just reduced hours. Some do job sharing. Some work on a project basis where they can accept work or turn down work. So there's a variety of ways that people can engage with us as employees that allows them to bring their best self to work, and of course then that allows them to give their best work product to our clients. Great.

Thank you so much. Hedl, you talked a little bit about AI, and obviously AI has been a theme throughout the day and I think a theme throughout everything these days. Do you think in terms of women entrepreneurs that it's creating opportunities that women can tap into, or do you think it could widen some of these existing gaps?

So I think it can do one of two things, right? It can create opportunities if they've been given the access to be able to have access to those resources that they need to make sure that they are able to upskill, learn about AI, include AI. And there's data statistics shows that in the future, women are going to be more apt to adopting AI as women entrepreneurs because it's going to democratize— I was going to say— I was saying this is democratize. Entrepreneurship, because AI— so if you think about, give it an example, when you start a business, a woman, when she starts a business, she needs to think about all the different functions of research, having a research department, marketing department, finance department, technology, creating a business plan. All of these things, the components that helps her to run the business and operate the business, AI can help accelerate that so much faster and quicker. And so that's one. And I will say that the younger generation today are adopting and incorporating AI into, into their fields as well. And as we look at the next generation of the workforce that's entering into the workplace, and as they accelerate in terms of leveraging AI into their roles, They are always looking for places where they can belong, where they can trust their leaders, where they know that the leaders are going to work closely with them, and women entrepreneurship and women business owners have always demonstrated incredible empathy at work, and as we talked about the flexibility, a lot of those great opportunities that get created because We're gonna look at it holistically, and it's important for leaders to look at holistically in terms of as they connect with the workforce, the next generation, because they're going to be looking— and there's a lot of opportunities around gig economies as well, right? So they're going to be looking for places where not only do they belong but also where they can create value, where they're going to be valued. So a lot of growth opportunities. And so this is where I will I will say opportunities will be created. The other flip side, as you mentioned, will it put us back a little bit or reduce and not have those opportunities? It's only going to be times when they don't have access, and that is where we need to make sure that we give women more access to network, to finance, to growth opportunities. Great.

Thank you so much. Mijung, back to you. You talked about what inspired you to start the manufacturing side of your business. And what I just want to ask you is, as we're watching supply chains continue to evolve and can, you know, we just continually have more challenges, what opportunities do you see for entrepreneurs that are willing to think a little bit differently?

I think that the world is going to—

sorry.

I think the world is going to continue to change and throw curves at us at any given spot. It's really about— there are times that when the last, I would say, 8 years that I didn't know what was going to come to me next, from bringing the small business, from growing the small business, the pandemic happening, then what afterwards, global chain disruption, then also the tariffs and the political instability. So I really don't know what the next is going to be thrown at businesses, but as a micro and small business that is maybe growing into a medium-sized business, The continuous thinking of we don't have to be set in a box. We can move beyond the box and find our own thing. As a woman, I actually have to say that in woman enterprise, the empowerment of women is really based on can we own our own narrative. So once we own our own narrative, we We don't have to be settled into what is called prescribed to us by the culture, by the existing corporate systems, or by existing society. So as we can nurture more girls, more women in business to own their own narratives, I think success will follow, and that success will spread and affect everybody as a whole. Thank you.

I, I love that, and, and I think that's why that statistic around the economic gap is so alarming for me, is that to own our own narrative, we have to be economically independent. And, um, I just, I love that point. So we're talking about these relationships of these networks, and obviously, Terry, you talked a lot about that. That's kind of what you do. Um, there was a LinkedIn study a number of years ago where it looked at on men versus women on a global scale and their networks. And women's networks on their professional networks on LinkedIn are quite a bit smaller on a global scale than, than the networks of men. So we know that success comes down to relationships. So how important has this social capital— obviously that's what you do is you create connections. You've obviously built this incredible social capital both for yourself and for your business and for your clients. How has that been on your journey and how can women and business owners in general intentionally build networks that truly open doors for them?

Thank you. Thank you so much for asking that question. Your networks is your net worth. I always tell my clients that even when I'm speaking to my students, your network is your net worth. That is the opportunity for you to build wealth across the board. And when we're talking about writing our own narratives, we have to understand that relationships matter in whatever we do. We make decisions about how we're spending our money based on relationships we make. We make decisions about how we're spending time on our vacations and all of those things based on relationships. And relationships are the one asset that appreciates over time. So you gain more value with your relationships. Many people focus on networking. I focus on relationship building. Network to introduce you to relationships that you can trust. It creates that opportunity, back to the opportunity, right? It creates the opportunity. You're not just collecting business cards. It has to be a genuine connection to individuals. When you— when my students are going into a room, I always say to them, be intentional about whatever that is. If you're going into a gala or if you're going into a workshop, why are you there? And you have to at least I give them the charge at least meet 5 other people, right? And because if you didn't meet anyone when you went to that event, why bother leaving your house, right? And then you have to be intentional about the relationships of the people that you're meeting. You're cultivating those relationships. You have to be intentional about the conversations that you're having with them, and you're giving before you ask. I read this book a long time ago, uh, and it's called Dig the Well Before You're Thirsty. So you don't want to be the person that is on the other end of that 12 AM call to an individual you haven't spoken to in 2 years. You want to be able to nurture those relationships so that you'll be— you're able to build that social capital so that you can pivot. I know most of us on this panel can tell you at least 1 or 2 individuals that we are tapped into just based on our networks. I know Minyoung Lee, We've already decided that we are in some of the same social circles and are going to do some work together, right? I'm looking at the AI relationship and thinking about how we're working smarter and not harder and how do we pivot that relationship into the next. And so I think that it is important for us to understand that the human-centered entrepreneur is the one that connects to the humans. AI is not going to be able to replace that personal connection. And so I'm looking forward to how we're able to use AI for that creative part of our brain to free up some of that space, and then we use those relationships to build our businesses into these multimillion-dollar businesses that they can be based on that social capital. So thanks for asking that question. Thank you.

So I'm gonna throw out a question that anyone can answer, anyone who feels comfortable, and then I thought maybe we could to see if there's any questions from the audience, if anyone wants to ask any of our women business owners anything. Before we do that, what do you think policymakers, employers, institutions still misunderstand about the realities that are facing women business owners?

I think the first thing, especially policymakers, I think the first thing that policymakers misunderstand is that our needs are different. Women business owners have very differing needs when it comes to how we're building our business, how we're growing our business, and access to capital seems to still be number one. When I'm talking to my small business owners, they're still saying that access to capital is one of the things that they need more of, and when they're looking at the policies that are intended on gaining wealth for us, they just don't work the same way. And so I think what I need for policymakers to really do is to look at us as individual and look at our needs very differently. And when they're making decisions about how to help us grow our business, they have to really be intentional about that woman-owned business entrepreneur.

Camille, I would add to that another perspective, which is I think policymakers need to understand that women and minorities don't— we don't need the bar lowered. We don't need special treatment. We just need equal treatment. Equal treatment and equal access to capital, as we talked about, equal opportunities, equal resources. Once we have access to that, we have the same skills and abilities and passion and desires to be successful.

If you allow, I would love to just add impact of this, right? The statistics. Deloitte has reported that women are 50.1% of working age population, but only 40% are employed and 35% are in management. And women own roughly 1 in 3 businesses globally. And by advancing women equality could add $12 trillion to the global GDP. So that's a huge impact.

I just want to add something too about policymakers, and I was just in a meeting to discuss Fashion Act in New York City. It's great concepts that are thrown out and policies are made, but the follow-up is where I find it frustrating. Accountability. It's great to have the press and great to have that impact, but no, if they don't have accountability and follow-up, the actual people who are supposed to benefit, it never happens. And that has been frustrating.

I think I want to add one more thing to that because collectively we're saying the same thing. Women don't simply need more programs, they need better pathways to these programs. And so the follow-up, access to capital, not lowering the bar. In fact, we are able to surpassed the bar so many more times, right? So we just need the pathways. We need better pathways to, to really get to that next level. Thank you.

I think there is a lot of talk, but it's the actual— yeah, walk— where we have some challenges. Um, I have some more questions I could ask, but I want to see if anyone in the audience has a question. You have a microphone and you can— yes, the gentleman right there.

Please, please make sure to introduce yourself and then ask your question. Salvatore, it's yours.

Okay, my name is Salvatore Zacchini. I am a consultant. I've done a lot of things. I will stop there. I'm very intrigued by what has been said this morning, by the notion of humanity that is being incorporated when talking about human-centered entrepreneurship. The reason why I am very intrigued is because this notion has always been interpreted in a way that pertains to insiders to the firm. But there is a human side outside the firm. And what do I mean by that? The responsibility vis-à-vis consumers, those that demand the products made by, let's say, a woman entrepreneur. The other one has to do with competition. And this is a very complex aspect because an enterprise operates in the marketplace, so it has to confront competition. And I wonder whether a human-centered approach puts a specific enterprise in a disadvantageous position with respect to competitors or not. Mrs. Mi-Jung Lee made a reference to this when she referred to Asian manufacturers And as far as I understood, her strategy was to create a network that to some extent incorporated those manufactured or not. I wonder whether this is the case or not. But basically, this notion of humanity that refers just to the, let's say, the employees of a small firm, in my opinion, is quite restrictive. It should be broadened, first of all, with respect to the values. The values are not just inside, but vis-à-vis the society and the stakeholders. Thank you. I don't know how to turn it off.

Thank you. I think that point is really well taken to extend it beyond the company, and I think Mijong is such a great example of bringing what are competitive businesses essentially together to create this coalition, and I see this a lot with women-owned businesses. I'm seeing more and more of this where you can— if you come together, there's greater opportunities. You can take on bigger contracts. You have more access. And so I think while competition is just a part of business, we're never going to avoid that, I think there's so much opportunity when especially small business owners come together and work together so that they can actually take on contracts that might typically need a larger-size business or that they can help support each other. I don't know.

Yeah, I see that a lot.

I would say, you know, I—

I would challenge that. I think the human-centered approach to entrepreneurship is actually going to be the differentiator for success in the more technology we have, the more that companies are relying on AI for efficiency. It's the human touch that's actually going to be how you differentiate your business because a lot of folks are going to have access to technologies, especially micro and small businesses that maybe couldn't have access to certain things. But it's that human touch that's going to be a differentiator in how you sell your services. I mean, at the end of the day, I think we often say in professional services, people will do business with other people that they know, like, and trust. That has nothing to do with technology or AI. That's all about relationship building. I think that's going to be a competitive advantage.

Yeah, I would like to answer that question in two ways. Yes, when I— the only reason that the four companies could survive the COVID is because we were able to band together. And that banding together in this case was brought on by me because I was not a competitor, because I produced my own brands in-house. So I wasn't competing with them. And When I pulled them together and I said, "These are the parameters, this is the transparency, this are the— everything up front," to build the trust in a competitive industry, especially a competitive industry that is imploding and shrinking, has been a really, really challenging situation. To turn the shrinking, the negativity into positivity and show them a possibility of growth and still doing it in a way that's human-centric and in a way that's ethical. And that's been my mission in the last 2, 3 years. So that's one. But on the flip side, to deny technology and to deny what advances can be made, you're shooting yourself on the foot. It's literally, literally we need to come combine both things. If we do not combine both things, I don't think as a small business, as a microbusiness, we can navigate this more complex global world that is happening. But there is a pathway, and I don't skew AI. I am— I absolutely agree that it can streamline administrative— streamline advances in technology, But I do have to advocate the whole reason that I started fashion design, which is I didn't want to let go of the art of garment construction and garment manufacturing. That cannot be done through robotics and AI. Robotics can make cheaper garment, but it cannot preserve that quality of it. And this is in every industry. I say there is a room for fast fashion. Fashion, there's a room for Uniqlo. But if there isn't companies like mine who make things piece by piece, who do custom work— that custom work cannot be— at some point, maybe in 20 years, AI can do something, but custom work is human-centric. I look at a woman and I go, oh, she's size 12 on top, but she's size 6 on the bottom. That is human eye that is evaluating that. So I think both things can coexist and it has to coexist. Preservation of the foundation of the human imperfection, which creates beauty, that cannot be relegated in search for AI and artificial perfection. I hope that answered.

Are there any other questions out there? Yeah, I see in the back.

My name is Nicole Mseve. So I'm a student at Wilkes University. I'm doing my master's in business. So I have a question on— we're talking about human-centric. And initially in the Fast Forum, there was something to do that. There's an index that's in development in regards to human-centric as well, that is in terms of wellness and being. With our speakers seated there, I'm very intrigued to see women entrepreneurs. It's quite motivating. I'm just thinking, there's a comment that one of the speakers say that we We each deserve equal opportunities as women, like opportunities out there, they're supposed to be equal. But still in the line of humanity, human setting, in this, do you still believe that as women our bodies were built to like compete equally with the men? And in that relation, do you think like most countries coming, SMEs should advocate for something like menstrual health or menstrual leaves because there are women in workplaces that struggle with such issues. Currently, as much as the world is moving towards that, it's evolving. It's not something that has been so much considered at sea. You will not find documented or days for where women are allowed to like take leave days because they have like, uh, menstrual issues and everything. So do you still believe that even if the opportunities are set that we can compete equally, there's still like not so much, um, there's not so much focus on the fact that our bodies are built differently? Yeah, same question.

So as an employment lawyer, I will say, you know, we have in the United States, I can only speak to the United States, we have began to recognize over the last 30 years that women's needs in the workplace are different. That, and that in order to allow women to remain in the workplace through different stages of life, that you do have to recognize that there are different needs of the human body for women. I think Rhode Island is actually maybe the first state that's actually recognizing something related to menopause, recognizing women may need time off from work related related to menopause. We're— we've built in mental health protections, um, as well as disability, um, and, uh, and child care protections. I think that is— these laws that are sometimes takes too long but are being passed over the years are being passed in a way to allow women equal access to work. But it's a slow process, and getting these laws passed and then getting them implemented and then getting corporate— you know, larger corporations to cooperate and implement them, that all takes time. That's where the beauty of entrepreneurship allows us to fast-track that, and I think that is why you see statistically so many women, especially younger women, starting businesses, because they recognize that they could try to pursue certain careers in traditional corporate or government organizations, but it may be harder. And so when they are in an entrepreneurial setting, whether they're starting the business or just working in another entrepreneurial business, there's a lot more flexibility for that to be taken into account.

And I just want to add to that. I say that there is hope for greater advancement while there's a lot more work to be done. From the times when women struggled if they had babies or if they were working from home, they had to make sure that the child's not crying. In today's world, with the virtual world post-COVID, we will see many individuals, male, female, will have a child on their lap and it's not considered a taboo anymore. Gig economy, flexible workplace, entrepreneurship, including AI technology, is going to help create those opportunities for women to have their own independence in terms of how, what they choose to do as career paths or to start a business. So congratulations to you that you're in business school, and there's going to be many more women leaders in places and positions that's going to continue to influence and shape the future.

And I just want to add to that as well. Again, I want to congratulate you for, um, for taking, for being in the business field. And like she said, you're the change that you want to see. I remember when I first started working in D.C. and having my heels on those floors was very different, right? But I see that so much has changed in the halls of government now that more women are there, right? So I'm encouraging you to be a part of the process so that you can make the changes from within. There is now rooms where you can breastfeed your baby in government offices. There are— it's not taboo anymore. There's so much change that has come along simply because we're in those places and in those spaces. And so I'm going to encourage you and anyone else that's listening to get into those spaces so that we can make the changes that we want to see.

I'm just going to add one little thing. Celebrate the fact that we're different. Yeah. We're women. Celebrate our advantages. Celebrate what we bring. We have life experiences that in a male-dominated boardroom we bring as an advantage. So celebrate that. We are fighting for equal opportunity, but we're not equals. We're different. And that difference is what makes the world happen. So celebrate. Being a woman in every which way.

Thank you. Yes, one last question over there.

Greatly enjoying your panel, and thank you for sharing.

I'd like to know regarding the changes in federal government policies, how things like the tariff wars, changes in pre-authorization for medical benefits,—

and also working people having to now—

what is it—

something with the tax code now at $500 rather than $2,500, they have to start reporting income. So how have any of those changes impacted your business, or are they impacting your business?

So currently today, um, if you're referring to the HR1 policy, are you referring to that where the changes is going to impact the, the work requirement and the work requirement needs? I just wanted to clarify the question.

Yes, well, I mean, aside from the tariff wars, the other things would mostly impact the workers, and would that have a direct correlation to impacting your business as a whole?

So, um, one of the things I will say is there is an opportunity for us to be able to engage and bring those individuals forward. And with technology and AI, we're going to be able to increase that engagements with those members to ensure that we can provide the skills training and opportunities that they will need to connect them with jobs or areas where they can take advantage of those jobs that will get created in the future. So that's the one place I can just kind of share about the work requirements.

I'll try to answer the tariff question. It's horrible. It has impacted the business in a very— in a terrible way. When that first happened, so many people came to me and say, "You must be great because you're making everything in United States." And I just look at them and go, "Are you insane?" The world is global. It's interconnected. We don't have a textile industry in this country. My fabrics come from Italy, France, Spain, Korea, Japan. And that is affecting really the consumers, really the citizens. And it has been horrible to explain, to be able to have consumers understand. Now, we did not pass on all of that extra expense to the consumers, but we had to pass thumb on. And it has its— it's— I'm sorry, it's stupid thinking. It's past thinking. And hopefully it'll go away really fast.

Let me add, I think all the things that you raised in your question, those are all disruptors. Disruptors happen all the time. Big ones like COVID or tariff instability financial crises, you know, natural disasters in certain countries. These are all disruptors, and I think because the economy has become so global, even in a business like mine, we are a US-based employment law firm. We support US businesses primarily in certain regions, and all the things you mentioned have impact us because they impact our clients or impact our clients' employees. Ability to deal with employees, to pay their bills. So I think the— yes, the impact, I think, all of us, because any disruptor in the economy impacts businesses, but the beauty of being an entrepreneurial business is you can be nimble, you can do things differently, and you can pivot a lot faster, as Mijung explained how her business did. And so I think that is one of the advantages. For women and minorities in business is that being an entrepreneur does give you an advantage of being able to do things differently, more quickly.

Thank you. I think we have to wrap up here. We're at time. There's a few, but I think I've got 5 minutes.

My name is Ebekure Jasper Eradiri, President, All Africa Association for SMEs. I'm glad to be here, and on a day such as this, it is important to remind us that women and youths form the highest demographics when it comes to SME ecosystem. And even as we're here gathered, there are about 35— 33 women and 24 men. I think we should give a round of applause to the women in the first instance. A round of applause to the women. Thank you. And very quickly to my question, we believe that in the conversations for human-centric and technology thinking, there should be a provision over access to finance. And when we talk about access to finance, we talk about access to finance for women, you know. So in all what you've been saying, I've been listening keenly to,, and I haven't been able to pick up anywhere where you made a clear pathway on how you navigated access to finance. Would any of you like to give a comment or an overview over that? Thank you. Because especially, especially in Asia and Africa, SMEs are largely informal, and so if you have largely informal SMEs that are being advanced by women, How do you cater for access to finance for them?

Thank you. So I'm going to start off because I work with small business owners and I work with them on getting them prepared to get access to capital. So one of the things that we do— again, back to that support network, understanding the community, knowing the CDFIs, understanding traditional banking, working in collaboration, teaming on projects so that they can get access to capital. Here in the United States, that credit part is a huge part for small business, making sure that they understand how to clean up their credit. And then getting access to government contracts for us has been a way to get access to finance, right? So when we help our businesses become minority business firms, we then look at contracting opportunities for them. We then look at contract funding for them. We look at if they need bonding. We look at the opportunities that the government have and we bring that all together. That's one of the ways to getting access to capital here for our construction business, for our architects and all of those business. In addition to our very small micro businesses, there are tons of programs that exist as well. Some of the CDFIs, I know one in particularly, this International Grameen America is— some of my small businesses use Grameen. As a way to get access to capital. And so we're always looking for different opportunities. I'm open to hearing if any others exist on this panel, but we collaborate, we team, we participate, we show up, we're talking to the traditional banks, we're talking to government. Anytime we're in a room with them, we let them know that access to capital is still the number one thing our small business, especially women-owned businesses, are in need of. And then we help them get that access by helping them pivot and making sure that their credit and all the other things are in order.

So I'd just like to add to that as an organization. First, a woman entrepreneur engineer in this country. I will say the couple things that we had done was to build relationship with local banks. Local banks often got creative with us because of the relationship and really sharing our vision and our future stories of where we're headed while we're demonstrating as to how we're innovating today. But the other— I would give credit to a lot of organizations network like WPO, Women President Organization. That is where I've had the opportunity to meet with large bank and banking and finance organizations like JPMorgan Chase who connected with us, who connected with our story, who believed in our mission and our vision and created that access to resources and just continued to build relationship with us and nurture and work with us and creating access to whatever we possibly might need, any questions we would have around, hey, we need to— we're looking at this M&A or we're looking at this future business opportunity where we think we're going to need some fundings or some investments. So that's one area. But I will tell you that it— while there has been positive tractions, there's still areas where we do struggle because there's been contracts, opportunities, and there's a most recent one where we know we can do the work, $18 billion contract opportunity. But because of our size, we will be limited and there will be lack of growth and scalability in this area. Because we don't have access to that large finance capability.

So, unfortunately, we have to wrap up here. I know it's time to take the break, but I want to thank Cari, Hedl, Mijung, and Terry. Thank you so much for this honest and open conversation. And I also— Winslow, I want to thank you and ICSB for allowing us to have this conversation, because I think often women's voices aren't always heard at the table, and I really appreciate you allowing us to bring this conversation here and speak at the UN and with everyone here, so thank you.

Well, thank you. Let's give a big round of applause to the panel. This is the type of discussion that we need to hear, and it's in the discussion that's where we can come up with solutions as well. And so thank you again. So we have to take a mandatory break from 1 to 3, and then the youth session will begin at 3. But we're going to take a group picture, and then we can break. There's a break. There is a cafeteria in the building, so you can go there. You can stay here as well, but there is a break from 1 to 3. Thank you. Huh? Make sure that you keep your badges and your ID if you leave, if you move around the building. Thank you.