This video is available with captions on YouTube.

MS. DE MARS: Hello there. We have three exciting speakers today that are going to hang out with us at the State Department. We’re promoting our Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the 2014 edition, that will be November 19th through 21st 2014 in Marrakesh, Morocco. We’re very excited about the lineup of speakers that we have, and also in the past – we’ll have – as we have in the past, we’ll have our global – GIST initiative, the Global Innovation Science and Technology. And two of the people that are joining me today are past GIST winners.

And the first is Kate Kiguru. She founded Akida, which has technology solutions for a security company that she co-owns. And also Chris Asego, who has done marvelous things with technology to connect students that otherwise have dropped out of school to the educational system in Kenya. Also joining us is Jonathon Perrelli from Silicon Valley, and he’s an entrepreneur, a technology investor, and also a filmmaker. And so we’re excited to hear about all of your impressions about the Global Entrepreneurship Summit that’s coming up.

So I’ll start off with you, Kate. And could you tell everybody how we met in the first place?

MS. KIGURU: Hi, my name is Kate Kiguru. Caron and I met in the last GES in Malaysia. We work hard the long day and we needed to catch a bit of air, and when I walked downstairs I bumped into her at the reception. And that’s how me and her met and became very good friends to date.

MS. DE MARS: So what really impressed me about Kate, and you can talk more about this, Kate was a panelist at our last year Global Entrepreneurship Summit, and so she’s a good icon of the great diversity that we have at these summits on our panels and as speakers, and Kate did a great job. But she also was really instrumental in helping out other GES people. And so next I’d like to move to you, Chris. And could you tell me some of the things that you got out of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit last year?

MR. ASEGO: Hi. Hi, guys. So my name is Chris, from Kenya. One of the biggest takeaways I got from the GES summit that I went to in Malaysia is the fact that when you’re working on your startup your head is kind of down, you’ve got it straight down to work. But when you attend the GES summit, it’s like an eye-opener. It’s like actual (inaudible) that are taking place in the real world. When you come up with an idea, dramatically you feel like it’s the best idea. But wait until you get out in the world and pitch to other people. That’s like the real test there – what other people think about your idea and not necessarily what yourself you think about the idea. So the biggest takeaway was just a reality check (inaudible).

MS. DE MARS: That’s terrific. And so could you tell me – I know that Jonathon’s out there with us, too, and has joined us – you are out there and you can hear us, right, Jonathon?

MR. PERRELLI: I can. Can you hear me now?

MS. DE MARS: Yes, I can. I’m delighted that I can. I know that you’ve mentored a lot of startups like Chris and Kate, and so when you’re mentoring people, what kind of tips do you give to them and how do you help them along?

MR. PERRELLI: So one of the most important things we’ve found in mentoring dozens of companies over the last five years is finding solid relationships with advisors that you have excellent chemistry with. So these are individuals that may or may not be able to help you functionally with your business, but they will be – or operationally – but they will be able to help you just by being available. So they’ve got business experience that could be relevant or might be in a different industry, but they’re there for you at the worst times for you, which is when you need them the most. So mentors are a critical thing, and I think the advice that they provide happens based on their experiences. The key is finding a few key mentors that you can leverage on a regular basis, and eventually maybe even make part of your company.

MS. DE MARS: That’s terrific. And so if a person in our viewing audience was planning to go to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, how would they connect with a mentor? What kind of person would they want to seek out?

MR. PERRELLI: I think the key is to do your homework in advance. So absolutely attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. I wish I could be there. I’ll be there at the next one. The key thing is find out whose attending, look at their LinkedIn profiles, and then reach out to them prior to the event. That’s a really important thing with networking, is to try to get to know folks in advance, and then by the time you meet them you might not even shake hands. You might greet one another in a different way and embrace or hug because you’ve already communicated so many times. It’s very important to do your homework and study who’s going to be in attendance. So that’s the first thing I would advise.

The second thing is: Have your pitch ready. Make sure if it’s a 10-second introduction, you’ve got that 10 seconds down of what you can do to entice them to hear 30 more seconds. And if you’ve got a full minute, then try to make that work. But I think those are some of the key things. I hope that’s helpful.

MS. DE MARS: I think that that’s great. That’s very good advice, Jonathon. So Kate, could you tell us about who your mentors have been and what kind of mentorship you have found at the last two Global Entrepreneurship Summits, or the boot camp and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit?

MS. KIGURU: One of my favorite mentors, of course, is Ms. Caron – you know that – who I met at the GES. Ms. Caron has not just been a friend but a great mentor, as well as allowing me access to her awesome network, which I wouldn’t do without. So one of the best people I’m really grateful that I met during GES was Caron. And through her, I’ve been able to meet a lot many other people that I probably could never have imagined met, made great contacts, have been invited to other events, met potential clients through her. So I couldn’t ask for more.

I also met one other mentor, who was also a speaker, Mr. Jeff Hoffman. I met Jeff first when I did my first boot camp, and I met him again at GES. And Jeff has been a great mentor as well as an encourager. It’s always awesome to see somebody who’s taken the journey and to hear from them. And yeah, I’d say those are the two great – aside from the many others that I continue to meet and interact with, I think my best (inaudible).

MS. DE MARS: Thank you so much, Kate. I really appreciate our relationship, too. And I think that, too, Jeff Hoffman is an amazing mentor, too. So it’s always of mutual benefit. I think that when you’re mentoring someone, oftentimes you get as much or more out of that relationship than the person you’re mentoring does. And so it’s certainly mutual admiration.

So, Chris, could you tell us about a mentor that you met at the last Global Entrepreneurship Summit and what types of advice you got from that person?

MR. ASEGO: Yeah, sure. So, like, given I met, like, a lot of mentors, a lot of people who, like, had, like, field experience in entrepreneurship. But one of the key people who stood out was Scott Hartley. Like, the interactions I had with him were, like, immense. I remember I had, like, a seven-minute discussion with him after a session, and those seven minutes, like – it, like, opened my eyes to a lot of ideas that I came back and implemented in the business. And I’m glad to say it – like, his opinions really helped me with regards to pivoting the company again. So that’s one of the key people I met during the just summit in Malaysia.

And also, like, as Kate mentioned, Jeff Hoffman – he’s also like a pretty interesting, easygoing person to hang out with. And he also has, like, a lot of experience. I’m sure, like, a lot of entrepreneurs here in Kenya would die to meet those two individuals, just to sit down and get, like, a feel of what they experience out there in entrepreneurship. So I count myself pretty lucky to have met with those two individuals.

MS. DE MARS: That’s perfect.

So, Jonathon, you started a film project and it is “Startup Land.” And so can you tell me what you found in this film that you could – what kind of advice you could give to people who are going to the Global Entrepreneurship Program, what kind of connections they could make there, and the importance of networking for startups?

MR. PERRELLI: So, a few things there. I would first say that we just wanted to share with “Startup Land” the experience of five entrepreneurs that went through our accelerator in Washington, DC. They were selected based on the criteria of the accelerator and had nothing to do with a film project. In fact, it’s the opposite of a reality TV show – this is actually real. It’s authentic video footage captured while they’re participating with mentors, while they’re going on sales calls and investor meetings.

And we did it because we knew we were going to be closing our accelerator – much larger organizations, 1776 has taken on what we started in DC with kind of creating a home for startups. So we closed down the fort, we started “Startup Land,” and what I would tell you is: Try to find avenues to promote your business. Our five startups that entered our accelerator that are in our fortified portfolio as investments didn’t really care about the video. In fact, we didn’t like the cameras in front of our faces for the first week. But what we very much liked was the fact that now this video’s been seen in over 70 countries around the globe, and people are also learning from those founders and then going on their website and saying, “Wow, I think I might want to use that product.”

So there are multiple ways, and Jeff Hoffman, who’s a friend and an incredible speaker and an incredible entrepreneur, is also involved in film production. And the reason why is it’s content. It’s the same reason that the State Department has Caron and her team today on a video with us. Unfortunately, you just can’t see me for some reason today, but you will next time.

So I would say, really, make sure to find out what lies behind. Those five entrepreneurs didn’t know they’d be in a video series at first, but there might be some things that help promote your business in the other people that you meet. And you can feel to free to ask – say, “I’d love to know how I can help you, and how can you help me? I’ve got this business that can do X, Y, and Z. Is there a way we can work together?” It’s a very okay question to ask. People are there to network as well.

MS. DE MARS: Terrific. So, so many entrepreneurs are interested in how people are connected to financing and how they would approach people that do have money that can help them in their enterprise. And so Kate, could you tell me through some examples if you met anybody at Global Entrepreneurship Summit that might have been interested in financing your enterprise, or how you have interested people in financing your business?

MS. KIGURU: Yes. I’ve met a couple of people at GES who would be interested in financing. But for me, I think I’m a little bit different of an entrepreneur, and it’s not always financing that I’m only looking out for. In most cases, it’s the network and the clients. The startup I ran, we try and keep our operating costs very minimal, so I’ve never needed really a big amount of funding. So we’ve been able to manage through with the sales. So for me, what has been most important despite a great expression of interest and just knowing that I want to grow that big and spread out to vast regions, I know I have some contact I can count on for that. But it’s the network and the potential clients that have been very useful, and their feedback is just amazing from that network on that end. So that’s what’s – it’s really encouraging to know that they’re there.

MS. DE MARS: That’s terrific. And how about you, Chris? How have you found financing for your enterprise?

MR. ASEGO: Yeah, definitely. As Kate has touched on, it’s not entirely 100 percent going out and looking for financing. It’s more – from a personal opinion, I think it’s more of direction because you are the first person to do whatever it is that you’re doing in your area of expertise, but there are other people who have done it before who have been successful in whatever it is that you’re doing. So rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, just getting a chance to interact with people who have done it before is like the best gift that you can give an entrepreneur, because entrepreneurship is – like you tend to think most of the time that you can create this amazing application that can move the moon closer to the app.

I mean, it could do that to a certain extent, but we definitely need direction from someone else who has done it before. That will probably be of a lot of help to you, even with regards to, like, better managing your time, rather than spending like a whole month or two trying to solve a problem that someone else has solved. It should take, like, a shorter period of time to go on and consult someone who has done it before. So it’s all about, like, direction and mentorship as well.

MS. DE MARS: That’s terrific. So the theme this year is harvesting the power of technology for entrepreneurs. And so Kate, could you tell me how you’ve harnessed the technology that you’ve used?

MS. KIGURU: Well – sorry, I missed the first bit of the question.

MS. DE MARS: Oh, okay. So I know that – because I know about your business that you have used the power of technology through mobile technology, and so that you’re even getting more sophisticated in biometrics, for example. And so could you explain, through the power of technology, how that has enhanced your startup and how you’ve used technology in your startup?

MS. KIGURU: Okay. So I develop mobile applications as well, and one of the things I wanted to do is take away paper and allow businesses to run efficiently. So I decided to use the mobile application to do that. We have so many organizations, not just the security companies; we have NGOs as well; we have marketing firms that employ those and other employees who are out there in the field, and they needed to know where they are at any given time. They needed to know that they’re doing what they’re expected to do.

And so with the mobile phone, which at least a big percentage of the employees have access to, I came up with a mobile application to allow them to do that. So the employees can check in from wherever they are. Their HR or the boss there that need to leave their desk or – can be able to see them from where they are, they can be able to receive reports based on the different projects that they’ve been assigned to do in the field.

So I’m using technology to take away paper as well as help improve efficiencies in these larger organizations.

MS. DE MARS: Terrific. How about you, Chris? How have you been using technology in your startup?

MR. ASEGO: Yeah. Like, our situation is pretty interesting because the technology that we use is pretty low-tech, because like how our product works is we allow students in primary school – these are students between ages 10 to 14 – to get access to educational content that’s in line with the local curriculum through the mobile phone. But now the interesting bit with our platform is that you can use any type of mobile phone, (inaudible) phone that doesn’t necessarily have to have connection to the internet. You can utilize that mobile phone to get access to content that’s useful to the students.

So we – our approach was to use the most relevant technology that’s out there rather than bringing up sort of new technology that would need a lot of training on and things like that. We opted for technology that’s already in the hands of our users, and that’s (inaudible) feature phones. (Inaudible) targeting people who are mostly at the bottom of the pyramid who might not necessarily have access to internet connection. So that’s – that was our approach to utilizing technology that’s already in the hands of our end users.

MS. DE MARS: Great, thank you. So Jonathon, when we are in Marrakech, I wonder what kind of new technologies there might be there. Could you tell us in your experience what’s coming down the pike as far as exciting technology that might be encountered in Marrakech by the people who are attending the summit?

MR. PERRELLI: Well, I think there are three things, at least, for entrepreneurs to keep a look out for, and the first one is mobile. Everything – and you know this, folks, better than we do here in the U.S. – everything is mobile. You can run your business, you can communicate, you can manage your finances, and oftentimes you can even code. And the interesting thing about mobile is it is being advanced more from other parts of the world, so keep your eye out for the latest and greatest in mobile. It will always continue to change.

The second thing I would say, because we’re always learning – all of us are learning – is you got to be on the lookout for what platforms might help you learn. Certainly, the State Department has partnered with the Kauffman Foundation and others to provide entrepreneurship resources for learning, so have a keen eye and be on the lookout for what those resources are and ask people where you can go for that information. It’s out there. It’s just a lot easier to find if you’re pointed to it.

And the third thing – and this is partly because it’s what I’m getting into now – wearable tech is a huge area for growth, and it’s going to be and continue to, I think, morph into healthcare tech and medical. But keep an eye out for wearable technologies in the region and from other parts of the world and try to find a way even to incorporate those into your daily life. I think – I certainly have found it’s advanced my – the way I do business, my health, the health of my children and family members by having access to data about what we’re consuming and what we’re outputting.

So I would say those three things: Be on the lookout for mobile, education, and wearable is something I do know some folks will be in Marrakesh with some new technologies. So those are my tips.

MS. DE MARS: That’s terrific and good to know that. So one of you had mentioned Global Entrepreneurship Week. This is our fifth Global Entrepreneurship Summit, but it’s the first time that it’s during Global Entrepreneurship Week. And so I wonder if you could give us a preview from Kenya of activities that you might know that are happening in Kenya from the 17th to the 23rd, just as an example of how countries celebrate entrepreneurship during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Do either of you know what might be going on in Kenya, Kate or Chris?

MR. ASEGO: Wow, that’s a classic ambush. I was trying to think – (laughter) – I was (inaudible) what has happened (inaudible). Yeah, much like what usually happens (inaudible) celebrating entrepreneurship in general is we have – like I have an (inaudible). We have like different other (inaudible) labs that bring entrepreneurs together to sit down and share their experiences and sort of learn from each other. So that’s something that we do on the regular that really helps entrepreneurs to grow by really just learning from each other. That’s what I have to say about that. And thank you for the ambush. (Laughter.)

MS. DE MARS: Do you know anything that might be going on, Kate? Or how will you be celebrating Global --

MS. KIGURU: Well, there’s one event happening tomorrow called – it’s organized by the Alliance of Africa, and they award – or they encourage young entrepreneurs to come up with innovative ideas. So I’ve been fortunate to be part of their young entrepreneurs and was (inaudible) to being those. And we should have at least 10 young entrepreneurs with amazing ideas. And tomorrow they’ll be awarding them with some finances to help them kick off their businesses. So we have a couple of organizations that (inaudible) initiatives every now and then as (inaudible) from tech spaces here in Kenya, so they encourage entrepreneurs to come up with innovative ideas. And some of them just need additional money to just kick off, and they’re up and running. So one of such is happening with Alliance in Africa tomorrow.

MS. DE MARS: Oh, that’s terrific. And Kate, I’m glad that you suggested that and also that Alliance in Africa is a State Department program as well. It’s run through our Global Partnerships Office. And so that’s always a source of pride for us as the – my colleagues help with that. It’s a great private partnership between the State Department and the private sector that promote Alliance in Africa and help African entrepreneurs all over the continent. So I’m glad that you mentioned that.

MS. KIGURU: Okay.

MS. DE MARS: And so Jonathon, could you tell me what you know about that’ll be going on during Global Entrepreneurship Week this year?

MR. PERRELLI: Well, the trick I think is, at events like this, is finding out what’s going on outside of the agenda. It’s always very nice to participate, and do make sure you – again, just like using LinkedIn in advance of the event – study the agenda and make sure that you are able to attend and share notes with someone that is attending another event that you can’t go to but you want to, and share notes with them from your event. So find friends in advance.

But what I’d like to really have you think about is what are the breakfasts, the lunches, the dinners, and the after-parties that are happening and how do you get invited to those. They do happen; they will be happening. And I think the key thing is just be yourself and ask people, “What are you doing later this evening?” That’s where the deals go down. That’s where Jeff Hoffman (ph) will say – I’m just giving an example here, of course – that there’s an event in New York in six months you should probably come and attend. Here are the venture capital firms and here are the different types of businesses that will be there. Here’s who’ll be there from Google and Facebook and Twitter. So ask those questions. Do not be afraid to do so.

And again, study the agenda in advance. There are quite a few forward-thinking speakers that will be presenting. But find out where they’ll be after is my advice.

MS. DE MARS: That’s terrific advice. And so our event, our Global Entrepreneurship Summit is actually going to be led this year by our Vice President of the United States, Vice President Joe Biden. And so we’d really like everybody in the viewing audience, if you haven’t signed up for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, that you look online. And you can Google “Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Marrakech 2014.” And that’s G-E-S-M-A-R-R-A-K-E-C-H 2014. org.

So I have my smartphone with me today. And so on my smartphone I get notifications of new Twitter followers. And my Twitter is @EntrepCaron, E-n-t-r-e-p, C-a-r-o-n, and I just got a new Twitter follower, and that’s Jonathon Perrelli, who’s also on this.

And so I think that it’s – like Jonathon had mentioned, it’s always really great to link up with people before you go to conferences like this. And Jonathon, you had mentioned LinkedIn and then we’re going to follow each other on Twitter. What are some of the other ways that we can network with this great global community of entrepreneurs before, during, and after the Global Entrepreneurship Summit? And I open that to any of you who’d like to answer that.

Do you have some ideas, Chris? Or do you have --

MR. PERRELLI: I’m having a hard time hearing you. Could you repeat that question one more time, please?

MS. DE MARS: Sure. So I was talking about how important it is to get connected to people and I had just mentioned that you had asked to – that you followed me on Twitter, Jonathon, because I found on my smartphone – I get the notifications, and I follow – I will follow you back. What are some of the other ways that you can connect with people?

MR. PERRELLI: I would give this piece of advice. This is advice I give to founders all over the world and people thank me for it later, so I’d like to share it with you and hope that it helps. I’m not a fan of email. Clearly, I’m not a fan of video calls – I’m teasing, I love video calls. We just have a setting issue.

I prefer email, some people prefer phone, others will say message me on Facebook. The key here is when you meet someone, either write on their card what their preference is and then put it in the settings under your contacts about that person or in your CRM tool that this person loves email, and wow, they’re very responsive to it. I even have it down to a science now where when I’m calling people on the West Coast in Silicon Valley or outside of the country in India or in Europe or in Africa, I actually will say, “Call this person at 2:00 am Eastern Standard Time,” or “Call them at 3:00 pm Eastern.”

So I think the key thing is to find out what it is – what is – not their (inaudible) language, but what is their communication language style, and then adhere to it because they’ll appreciate it.

MS. DE MARS: So Jonathon, I didn’t get the last – what is their communication style and adhere to it? What did you say after that, please? You faded out for a moment there.

MR. PERRELLI: Okay. I think it’s important to find out what someone’s communication style is and then adhere to their style and make sure that it is their style even after you’ve done it. So just make sure to – with me, it’s Twitter. I’m @Perrelli, P-e-r-r-e-l-l-i. Email is kind of a black hole sometimes because I travel a lot, so it will just disappear. But I DM with folks regularly and I check LinkedIn very infrequently, but I’m also very focused right now on a startup myself so I’m with my team eight to twelve hours a day and I’m not really out socially communicating.

But Twitter’s my thing when I’m on it, and Caron, I’m excited we’re – we’ll be connected on Twitter as well.

MS. DE MARS: Yes, that’s great. Something that I do too as far as communication tips go, when I met Kate and we were wandering around Kuala Lumpur at all hours of the night, we both had jetlag. And so I don’t know what time it was, maybe 2 o’clock in the morning, but I have a beautiful picture of Kate in front of Petronas Towers. And so every time I put it in on my BlackBerry – because this is what I connect with at work – and so every time Kate emails me, I see this beautiful picture of Kate in front of Petronas Towers. And so I think that those kinds of memory pictures that you take when you’re networking with people can really solidify where you met, so as you meet people along the way that you always have them in contacts – context.

And so I really appreciate that tip from you too, Jonathon, that you write on their business cards what time they prefer to be contacted, what their best method is, because I’m the same way. I really don’t check LinkedIn much, but I’m a big user of Facebook and Twitter, and then occasionally, I even check my work email – how about that – my 80 or 100 emails a day.

And so Chris, tell us how you connect with people when you network and how people can apply that at the next Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Marrakesh.

MR. ASEGO: Wow. So my biggest – like, the biggest – the most – the key approach that I use when I’m approaching someone I’ve never met before is I try and make a possible connection. Like, I’ll give you an example. I met someone from – this company is called Refugee (inaudible). They deal with refugees in the refugee camps here in Kenya. And the first time I met him, I had done a little research on him, and I found out he played rugby. And it’s a huge coincidence because I also play rugby. So that was the first conversation that we had. I put business aside for just one bit and that was – we, like, for 15 minutes, we just talked about rugby, like what position do you play or which team did you play for, and that kind of thing. So we created, like, a personal connection.

And I – like, we talk up until now – we’re almost closing a deal with them based on the fact that from that very first conversation, we (inaudible) like, I got him to trust me. Even though he didn’t know me, I got him to trust me. So that’s something that I really hold dear to my heart when it comes to meeting new people: Just try and be yourself and try and create that personal connection to get people to trust you. I think that’s very key.

MS. DE MARS: Right, that’s great advice. Jonathon or Kate, do you have anything to add to that?

MS. KIGURU: Well, I think for me it’s a little bit different. I prefer to keep it personal when we meet, and the rest of the time I’m – so I’m more on email. I think they call it telephobia, that if you’re receiving phone calls – often when your phone is buzzing all the time, for me it’s a little bit distracting when I need to focus. But I always spare or dedicate time to emails, and I can follow through on conversations. And if there is need to, I’ll pick up probably on a Skype call if it’s a long distance.

But for me, I prefer keeping the communication more on email. And if it’s business-related, you always have a fallback. You can always go back and refer to a previous communication and pick up from there. But when it’s a phone call and I was in the middle of something, chances are I’ll miss half the details. So I prefer to keep it on email.

MR. ASEGO: No wonder you don’t pick up my calls, Kate. (Laughter.)

MS. KIGURU: Yeah, you got me.

MR. PERRELLI: Hey, that’s great advice. I have one more thing to add, Caron, which is I met someone last week, and I was thinking about this person and the business that they’re in. So as I was reading articles, as I often do through Twitter every morning, I found a few of them that made sense and I just popped them a quick email – yes, I do use email – and I sent the email with just a note on each one: “You’d mentioned you were looking for this type of a technology. This might be helpful.”

And I do try to do that. I definitely do it with portfolio companies that I’m involved in, and friends’ companies. But wow, does it go a long way – especially when at a conference like you’ll be at next month in Morocco – when you can say to someone, “This entrepreneur that just spoke is someone you really need to meet,” or point them in the direction, or even physically walk them over to introduce them, to shake hands. So bring other people the right information and bring other people the right people, and karma will have its way with you in a very good return. So that’s something I would suggest doing as well.

MS. DE MARS: That’s great advice. And so when I’m at the summit, I will know a lot of the people there. And, for example, last week – I have a friend who owns a co-working space in Casablanca. And I was at a conference there where I spoke, and I really wanted her to meet Jeff Hoffman, who’s a mentor for both Chris and Kate. And so he was at this conference, and he gave a marvelous talk about branding – he’s the co-founder of Priceline. And so I took him to meet this woman who has the co-working space, and he gave her some really good tips about branding.

And so I think that you’re spot on there, Jonathon, where introducing your network to other people is always of critical importance, and that it does have great paybacks to pay it forward, because then you’re also expanding your own network because people will always reciprocate in that way when you’re open and transparent too. So that’s just great.

We’re going to be wrapping up soon, and first off I want to thank you for the follow on Twitter, Jonathon. And when you’re doing Twitter next time, you might consider that our hashtag for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit is GES2014 – so #GES2014. And so I suggest that all of you look at that hashtag, and it will be especially active starting on the 19th of November, which is Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, where we’ll have some side events at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. To sign up for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, it’s GESMarrakech2014.org, and the Vice President will be leading our delegation, Vice President Joe Biden. And so I hope that everybody who’s viewing is encouraged to sign up for the summit, which is a great way to meet people like Jonathon and Kate and Chris. And I’m really excited about the summit.

Do you have some words of encouragement or something that you’d like to add to the end of this hangout, Kat? How you would pitch the Global Entrepreneurship Summit for people who might want to go to Marrakech? Could you give us a little one-minute pitch or less?

And I’d like you think about doing the same, please, Chris. What’s your last advertisement for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit? (Laughter.) So do either of you have words of encouragement for people who would like to go and why they should attend, what they might get out of it that you got out of it?

MR. ASEGO: Yeah. So I’ll start off. I read somewhere that Jim Carrey said that you can fail at doing what you don’t like, so you might as well take a chance with what you love. So just words of encouragement to all the entrepreneurs out there: If you believe in your product and you really trust that it will make a difference, it will bring change to the world, just go for it. And at the entrepreneurship – at the summit, just be yourself and enjoy the environment, because for one, I would really love to go for another one – rather, get invited to another one. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you just have to grab it by both hands.

MS. DE MARS: Great. Thank you so much, Chris. That’s beautiful. And how about you, Kate?

MS. KIGURU: I totally agree with Chris. A GES is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Entrepreneurship is – it can really get lonely. It’s a lonely place if you don’t have friends or you – sometimes you feel like you’re walking alone, but – until you get to GES and meet other amazing entrepreneurs, meet amazing networks. We all need each other through this journey, so if you’re looking for people who are risk-takers, people who love what they do, people who are working hard every day to change the world, then GES is the place to meet them.

MS. DE MARS: Thank you so much. And do you have any parting words for us, Jonathon?

MR. PERRELLI: I would say it’s rare that some of the most powerful people from Washington, D.C. travel to one place specifically to network with entrepreneurs. This is the one time of year for that, so make the most of it, be prepared, don’t be afraid. Know your information, know your pitch, know what you’re there for, and be open to some experiences. Be open to things that you might not normally be so that you can really listen and tune in to folks that may – you never know. They may become lifelong friends or short-term business partners, but I would say just be open. And definitely attend. I mean, it’s rare to have this much power and opportunity and network in one place. It happens once per year, so make sure you can be there.

MS. DE MARS: Thank you so much. And just as a quick preview, the Vice President is leading our delegation, but it’s really for and by the entrepreneurs. And so, for example, the founder of Chobani will be there as one of the speakers, and the president of Babson College, which is the most prestigious entrepreneurship – has the most prestigious entrepreneurship program of any university in the world.

And so we would love to invite everybody to be there, and if you’re there and show up, please do connect with me. And I look forward to seeing everybody there. It’s such a great opportunity, and I hope that you can all join us. Thank you so much.