The video below is available with closed captioning on YouTube
Around the world, I have met with countless passionate young people who are looking to make a difference in their communities and countries. But too often, they are denied the opportunity to realize their potential. 75 million young people around the world can’t even find a job -- this is a crisis that we must address for the sake of our future peace and prosperity.
That’s why the State Department’s Office of Global Youth Issues is launching Startup Youth. Through this initiative we will connect budding entrepreneurs with business leaders who will share their advice and help these young innovators realize their ideas. To kick things off, we will co-host an event with Microsoft that will include a speaker series and workshops. I want to thank Microsoft for joining us in this effort.
All of us – whether we work in government or civil society or the private sector – need to empower the next generation. Success for all of us will depend on whether young people are able to realize their full potential to drive innovation, economic growth, and positive change. To all the young entrepreneurs out there: know that the State Department is a partner and friend as you work to build a brighter future.
