Report Identifies Hundreds of Africa's Most Inspirational and Dynamic Private, High-Growth Companies

The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) launched it inaugural Companies to Inspire Africa report, which, according to Xavier Rolet KBE, LSEG's CEO, identifies "hundreds of Africa's most inspirational and dynamic private, high-growth companies – ones which have come to the attention of major global investors." The companies listed in the report "boast an impressive average compound annual growth rate of 16%. On average, each firm employs nearly 400 people."

Highlighting African companies from the following eight sectors: agriculture, consumer services, ELITE Morocco, financial services, healthcare and pharmaceutical, industry, renewable energy, and technology & telecoms, the report "also highlights the unique role of female entrepreneurship, with approximately 12% of these high-growth companies led by female entrepreneurs, three times the average for companies across Africa." Moreover, Mr. Rolet says: "This new report demonstrates that high-growth, private companies are fast becoming the driving force behind African economies: developing skills, creating high-quality jobs and driving economic growth."

In her commentary, Priti Patel, Member of the House of Commons of the United States and Secretary of State, Department for International Development, rightly notes: "Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone of any vibrant economy. It is the motor that drives investment, job creation and economic growth. Throughout history, sustained, job-creating growth has played the greatest role in lifting huge numbers of people out of grinding poverty. It is entrepreneurship that delivers the life-changing progress that comes from growth in developed economies, and it is entrepreneurship that is beginning to deliver the same in Africa."

Ms. Patel further explains that "Companies to Inspire Africa showcases some outstanding stories of innovation, bravery and growth across the continent. It brings Africa's entrepreneurial spirit to an international audience, and I would like to congratulate all the companies featured for their vision, ambition and tenacity. It is their success that will drive Africa forward to a future of prosperity, and away from a reliance on international aid."

With respect to the technology and telecoms sector, the report notes that the growth in mobile phone usage in Africa will grew 344 percent from 2007-2016 and 314 tech hubs are active around the continent. In addition, $608 million is expected to be invested in African tech startups in 2018.

Dale Mathias, Chair of the Partners Forum, Africa Private Capital Group, USAID, correctly maintains that "Africa is distinguished by the enormity of the scope, range and size of commercial opportunities available to technology-based companies. This stems primarily from the continent's growth potential, its lack of commercial sophistication and the sheer size of its markets."

Importantly, Ms. Mathias says "technology can provide the solution to widespread African economic inefficiencies. Technological solutions will significantly enhance access to many types of products and services that businesses and consumers require, but that are not yet available, accessible or affordable."

Moreover, "With African mobile phone penetration exceeding 50%, numerous entrepreneurial tech companies have launched throughout Sub-Saharan Africa by creating products and services built upon the continent's established mobile phone infrastructure. Increasing access to the internet has resulted in the building of numerous such businesses across a broad range of verticals that include logistics, FinTech, agriculture, marketing, media, education and healthcare."

I strongly agree with Ms. Mathias that "Africa is poised for tremendous growth, and investment capital is becoming more available. Awareness of the region's potential is increasing and there exists today an abundance of capable and highly motivated entrepreneurs. Sub-Saharan Africa is truly an area of great investment opportunity, with technology destined to lead the way."

What role does Africa play in your global business strategy?

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Progress and Outlook of China's Supply-Side Structural Reforms

"Supply-side structural reform (SSSR) dominates the economic policymaking landscape in China," according to a white paper published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The paper, which is available in both English and Chinese, continues to explain: "In place for more than a year, the policy shapes everything from the government's efforts to reduce excess industrial capacity to initiatives designed to curb high levels of corporate debt, such as debt-for-equity swaps. Evaluating China's ability to overcome its chief economic challenges and sustain its economic growth is impossible without having a proper grasp of SSSR." The EIU's white paper provides the first comprehensive, independent analysis of the program.

The paper explores five components of SSSR: cutting excess industrial capacity, destocking property inventory, corporate deleveraging, lowering corporate costs and improving 'weak links.' Below are the key takeaways for businesses as presented in the paper's "Executive Summary":

• We expect slower progress on coal and steel industrial capacity cuts, potentially applying downward pressure on commodity prices. Capacity reductions in 2016 involved a significant amount of idle capacity and were concentrated in the private-sector; they have yet to extend meaningfully into productive capacity or the more sensitive state-owned enterprise (SOE) sector. The drive against overcapacity might also be extended to sectors including automobiles, new materials and renewable energy.
• Efforts to destock property inventory will likely have a fairly marginal impact. Investor unease and slow progress on key reforms make it difficult to stimulate demand across smaller cities. Efforts to restrain supply are complicated by the dependence of local governments on land sales revenue; a property tax is unlikely to come in force before 2020.
• Some of the deleveraging schemes backed by the authorities, such as debt-for-equity swaps, are problematically structured and may not achieve that much in terms of meaningfully reducing corporate debt. More important will be pushing a productivity reform agenda, especially among SOEs.
• Companies will benefit from lower effective tax rates, with the government set to ease burdens associated with administrative charges and social security. However, we do not expect a broad cut in the corporate tax rate and the introduction of the Environmental Protection Tax in 2018 will create significant additional costs for industrial firms.
• Strong government support for innovation under strengthening "weak links" and the Made in China 2025 initiative will provide local firms with resources and capital to help their transition up the manufacturing value-chain, to the likely detriment of foreign players. There are inefficiencies associated with this top-down approach, however, and in terms of innovation, private technology companies will play a bigger role in the transformation than state-owned firms.

Importantly, the paper explains that "SSSR's close association with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, means it is likely to shape economic policy for many years to come. Companies and investors need to monitor the development of the policy carefully if they are to be alert to both opportunities and risks in the Chinese business landscape."

How do you anticipate SSSR impacting your business?

UPDATE: The EIU held a webinar on Apr. 27, 2017 discussing its whitepaper in greater detail. You can watch a recording of the webinar through this link.

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Integrating Technology to Solve the World's Healthcare Challenges

"The time for leveraging technology to solve the most pressing healthcare challenges across the world has come," writes Ivy Teh in the "Forward" of a report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Ms. Teh, who serves as Global Managing Director of EIU Healthcare Consulting, continues: "With the explosion of technological innovations ranging from artificial intelligence and big data technologies to ever more powerful sensors, the possibilities of using technology to improve healthcare are endless. The challenge now is less about technology than it is about finding viable models to implement those new technologies in order to make a real impact on the healthcare challenges that the world currently faces."

According to Ms. Teh, the report, Digital Health: Total Convergence, explores "how digital health is already changing the healthcare landscape in different parts of the world, in order to provide a deeper understanding of the topic of digital health, which has been dominating conversations in the healthcare industry. Based on this deepened understanding, we also examine the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in terms of the practical realities of finding digital health solutions for the world."

Witnessing the digital health evolution over the past several years, I have become discouraged by the view held among many entrepreneurs and innovators that technology alone is the answer to solving the healthcare industry. Therefore, I was pleased to read the report's assertion that "the current challenge in digital healthcare is no longer purely about technology. Companies have to figure out how to initiate entire healthcare ecosystems to adopt new technology-enabled ways of meeting the innumerable challenges faced in healthcare."

The report provides a relevant and insightful discussion on three subtopics:

1. Digital health hubs: Scaling up digital health solutions for the world;
2. Digital divide: Locating technology's value proposition in different markets; and
3. Digital adoption will prompt a radical rethink of existing customer segments.

With respect to digital health hubs, "The interactions between technology and healthcare ecosystems in different parts of the world are creating digital health hubs with distinct areas of specialization and focal points that have formed in response to local healthcare challenges." The report "examines how the geographical dispersion of innovations and testing of digital health solutions will be critical to the implementation of high-impact solutions on a global scale."

On the topic of the digital divide, "Digital health instantiates itself uniquely in different countries and markets, each of which faces its own particular set of healthcare challenges. The value offered by digital healthcare lies in the way in which companies can apply recent breakthroughs in science and technology to different healthcare challenges to bring value to users." The report examines "how companies are extending their reach to new patient pools and markets by growing telehealth use in different settings and geographies." It also looks gives attention to "data-driven solutions that can be used to create smarter, more efficient and more precise healthcare delivery and better patient experiences."

As for digital adoption prompting a radical rethink of existing customer segments, the report illustrates how "digital technology is creating new market spaces in healthcare. New customer segments, such as internet hospitals, have emerged. Digital technology has also reshuffled the delivery points of the various medical services, in a way that will create opportunities in decentralized and near-patient products and services. Patient pathways and journeys will need to be remapped in response to patient demand for technologically enhanced products and services."

Encouragingly, the report "explores the true value of digital health—namely, the convergence of technologies to support healthy living around the world. This definition reflects the aim of this report: to provide a comprehensive and integrated view of how technology is used to solve the most pressing challenges that are faced in healthcare today."

I recommend reading the report if you have an interest in digital health. For those who read it, what are your thoughts?

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Spain's Thriving Aerospace and Defense Industry

Photo of representatives from
Spanish aerospace and defense
companies companies visiting Boeing's
factory in Everett, Wash.: Extenda

On Mar. 27, 2017, my colleague, Yan Tang, and I had the pleasure of attending the US-Spain Aerospace and Defense Business Forum, which featured 18 Spanish companies from the autonomous region of Andalusía seeking business opportunities in the United States. The forum was sponsored by Extenda-the Trade Promotion Agency of Andalusía, a public company owned by the Andalusían Regional Government, and hosted at the Seattle office of K&L Gates. While you can download the event booklet containing detailed information on each company, this blog post highlights a few that captured my attention.

Photo of Solar MEMS
sun sensors and replica
USB flash drive:
Yan Tang

Solar MEMS Technologies specializes in designing and developing sun sensors for high technology applications in space, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and renewable energy markets. Headquartered in Seville, Solar MEMS' sun sensor is a device to measure the incident angle of the sun rays when they go through a small window. The sun sensors developed by Solar MEMS were designed using sensor on chip technology: they have small size, low weight, reduced cost, high accuracy and reliability thanks to the characteristics of the miniaturization over MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems). Solar MEMS developed this technology to use it on satellites and aerospace applications, but nowadays it has been transferred to other fields of application as solar energy, where the sun sensor improves reliability and features, and it reduces costs. Solar MEMS' customers include the European Space Agency (ESA), National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Beihang University in Beijing, China.

Photo: CARBURES

CARBURES is a technological industrial group specialized in the manufacturing of composite parts and structures and in designing engineering systems, which operates in the aerospace, automotive, civil works, railway and security industries. Founded in 1999, CARBURES has developed its own technological and manufacturing processes to produce composite structures, allowing the Cádiz-based company to branch out into different industries. With respect to the aerospace and defense sectors, CARBURES has over 15 years of experience as a tier 2 supplier to these industries. In addition, the company plays as key player in the manufacturing of composite parts and structures for the industry giants and the world's most relevant tier 1 companies. Currently, CARBURES, produces composite parts for a large part of the most modern civil and defense airplanes. 

Since 2004, the Hélice Cluster has been promoting the development of the Andalusian Aerospace Cluster supporting all of the cluster's stakeholders such as universities, technology centers, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as to providing subcontractors with the technical resources to ensure a better integration with contractor companies. Its main clients include Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, and Dassault.

As stated in a press release dated Sept. 28, 2016: "The Andalusían Aerospace industry had a turnover of €2,343 million in 2015 and created 1,052 new jobs, according to the 'Aerospace Annual Report 2015,' carried out by Hélice Cluster. According to the Andalusían aerospace data, the industry contributes 1.62% to the Andalusían GDP." Entrepreneurship is growing throughout Europe including Spain and the Hélice Cluster provides an ideal setting to help startups connect with strategic partners and customers.

Photo of US Coast Guard
HC-144A Ocean Sentry: Airbus

I had the pleasure of being part of a U.S. delegation of journalists, attorneys, and business professionals to Andalusía in 2010. The trip, which was sponsored by Extenda, provided me with the opportunity to tour the Aerospace Technology Park of Andalusía (Aerópolis) in Seville. My visit included a tour of the final assembly line for the Airbus A400M airlifter and HC-144 Ocean Sentry, a medium-range, twin-engined aircraft used by the United States Coast Guard in the search-and-rescue and maritime patrol missions. Seven years later, it is encouraging to see Spain's aerospace and defense industry thriving.

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Doing Business in Vietnam: Always Look Ahead, Don't Worry About the Past

Photo of Ho Chi Minh City:
http://ow.ly/J3TP30azNRp

"The U.S. is now Vietnam's largest export market and a major source of foreign direct investment, helping fuel Vietnam's remarkable economic growth," according to the Vietnam Country Commercial Guide, a report produced by the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Given the Economist Intelligence Unit's prediction that "Vietnam will be one of the region's fastest-growing economies" from 2017-2021, I was interested in attending an event hosted by the Trade Development Alliance of Seattle on Mar. 23, 2017 featuring Stuart Schaag, Commercial Counselor with the U.S. Commercial Service in Vietnam.

In his presentation, "It's Time to Rethink Vietnam," Mr. Schaag explained how the U.S.-Vietnamese commercial relationship has grown since the U.S. lifted its trade embargo against Vietnam in 1994 and the two countries renewed diplomatic relations in 1995. In fact, American exports to Vietnam increased by 77 percent from 2015-2016 with Ireland placing a distant second at 22 percent (exports of American products globally grew 10 percent for the same time period).

Vietnam is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. ASEAN, Mr. Schaag noted, is the largest destination of U.S. investment in Asia and the fourth largest market for export of U.S. goods and services. "560,000 American jobs are directly or indirectly supported by goods and services exported to ASEAN." Using 2012 statistics, he said "almost $100 billion of U.S. goods and exports go to ASEAN." Importantly, ASEAN contains a young population and growing middle class.

While American firms exported $26.9 billion in goods and services to Singapore in 2016, making it the largest export market in ASEAN, U.S. businesses exported $10.2 billion worth of goods and services to Vietnam--more than four times the amount exported in 2007.

Regarding the country's demographics, Mr. Schaag told the audience that Vietnam is the world's 14th most populous nation with 93 million people. Vietnam's labor force is comprised of 55 million individuals. The median age of Vietnamese is 30.7 and 24.1 percent are aged 15 and under. Citing statistics from the World Bank, 13.5 percent of Vietnamese lived below the poverty line in the 2014 compared to 60 percent in the 1990s.

The aforementioned Vietnam Country Commercial Guide notes: "With disposable income levels in major urban areas four to five times the national average, significant opportunities in the consumer and services sectors are fast emerging. A 2013 study by the Boston Consulting Group predicted that Vietnam's middle and affluent class will double by 2020, exceeding 30 million consumers."

Encouragingly, the report says: "Telecommunications, information technology, oil and gas exploration, power generation, transportation infrastructure construction, environmental project management and technology, aviation and education will continue to offer the most promising opportunities for U.S. companies over the next few years as infrastructure needs continue to expand with Vietnam’s pursuit of rapid economic development. Health care will also be a growing sector as the government expands programs and an increasingly wealthy population spends more on medical treatment."

My colleagues and I think Vietnam could be a lucrative market for technology companies specializing in cloud computing, connected devices, fintech, and mobile applications (particularly in education and health).

On the topic of entering the Vietnamese market, "U.S. companies preparing to enter the Vietnamese market must plan strategically and be persistent and consistent with face-to-face follow-up. It can take up to one or two years to make a successful sale into this market. Building relationships is important."

Mr. Schaag concluded his presentation by showing a video that illustrates how doing business in Vietnam is similar to the traffic in the country's dense cities:

• Go slow, take your time, don't expect to get there quickly.​
• Get some experience before venturing too far.​
• Always look ahead, don't worry about the past.​
• Have confidence (i.e. don't show fear).​
• Be in the right frame of mind. Find your zen.​
• Be open to doing things differently…​
• …but don't waiver on your values.​

What is your experiencing of doing business in Vietnam?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

GSMA's Annual 'Mobile Economy' Report Highlights the Mobile Industry's Growing Contribution to the Global Economy, Jobs and Social Development

In its 2017 edition The Mobile Economy, the GSMA notes that "by the end of 2016, two thirds of the world’s population had a mobile subscription – a total of 4.8 billion unique subscribers." In a press release announcing the publication of the report, the London, England-based organization says "that the 5 billion-subscriber milestone will be achieved by mid-year 2017 and will increase to 5.7 billion by the end of the decade. By that point, almost three-quarters of the world's population will be subscribed to a mobile service. Subscriber growth over this period will be driven primarily by large Asia markets such as India, which alone is forecast to add 310 million new unique subscribers by 2020." Given the rich content and overall importance of this report, I copied the Executive Summary in its entirety:

Subscriber growth pivoting to Asia 

By the end of 2016, two thirds of the world's population had a mobile subscription – a total of 4.8 billion unique subscribers. There is a clear geographic shift underway, with Asia Pacific set to account for two thirds of the 860 million new subscribers expected globally by the end of the decade. India, already the world’s second largest mobile market, will be the primary driver of this growth, with 310 million new unique subscribers. 

By 2020, almost three quarters of the world's population – or 5.7 billion people – will subscribe to mobile services. Regional penetration rates are forecast to range from 50% in Sub-Saharan Africa to 87% in Europe. 

4G uptake driving surge in mobile broadband adoption 

The generational shift to mobile broadband networks and smartphones continues to gain momentum. Mobile broadband connections (3G and 4G technologies) accounted for 55% of total connections in 2016 – a figure that will be close to three quarters of the connections base by 2020. The proportion of 4G connections alone is forecast to almost double from 23% to 41% by the end of the decade. 

5G will see a major shift in how cellular networks are designed and what they are used for. Early deployments will focus on enhanced mobile broadband as the key customer proposition but 5G's capabilities will evolve over time. 5G networks are forecast to cover around a third of the global population by 2025, with adoption reaching 1.1 billion connections. 

Mobile revenue growth outlook remains modest 

Total mobile revenues reached $1.05 trillion in 2016, up 2.2% on 2015, marking the second consecutive year of rising revenue growth. Developing markets saw a notable improvement in growth rates as the macroeconomic headwinds eased and key markets such as China and India posted encouraging growth rates. However, the future outlook remains mixed, with increasing competition, regulatory intervention and slowing subscriber growth weighing on revenue growth. 

Operators have invested $1.2 trillion in capex since 2010. With global mobile capex levels having peaked in 2015, they fell by 6% in 2016. Over the medium term, capex levels will continue to decline but at a slower rate, before returning to growth in 2020. Operators in advanced telecoms markets will begin to invest in the necessary infrastructure to support 5G towards the end of the decade, with any uplift. 

Shift in consumer engagement to mobile and the rise of the platform economy 

The shift of consumer engagement to mobile is now manifesting itself in the rapid growth of messaging platforms, which are using their scale to monetize a growing range of services. With a global subscriber base that is soon to reach 5 billion, the mobile ecosystem has created a global digital platform that is increasingly connecting everyone and everything. The impact of this digital platform is felt across a broad range of sectors as companies reinvent their business models to offer new and innovative services. 

Players across the broader mobile ecosystem have already adopted open innovation strategies and embraced the power of collaborative partnerships, particularly those in the app economy and the mobile internet. Collaboration and open standards allow platforms to scale rapidly – a key success factor when competing digital platforms have already achieved significant scale. Mobile operators are developing new business models that leverage these trends to offer new platforms and services. As well as opening the door to new revenue streams, these trends will allow a faster pace of innovation and raise the prospect of a lower cost operating model for operators at a time when margins and cash flows remain under pressure. 

Mobile contributing to jobs and economic growth 

In 2016, mobile technologies and services generated 4.4% of GDP globally, equivalent to around $3.3 trillion of economic value. This is forecast to increase to more than $4.2 trillion (4.9% of GDP) by 2020, as countries benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by increased take-up of mobile services. 

The mobile ecosystem supported approximately 28 million jobs in 2016. The mobile sector also makes a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with approximately $450 billion raised in 2016 in the form of general taxation. In addition, almost $19 billion was raised in government revenue through spectrum auctions in 2016. 

Mobile is essential to realizing the SDGs and addressing social challenges 

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their associated targets outline a broad and ambitious agenda that integrates economic, social and environmental issues across all geographies and applies both to developed and developing economies. Mobile technology provides access to tools and applications that address a wide range of socioeconomic challenges as well as enabling new technologies and innovations to build more efficient and environmentally sustainable societies. 

Mobile technology also plays a critical role in fulfilling the ambitions of universal internet access, closing the identification gap and expanding financial inclusion. The number of individuals accessing the internet over mobile devices has doubled over the past five years to 3.6 billion, and will rise to 4.7 billion, equivalent to 60% of the global population, by 2020. The spread of mobile and digital technologies offers a transformative opportunity to achieve development aims and improve access to a range of life-enhancing services. 

Rethinking regulation for the digital age 

The fundamental changes taking place in telecoms markets and adjacent sectors have major implications for all aspects of policy, including regulatory frameworks, anti-trust reviews and the way spectrum is allocated. In order to drive the transition to more connected societies, it is important that the regulatory environment continues to evolve. 

Prescriptive regulatory frameworks, which were designed for a less dynamic era, can be redesigned to encourage innovation and investment. The new features of the digital market call for a different and more nuanced approach to competition policy. Governments should ensure their competition and regulatory frameworks reflect how the market has evolved and provide a sound foundation for ongoing competition, investment and innovation that benefits everyone. Furthermore, the release of harmonized spectrum – in the right frequencies, at the right time, and under the right conditions – is crucial to the development of a rich and vibrant digital economy. In particular, governments need to identify now the harmonized spectrum that will be required to enable 5G to transform economies and societies for the better. 

As the digital economy is increasingly global, governments across the world should seek to harmonize international privacy and data protection rules. This requires accountability mechanisms to protect individuals' privacy effectively and enable the cross-border data flows necessary to develop an efficient, global digital economy. The mobile industry is engaging with policymakers to make these mechanisms interoperable. Ultimately, global harmonization will benefit businesses and consumers alike by creating a consistent and clear set of data protection and privacy rules that apply across international borders.

Infographic: GSMA

The GSMA report contains a vast amount of information about the global mobile industry. How is the report useful to your business?

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

My Experiences of Working in China vs. the United States

The following is a guest post by Yan Tang.

Yan Tang in Shanghai, China

Can you imagine how much uncertainty and anxiety I had when I was working on a Global Administration (GA) project in Shanghai IBM office located in Shanghai Jinmao Tower (one of the tallest buildings in the world)? Can you imagine how I was handling with a big group of people who come from all over the world and possess significantly more experience than me?

I was 23 years old, a recent college graduate and an age when many of my peers spend their time shopping, dating or traveling. I decided, however, to face all those challenging situations with the IBM GA team as a project manager working over 20 hours a day without dates or holidays. Is that something that I would like to do it again? Absolutely!!

The experience was challenging, but full of self-accomplishments. I was surrounded by many intelligent and brilliant people. Even if I had little confidence working together with them, I found a great opportunity learning from them. That also becomes my lesson #1: it is okay to feel overwhelmed and scared by other's superpower as long as you can learn the most from them. My dad often repeats Isaac Newton's infamous quote: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." The IBM GA project taught me how to see different perspectives and learn from people who are greater than me.

I studied English and Chinese as an undergraduate in China and did not learn business skills in the traditional classroom setting. While being placed on the GA project, I was facing very competitive and stressful situations with limited knowledge of business and corporate operation. To survive, I simply used a very ineffective method to adept myself into IBM working environment: work hard before I work smart. I spent nights and weekends studying business manners such as emails, meeting arrangements, communications, and negotiation. I would practice hundreds of times in order to deliver presentations confidently in the presence of a large audience.

A friend once visited me in Shanghai. After finishing dinner together, we could have hung out for movies or shopping, but I had to go back office to work. I still remember what she said to me knowing I had to work through the night. She said: Yan, when your hard work and effort are commensurate with your desire, you are likely to succeed. You will always have my support. At that time, I learned that working hard is a virtue that you are willing to invest time and energy improving your skills.

I find myself in the United States a few years later as a student in the Professional MBA program at the Seattle University Albers School and Business and Economics. I experienced a dramatic shift going from China to the U.S. Now I am sitting in SeattleU's Lemieux Library reflecting on my experiences working in Shanghai. That was like my past life, so far away and blurry. What is happening here is the real life: going to school and completing an internship. There are no tall buildings, no urgent deadlines, or no overnight work. I just concluded a breakfast meeting with my professor this morning and met with my supervisor afterwards. Everything seems less intense and well planned; in other words, I am controlling my own pace of my life.

SeattleU's IEC team

Here in Seattle, I am engaged in several projects as a client relationship management intern for SeattleU's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC). We are managing a new initiative program named RAMP (Resource Amplification and Management Program). This is a different working environment where I cannot use my old work methods to cope with people and situations. I experienced ups and downs when working in a different country with different business cultures.

I was too result-driven and focused on getting work done. However, as a member of the RAMP team, I have been learning to enjoy the process and have fun before rushing to see what results are, as the process is where you can think, make adjustment, innovate and enjoy yourself. RAMP provides Seattle University resources to support local underserved small businesses and community partners to build capacity, grow and thrive. The results of fast growing in these businesses do not happen overnight. I need to be very patient and trust the process of what I am working on. If I can manage the process well and make sure it works smooth, the expected results will follow. My supervisor Sue Oliver always shares her philosophy with me: if we do our best in every single part of the process, we can trust the perfect outcome will unfold for us. I have come to better understand this philosophy through my work experience with RAMP.

I have experienced several aha moments over the past year through RAMP. One such moment came when I was suggested to "manage up" in order to complete my tasks. I was a little shocked by hearing "manage-up." In China, a possible consequence of manage-up is "you are fired" if you dare to challenge your boss. In America, however, managing up is considered a tactic to request resources and support from your supervisor to get work done efficiently. A result of this tactic is showing your ability to set priorities and have clear goals about what you need for task management. You can also establish a good working relationship with your boss if you can use the "manage-up" tactic in an effective way. The application of "manage-up" makes my work-life much easier and brings me job satisfaction.

It requires time to understand how people work in a different business setting and it needs tactics to perform well in a different culture. Until now, I cannot completely understand what are their thinking and acting patterns in business settings. Some tactics I used in China may not work in the U.S. However, I learned the importance of communication whenever I encounter cultural differences or have different approaches to problems. With diversified working experience both in China and the U.S., I am more open-minded and have more different perspectives when identifying situations and looking for optimized solutions.

Yan Tang is enrolled in the Professional Master of Business Administration (Marketing) program at Seattle University. She also serves as a Business Relationship Management and Small Business Coach at Seattle University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Previously, Ms. Tang worked for Manpower in the company's Shanghai, China office where she served in several roles including Service Consultant, On-Site Project Manager for IBM Shanghai, and Recruitment Consultant. Ms. Tang may be contacted at yantang1126@gmail.com.

Kauffman Foundation's Report Reveals Three Megatrends That Are Fundamentally Reshaping Entrepreneurship in America

"After a long Great Recession hangover, entrepreneurship is finally rebounding in the United States," the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation asserts in the opening paragraph of its 2017 state of entrepreneurship report, Zero Barriers: Three Mega Trends Shaping the Future of Entrepreneurship. Moreover, "Entrepreneurs are driving a resurgence of business activity in America—in new business creation, local small business activity, and the growth of small firms into larger businesses. But underneath this reassuring surface, turbulent shifts are shaping the future of entrepreneurship to be dramatically different than what it is today, or was in the past."

The report produced by the Kauffman Foundation, a Kansas City, Mo.-based organization whose mission is to help individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success, "reveals three mega trends that are fundamentally reshaping entrepreneurship in America:

1. New demographics of entrepreneurship: The U.S. is becoming more racially diverse, but entrepreneurs – 80.2 percent white and 64.5 percent male – do not reflect the changing population.
2. New map of entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is an increasingly urban phenomenon, and it is taking place in mid-sized metros and outside traditional hubs like Boston and Silicon Valley.
3. New nature of entrepreneurship: In the past, as companies grew their revenue, jobs would scale at almost the same pace. That's no longer true. Technology has made it possible for startups to grow revenue without as much hiring, and high-growth companies by revenue are not creating as many jobs as they did in the past."

The Kauffman Foundation provide details of a new initiative that will respond to these trends shaping entrepreneurship. "Zero Barriers to Startup" is a collaborative, nationwide effort that "will identify large and small barriers to new business creation to reverse the long-term decline in entrepreneurship. Along with entrepreneurs and policymakers, Kauffman will work to develop solutions and empower more entrepreneurs to pursue their ambitions."

The report concludes with a section titled "Areas for Further Work and Outstanding Questions," which presents several thought-provoking questions segmented in five sections about the future of entrepreneurship in the United States:

Demographics

• How is the aging of the U.S. population affecting—or not affecting—the long-term decline in entrepreneurial dynamism?
• What is causing market gaps? How can we measure them at scale? How can we address them? Which communities are doing best at addressing them
• Millennials start fewer businesses today than Boomers did when they were of the same age. Why is this happening? How can we address it?

Geography

• How new is the new map of entrepreneurship in the United States? How will it change in coming years?
• What makes ecosystems thrive?
• How can rural areas build entrepreneurship ecosystems?
• How can smaller metros build entrepreneurship ecosystems?

Technology

• How new is the new nature of entrepreneurship? Is the broken link of revenue scaling and job creation a new phenomenon—or a phenomenon at all? Is it a temporary or permanent state?
• How can we better prepare entrepreneurs and workers for the world of technological change?
• How is the nature of work changing?
• How can we increase the scale up potential of startups?

Education

• How do entrepreneurs best learn, and how can we support them more through building online and offline communities of learning?
• How can we address the major entrepreneurship gap between people with and without formal education?
• What is the role of a more educated United States on entrepreneurial activity?

Other

• What is behind the long-term decline in entrepreneurial dynamism?
• Failure rates could be big deterrents to business starts— especially for groups without strong personal safety nets. Would reducing the failure rates help? Would it encourage more people to start companies? Could a reduction in failure rates have an adverse effect on innovation and dynamism?
• How can we improve the safety net so that the consequences of business failure are not catastrophic for the entrepreneurs who take the leap? Would that even help? How could this affect different groups (e.g., women, minorities)?
• What is the role of regulatory inequality affecting different communities (e.g., minority, non-minority)? How does that affect the types of entrepreneurship the communities pursue?

The report's final paragraph correctly notes that "more questions will be raised as policymakers, entrepreneurship researchers, and support organizations work to eliminate barriers to starting up. The bigger questions will be in how to resolve the challenges. That is a job for all of us."

What are your thoughts about the report? Do you have any responses to the questions above?

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Report by GSMA Intelligence Focuses on Pakistan's Digital Future

"Pakistan has an emerging mobile industry: there are approximately 90 million unique subscribers in the country, accounting for 47% of the population," according to a report published by GSMA Intelligence. "However, the enablers of mobile internet connectivity: infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness and content, all rank low in Pakistan relative to its neighbors. These enablers are critical to creating the right conditions of supply and demand for mobile internet connectivity to flourish. Pakistan therefore has one of the lowest penetration rates in South Asia." This report is part of GSMA Intelligence's country overview series, in which it examines how Pakistan's "mobile industry is acting as a catalyst for the development of a digital society."

The report also explores how "mobile is supporting the objectives of Pakistan's Vision 2025 strategy, which aims to transition the country into a globally competitive knowledge-based economy by the middle of the next decade, with a high quality of life for all its citizens." Furthermore, it focuses on "how the mobile industry, government and other sectors of the economy must work together – with a particular focus on tax and regulatory reform – to drive digital development in Pakistan and unlock the huge growth potential and social benefits that come with a more advanced digital society."

Importantly, the report notes that Pakistan's mobile sector is in a unique position to support the country's digital development for three key reasons:

1. Mobile can connect more people than any other technology, particularly in underserved rural areas;
2. Mobile can provide secure access to a variety of digital services such as health and education; and
3. Mobile can provide a platform to provide financial inclusion, engaging many people in the economy for the first time.

Smartphone adoption has been low in Pakistan with just 17 percent of total connections. The report explains that the low smartphone penetration rate correlates to the late deployment of mobile broadband networks as well as high handset costs. "However, following the rapid rollout of 3G and 4G networks since the spectrum auction in 2014, mobile broadband services are becoming more widely available and, in parallel, smartphones are becoming increasingly affordable."

As smartphone adoption and mobile broadband usage rise in the coming years, Pakistanis, particularly the increasingly tech-savvy youth segment, will use value-added mobile services or applications. Much should be done to support the emergence of the local app economy that will develop localized content and services for domestic consumers. Support should come from Pakistan's local and national government in providing grants or low-interest loans to entrepreneurs. Domestic and international investors should also consider supporting innovative mobile technology companies. Through its Vision 2025 strategy, Pakistan could be an integral component in South Asia's mobile ecosystem.

What has been your experience of doing business in Pakistan?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

Tackling Diabetes and Obesity in an Age of Digital Acceleration in the Gulf Cooperation Council

"The countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) are in the midst of a health crisis," according to a report sponsored by EY and published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). "Close to 20% of the region’s population is suffering from diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes." Based on desk research and interviews with medical experts and technology providers conducted by the EIU, GCC Health 2.0: Tackling diabetes and obesity in an age of digital acceleration explores the role of technology in preventing and managing diabetes and obesity in the six GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), highlighting the potential impact on patients and the healthcare system.

I strongly agree with the findings of the report:

• Technology is facilitating a shift in approach to tackling diabetes and obesity: from being reactive to proactive. Apps, wearables and virtual health systems allow patients and medical professionals to proactively monitor key health metrics, from weight to glucose levels, to take the steps necessary to prevent symptoms from worsening. New technologies are making testing more convenient and less invasive, which will help people better understand and manage their condition.
• Apps and wearables on their own cannot solve health issues such as diabetes. A common perception among patients is that the more apps they use, the more weight they will lose, but technology can only play a supporting role. The onus lies on the patient to use these technologies consistently and to modify their behavior and dietary habits to deliver genuine results.
• The new wave of technological innovations provides an opportunity for health authorities in the region to transform their healthcare system. Reducing the need for in-patient consultations through remote monitoring and self-management can alleviate existing pressures on healthcare capacity in the Gulf, particularly the shortage of physicians. Many apps and wearables that encourage healthier lifestyles can be effective in preventing diabetes and obesity, generating cost savings by avoiding the need for expensive medical procedures and treatment in the future.
• Insurance providers must be encouraged to cover new technologies. Providing coverage of technologies that will prevent symptoms from worsening or, preferably, prevent the disease altogether, will reduce overall costs to insurers in the medium-to-long-term.

Diabetes and obesity is a problem worldwide, not just in the GCC. According to the World Health Organization's factsheet on obesity, worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese. Furthermore, the Geneva, Switzerland-based organization notes that most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2014. Importantly, "Obesity is preventable."

On the topic of diabetes, the WHO says the number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014" and the global prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years of age has risen from 4.7 percent in 1980 to 8.5 percent in 2014. Moreover, diabetes prevalence has been rising more rapidly in middle- and low-income countries and diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. Sadly, the WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030.

However, the WHO proclaims that a "healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes." Encouragingly, "diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication and regular screening and treatment for complications."

While "new technology, by itself, cannot prevent and treat diabetes and obesity," according to the EIU report, using technology can assist individuals to live a health lifestyle. "For health providers, technology can support designing and delivering more effective and efficient services." As Alan Russell, highmark distinguished professor and director Carnegie Mellon University's Disruptive Health Technology Institute said in an interview for the report: "'Diabetes and obesity are issues that cut across all of society. Medicine alone cannot solve the problem, nor can technology. Innovative technology needs to play a supporting role.' "

Do you agree with the findings of the report? What role does technology play in the prevention and management of diabetes and obesity?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.