World Affairs Council of Austin

Business & Investment in Singapore
2022-07-25 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Capital Factory, 701 Brazos Street, Austin, TX, 78701, United States
Singapore is a vibrant nerve center for business in Asia. The city-state has been consistently acknowledged as a global business hub featuring developed infrastructure, political stability, open business policies, a skilled workforce, and respect for intellectual property rights.
Join the World Affairs Council of Austin and our partners – the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, City of Austin, and other Austin Chambers of Commerce – as we explore business and investment opportunities in Singapore. Network with representatives from Enterprise Singapore. Hear from panelists representing Igloocompany and Cynopsis Solutions.
A growing number of U.S.-based businesses look to Singapore as a gateway to business in Asia. The reception focuses on the Singapore market as it relates to Austin businesses.
Topics for discussion include:

Manufacturing
Innovation and tech
Healthcare
Electronics
And more…

This important event is part of GAACC’s #MakeAustinGlobal initiative to connect Austin to international markets in Asia and beyond.

Event Agenda
5:30 | Check-In and Refreshments
6:00 | GAACC Welcome
6:10 | Panel Discussion
6:40 | Q&A
6:50 | Games & Prizes
7:00 | Networking
7:30 | Closing Remarks

Estonia Business Delegation Networking Breakfast
2022-09-23 08:30 - 10:00 | Capital Factory, 701 Brazos Street, Austin, TX, 78701, United States
His Excellency, Alar Karis, the President of the Republic of Estonia requests the pleasure of your participation in a breakfast & conversation networking event with the Estonian Business Delegation.
Located in Northern Europe, Estonia is one of the most dynamic, business and startup-friendly ecosystems in the world and is the first truly digital-nation, with more than 99% of state services available digitally and online – 24/7.
All of this is facilitated by one of Estonia’s greatest service exports – the system used daily to make all of this possible: the X-Road. The X-road is a smart data system that interconnects public and private databases and manages the connection to make sure that every system only has the data they need to complete a service, but not more – always ensuring the privacy of the individual.
Its efficient too – saving 1407 years of work, annually, removing the need for people to go back and forth tracking down data that the system, or one part of the system, already has. It is an open-source platform and is exported internationally, helping other countries and jurisdictions to build their own digital societies and infrastructures on top of this system. And what is truly exciting is that the more countries that onboard the system, the more there is the potential for true cross-border interoperability where services from one country blend into and become accessible to citizens of another. For example, today, a Finnish citizen can be prescribed medication in Finland, and have the prescription filled in any pharmacy in Estonia – all by using their ID card and digital identity.
Estonia’s robust digital infrastructure was opened to the global community in 2014, with the launch of the world’s first e-Residency program. E-Residency affords a non-resident individual a legally recognized digital identity that is valid throughout the European Union. This means that non-residents of Estonia can transact within the European digital infrastructure seamlessly and remotely; digitally signing documents and contracts, paying taxes, registering a business, etc. – all virtually and without the need for notaries or overnight mail.
With a population of only 1.3m people and a digitally-enabled, can-do mindset, Estonian businesses are “born global” with most entrepreneurs in the country beginning to look towards foreign markets from Day one. And with a robust and collaborative startup ecosystem – sometimes referred to as “Silicon Valley’s best kept secret unicorn hatchery”, a lean and innovative bureaucratic environment, and a competitive tax system designed to enable growth, rather than hamper it… it is no wonder that Estonia is such a hotbed for startups, having become a veritable unicorn factory.
Estonia is ranked #1 in Europe, and #2 globally, in terms of the number of startups per capita, having given rise to globally recognized companies like such as Wise (formerly Transferwise), GrabCAD, Fortumo, Pipedrive, Starship Technologies, Skype, and many, many more – including 10 “unicorn” companies.

The New EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Europe’s Digital Agenda: What Texas Businesses Need to Know
2022-11-07 17:30 - 20:00 | McGINNIS LOCHRIDGE, 1111 W. 6th St., Bldg. B, Ste. 400, Austin, TX, 78703, United States
The EU is driving an aggressive digital agenda intended as a “third way” between China’s state controls and the USA’s “wild west.” What began with controls on personal data (GDPR) is expanding into other arenas of digital data. Attend this seminar and networking event to learn what Texas companies need to know about collecting personal data of EU citizens and selling or buying digital goods or services to or from EU businesses.

Draft Agenda
5:30 pm Welcome and Expert Panel Remarks Offered by:
Phillip Schmandt, Partner, McGINNIS LOCHRIDGE (BIO and Practice Areas)
Bradley Joslove, Partner, BERSAY (BIO and Practice Areas)
Frédéric Lecomte, Partner, BERSAY (BIO and Practice Areas)
6:30 pm Q&A
7:00 pm Networking
8:00 pm Event Concludes

Kozmetsky Forum on Market Opportunities in Southeast Asia featuring Senior Commercial Officer, Francis “Chip” Peters
2022-11-08 12:00 - 13:00 | ONLINE
The World Affairs Council of Austin and the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence in Global Finance at St. Edward’s University host a series of Forums on Global Investment, Finance, Emerging Markets and Geopolitical Risk. Our next Forum will feature Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mr. Francis “Chip” Peters discussing Market Opportunities in Southeast Asia.

Join the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence in Global Finance at St. Edward’s University, the World Affairs Council of Austin, and the Texas Camino Real District Export Council to learn more about the rapid growth in these vital markets.
Francis “Chip” Peters is the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is responsible for advocating for U.S. commercial interests, promoting inbound investment, and organizing trade promotion activities. His previous assignments with the U.S. Commercial Service include Dubai, Chengdu, Nairobi, Bangkok, and Shanghai. Prior to his government service, Chip worked for 15 years in international sales and marketing in the high-tech sector. He also served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. He holds an M.A from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Chulalongkorn University. He is married with two adult children.

Texas-EU Business Summit Preview: Export Opportunities with Spain and Portugal
2023-05-19 10:00 - 12:00 | TX
Want to learn more about the resources available for underserved community businesses to grow through export sales in Europe? On Friday, May 19th at 10:00 am in Austin, U.S. Commercial Service Specialists from Spain and Portugal will provide country business briefings and explain how all interested Texas businesses can access the EU market. Featured U.S. Embassy Speakers:
Ana Vila, Commercial Advisor U.S. Commercial Service Lisbon, Portugal
Karen Dubois, Commercial Specialist U.S. Commercial Service, Madrid, Spain
The World Affairs Council Austin, University of Texas – Austin’s Center of European Studies, the Diversity Ethnic Chamber Alliance (DECA) in Austin, and Camino Real District Export Council, in collaboration with the Austin U.S. Commercial Service office, is hosting this Texas-European Union Business Summit Preview on Building Bridges to Global Markets Event. Free for companies with a 51% U.S. origin products or services, must register to attend.
Register by clicking here
