UNDP Ethiopia creates special role for iconic entrepreneur

Bethlehem joins fellow UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors actors Antonio Banderas & Connie Britton and sports icons Didier Drogba, Ronaldo, Zinédine Zidane Iker Casillas Misako Konno Maria Sharapova and Marta Vieira da Silva.

Renowned entrepreneur Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, was appointed today as the UN’s Goodwill Ambassador for Entrepreneurship, a role specifically created for her.

Bethlehem was thrilled by her appointment and stated, “Having founded and grown my own companies, I have a deep appreciation for entrepreneurs and the immense value they can bring to societies and communities. I am very excited about this role. I aim to use it to unlock entrepreneurial energy everywhere as a force for positive change, especially in Ethiopia and around the African continent. My goal will be to catalyze a new wave of entrepreneurs, enabling them to scale and grow their businesses and brands, become global players and create widespread prosperity.”

"Having founded and grown my own companies, I have a deep appreciation for entrepreneurs and the immense value they can bring to societies and communities."

CNN recently named Bethlehem one of the 12 greatest female entrepreneurs of the last century alongside COCO Chanel and Sara Blakely calling her “an entrepreneur who has redefined markets“ for her ground-breaking influence; FORBES Magazine listed her on their World's 100 Most Powerful Women list - Woman to Watch; Business Insider ranked her #1 of The Top 5 Entrepreneur’s in Africa; Fast Company named her to The Most Creative People in Business 1000. She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader [YGL]. Bethlehem was recently named by President George W. Bush as his organization’s Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon Ambassador.

“Bethlehem embodies what entrepreneurship is truly all about. From the humblest of origins she rose to create impactful, globally successful and enduring brands, all along showing what innovation truly means. We are honored to have her assisting us in unlocking the transformative powers that entrepreneurship can bring, especially in emerging economies," Eugene Owusu, UNDP Ethiopia Resident Representative said

"Bethlehem embodies what entrepreneurship is truly all about"

About UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors

They are at the top of their field, whether it's broadcasting, the literary world or the football stadium, with talents and achievements that have made them household names in their own, and in some cases, in many other countries. Despite their diverse claims to fame, however, they all share a deep concern for the world's poor and a commitment to making the planet a better place for all, ridding it of poverty, combating HIV/AIDS, ensuring environmental sustainability, protecting human rights, and empowering women.

UNDP, along with other UN agencies, has long enlisted the voluntary services and support of prominent individuals as Goodwill Ambassadors to highlight these causes. Their fame helps amplify the urgent and universal message of human development and international cooperation, helping to accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

They articulate the UNDP development philosophy and programmes of self-reliant opportunities and motivate people to act in the interest of improving their own lives and those of their fellow citizens.

They give their time freely to help UNDP in its challenging mission, and travel often to developing countries for first-hand observation so that they can bring the human development message to the industrialized world.

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/goodwillambassadors/