New York City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has selected bethlehem tilahun alemu as a NYC Venture Fellow in recognition of her extraordinary achievements as a global entrepreneur.

“This is really exciting. New York is a global business hub and I am really excited to be receiving this distinguished fellowship from Mayor Bloomberg,” said Bethlehem on hearing of the news of her award.

Each year, 20-30 “rising star” entrepreneurs from New York City and around the world are selected through a competitive nomination process and a distinguished selection committee including:

• Lawrence Lenihan, CEO and Managing Director of FirstMark Capital,
• Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., President of Fordham University,
• Emily Rafferty, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
• Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Group,
• Fred Wilson, Managing Partner of Union Square Ventures.

NYC Venture Fellows is a component of Mayor Bloomberg’s initiatives to develop and diversify the New York City Economy. The program was developed by the Center for Economic Transformation at New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in conjunction with Fordham University. It is a highly selective, international program to help successful entrepreneurs take their ventures to the next level. Established by NYCEDC in conjunction with Fordham University, the program is designed to:

• Assist successful entrepreneurs in scaling ventures that have the potential to create jobs in NYC
• Encourage successful global entrepreneurs to open offices in NYC
• Build connections among entrepreneurs, established NYC companies, and international businesses

“No matter the buzz or early accolades, the transition from promising young startup business to successful leading company can be extremely difficult. We want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to succeed, and when they do, we want them to succeed in New York City,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The NYC Venture Fellows capitalizes on the willingness of accomplished business leaders to help the next generation of global entrepreneurs make it and to help New York City.”

Venture Fellows are provided with one-on-one mentorship from leading NYC and global executives to assist them in achieving the next stage of growth for their company and personal careers and provide counsel on issues specific to each fellow’s business. Fellows and mentors will meet regularly over the course of the year with extra guidance at critical moments, such as when a venture is nearing an acquisition or Initial Public Offering or to draw on the experience of the mentors and hear best practices on how to maintain company culture during periods of rapid growth. Mentors are executives and leaders of world-class organizations such as LVMH, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Lord & Taylor, MTV, NBC Universal, venture capital firms, universities, and more. Each Fellow is matched with team of advisors and counselors that may include serial entrepreneurs, other CEOs and investors.

The NYC Venture Fellow program lasts for one year and all activities are designed to enhance participants’ skills, build professional networks, and provide resources to grow scalable businesses. Following completion of the one-year program, NYC Venture Fellows will remain engaged and connected through an alumni network.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City’s primary vehicle for promoting economic growth. The Center for Economic Transformation (CET) at NYCEDC aims to develop the City’s major business sectors by implementing policy and programmatic initiatives that address current issues faced by each industry, create good jobs, and promote entrepreneurship and economic diversification across the five boroughs.

About Fordham University
Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 14,700 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in Westchester, and the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y.