A group of entrepreneurs from the country of Georgia in Eastern Europe will soon wrap up an ambitious itinerary of entrepreneurship training at Fox Valley Technical College.

The delegation is made up of five female entrepreneurs who are participating in a program through the Congressional Office for International Leadership. The delegates are all small business owners interested in learning more about entrepreneurship in Wisconsin. Among the visitors are two women who own their own wineries and one also runs a wine school; a third entrepreneur founded an ethnic village where guests can stay overnight and learn more about Georgian culture and traditions during their visit; one entrepreneur runs an apple chip snack company and another runs an e-commerce site that sells high-quality colorful socks.

While at FVTC, the visitors have been touring several local businesses including Little Food Company in Kaukauna, Vines and Rushes Winery in Ripon and Lambeau Field. Their agenda also had them meeting with local political and business leaders and delivering a presentation to Appleton Rotary. Being in the U.S. on election day, the delegates had the unique opportunity to visit a local polling place with their hosts to see how Wisconsin facilitates an election.

The delegates, along with a bicultural/lingual facilitator and an interpreter, are being hosted by the FVTC Venture Center and the college’s World Languages & Cultures program. The delegation has been staying in the homes of local residents and FVTC staff who are serving as hospitality hosts.

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[APPLETON, WI] — The Congressional Office for International Leadership (formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center), an agency of the U.S. Congress, has sent a delegation of entrepreneurs from the country of Georgia to Appleton, WI from November 7-12, 2022.

The delegation consists of five female professionals and will be accompanied by a bicultural/lingual facilitator and an interpreter. While in Appleton, program participants will be hosted by Fox Valley Technical College’s Venture Center and the college’s World Languages & Cultures program.

Prior to their arrival in Appleton, the participants completed orientation in Washington, D.C. Delegates had policy meetings and met with several global leadership experts including subject matter experts from Harvard University and Georgetown University.

In Appleton, delegates will collaborate on entrepreneurship and best practices for small and medium-sized enterprises. They will meet local leaders in the Fox Valley and the New North region where they will visit local businesses, participate in panel discussions with local entrepreneurs, take a trip to our local polling places to observe the 2022 midterm election and make a presentation before the Appleton Rotary. The delegation will stay in the homes of local residents who serve as hospitality hosts.

More than 30,000 current and future leaders from post-Soviet era countries have participated in the Open World program. Open World offers one of the most effective U.S. exchange programs to promote mutually beneficial options for depolarized engagement between future national leaders. It is a unique but no less powerful tool for Congress to engage legislatures in critical regions of the world.

COIL, a Support Agency of the Congress

Founded in 1999 by Congress, the Congressional Office for International Leadership (formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center) maintains a vast network of more than 30,000 alumni in strategic countries including Russia, Ukraine, and others in the Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Its Open World program supports legislative diplomacy efforts for Members of Congress by conducting exchanges that establish authentic communication and enduring relations that are maintained through its extensive alumni network. Program participants are provided with exposure to the work of Congress, American politics, accountable governance, and volunteerism while being home-hosted by American families. To learn more about the Open World program, please visit www.openworld.gov/