Louisiana represents at the G20 Summit

The world’s a big place. Sometimes that’s hard to remember when we’re fighting interstate traffic at rush hour, tailgating with friends, or doing the routines of daily life. Despite what we see in front of us as we go through our day, the global economy continues to chug and sputter along. This year, Louisiana has a big part to play in the future of the world’s economy.

Kevin Langley, a Baton Rouge entrepreneur and businessman, met with President Calderon of Mexico last week to discuss entrepreneurship and its role in the reversing the downward global economic trend. Langley led a delegation of 400 young entrepreneurs, the G20YES (Young Entrepreneurs Summit). They delivered the “G20YES Communiqué”, which specifically called for the world leaders to provide resources and to shape policy in support of young entrepreneurs.

The meeting was a precursor to this week’s G20 Summit, which is an annual meeting of the top 19 leaders of the world and the European Union. The G20 leaders represent 90% of global GDP, 80% of global trade and two-thirds of the world’s population.

President Calderon promised to act on Langley’s and the G20YES’s proposal that entrepreneurship be added to this year’s G20 Communiqué, which will be drafted this week. The annual communiqué guides global policy and resources to shape economic development over the course of the year.

This year’s G20 Summit is significant because it’s the first time that entrepreneurship will be added as an official recommendation of a G20 Communiqué.

In layman’s terms, it’s the first time in history all world leaders are aligning in support of entrepreneurship.

And little ol’ Louisiana, through Langley’s involvement, is elevated to the national and global stage.

Langley is presently the global chair of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global community of entrepreneurs dedicated to transforming the lives of the entrepreneurs who transform the world.

And here’s the best part: in true entrepreneurial style, after delivering the G20YES Communiqué, the group of entrepreneurs decided not to wait for world leaders to shape policy. They hammered out a global trade agreement amongst themselves, leading the way through action.

I’ll be sharing further stories of what that group is up to and highlighting ways area entrepreneurs can take advantage of opportunities that will arise, so stay tuned. In the meantime, follow news coverage of the G20 Summit to see how the discussion unfolds.