Mission Statement and Vision

The founding mission of iFEST is to cultivate global entrepreneurship in science and technology by providing a platform that brings together incipient entrepreneurs and mentors around the world. As a US based independent non-profit organization, iFEST seeks to rally young entrepreneurs in key disciplines and align them with veteran mentors to provide an outlet for their entrepreneurial zeal.

iFEST is based on the principle that, the outcomes of entrepreneurship, scientific research, engineering, and innovation in any open economy are transformative beyond the share of the economic output generated. Therefore, iFEST will develop and implement regular programs that will improve the prospects for this transformation, beginning with a focus on the US and Asia before expanding to Europe and other areas of the world. The large and growing Asian economies of China, India, Japan, South Korea, and other countries, have evolved into the world’s most dynamic commercial region, with growing worldwide influence.

We live in a time when our countries have become subject to rapidly increasing globalization and technological change. Yet many of our education and research institutions are not keeping pace. In the US and many other countries, institutional connections to international science and technology communities are not up to their true potential. Connections that do exist do not provide sufficient transnational opportunities or visible role models for most young people to gain the entrepreneurial learning experiences, knowledge, skills, relationships, and tools needed to navigate their careers, pursue their dreams, and in the process build the next generation of innovation and growth for their communities and their nations. Needed is an organization that can rally all the stakeholders behind the goal of creating new opportunities for significant international innovation collaboration. iFEST is that organization. iFEST collaborations will be between young people, their mentors, and proven entrepreneurial leaders in the US and other global economies in ways that broaden the base of support for free enterprise, scientific research, problem solving, and international cooperation

iFEST is unique. No other public or private institution exists with a focus on cultivating international entrepreneurship in an integrated manner with leading actors in science, engineering, business, and government. Summarized below, iFEST programs are aimed at unleashing the entrepreneurial and innovative capacity of the rising generation of young Americans and other young nationals.