Hundreds of American and Lithuanian Business and Economic Leaders Were Connected at the Inaugural NALB Forum in Philadelphia
On June 29th, 2022 the first North American Lithuanian Business Forum (NALB Forum) was held at the Union League in Philadelphia, PA. The forum was received warmly by more than 200 attendees and hosted 37 speakers, 3 panels, and 2 innovators sessions. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf were the patrons of this groundbreaking North American – Lithuanian business historical event. The NALB Forum connected Lithuanian and North American incumbent business and economic leaders with those seeking to build businesses of their own in both the public and private sectors in North American, Lithuanian, and / or European markets.
The inaugural event opened with welcoming remarks online from the President of Lithuania. Following the Lithuanian President Nauseda, was the Minister of Agriculture of Lithuania, Kestutis Navickas, who recognized Lithuanian economic achievements and opportunities. To conclude their session, Karolis Zemaitis represented the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of Lithuania and their economic strategies with regards to American – Lithuanian business development.
One of Lithuania’s most active North American partners, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Deputy Secretary of International Business, David Briel, provided resources for information and knowledge exchange on entering the U.S. market via Pennsylvania. Mr. Briel was accompanied by President & CEO at Schuykill Economic Development Corporation, Frank Zukas, who added insights of his own.
The highlight of the day was the noteworthy Ambassadors Panel moderated by the President and CEO of World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Lauren Swartz. U.S. The distinguished panel was comprised of some of the highest-ranking diplomats - Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, Robert S. Gilchrist, Ambassador of Lithuania to the USA and Mexico, Audra Plepyte, and Ambassador of Lithuania to Canada, Darius Skusevicius.
Jeff Nelson, keynote speaker and Executive Vice President of Strategic Staffing Solution, shared his personal insights and lessons learned to aspiring business leaders. Christopher Wink, Publisher & CEO, Technical.ly moderated back-to-back panels of North American companies with investments in Lithuania - Soho Dragon, AmerisourceBergen, and Shift4 Payments Lithuania and a Lithuanian Gateway Resources panel. Conversely, Chief CMO and co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, Daina Trout moderated a panel of Lithuanian companies with investments in North America and a group of panelists providing attendees with gateway resources for the North American market. The Lithuanian companies represented on the panels were, VMG Group, AUGA Group, Intus Windows, and Trinity Dominion.
The afternoon innovation panel, “Taste of Lithuania”, provided marketing insights from the GIANT Company, beverage industry insights from Health-Ade Kombucha, an overview of Lithuanian Agriculture from the Head of International Affairs and Export Promotion Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Antanas Venckus, and discussed the potential of the Lithuanian F&B industry by LITFOOD. Additionally, the panel doubled as a networking event where samples from Lithuanian companies were provided.
Lastly, the “Meet the Innovators” moderated networking event, organized by Lithuanian Global Leaders (GLL), provided an of the startup ecosystem, and featured startup companies – Oxipit (Medtech), Biotecus (Biotech), Mokosi.it (Edtech), and Lectrium (Energy). These startups were provided with an opportunity to pitch.
The collaborative event concluded with an informal networking event to solidify new and meaningful connections at the Rittenhouse Grill in Philadelphia.
The Baltic Atlantic Commerce of Chamber (BACC) was a key organizer of the breakthrough NALB Forum 2022. BACC is a New York-based organization dedicated to the promotion, advancement and guidance of business relations between the United States and the Baltic States. Our mission is to help our members build, grow and thrive on both sides of the Atlantic. This pivotal event helped connect, develop, and strengthen our members’ relationships and resources for information and knowledge exchange. We hope this is first of many opportunities BACC will provide our members that will facilitate greater transatlantic cooperation and collaboration between Lithuanians and North Americans.