Excerpt From Andreas Widmer’s Remarks at Pioneers of Prosperity Finalist Dinner

The SEVEN Fund’s Andreas Widmer helped welcome the finalists at a dinner in their honor. The following is an excerpt from his remarks:
It is appropriate that the Pioneers of Prosperity Awards Program is coming to the Caribbean. One of the earliest supporters of the idea to find and celebrate the best entrepreneurs in emerging markets was the late Sir John Templeton, a Bahamian. His foundation was and is one of the core Funders of the program to this day. I would like to dedicate this wonderful event celebrating entrepreneurs to his memory.

Meeting the country winners is always an exciting and enriching experience. Their business acumen and enthusiasm is inspiring. They are living proof that good businesses can flourish even in the most difficult of circumstances.

It strikes me that of all the various parties involved and interested in economic development, these entrepreneurs are the ones who actually put their very livelyhood on the line for the cause. Entrepreneurs carry the greatest risk in the pursuit of economic progress, and their companies efforts and results speak for themselves. That is why we call them Pioneers of Prosperity.

-Andreas Widmer, Seven Fund