GIST Community | GIST Network

Innovators

By combining its online platform with on-the-ground partners, GIST creates education and training opportunities for young innovators in more than 130 countries around the world by providing access to U.S. experts and through in-country entrepreneurship networks and support systems.

Ecosystem Builders

Ecosystem Builders aim to bolster networking and entrepreneurial skills to build durable, long-term, supportive networks. The ultimate goal is to stimulate local entrepreneurial activity and ensure participants can grow their skills and scale their businesses together – both in their home country and through the GIST Network’s global connections.

Investors

GIST partners with in-country stakeholders in entrepreneurial ecosystems to bolster local financial support for startups. GIST is able to bring American investment experts to different regions around the world and provides an opportunity for in-country investors to learn how to create and sustain investor networks for entrepreneurs.

Partners

Since 2011, GIST has partnered with the private sector to reach over 27 million innovation community members globally and has provided training for over 15,000 startups who have gone on to generate over $250 million in revenue. This is done through competitions, startup trainings, and interactive online programs, implemented by AAAS and VentureWell. If you would like to explore partnership opportunities please contact Hillary LeBail.

General Pitch Competition

GIST runs a variety of Pitch Competitions that do not fall into the same category as Tech-I or Catalyst. These are usually associated with specific conferences or themes.

Business Incubation

The U.S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology, or GIST, Initiative launched this new program in the fall of 2019 for entrepreneurs in emerging economies.

The GIST Network is a public-private partnership created by the U.S. Department of State to give science and technology entrepreneurs access to needed resources and advice.

In order to create sustainable investment networks, the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative has created the Investor Mobilization Training program (GIST Investors).

GIST Startup Trainings

GIST Startup Trainings empower young science and technology innovators and entrepreneurs through on-the-ground training and mentoring delivered by top U.S. mentors and in-country partners.

GIST Tech-I Pitch Competition

The GIST Tech-I Competition is an annual competition for science and technology entrepreneurs from emerging economies worldwide.

GIST Catalyst Pitch Competition

Applications open 2 August for the 2021 GIST Virtual Pitch Competition!

The GIST Innovates program is a multi-component training program to provide innovators with the training, mentoring, and resources they need to bring their ideas out of the university lab and into the market.

Resources

GIST TechConnect

GIST TechConnects provides entrepreneurs around the world with direct access to leading U.S. experts from business and academia, but without the travel and other related costs.

GIST Innovation Hubs

Innovation Hubs, or IHubs, are designed to build strong and vibrant networks of young science and technology entrepreneurs around the world.

GIST Masterclass Series

Through partnerships with U.S. Embassies and in-country startup incubators, the GIST Masterclass Series brings U.S. experts in entrepreneurship to a specific country for face-to-face interactions with stakeholders.

News

Transform the World, Become a Halcyon Fellow

Entrepreneurs working to make a positive social impact have the opportunity to work with the Halcyon Incubator and gain the support they need to transform their ideas into scalable and sustainable ventures that can change the world.

Meet the 2018 Tech-I Finalists

After an intense voting round that mobilized more than 200,000 votes around the world, the U.S. Department of State is excited to announce the 2018 GIST Tech-I Finalists.

2018 Circular Summit Inspires Women Founders to be Extraordinary

More than 300 high-growth female founders, investors, policy makers and ecosystem builders gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 2018 Circular Summit.

2018 GIST Tech-I Finalists Announced

After an intense voting round that mobilized hundreds of thousands of votes from around the world, the U.S. Department of State is excited to announce the 2018 GIST Tech-I Finalists.

The 2018 GIST Tech-I Finalists representing eight countries are:

Bootstrapping Your Business in an Emerging Economy

It’s no secret that starting a new business can be difficult, especially when you have limited funding and limited resources. In an emerging economy, starting a business is even harder.

GIST I-Hub: Pretoria - LeadAfrika

LeadAfrika in South Africa joined the GIST Network Innovation Hub Initiative to provide a stronger network of support for the organization’s entrepreneurs.

GIST Investors Launches Training Program in Indonesia

Already a hub for innovation, Jakarta is attracting young founders who need more than knowledge support – they need capital.

How Ecosystem Builders Can Foster Diversity

Ecosystem builders can do more for startups than create investment networks and training programs – they can also foster diversity.

GIST Advantage: Ideas Have No Gender

For two women engineers who work in a male-dominant industry, Andrea Carolina Buitrago and Rossi Lara found becoming entrepreneurs helped them smash through the glass ceiling.

2018 GIST Tech-I Semifinalists Announced

The U.S. Department of State is proud to announce this year’s 109 GIST Tech-I Semifinalists from 46 emerging economies.

GIST I-Hub: Kampala - The Innovation Village

The Innovation Village in Uganda joined the GIST Network I-Hub initiative to provide more opportunities for its entrepreneurs. Through direct access to new knowledge and new thinking from the Network, the Innovation Village is improving its own approach and practices to ecosystem building.

Halcyon Seeking Social Entrepreneurs for Summer Incubator Intensives

Halcyon is opening its doors to promising social entrepreneurs from around the world for a 7, 10 or 14-Day Incubator Intensive designed to turn a vision into a social enterprise.