We were very happy to help our guests organize this fantastic event where a Polish game “Liberated” received a prestigious award “Best in Show” from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.

Here is an article in the Polish media covering this event

You are invited to a
Luncheon Roundtable

Featuring

Witold Waszczykowski
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Poland

with

a delegation of Polish IT companies

presented by
The Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest and the Consulate of Poland
with support from The Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle

September 22, 2016
12:00pm-1:30pm

World Trade Center Seattle
2200 Alaskan Way, Suite 410
Seattle, WA 98121

This is an excellent opportunity to hear from the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs and meet innovative IT companies from one of the fastest growing regions in Europe. Poland – US trade relationships continue to develop, creating new opportunities, particularly in the areas of high tech industries. This program will explore trade and economic landscape and highlight why Poland is an attractive partner in strategic areas of investment. Representatives from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development will introduce key industries emerging in the country. CEO’s from Polish IT companies also will be available for business-to-business meetings.

The program will include 30 minutes of presentations, followed by a discussion. A complimentary luncheon reception and networking will follow.

Please RSVP by email to [email protected] or phone: 206 948 8064

http://europeanframes.com/

This chamber would not have existed without our members and their contributions. My sincere thanks to all our members for being part of this organization and supporting our community.

As was the previous year, 2014 was filled with many activities facilitating cooperation within local, national and international networks and most importantly building our operational capacities.

Our main objective for the last year was to increase our membership and budget. Even though, the numbers are still relatively low and below our original goals, we can be proud of our achievements. Membership dues increased by 68% and total revenue by 53% while expenses decreased by 56%. With the overhaul of our website and the member onboarding process we significantly reduced our operating expenses and simplified the new member signing process.

We actively maintained relationships and cooperation with local, national and international networks and participated in a number of high profile events like the PACC workshop in Chicago and Polish Innovation Week in LA.

Throughout the year, we continued to maintain relationships with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, Consulate of Poland in LA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. We hosted the Consul General during his visits in Seattle, we contributed our ideas and provided feedback regarding a number of recent campaigns. I can say that we became a trusted, go to partner for the Consulate. Our collaboration was rewarded with grants for 3 consecutive years.

We also continued to maintain close relationships with local trade and commerce organizations; Trade Development Alliance of Seattle, World Trade Center Seattle, other chambers of commerce, state and federal departments of commerce, state and city government officials, Washington Business Week and others.

Throughout the year we stayed in touch with our members by providing up to date information on our site, our newsletter and mailing campaigns that were reaching almost 800 subscribers.

As we continue executing on our mission, we need to stay focused on expanding our organization’s membership and operating capital. By executing very well on a variety of projects in the past, we proved that we have the talent and leadership needed to continue supporting our community. The opportunities they lay ahead of us are limitless but our resources are not. By increasing our membership and budget we will be in a much better position to deliver on our vision and have an even more significant impact on our community.

In conclusion, I wish you all another productive and successful year!

Bohdan Raciborski

President

2014: A Year in Review

• January – Networking event at Seattle Metropolitan Chamber
• April – Participated in the Spring Polish Bazaar, produced new marketing flyers, launched new recruiting campaign
• April – Annual PACCPNW meeting
• June – Networking event at Sebi’s with the participation of a guest from KPMG
• July – Participated in the Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• July – Hosted Consul General M. Brymora from the Polish Consulate in LA, visited Boeing and Microsoft
• August – Co-promoted First Annual European Golf Tournament organized by British and French chambers of commerce
• September – Received the 501c 6 status
• September – Hosted Consul General M. Brymora from the Polish Consulate in LA
• September – Attended the 3nd Polish American Business Workshop in Chicago
• September – Inauguration of the Honorary Consulate of Poland in Seattle
• October – Meeting with Andrzej Mikosz, former Minister Of The Treasury Of The REPUBLIC Of POLAND
• November – Attended the Euro Seattle Startup Weekend event
• November – Participated in the Fall Polish Bazaar
• November – Attended the Polish Innovation Week in LA
• Ongoing Marketing and Communications:
  • Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
  • Newsletter and mailing campaigns
  • Maintained social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter

During the week of November 17, 2014, Polish and American partners met in Los Angeles at an Innovation Forum inaugurating the Poland-US Innovation Week in California. The agenda focused on developing partnerships, mutual cooperation and business opportunities for Polish-American investments in innovative industries.

Parallel to the Innovation Forum, the Poland-US Innovation Council has come together for the first time. The mission of this intergovernmental body is to deepen Polish-American innovation cooperation. The council was set up during President Barack Obama’s visit to Poland last June (2014). It supports companies, universities and research institutes which invest in R&D projects in the technology, defense, energy and health sectors. The meeting culminated in the signing of a statement of intent, which lays he grounds of innovation collaboration.

The Undersecretary of State Katarzyna Kacperczyk headed the Polish delegation to the United States. . Poland’s Ambassador to the United States, Ryszard Schnepf also took part in the inauguration ceremony, with the signing of a statement of intent for a US-Poland Innovation Program. The program will supplement the already extensive spectrum of cooperation between Poland and the United States in the field of science and technology. Also present was the US Ambassador to Poland, Stephen Mull and many distinguished guests from US and Polish organizations.

Consul General of Poland in Los Angeles Mariusz Brymora opened the conference and moderated throughout the day. During the plenary sessions, the participants were warmly welcomed by a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Tom LaBonge, the Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland, Katarzyna Kacperczyk, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, US Department of State, Scott Nathan and the Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland, Włodzisław Duch.

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”10815″ align=”left” size=”large” fitMobile=”true”] During the breakout sessions the participants discussed innovation in health and bio sector, ecosystem of creativity and innovation, smart energy and green solutions, creative industries & IT. Polish companies presented their products, technologies and ideas to potential partners. At the end of the first day, a special evening Arts Festival with Włodek Pawlik Trio and Arturo Sandoval’s concert was organized to celebrate Polish Independence Day.

On Wednesday, during the Polish-American Innovation Week, the activities moved to the San Francisco area. The events were attended by Grażyna Henclewska, the Deputy Minister of Economy, as well as Bożena Lublinska-Kasprzak, President of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, who opened a new project in San Francisco titled Polish Silicon Bridge. The event’s program included seminars at Berkeley and Stanford universities as well as workshops on fostering cooperation among start-ups held at Rocket Space in San Francisco. Over 25 study visits were scheduled for the Polish companies who were hosted by American institutions already successfully implementing innovations and modern technologies. Additionally, a discussion about women’s role in innovation took place at Stanford University, while the San Francisco Design Centre hosted an event promoting the latest technological solutions developed in Poland.

PAIW’s success was unprecedented from the perspective of being the biggest promotional initiative of this kind in Polish-American relations history. More than 150 Polish companies came to California to talk about opportunities of developing Polish-American cooperation in innovation to benefit both countries via joint ventures and R&D projects in the area of ICT/Creative industries, Biotech, Engineering, Green Energy and innovative technologies.

The Poland-US Innovation Week was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of the Economy, Ministry of the Environment, and a number of agencies promoting innovative solutions in the Polish economy, such as the National Centre for Research and Development, Industrial Development Agency, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency. The project’s strategic partners were numerous Polish and American private sector entities and non-governmental organizations.

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest is a proud supporter contributing efforts in promoting attendance and awareness of the initiative. Representatives from Seattle, Teresa Indelak Davis and Marian Strutynski attended the activities in Los Angeles with a gala concert commemorating the anniversary of Poland’s Independence. Congratulations to all organizers who made it all possible.

The Workshop proved again that Poland’s solid economic performance had a significant impact on the network of Polish-American business organizations and demonstrated that the initiatives started at the first workshop in 2012 are on the right track.  The event was co-hosted by PACC Chicago together with the PAC/PNA and the Trade & Investment Section of Poland’s Embassy in DC and was attended by representatives of the Polish Ministry of Economy, The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, Embassy of the Republic of Poland (Washington, D.C.) and a number of delegates from Polish municipal governments and business organizations.

As in past years, members of the PACCPNW board of directors participated in the workshop. The workshop main objectives are to implement the Chicago declaration signed at the 2012 workshop where most of PACCs committed to work together to improve communication, collaboration and coordinate efforts between our organizations. We are pleased to inform you that PACCPNW is actively participating and contributing to this effort.

The jurisdiction of consulate covers the State of Washington and includes:

• Facilitation of cultural exchange and relations between Washington State and PolandTourism and business investment promotion
• Consular Services for Polish Citizens visiting and residing in Washington State
• Legalization of documents for use in Poland
• Emergency assistance for Polish travelers
• Coordination of consular outreach for passport applications in Seattle

Contact information:

email: [email protected]

tel: 1-206 948 8064

Polish and US chiefs of diplomacy Minister Radosław Sikorski and US Secretary of State John Kerry signed in Warsaw a Polish-US Innovation Program, which aims to foster R&D cooperation between the two countries.

Press release

This new brown-field space is ready for investment and transformation into modern technology industries, including Research and Development. The area is well connected with other European countries, in proximity to beautiful city of Cracow, with access to academia, researchers, engineering tradition and skilled workforce.

Thank you to Mirek Proppe, a quest speaker who presented this opportunity to our members. With permission, we are sharing his presentation broadly. We would also like to expresses our sincere appreciation to Sebi’s Bistro for providing a venue for this networking event. For additional questions about the event, please email [email protected].

Please see the presentation here: nh2

Written by Teresa Indelak Davis

Dated: April 10, 2014

As PACCPNW marks a three year anniversary this year, we celebrate many accomplishments and reflect on past challenges. The year 2013 was filled with many activities facilitating cooperation within local, national and international networks. It was also focused on building operational capacities and increasing value to the members. To this end, the organization adopted a long term membership plan and created new interest groups for Young Professionals, Women’s Network and Small Businesses.

The goal moving forward is to increase the membership reach and deliver high value to our members. Participation and input by all members is extremely valuable in achieving this aim and enhancing opportunities for promoting business connections between Poland and the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to our regular meetings and programs, we are looking to stage business development and networking events in the coming months. We’ll also continue participating in a national and international network of trade organizations, while strengthening our internal operational capacity.

My sincere appreciation to our Board Officers and Advisors for their leadership and dedicated work on behalf of the Chamber in 2013 and to all our members for all you do for the organization and community.

Teresa Indelak Davis
President

2013: A Year in Review

• January – Translated the TDA brochure into Polish language for the TDA website
• March – Participated at a Spring Polish Bazaar, produced new marketing flyers and presentation
• April – Attended 2nd Polish American Business Workshop in Chicago, a collaboration initiative with Polish American Chambers network in the US and Poland
• May – Conducted International Marketing Webinar for members
• June – Meet with Polish Delegation from International Visitors Program at World’s Affairs Council
• June – Organized Member Networking event at Wine Tea Chocolate with a guest speaker from Washington State Department of Commerce
• July – Hosted VIP’s and helped organize Polish Festival at Seattle Center
• August – Attended joint meeting with EDC and City of Lacey to discuss mutual opportunities
• September – Hosted a reception for City Mayors, a delegation from Poland lead by Camas Sister City Association
• November – Attended a Seminar “What Nonprofit Directors Need to Know: Legal Responsibilities and Best Practices”
• December – Holiday Dinner celebration
• Ongoing Communications and Memberships:
• Blogs and updates on www.paccpnw.org website
• Activated LinkedIn group discussion
• Continued social media presence on Facebook and Twitter
• Member of: World Trade Center Seattle and Trade Development Alliance of Seattle

On September 20, 2013, Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest hosted a reception for a delegation of city mayors from Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic, visiting Washington State at the invitation of Camas Sister City Association.  

The overall goal of the trip was exploratory in the areas of business, cultural and academic exchanges. The extensive itinerary included visits to Microsoft, Boeing, Washington State Coast Guard and the Polish Festival in Portland.  PACCPNW was pleased to support the mission and help facilitate international cooperation.

At the reception honoring the delegation, PACCPNW members and local community leaders welcomed special guests to Seattle, engaged in networking and shared experiences of international exchange.  In a short official ceremony, mayors of towns Krapkowice, Zabierzow, Morawica in Poland; Wissen, Germany and Lipova Lazne from Czech Republic, introduced their regions, highlighted their achievements and potential for future cooperation.

By Teresa Indelak-Davis 

Mayors of towns Krapkowice, Zabierzow, Morawica in Poland; Wissen, Germany and Lipova Lazne from Czech Republic.

Visiting at Boeing factory.

Lloyd Halverson with Teresa & Ted Davis.

PACCPNW Board at the reception. From the left: Zbigniew Bochniarz, Jacek Filutowski, Mirka Nakovski, Malgorzata Mazany, Janusz Wisniewski, Teresa Davis, Danuta Moc, Bohdan Raciborski

Teresa Davis with the distinctive guests.

For over a century, the Polish-American community of the Pacific Northwest has been contributing to the local fabric of society while supporting the homeland throughout its turbulent history. Over 125,000 residents of Washington State claim Polish ancestry; around 5,000 Poles live in the Seattle area. It may not sound like a lot, but their level of energy and initiative compensate for the numbers.

The first Polish immigrants arrived in Seattle in 1870 and by 1890 Polish organizations sprouted in several places in Washington State, from Pe Ell and Aberdeen through Tacoma and Seattle, to mining communities in the Mt. Rainier foothills and Cle Elum. The oldest local organization, the Polish National Alliance Lodge 156 in Tacoma, was established in 1890 and is still going strong. Other notable organizations from that period were the PNA lodge in Wilkeson and in Seattle, founded in 1899, and the first Polish parish established in Tacoma in 1890. In Seattle, the Polish parish began to form in the 1980s and was eventually established in 1992.

The first Polish Hall opened in today’s Ballard neighborhood in 1906 and quickly proved too small for the growing community. In 1918, the Polish Home Association was created to procure a larger hall, which after fundraising and a remodel, opened in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in 1920. The hall, named “Dom Polski” (Polish Home), has been a cornerstone of Polish life in Seattle ever since.  After a recent expansion to modernize the facility, the Polish Cultural Center, serves, as it has been for almost a century, as a place for meetings, celebrations, dances and festivals for Poles and their multicultural friends.

The center provides a home to a choir, a library, Polish Scouts, as well as a book, poetry, and dance clubs. The stage and ballroom welcome local performance groups and famous Polish visiting guest artists and officials. The school has been offering evening Polish language classes to children and adults since 1951. To accommodate the growing number of families living on the east side of Lake Washington, another Polish school opened in Bellevue.

For half a century, the Ladies Auxiliary has been organizing the popular Fall and Spring bazaars that bring multi-ethnic visitors to the Polish Cultural Center. In addition to financing many of the improvements at the center, the group supports initiatives and community events with contributions to the Salvation Army and Emergency Shelters for Women, orphanages in Poland, and many other local Polish organizations. With the Ladies Auxiliary’s initial funding of the “Project Sybiracy”, the film “A Trip to Nowhere” became a reality.  The project shed light on the tragic history of those who survived the Gulag, including several members of Ladies Auxiliary and the Polish Community in the Seattle area.

The Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association (SGSCA), committed to sharing and promoting business, cultural, and academic exchanges between the two cities, has been cooperating with the city of Gdynia for over 25 years. The organization has been awarded many honors for its achievements, the Best Overall Program, 2006 and 2011, as well as Best Single Project, 2010  with Gdynia Business Week.  SGSCA is the organizer and sponsor of the Seattle Polish Film Festival, which became an important cultural event in Seattle.

Polish language has been taught at the University of Washington for over 60 years. To ensure that this tradition continues, a group of volunteers established the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee (UWPSEC).  The organization is raising funds to establish the Chair of Polish Studies, sponsors a Distinguished Polish Speakers Series, provides student scholarships, sponsors Fulbright scholars to the UW, and builds partnership with community organizations.

The Polish Home Foundation (PHF) is a non-profit organization that promotes Polish heritage in the Pacific Northwest by sponsoring local events involving Polish culture and arts and by assisting Polish-American organizations in the area. During the last decade, it raised funds for improvements to the 100-year-old building of the Polish Cultural Center, and has provided financial and organizational assistance to cultural and art events. The annual Pierogi Fest became one of the most awaited events in the spring. In 2012 the PHF produced and sponsored the first Polish Festival at Seattle Center and is staging the second Festival this year.

The Polish-American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest (PACCPNW) promotes Polish-American trade cooperation, entrepreneurship and innovation. With the mission to facilitate exchange between Polish and American businesses, it promotes economic development, hosts trade delegations, and holds seminars related to business opportunities between Poland and the Pacific Northwest. The Chamber builds partnerships with local organizations and raises support for important issues, such as the visa waiver program for Poland.

To keep the community and public informed about current events in the local Polish community, Seattle Polish News reaches its recipients via internet every week. The Polish Home Association publishes a quarterly magazine, Nasz Dom, and internet podcast Radio Wisła keeps subscribers informed about news and events.

The local Polish-American community is well represented among the ranks of Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, and other companies. Polish scientists and professors teach at local universities and work in the medical industry. Many small businesses owned by Poles contribute to the economy across the region. For some, Seattle has been home for decades and for others only a few years. No matter how long we have lived here, we carry on our traditions and participate in the evolving Polish and American culture. We love our city of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest – the climate, the majestic nature, the appreciation of education, science, technology, music and art – which remind us so much of our home country.

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce representatives discussed how the Polish American Chamber of Commerce promotes and fosters a relationship between Poland and the Pacific Northwest.  Topics Included in the discussion were directly related to the role of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest in the recent Boeing 787 delivery to Polish Airlines LOT, business climate in Washington State and other Pacific Northwest states.  Discussion focused on successful Pacific Northwest companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks, Chateau St. Michelle, Expedia, Nike, and the exposure to the Asian International trade as well as how Washington State has grown in the last three decades. This meeting was an excellent opportunity to promote stronger US-Polish economic and democratic relations.  It was mentioned that Polish companies active in the U.S. market and U.S. investors, in addition to Polish students participating in internships with US companies, are becoming the foundation for building a good relationship between people, between nations and between states.

Polish Festival is looking for volunteers! Whether you are greeting the public, serving food or assisting with Polish arts or crafts, YOU are the essential part of this festival!

Based on an overwhelming success of last year’s festival, the vibrant Polish-American community is proud to present their second annual festival at Seattle Center. This summer’s event on July 13, 2013 will celebrate Polish cultural traditions and contemporary achievements with audiences of the Pacific Northwest.

The program features live performances of Polish folk groups, piano and jazz artists, modern dance, poster art exhibit, cultural workshops, food demos, children’s activities and participatory dance. Presented this year again will be Folk Fashion Show with regionally inspired costumes from Poland. Booths will showcase Polish glass art, hand-crafted pottery from Boleslawiec, crystal, jewelry, and paper cut-out folk art, as well as information about local Polish-American community organizations and travel to Poland for business and pleasure. The beer garden will be well stocked with a variety of imported Polish beer. Food vendors will serve plenty of authentic delicious Polish food.

For nearly a century, the lively Polish-American community of the Pacific Northwest has organized events at their cultural center in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. This summer all Seattleites are invited to explore and enjoy Polish cultural traditions at the Seattle Center.     

WHAT:            Polish Festival Seattle

WHEN:             Saturday, July 13, 2013, 11am- 9pm

WHERE:           Seattle Center (Armory & Fisher Rooftop) 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109

WHO:               Polish-American community in the Pacific Northwest

COST:             Free Admission

###

Polish Festival is organized by local Polish American community in collaboration with Seattle Center and produced by Polish Home Foundation (PHF), a nonprofit 501 (c)3 organization. For more information please contact [email protected] and write to 1714 18th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122.

Representing the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest, Teresa Indelak Davis and Bohdan Raciborski, participated in the 2nd Polish American Business Workshop, held in Chicago on April 22, 2013. The event co-hosted by the Polish American Congress and the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Chicago, was co- sponsored by the Trade & Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC and attended by representatives from business and trade associations active in commercial relations between Poland and North America.

Special guests included Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, Undersecretary of State in the Polish Ministry of Economy; Ryszard Schnepf, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the US; Longin Komolowski, President of the Wspolnota Polska Association; William Czajkowski, Head of the US Commercial Service at the US Embassy in Warsaw; Pawel Pietrasienski, Head of the Trade & Investment Section of Poland’s Embassy in Washington, DC; and Jaroslaw Narkiewicz, Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament.

The conference served as a platform to review progress of Chicago Declaration adopted by the Polish-American business community a year earlier and to discuss continuation of promotional activities, particularly with regard to building a strong brand of Poland in international market.

In addition to plenary sessions with keynotes by distinguished speakers, two panel discussions and break-out sessions were held, concluding with resolutions of continued development of Polish-American business cooperation. The event closed with a highly successful, well-attended networking reception hosted by the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Chicago, at the Copernicus Center Annex.

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest is pleased to have been included in the workshop and activities contributing to further development of business cooperation and exchange among the Polish and American businesses.

Conference participants including Polish American Chambers from Seattle, Chicago, Miami, NY, Nevada and Toronto.

]]> https://www.paccpnw.org/2013/04/26/2nd-polish-american-business-workshop-in-chicago-promotes-strong-brand-of-poland/feed/ 1 10417 https://www.paccpnw.org/2013/04/16/year-in-review-2012/ Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:06:10 +0000 https://www.paccpnw.org/?p=10399 Year in Review – 2012

As we close 2012, we celebrate many accomplishments and reflect on past challenges. We thank our dedicated board members and advisors for guiding our success. The past year was filled with many activities promoting business exchange between Polish and American organizations and facilitating cooperation within local, national and international networks.

A few highlights that stand out include series of conferences from promoting trade opportunities with Poland with guest speaker, Dr. Henryka Bochniarz in January, through Aviation conference in March attended by a delegation from Poland, to first Boeing Dreamliner delivery to LOT Polish Airlines in November.  Our participation in inaugural business workshops in Chicago and meeting with Poland’s President in New York City, were a testimony to the contribution into a broader Polish American dialog and cooperation within international commerce.

Throughout the year, our members built numerous relationships and collaboration networks, including the Embassy of Poland Trade and Investment Section, Invest in Poland (PAIiIZ), Invest in Gdansk and Invest in Pomerania.  Our organization became a member of Association of Washington Business, World Trade Center Seattle, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, and participated in activities lead by Washington State Department of Commerce as well as local economic development authorities.

As we plan for the remainder of 2013 and pursue a multi-year strategic plan, we will focus on delivering a high value to our members and mission driven results in facilitating cooperation and exchange between Polish and American businesses for economic success.  We wish all our members and partners a prosperous year and successful business endeavors in the future.

2012: A Year in Review

• January – Dr. Henryka Bochniarz presentation on Growth Potential in Poland /breakfast networking seminar at World Trade Center in Seattle

• February – Participation in International Washington Day reception at a Governor’s mansion in Olympia

• March – Business Development Seminar at World Trade Center for aviation delegation from Poland led by PAIiIZ under auspices of Eastern Poland program

• May – Workshop in Chicago on Enhancing Poland – US collaboration initiatives with Polish American chambers network in US and Poland

  • June – Meeting with delegation from Poland led by Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza at Trade Development Alliance of Seattle

  • September – Next 50/Polish Festival Seattle – booth display and volunteer support for City of Seattle Next 50 ethnic celebration

  • September – Business conference and meeting with President Komorowski in New York City, Consulate of Poland.  Continuation of Polish American dialog on joint initiatives.

  • October – Hosting trade delegation from Gdansk and Pomerania at World Trade Center in Seattle and business meetings coordination with Seattle Port Commission, Association of Washington Business and Microsoft.

• November – Collaboration with Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Boeing Central Eastern Europe on Dreamliner events in Seattle commemorating Polish American cooperation in the aerospace sector.

The Honorable Beata Stelmach, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and Ryszard Schnepf, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States, presented the economic strength of Poland and potential as to why American companies may consider Poland as an attractive business destination.

Representing the US, Todd P. Schwartz, Deputy Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and Eric Stewart, President US-Poland Business Council spoke about resources, lesson’s learned and opportunities for future cooperation in US-Poland trade development.

During the panel discussion, distinguished speakers from the Polish Aviation Valley located in the Podkarpackie region, the management of Bumar – the largest defense group in Poland, the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modeling at the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Economic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and from the Katowice Special Economic Zone, discussed best practices and insights into successful investment and development projects undertaken by Polish and American businesses, showcasing various examples of Poland’s potential in the aerospace industry and the R&D field.

Celebrating the milestone of first European airline to operate a 787 Dreamliner, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines, Marcin Piróg shared the overview of airlines position in the market and plans for the future.  LOT will operate the 787 on short-haul flights across Europe in December, and will introduce the Dreamliner on its long-haul passenger service from Warsaw to Chicago in January 2013.  LOT will also use the 787 to operate routes from Warsaw to New York, Toronto and Beijing.  This delivery is the first of eight Dreamliner’s that LOT has on order from Boeing.

During a lunch reception hosted by Boeing Central and Eastern Europe, participants had an opportunity to hear from Nicole Piasecki, Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Integration for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, speaking about partnership and achievements of the Polish-American innovations, opening of the “Frank Piasecki and others” exhibit in Seattle and celebrated milestone of delivering first Boeing 787 to LOT Polish Airlines.

The seminar “The Polish-American Cooperation in the Aerospace Sector – Partnership Through Innovation”, was moderated by Dr. Henryka Bochniarz, President of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe overseeing Boeing Co.’s business strategy and activities in 12 CEE countries, including Poland.

Coinciding with the first Dreamliner delivery to LOT Polish Airlines a new exhibit opened on November 11, 2012 at the the Museum of Flight in Seattle honoring Frank Piasecki & other Polish aviation designers.   The exhibit will be available until the end of February 2013.

On November 14, senior LOT and Boeing executives, as well as Polish and US government officials, and local community representatives, celebrated the historic delivery at the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Mukilteo, Washington, near Boeing’s 787 assembly plant in Everett.  The aircraft was officially welcomed upon landing in Warsaw on November 15, by First Lady Anna Komorowska together with other Polish officials and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull.

Photo: Henryka Bochniarz, President of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe and Marcin Pirog CEO of Polish Airlines LOT 

The letter was sent to:

Dave McClure, Founding Partner & Sith Lord, 500 Startups;

Tina L. Seelig, Executive Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program;

Paul Graham, Co-founder,Y Combinator;  

Steve Blank, Serial entrepreneur,steveblank.com;

Guy Kawasaki, Founding Partner, Garage Technology Ventures;  

Michael Arrington, Founder, TechCrunch;

Tom Foremski, Editor, siliconvalleywatcher.com,

also was read by Minister Dziekoński during Poland – Silicon Valley Science and Technology Symposium in California on November 16th, 2012.

Please read the letter here: Polish President letter to the Silicon Valley entrepreneur community

NETWORKING RECEPTION and PRESENTATIONS ON BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN POMERANIA AND GDANSK, POLAND

The Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest hosted a networking reception featuring presentations on business opportunities in Pomerania and Gdansk, Poland. The event was held on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 5:30 am – 8:30 pm, at the World Trade Center in Seattle.

The evening’s program included brief presentations of the Pomerania region and city of Gdansk, an overview of strategic investment opportunities and introductions of IT companies participating in the mission,  followed by business networking and dinner. The mission was led by the Governor of the Pomerania Province Mieczyslaw Struk and the Mayor of Gdansk Pawel Adamowicz with CEO’s/Directors of the Gdansk Economic Agency InvestGda, Invest in Pomerania, Gdansk Entrepreneurship Foundation; Gdansk Incubator STARTER; and Pomeranian Economic Zone, Ltd. The goal of the mission was to promote Gdansk and the Pomeranian region, and to attract investments  opportunities for the region.

The second goal of the mission was to promote local companies representing the high technology sector. Participating companies included: Goyello; Datera SA; Optinav SA; Uxpin Ltd; Fido Intelligence Ltd; Around; FancyFon; Playsoft Ltd; Solwit SA; Speednet Ltd; and Sii Ltd.

PACCPNW is pleased that Seattle is among the top US markets forging closer relationship with partners in Poland. We  are delighted that the Gdansk/Pomerania trade delegations made a stop in Seattle, along with Silicon Valley and Chicago this week  to explore new potential for future cooperation and business success.

Reprinted from Olympia Business Watch

Pawel Adamowicz, mayor of Gdansk, Poland, poses with AWB President Don Brunell, left, and Janice Jaworski of Washington Business Week, during a welcome breakfast Monday for a delegation of visiting Polish business leaders.

Lt. Governor Brad Owen’s welcoming remarks

Welcome in Polish: Witamy!

A special welcome to Governor Mieczyslaw Struk (governor of Pomerania Province) and to Pawel Adamowicz, the mayor of Gdansk. Thank you all very much for including Seattle in your visit to the United States. I know my good friend Don Brunell assisted with the coordination of your visit, so we are grateful to Don and the Association of Washington Business as well.

And another special welcome to those of you in the delegation who may not have visited our great state before. I know you have just been in the Silicon Valley in California and will go next to Chicago, but part of my job today is to convince you that this region — the Puget Sound— and the State of Washington is the very best.

One reason we are the best is because of our rich diversity. Washington is one of the most diverse states you will find, from geography to business opportunities, to our ethnic populations, languages, our culture and the arts.

It is a state of stunning scenery from mountains to deserts, vast waterways, forests and natural resources. We have many exceptional man-made attractions as well, like our world famous Space Needle, our state’s ferry system, and many outstanding museums and performing arts centers. Seattle’s newest attraction is its Great Wheel, the largest observation wheel on the west coast, standing 175 feet tall with 42 fully-enclosed gondolas.

We are a state with excellent research universities, both public and private, and community colleges that are all equipping their students to work in the global marketplace. These institutions also draw students from around the world to study in our incredible centers of learning.

We are a state that is making a difference around the world, in global health and humanitarian aid, and in related scientific discovery. For instance, we are headquarters for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Vision, PATH, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and many more.

For those of you in the delegation who have been here before I hope you feel like you are visiting an old friend or relative. That is because Poland and the state of Washington are connected in so many ways.

Poland has been one of the most stable of all of the European allies with the United States over the past 23 years. Likewise, we in Washington also have enjoyed a wonderful, stable relationship with Poland in many areas.

Yesterday just marked the end of a nine-day run of the 20^th annual Polish Film Festival in Seattle, which featured the Northwest debut of many Polish films.

Three Washington cities have Sister City relationships with Poland. Of course Seattle has a longstanding and active relationship with Gdynia. The city of Lacey, a little to our south, has a sister city relationship with Minsk Mazowiecki.

And one small city, Camas, which is located near our state’s southern border, actually has three sister-city relationships with Poland: Krapkowice, Morawice  and Zabierzow. This is because their longtime city administrator lived for a year in Poland about 20 years ago and made it his passion to make these relationships work. To this day Camas has student exchanges with Poland every other year and Camas has also courted business relationships with Poland. There are frequent business delegations that go back and forth.

As Rogers Weed, our state’s director of Commerce, will also tell you in greater detail, the state of Washington is a strategic, global business partner. Washington is the closest port of call to Asian markets and serves markets in Europe as well. As you know, we have here a very active Polish American Chamber of Commerce to promote Polish American industry and innovation. We thank the Polish chamber for their assistance with your visit here too.

Of course, like the Silicon Valley companies you just visited, the state of Washington is known as a hub of technology and innovation, including Microsoft and all of its business partners, and being home of the world’s largest Internet merchant, Amazon.com. Perhaps you have enjoyed a cup of Starbucks coffee in Gdansk. Their worldwide headquarters is here. We are one of the largest regions for video game development and production.

And what company am I not mentioning? Oh, yes, a little aerospace company called Boeing. There are several Boeing executives here with us today, who are no doubt as thrilled as the rest of us are with the impending delivery to LOT Polish Airlines in Warsaw of Boeing’s first 787 Dreamliner to European markets.

It’s my understanding that plane, assembled right here in Washington from parts made around the world, will be delivered sometime in the next few weeks. There is a series of celebratory events planned for here in Seattle around that delivery, including visits by the U.S. Ambassador to Poland and the Polish ambassador to the U.S.

We are also known here in Washington for our agricultural products like apples, cherries, potatoes and wheat. What is really putting us on the map these days, however, is Washington wine. As I always say Washington may be number two among U.S. states in quantity, but we are number one in quality.

We now have 13 distinct wine regions within our state and at last count more than 750 wineries. With us here today are the president and director of resource development for Walla Walla Community College, Dr. Steve Van Ausdle and Doug Bayne, who can tell you all about all of the great things that college is doing to market Washington wine around the world and to train the workforce that produces these high-quality wines.

I have only had time to touch on some of the highlights of our state. The more you look around, the more you will like what you see and hear. We encourage you to take a close look at Washington, to find new ways to partner with us, and return again and again for business and pleasure.

Again, welcome. It is our honor to have you here. May your stay be productive and enjoyable.

The Polish-American community in the Pacific Northwest is well represented among the ranks of Boeing and Microsoft or Amazon engineers and researchers.  Polish scientists and professors teach at local universities and work in the medical industry. Small business owners and individual contributors are among many companies in neighborhoods across the region. In the last 50 years we’ve seen an amazing impact and innovations from Polish men and women pursuing their dreams and passions, to make a meaningful difference in the local economy.

Anna Senczuk is currently the managing editor of Radio Wisła, where she produces an educational program highlighting the latest scientific and technological discoveries. Anna holds an M.S. in Biotechnology from the University of Calgary, and attended Wroclaw Medical University in Poland. She is the author of various patents, publications and conference presentations on novel concepts in chromatography and cell harvesting. As a scientist for Amgen, she is working on developing and optimizing antibody purification processes for pre-clinical and clinical supply.

Peter Pawluskiewicz left a lasting legacy with his numerous patents and awards for innovations in the medical ultra-sound technology at Phillips. He was awarded with the Cavalier Cross of the Order of Merit, an honor bestowed by the President of Poland for promoting Poland abroad. Originally from Nowy Targ, a town in the Tatry Mountains of Southern Poland, Peter moved to Seattle in 1979. The mountaineer’s culture of bravery, honor, tradition and humor resonated throughout his life, and was reflected in Peter’s personal and professional achievements. His untimely passing in 2009 abruptly ended over thirty years of commitment to science and community, but his contributions live on for many years to come.

Dr. Andrew Sledziewski earned his PhD in Molecular Genetics at the Polish Academy of Science and moved to the United States to become a Senior Fellow at the University of Washington. Since then, Dr. Sledziewski has become a recognized name in Washington’s biotechnology industry. Currently the co-founder and CEO of Metheor Therapeutics, Dr. Sledziewski works tirelessly to take his work in biotechnology to the next level in the treatment of cancer and other major diseases.

Andrzej Turski is another Polish scientist who has made a significant impact in research and development of information technology. Among other accomplishments, Andrzej is a pioneer of social computing – a prototype in file sharing without actually sending files. Additionally, he has developed new financial applications for Microsoft Excel and was among the pioneering team that localized Microsoft software and developed polish language keyboard. He is a lead Software Development Engineer at Microsoft FUSE Labs in Redmond, Washington focused on inventing and implementing new creative ideas, particularly in the area of social computing.

Frank Piasecki was a Polish-American helicopter aviation pioneer. In 1943, Frank flew his PV-2 single-person helicopter, winning a development contract with the United States Navy. Frank formed the Piasecki Helicopter Corporation, which later became the Vertol Aircraft Corporation. Eventually, this corporation was sold to Boeing. Piasecki’s perseverance and innovation has left a deep mark in aviation history, and has inspired the development of many helicopters over the past years.  His legacy is carried on by modern aviation inventors both in Poland and the United States. A historic exhibit entitled “Frank Piasecki and Others” will open at the Museum of Flight in Seattle on November 11^th of this year.

These endeavors are merely a sample of the many Poles who have devoted their careers and lives to making a difference. The past 50 years have shown tremendous advancements in science and innovation, and the next 50 years will certainly bring many more. The Polish-American community is proud to be part of these incredible accomplishments and enthusiastic about opportunities ahead.

Written by Konrad Palubicki

Edited by Teresa Indelak-Davis

Representing the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest, Teresa Indelak-Davis and Janusz Wisniewski were honored to participate in the meeting on September 27, 2012 with Mr. Bronislaw Komorowski, President of the Republic of Poland, and business leaders active in Polish and US markets. Held at the Consulate General of Poland in New York City, the event was an excellent opportunity to highlight stronger US-Poland economic relations.

Speaking to representatives of the Polish-American Chambers of Commerce, Polish companies active in the U.S. market and U.S. investors, as well as Polish students participating in internships with US companies, the President stated that free economy can also become the foundation of ”building a good relationship between people, between nations and between states”. “There is a new phenomenon, which until recently seemed unrealistic, that the Polish capital begins to invest more and more money abroad”, President Komorowski noted.

Throughout the presentations, the President was made aware of current business initiatives spearheaded by the Polish-American chambers and business councils in the U.S. to strengthen economic ties with Poland. Attention was also drawn to two business events in the first half of the year, which gave a new impetus to cooperation for Polish American associations and businesses. They were the economic workshop in Chicago on “Enhancing Poland-US Collaboration” in May 2012, culminating with a joint declaration and the Polish-American Economic Summit, which took place in June in Warsaw.

Andrew Sledziewski, Ph.D

Metheor Therapeutics wants to find a cure for cancer. The Seattle-based biotech company, which completed two rounds of angel funding, collaborates with Polish Academy of Sciences Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics in Poland, University Clinic Mannheim in Germany, and Washington State University in Pullman, WA. The start-up has so far identified more than 30 candidate DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) enzyme inhibitors and established a fully functional laboratory running state of the art biochemical and in vitro testing of DNMT inhibitors.

Andrew Sledziewski, Ph.D, co-founder and CEO of Metheor Therapeutics, is a long time Washington State biotech industry veteran. Dr. Sledziewski co-invented a receptor fusion technology that is the basis for Rheumatoid Arthritis  blockbusters, Enbrel and Orencia.

Recently Dr. Sledziewski served as SVP Research at Epigenomics AG.  During his tenure at Epigenomics Dr. Sledziewski led a team that pioneered the development of cancer diagnostic tests based on DNA methylation. The first product, Epi proColon, blood-based diagnostic for colon cancer, is currently marketed in Europe and US.  Prior to joining Epigenomics, Dr. Sledziewski was SVP, Research at ZymoGenetics, Inc.  He supervised a staff of 90 scientists with a budget of more than $20 million. His team developed a series of protein-based drugs based on genomic information.  Dr. Sledziewski received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and continued his studies as a Post Doctoral Fellow at the University of Washington.

Dr. Sledziewski plans to introduce Metheor Therapeutics to the Northwest investment community and hopes to identify investors to help him take the company to the next level.

Life Science Innovation Northwest is the largest Life Science conference in our region. This year’s key note speakers are Malinda & Bill Gates Foundation CEO Jeff Raikes and Burrill & Company CEO G. Steven Burrill.

More about Life Science Innovation Northwest 2012 on Washington Biotechnology and Biotechnology Association website: http://www.washbio.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=145

“Looking Ahead-The state of Washington’s biotech sector tackles challenges” by Chris Rivera, WBBA President

Minister Pawel Pietrasienski, Bogdan Pukszta and PACC Chicago Board, "Passport to Poland" Metropolitan Club Chicago, May 18, 2012

The Workshop on May 19, 2012, Enhancing Poland-US Collaboration in Business- brought together impressive mix of Polish business, government and community leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. The meeting resulted in signing of the 3C’s Chicago Declaration.

The aim of this unprecedented summit was to increase business relations between Poland and the US to promote Polish economy and business prospects for smaller, family-owned companies.

The event was organized by the Trade & Investment Section of the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, Polish American Congress/Polish National Alliance  (PAC/PNA) and the Polish American Chamber of Commerce (PACC) in Chicago.

Minister Pawel Pietrasienski and his team from the Embassy conducted a daylong workshop at the Chicago Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel, PAC/PNA President Frank Spula hosted a dinner at the spectacular Copernicus Center and PACC Chicago Executive Director Bogdan Pukszta and his Board hosted a “Passport to Poland” networking reception at the exclusive Metropolitan Club in downtown Chicago.

Special guests included keynote speaker, Adam S. Wilczewski, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Chief of Staff and Maciej Cybulski, Illinois Department of Commerce European Office Manager.

Polish government was represented by Honorary Consuls in the U.S, Robert Lawrence Ashe from Atlanta, Robert Gardener from St. Louis and John Petkus from Las Vegas, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy in Warsaw, various voivodships and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP).  Three technological parks, Multimedia City Nowy Sącz, Nickel Technology Park Poznan, Technology Park Koszalin and several outstanding companies, FakroAmerica, AmRest LLC, TZMO SA, PEGASUS, Grotto, 4th Wave Consulting and others, showcased the private sector.

Representatives from chambers of commerce, business councils and sister-cities associations from Chicago, Washington, DC, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Palo Alto, Warsaw and Wroclaw contributed a unique mix and perspective.

The presentations and breakout sessions, live streamed by ARTV Chicago, addressed the challenges, priorities and actions necessary to build sustainable partnerships between the stakeholders. Impressive case stories from diverse regions offered inspiring solutions.

Presentation “Poland-US Collaboration in the Aviation Industry” by Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest Founder Eva Orlowska and incoming President Teresa Indelak Davis was well received and spurred a lively discussion.

Despite differences, a unanimous agreement was reached to strengthen collaboration, cooperation and communication, so called 3C’s, between the participants. Progress is to be reviewed and evaluated next year at a follow-up conference in Las Vegas in 2013.

A Declaration of Joint Effect on enhancing Poland-US cooperation in small business initiatives was signed by the participating stakeholders:

Polish American Congress/Polish National Alliance, Trade and Investment Section of the Embassy of Poland in Washington, D.C., Honorary Consuls of Poland in the United States, Polish Ministry of Economy and U.S. Department of Commerce, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG) and Illinois Trade Office in Warsaw, American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, US-Poland Business Council in Washington D.C., Polish American Chambers of Commerce in Chicago and Warsaw, Atlanta Polish Chamber, Polish-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and the Americas, US-Polish Trade Council in Silicon Valley and Polish American Chamber of Commerce of Pacific Northwest, Warsaw Committee of the Chicago International Sister Cities, Polish American Business Club in New York, Polish American Contractors and Builders Association, Polish Regional Authorities, Technology Parks and Academic Institutions, as well as private sector representatives from US and Poland

See the Full Declaration: Chicago Declaration May 19, 2012

See Conference Speakers and Full Agenda: https://www.paccpnw.org/event/enhancing-poland-us-collaboration-in-small-business-initiatives-challenges-and-perspectives-for-the-future/

US Congressman Jim McDermott with a Business Delation from Poland, heads of Trade and Investment Section of the Polish Embassy and Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, leadership of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest and members of Washington State Business

Former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels                                 US Congressman Adam Smith

On Monday March 12, 2012, Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest with support from The Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle hosted a seminar at the World Trade Center Seattle, focused on Trade and Business Development Opportunities with Poland. In attendance were business delates from Poland, visiting Seattle for the Aerospace and Defense Supplier Summit,  heads of the Trade and Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in Washington DC and the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency in Warsaw,  members of the Washington State Department of Commerce, leadership of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest, Seattle-Gdynia Sister Cities Association, Lacey-Minsk Mazowiecki Sister Cities Association, Polish Home Association in addition to representatives of Washington State big and small business.

The delegates from Poland were greeted enthusiastically at the World Trade Center Seattle by Honorable US Congressman Jim McDermott, Honorable US Congressman Adam Smith and Seattle Mayor 2002-2009 Greg Nickels. All three gentlemen supported the Polish American community’s efforts to lift the short-term visit visa requirements for Polish citizens. Both Congressman McDermott and Congressman Smith endorsed the visa waiver bill in the US House of Representatives and spoke of the importance of open travel to promote business development between Poland and the Pacific Northwest. Mayor Nickels spoke of the enormous potential that exists between the two trading partners and his excitement to participate in the Boeing 787-Dreamliner delivery later this year.

The program explored potential areas of investment and demonstrated why Poland is an attractive partner in strategic industries, such as IT, energy, biotech and aviation. Representatives from special economic zone created in eastern Poland introduced key industries emerging in their region, particularly those related to Aviation and High Tech industries. The Aviation Valley Cluster located in south-eastern Poland is famous for its aerospace industry and pilot training centers. Dense concentration of aerospace industry, scientific research centers, as well as educational and training facilities make this region one of the best places in Central Europe for the development and fulfillment of aerospace projects. Representatives from top companies in the region were available for business-to-business meetings and follow up after the event.

See program agenda and bios:

www.paccpnw.org/event/trade-and-business-opportunities-with-poland

Photos from the event:

www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.327213230669922.78880.125698214154759&type=1

For more information please visit:

www.washington.trade.gov.pl/en/aktualnosci/article/a,24666,.html

www.paiz.gov.pl/why_poland

Presentations from the event: 

1. Trade Development with Poland Pawel Pietrasienski, Head of the Trade & Investment Section Embassy of Poland in Washington DC

2. Business Investment Opportunities in Poland Bozena Czaja, Vice President Polish Information & Foreign Investment Agency, Warsaw and Monika Gasiorowska, Director Bureau for Eastern Poland Economic Promotion Program Implementation, Polish Information & Foreign Investment Agency

3. Introduction of Special Economic Zone Teresa Orczykowska, Manager, – Special Economic Zone Mielec

4. Overview of the Aviation Valley Marek Bujny, Vice President, Aviation Valley Association

President of the Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan,  Dr. Henryka Bochniarz, delivered presentations in Seattle at the World Trade Center on Thursday, January 12th, and at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs, on Friday, January 13th, 2012. 

Thursday’s breakfast networking event and presentation titled “Poland: A New Growth Pole in Europe” was sponsored by the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest and the local Polish American businesses. 

The World Trade Center Seattle event, an impressive kick off of 2012, drew Governor Gregoire’s Director of Economic Development Commission for Washington State, Egils Milbergs, Boeing sales directors,  Chere Marc and Lawrence Tolliver, President of the Polish Home Association John Golubiec, President of the East European Chamber of Commerce , Natasha Savage; in addition to the PACCPNW  directors, members and clients. 

Dr. Bochniarz spoke about Poland’s competitive advantage: its centralized location, skilled labor, entrepreneurial drive as well as the influx of the EU developmental funds. She presented the reasons for Poland’s continued resilience: its relatively small dependence on foreign trade, large and diversified internal market and financial conservatism.

Considered a gateway both to Eastern and Western Europe, Poland is the 6^th most populous country and the 7^th largest economy within the European Union,  with strong cultural and historical ties to the United States. The only EU member with a positive GDP growth during the recent global economic crisis, Poland is an attractive trading and business partner for the Pacific Northwest business, according to Dr. Bochniarz.  Key clusters of opportunity include defense, aviation, energy and healthcare.  Dr. Bochniarz extended an invitation to Seattle business leaders to attend the Second European Forum for New Ideas in Sopot, Poland which will take place on September 14-15, 2012. The First EFNI Conference in Sopot  was a huge success: www.efni.pl

Friday’s lecture at the University of Washington titled “Is This the End of Men’s World in Poland?” was attended by university faculty, students and members of the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee. Dr. Bochniarz spoke about the Congress of Women as the biggest social and economic movement in Poland since the rise of Solidarity. Inviting the UW audience to the Fourth European Congress of Women in Warsaw, also taking place in September 2012, Dr. Bochniarz stressed the importance and benefits of women’s inclusion in political life, business and on corporate boards,  as a means to further the economic development in Poland and Europe. The Third European Congress of Women at the Warsaw Congress Hall in 2011 drew over 7,000 participants. www.kongreskobiet.pl/en-EN/

President of Boeing Central and Eastern Europe, Vice President of Europe’s largest employer organization Businesseurope, Poland’s former presidential candidate and former Minister of Industry and Trade, Dr. Bochniarz has a long and impressive career. She has been received in Seattle as an international celebrity, where she autographed numerous copies of her best sellers: “Be Yourself and Win,”  “Heroes of Polish Transformation 1989-09,” and “Time for Women”.

Dr. Bochniarz plans to return to Seattle in the near future to continue her talks with the Polish American organizations to further develop and strengthen the economic and cultural ties between Poland and the Pacific Northwest region.

We thank the Event Committee,  Danuta Moc, Teresa Indelak Davis and Anna Berezow, for organizing the World Trade Center Seattle event and the sponsors, Danuta Moc, Real Estate Broker, Better Homes & Gardens Executive and Magdalena Witt, Dermavita for their generous support.

The event description: www.paccpnw.org/event/henryka-bochniarz-seattle

Photos: www.facebook.com

Powerpoint Slides Presentation: “Poland-A New Growth Pole in Europe.”

Powerpoint Slide Presentation: “Is this the End of Men’s World in Poland?” 

About WA Economic Commission Director Egils Milbergs: www.governor.wa.gov + www.innovate.typepad.com

About Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan http://pkpplewiatan.pl/en

Dr. Bochniarz’s Boeing bio www.boeing.com

Dr. Bochniarz’s website www.bochniarz.pl

About Europe’s largest Employer Organization BUSINESSEUROPE  www.businesseurope.eu

The first forty Top 500 Innovators from Poland completed their Science Management   Commercialization program at the Stanford Center for Professional Development on December 13, 2011. While in Palo Alto, the Polish Innovators toured number of world-famous hi-tech companies and learned about the ecosystem of Silicon Valley.

Poland’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education instituted a program Top 500 Innovators for young Polish scholars to undergo professional development at leading US academic institutions. The second group of top forty is expected to arrive at Stanford University in Spring of 2012.

Poland has all the tools, the economy, and the intellectual strength to become a leading world economy but innovation leadership is lacking. Part of the solution is to educate Poland’s intellectual elite to be not only deep discipline experts but also broad solution thinkers.

Polish institutions of higher education have produced many leaders in science, technology, and liberal arts whose potential was recognized, appreciated, and promoted abroad rather than in Poland. The higher learning and science institutions of Poland as well as of other European countries, functioning over centuries in an excessively conservative environment, themselves became constrained and rigid. A deep re-thinking of the structure of governance, financing, and accountability was needed. Deputy Minister, Secretary of State, Prof. Maria Elżbieta Orłowska spent the last four years preparing such reforms and  introducing them to the Polish Parliament. Her lecture at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University on December 13, 2011 addressed the nature of those reforms, the successes and difficulties of the process, as well as the EU perspective of the challenges in higher education. Reprinted from www.usptc.org.

Prof. Piotr Moncarz, the Academic Director of the Top 500 Innovators program at Stanford University, recommends a must-see Youtube video produced by the program participants. The students diagnosed the problem that they intend to fix in Poland upon their return from Silicon Valley. www.youtube.com

US -Polish Trade Council Report: “Modernization of Higher Education EU and Polish Perspective” by Prof. Maria E. Orlowska, Hoover Institution, Dec 13, 2011

See photo album by Lidia Thompson www.photobucket.com

About Prof. Piotr Moncarz (also advisor to Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest) and the US-Polish Trade Council Team: www.usptc.org/team

Blog of AGH Team from AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow (in Polish) about their visit to Silicon Valley http://zaghnastanford.blogspot.com

November 28 – 30^th, 2011 Palo Alto, California – Polish technology startups were on display in Silicon Valley.  Under the leadership of Dr. Robert Barski, Director, Academic Enterprise Incubator University of Zielona Gora , three winners of  the “Kreator Innowacyjnosci” under the “InnoFirma” entrepreneurship competition in Poland – organized by the Polish Business and Innovation Centers Association and subsidized by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education – were  invited to visit and experience the world-renowned Silicon Valley startup ecosystem.  Michal Bieniek,  Aperion Synthesis, Marcin Wisniewski, i3D and Bartosz Kubik and Maciej Wojenski from EkoEnergetyka went through an intensive Silicon Valley immersion program designed and facilitated by the Eurocal Group and Silicon Valley Link.

Partnering with the Polish Business and Innovation Centers Association,  the Eurocal Group and Silicon Valley Link designed and developed the program to promote Polish technology in Silicon Valley and maximize the entrepreneurs’ time in Silicon Valley, creating a greater understanding of why this region is home to so many world class technology companies, and the leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.  Equally importantly, the program was designed to show how Polish technology companies can plug into this region to enter the US market, attract US venture capital, and build world-class companies with global potential.

SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW OF POLISH EXECUTIVES  ON GOOGLE CAMPUS by New Tech Press & Footwasher Media

See Full Article on Trade & Investment Section Embassy of Poland in Washington, DC website

THE EUROCAL GROUP is a Silicon Valley based company building technology bridges between the Silicon Valley and the Polish technology sector. The group put on two series of workshops at technology parks and universities in Poland in 2011, introducing the Silicon Valley model, ecosystem and best practices to young Polish entrepreneurs and technology park leaders. The workshops took place in Krakow, Rzeszow, Kielce, Gdansk and Gdynia in 2011. Additional workshops are planned in Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan, Lublin and Torun in 2012.

The Eurocal Group intends to open its Polish offices and launch a new program in Poland – Kaufmann Foundation’s Fasttrac entrepreneurship education program www.fasttrac.org in early 2012. They are the first company to be qualified by Kaufmann to deliver these programs in Poland and are currently looking for the right Polish partners to help with implementation both in the US or Poland.

More about Polish Business News: www.washington.trade.gov.pl/news

Eva Orlowska, Congressman Adam Smith, Teresa Indelak Davis and Lacey City Council Andy Ryder, Tukwila, WA, Nov 22, 2011 Photo: Matt Perry

“Visa Waiver for Poland is an economic development matter for Washington State,” said Lacey City Council Andy Ryder at a meeting with Congressman Smith and Polish American delegates, Teresa Indelak Davis and Eva Orlowska, on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. Council Ryder who is also on the board of the Lacey-Minsk Mazowiecki  Sister Cities Association says, “Bills S.497 and H.R. 959 are about bringing more tourism from Poland to Lacey, 9th District and Washington State.”

“For the Lacey-Minsk Mazowiecki Sister City Association, the passage of the bills has a direct impact.  Every year we bring 10 students and 2 teachers from Poland to spend a month in the North Thurston high schools. Not only will the passage of these bills permit them to forgo the trip to Warsaw for the visa application process, it would also save them $140,” says Paul Perz, Past President of Lacey-Mink Mazowiecki Sister City Association.

“We want Polish students to come to the United States to spend their vacation dollars instead of the European Union where they can travel without visas,” says Council Ryder.

Three active sister cities associations in Seattle, Lacey and Camas have ongoing student exchange programs. Seattle-Gdynia Sister Cities Association, which just celebrated its 20^th anniversary, has won multiple awards for exporting the popular Washington Business Week to Poland, now offered in three Polish cities.  “This all translates into jobs in Washington State,” says Council Ryder.

“Poland is a productive member of European Union and NATO and yet still remains excluded from the Visa Waiver Program.  Polish Citizens who want to visit US must go through a cumbersome application process, often being denied on the first try.   We hope that Poland will finally join the ranks of Visa Waiver Program and its citizens can travel here more easily,” says Teresa Indelak Davis, Vice President of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest. “Piast Institute, a United States Census Bureau Census Information Center, reports over 129,000 Washington State residents of Polish ancestry. There are a lot of family and cultural ties between Poland and our region. This is an issue that matters to our residents,” adds Ms. Davis.

Congressman Smith, who had personally intervened on the visa requests for Polish citizens in his district, has agreed to study the bill and consider co-sponsorship. The bills are gaining momentum with 31 co-sponsors in the House and five co-sponsors in the Senate.

Please, send a letter to your legislators requesting visa waiver for Poland.

Sample letters:https://www.paccpnw.org/visa-waiver-for-poland/