The U.S. Ambassador to Austria, Alexa Wesner has been supporting the Austrian startup community since she took office in 2013. Her commitment stems from her own experience as a serial entrepreneur. We asked her what she thinks are the most important elements when it comes to developing a successful ecosystem of innovation.
Dear Readers,
Innovators courageously engineer better societies, oftentimes at great personal risk. Some fail and learn. Some succeed and profit. A rarer few become champions whose ideas change the way the world works, and whose accomplishments tell silent stories that inspire others.
Champions accelerate the pace of society in a way no one else can. In doing so, they model risk, creativity and courage. We admire them and they serve as standard-bearers for others. Oftentimes they teach, mentor, and invest in the next generation.
Heroes are champions who give back. They found communities, which develop cultures and ecosystems that inspire, rally, train, and unleash new innovators, champions and the next generation of heroes.
Let’s celebrate our heroes. More than mere icons, they are the beating heart of an ecosystem that will grow and develop into a better future for all of us.
Alexa Wesner
