USAID / Nathan Associates (August 2013-September 2018)
Since June 2013, Kenan has led the SME component of the USAID-funded ASEAN Connectivity through Trade and Investment (ACTI) project, led by Nathan Associates.
USAID-ACTI is a five year project designed to increase economic engagement and cooperation between ASEAN countries and the U.S. With the launch of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, the U.S. government has aligned its development assistance priorities to support such regional integration. The SME component focuses on capacity building, improving market access and supply-chain linkages, and upgrading related technologies and financing prerequisites. In the process, Kenan has worked closely with the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), under the US-ASEAN Business Alliance for Competitive SMEs (Business Alliance) to mobilize world-class expertise from over 20 U.S. corporations.
Overall, some 4,000 SMEs and individuals across ASEAN, over one-half of whom are female entrepreneurs, have participated in trainings and technical assistance activities conducted by ACTI and the Business Alliance between September 2013 and September 2015. From October 2014 to September 2015, 2,165 SMEs (1,137 of which were led by female entrepreneurs) took part in ACTI-SME activities. These activities work to promote female entrepreneurship and assist SMEs in Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, the four less developed ASEAN Member States.
