Rainmaker took advantage of an excellent opportunity to spend a fast-paced day with a wide range of relevant government officials.  The US Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce held a Haitian Reconstruction Forum at Drexel University in Philadelphia on Monday, June 7th.  It was a bit like drinking from a firehose, but we came away with pages of notes, including numerous specific actions for follow-up, as well as several promising personal connections.

Greater clarity was brought to the interaction and opportunities with many US government agencies, including…

• US Export Assistance Center
• World Trade Center
• US Department of Commerce
• US Commercial Service
• Inter-American Development Bank
• US Agency for International Development
• Overseas Private Investment Corporation
• US Trade and Development Agency
• International Trade Administration
• Minority Business Development Agency

In addition to the leadership from the above US government organizations, participants had the opportunity to hear personal thoughts on Hait reconstruction from a number of elected and appointed officials, including…

• Jean-Sebastien Riche, Vice Consul, Haitian Consulate in NYC
• Chaka Fattah, US Congressman, 2nd District of Pennsylvania
• Michael A. Nutter, Mayor, Philadelphia, PA
• Edward G. Rendell, Governor, Pennsylvania

It’s great to know there is so much support available to Rainmaker in Haiti.  Now it’s time to get back to work and convert the strategic notes to a tactical gameplan for fast execution!