GO-Biz Concludes a Series of Events Focused on Attracting International Businesses to California

Jul 11, 2022 | Press Release

GO-Biz participated in multiple foreign investment attraction events in June, including leading a delegation of California economic developers to the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C.

Sacramento, CA – GO-Biz recently concluded two weeks of events focused on engaging with international businesses to highlight opportunities in California. The events showcased California as the ideal business destination:

A biotech tour of San Diego with a delegation from Taiwan, coordinated by GO-Biz in partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service in Taiwan.
The SelectLA Investment Summit in Los Angeles, at which Director Dee Dee Myers delivered a keynote address on why international businesses choose California.
The SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., to which GO-Biz led a delegation of local economic developers from across the state.
The SelectSF Investment Summit in the Bay Area, at which GO-Biz staff spoke on a panel highlighting opportunities for biotech businesses.

These events provided opportunities to engage with expanding international companies with interest in establishing operations in California. The GO-Biz International team engaged with more than a hundred such businesses, sharing resources on incentives, services, industry clusters, and other resources to help businesses choose the Golden State.

These efforts were in alignment with Governor Newsom’s goal of promoting California as a top destination for business. As Director Myers noted in her keynote at SelectLA: “California, as the world’s fifth largest economy, plays an outsized role on the global stage – whether it’s our shared border with the country’s most significant trading partner or our strategic position on the Pacific Rim. We are the top state exporter in 26 industries and the #1 U.S. state for jobs supported by foreign businesses, and as such, global engagement is a top priority for my office. Foreign investment is a critically important part of our economy and something we want to continue to amplify.”

The anchor event for these efforts was the SelectUSA Investment Summit, hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. GO-Biz is a longstanding participant in the Summit, and this year California had a more significant footprint than ever before, as a Diamond-level sponsor with a large and welcoming booth that received attendees from around the world.

California’s Lt. Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, led the California delegation – the first time that a senior elected official participated in the event. “Of the 51 states and territories represented at the Summit, California had the largest delegation, and I was enormously proud to lead this team representing the fifth largest economy in the world. I assured Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimundo and her team that they can count on seeing us again at next year’s Summit in even greater numbers,” said Lt. Governor Kounalakis.

At the Summit, GO-Biz also hosted a ‘Meet California Breakfast’ that included a panel discussion on California’s talent base with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Senior Global Director of Public Policy at Tesla.

The success of California’s participation at the SelectUSA Summit was thanks to close partnership with the California Employment Training Panel and the California delegation to SelectUSA, which included a diverse group of local economic development leaders from across the state:

Lance Hastings, CA Manufacturers & Tech Assn.
Stephen Baiter and Xian Ballesteros, East Bay EDA
Connie Stopher, Economic Development Coalition
Julian Ramos, Fresno EDC
Soua Vang and Bradley Calvert, Glendale
Debbie Adler, Global LA
Darlene Chiu Bryant, GlobalSF
Troels Adrian, GSEC,
Scott Adair, Humboldt
Chris Lynch, IBA
Patrick Ellis, Impact SW Riverside
Tim Kelley and Sean Willcock, IVEDC
Alex Andrade, Milpitas
Scott Agaganian, Murrieta
Josh Boswell, REACH
Tony Yung, Sac China Trade Office
Jenny de la Mora, San Bernardino County
Joi Eubanks, Small Business Majority
Robin Reimold, TeamCA
Ray Bowman, Ventura SBDC
Stephen Cheung and Michael McClune, WTCLA
Lucas Coleman and Javier de Leon, WTCSD

The California delegates reported positive feedback after the Summit. Lance Hastings, President and CEO of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, noted that “participating in the SelectUSA Summit was a fantastic opportunity for CMTA. Driving foreign investment to our state and helping foreign companies take root in California means more high-quality jobs for Californians, homegrown innovation, and a greater competitive edge for California manufacturers. We were proud to be a sponsor this year and to represent the Golden State in Washington, D.C.”

Troels Adrian, Vice President of Business Development at the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC), which served as GO-Biz’s fiduciary for the Summit, said that “GSEC had a wonderful experience being part of the California delegation and we saw stellar results. We valued the opportunity to represent the state with delegates from communities across California and look forward to seeing the real impact this work will have on the ground in the Greater Sacramento region.”

Deputy Director for International Affairs and Trade Emily Desai, who leads the State’s foreign investment attraction work, noted that international businesses bring significant benefits. “Foreign investment contributes more than capital and jobs to our state – innovation is a key component to our economy, and it’s something international businesses are bringing in spades. New research, new ideas, and new perspectives keep California’s economy so dynamic.”

You can follow the GO-Biz International team’s efforts by subscribing to their newsletter, following @CAGoBiz on Twitter and searching for #GoBizInternational across social media platforms.

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit the GO-Biz website.

Heather Purcell
Deputy Director of Communications
Email Heather, HERE