Project Diaspora (PD), a Texas registered not-for-profit, announced today the launch of BizSpring Africa Enterprise Development Programs, The programs include an on-line networking, innovation and entrepreneurship conferences and a resource databases that tap global skills and motivation to empower Africa’s small to medium sized businesses. These programs aim to act as a linkage between Africa’s entrepreneurs and innovators with resources to grow small to medium sized entities. PD aims to provide a platform for these program and is looking for collaborative partners to support this initiative.

PD teams are launching on-line networking, entrepreneurship conferences, and resource databases that tap global skills and motivation to empower Africa’s small to medium sized businesses. PD has signed agreements with US and African institutions of higher learning to collaborate on African Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conferences.

The first conference is planned for October 2010 in Lagos, Nigeria and it is branded in the West African sub region as the Adwuma Mbomu Program. This is being co-managed by PD partner, LoftyInc Allied Partners, a West African venture incubator, and it’s Nigerian subsidiary, Touchstone GIS, (www.loftyincltd.biz).

In April, PD entered an agreement with The Monterey Institute of International Studies, Graduate School of International Policy and Management, (www.miis.org), in Monterey, California, to facilitate introductions and collaborations with African schools. In May, PD opened official relations with the University of Lagos Faculty of Business Administration in Nigeria, which will host BizSpring’s Adwuma Mbomu’s 1st African Innovation & Entrepreneurship conference in October. In June, PD expects to enter a similar arrangement with a Kenyan University, known to be a robust source of scientific and technologic innovations.

Corporate sponsors include the ESRI Eastern Africa, (www.esriea.co.ke), which integrates geographic information system (GIS) hardware, software, and data.

Project Diaspora directors and advisors include:

Marsha Wulff, a private venture investor and a seasoned mentor of African entrepreneurs. Ms. Wulff founded AfriCeuticals, a social venture accelerator for African health enterprises. Ms. Wulff also serves as a director of business development at PD.

TMS Ruge, cofounder of Project Diaspora, a Texas registered not-for-profit that aims to motivate, engage, and mobilize

the financial resources and collective intelligence of Africa’s Diaspora as the engines to drive Africa’s future development.

Mr. Ruge frequently writes and speaks on the future of connectivity and technological innovations on the continent.