Nawaf Alfaouri, Economic Development Specialist at Greenfield Advisors, recently joined the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle (TDA). The TDA is Greater Seattle’s premiere international organization. Founded in 1990, the TDA promotes the Greater Seattle region internationally for business and trade, connects companies and institutions with international opportunities, and educates the public on topics related to the international economy.

The TDA has regionally partnered with Snohomish County, King County, Pierce County, Port of Everett, Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, City of Everett, City of Bellevue, City of Seattle, City of Tacoma, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, as well as organized labor groups.

Greenfield Advisors, having decades of global consulting experience, presents to the TDA a host of international opportunities to Greater Seattle organizations and businesses. Greenfield looks forward to aiding TDA’s core objectives, which include:

  • Connecting visiting international business delegations and foreign dignitaries with TDA members and partners
  • Organizing sector-focused business missions to connect TDA members and partners with key companies, investors, and trade organizations in international markets
  • Serving as Co-secretariat for the International Regions Benchmarking Consortium, a network of global metropolitan regions finding solutions for common issues and building globally competitive cities
  • Hosting a Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO) for the World Bank Group. There are 10 PSLOs in North America, and their function is to connect local companies and institutions to procurement and export opportunities offered by the World Bank

TDA members will find value in Greenfield’s network in the MENA region, namely, where Greenfield has established a prominent presence. Having advised various Jordanian Ministers and top business leaders, Greenfield is the go-to economic and real estate consulting firm when expanding operations into Jordan.

Left: Special Representative, Mr. Ziad Haider, Second Left: U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, Her Excellency Alice G. Wells, Center: Jordanian Prime Minister, His Excellency Hani Mulki, Far Right:  Mr. Nawaf Alfaouri, Economic Development Specialist, Greenfield Advisors.

Greenfield joined the TDA after a successful initiative in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This initiative has seen Greenfield’s presence expand into Jordan, where Greenfield coordinated the visit of one of its U.S.-based tech venture capital funds, which invest specifically in seed stage companies. The success in the region gained international recognition, and Greenfield Advisors was invited by the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, Her Excellency Alice G. Wells, to attend nation-to-nation talks as a U.S. business delegate representing the U.S. Private Sector.

Headed by Alfaouri and Dr. Clifford Lipscomb, Vice Chairman and Co-Managing Director at Greenfield, and launched in March 2016, “The MENA Initiative” seeks to increase awareness on economic opportunities in Jordan and the MENA region for U.S. investors. Greenfield followed up on the awareness campaign by coordinating meetings for clients desiring to invest in the region.

In Part 2 of our series on the Trade Development Alliance next week, we’ll examine the many services Greenfield Advisors provides and how they can benefit the TDA.