A new business club called American-Slovenian Club (ASC) has been launched in Washington to provide businesses with information and assistance as they seek to enter the markets of the US, Canada and Mexico.

The ASC will help Slovenian businesses in the US better connect with the diaspora and foster stronger collaboration among American Slovenian experts, entrepreneurs, professionals, and individuals.

"There are huge benefits to being present in the American market, but companies need to overcome the barriers to entry," Mirošič said, announcing the embassy's support for what is the first private club of this kind in Washington.

According to the ambassador, the initiative for the club came from the former head of the Slovenian Manager Association, Saša Mrak Hendrickson, who will also head it. The space for meetings and events will be provided by the embassy.

Members of American-Slovenian Club. Photo: Embassy of Slovenia in Washington,DC

The club's founding members are entrepreneurs and professionals living and/or working in the US who see more opportunities for Slovenian business and the diaspora. They want to foster open collaboration, support, networking, and various initiatives.

They include Bojan Škoda, Alenka Zavašnik, Dejan Spasovski, Matic Vizjak, Mihael Cigler, Tina Slabe and Urša Magajne Prepeluh.

"Primarily, we aim to inform Slovenian companies entering or already present in the American market that it is demanding, sizeable, and requires considerable effort, patience, work, professional legal and tax support, as well as financial investment," Mrak Hendrickson said.

"We want to build a network that can, at the very least, alleviate some of these challenges and expedite the process. That's why our founding members represent diverse expertise, each contributing knowledge and experience from various fields, including legal, international relations, marketing, sales, logistics, investment, tourism, business, and more," the club's president added.

Slovenia's Consul General in Cleveland Alenka Jerak, who attended the club's inaugural meeting on 8 December, proposed the club visit Northeast Ohio in February 2024 to meet American entrepreneurs of Slovenian descent and representatives of the Slovenian community, and hold discussions with US business partners and economic institutions.

Three-quarters of all Slovenians and Americans of Slovenian descent live in the six states of the Midwest. She highlighted the numerous untapped economic opportunities for Slovenia and Slovenian companies in the region, which collectively represents the world's 4th largest economy.