New York, NY, June 20th, 2022 – More than 360 participants joined the 6th Annual Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP) conference held at the iconic New York Athletic Club in New York City from June 16th – 18th, 2022. A quarter of the participants traveled from Croatia while the rest included Croatian-Americans who are members of ACAP, as well as other business leaders, investors, advisors, and friends of Croatia from the United States and beyond.
Pictures: Conference at NYAC – Attendees Group Photo and a moment from Rimac Keynote Address
This year’s conference motto, “Innovation, Collaboration & Sustainability,” was inspired by the regional and global successes of the companies highlighted at the conference. The goal of this historic gathering of Croatian unicorns and soonicorns was an opportunity to celebrate Croatian business achievements and to discuss the opportunities which lie ahead. Since the shared ambition of Croats in attendance was to capitalize on the recent successes while discovering new avenues for future ventures, the conference highlighted ACAP as the mechanism to foster idea generation and networking and to connect those who value mutual collaboration, innovation, sustainable business practices, and charitable work.
The conference was made possible through generous donations from individuals and companies through their time, in-kind, and monetary contributions. This includes platinum sponsors HTZ, Drzavni Ured Za Hrvate, and ACAP New York Organizing Committee; silver sponsors Fyve, KPMG, and the Sanguinity Foundation; and bronze sponsors Infobip, ZSEM, PwC, OptimizeRx, Knobbe Martens, Bagatin, Museum of Illusions, Badel, Stentor, Skok123, Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Entrio, and our contributors Hometown Club, RIT, and CMG Digital.
The outcomes of the conference were manifold. First, Croatian leading businesses and startups had an opportunity to come to New York and share their story with the US-based Croats and friends of Croatia. Collectively, these companies helped paint a picture of just how advanced the Croatian technology start-up and entrepreneurial ecosystem is, home to some of the world’s leading companies (such as Rimac and Infobip). Second, it was a gathering to identify common opportunities and challenges, which include the physical presence in the U.S. market. Third, ACAP, through its broad network, was recognized as a mechanism that can be used to grow partnerships, fine-tune selling and marketing practices in the U.S. markets, and identify high-level talent. That said, ACAP conference attendees broadly agreed that everyone is responsible for taking this momentum forward, one person, one company, and one collaboration at a time.
ACAP is a non-profit organization bringing together professionals, business leaders, academics, students, and community organizers. Its mission is to foster leadership and collaboration and to promote the advancement of issues relevant to the Croatian-American community. Since 2014, ACAP has hosted six annual conferences, launched 12 regional chapters in the United States and Croatia, and includes over 2,000 members. ACAP Foundation, as the Association’s charitable arm, has invested almost $500,000 in various humanitarian and philanthropic projects to date. To join or learn more about us, visit www.croampro.com.
