Georgian Entrepreneurs Visit Area and Experience Free Trade Firsthand

WESTBOROUGH _ “Ketili ikos tkveni mobrdzaneba” is Georgian for welcome and that is exactly what PENTA Communications, Inc. an integrated marketing firm in Westborough is doing for the next couple of weeks. PENTA Communications, Inc. was selected to participate in an International program, “Community Connections,” sponsored by “USAID from the American People” and administered by ‘’World Learning for International Development.” The firm will be welcoming a new member to its team.

“I am thrilled that Zurab Beselia, who is the head of the New Product Development Department for the largest Telecommunications company in Georgia, “Magticom”, a republic of the former Soviet Union, will be joining our team this fall,” Penta said.

According to Penta, Beselia will spend four weeks at PENTA Communications Inc., job-shadowing Penta and her employees.

“This is a wonderful experience for our organization from a cultural perspective and vice versa,” Penta said, whose first marketing and advertising job was overseas in London, England.

The goal of the program is to provide practical business experience to foreign entrepreneurs through hands-on personal contact with their American counterparts and expose them to the daily functioning of a free market economy.

“This program helps to further democratic values and promote prosperity in Georgia by assisting the development of small to mid-sized companies,” Penta continued. “It is designed to promote public diplomacy, exchange cultural ideas and value among the participants in the program.”

A total of 10 participants will be involved in the program and are being placed with private companies throughout Central Massachusetts.

Beselia will not only be job-shadowing at PENTA Communications, Inc. but will experience the Massachusetts area, going on cultural trips with the other program participants.

Some of the highlights of things he will be doing with the Penta team include touring the Harvard School of Government, Visiting Nypro and the Russian Icon Museum, attending a Worcester Chamber Business After Hours, attending the Montachusett Girl Scout Council’s “Fork It Over” fundraising event, attending a Make-A-Wish gala planning meeting, attending a “Welcome Reception” Penta is hosting in his honor, attending a Corridor Nine Breakfast meeting, participating in a “Media Training Day” at Penta’s headquarters, as well as attending a myriad of client meetings.

“This is my first visit to the USA and I am very happy that my business internship program is in such a wonderful company like “PENTA Communications, Inc”. Since the very first moment of my stay in the company, I have met highly skilled professionals who are very friendly and welcomed me to their team. I am sure that the professional and intercultural experience I have gained from my American “colleagues” will be useful in my future professional career,” Beselia said.

“These exchange programs help improve the image of the United States abroad,” Penta said. “This will be personally gratifying to the entire team at PENTA Communications, Inc.”Last year Penta participated in a similar program hosting Jamie Bailey, a young entrepreneur and president of a marketing firm from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who came to PENTA Communications, Inc. through a trade mission funded by the Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Young Entrepreneurs Development Initiative, led by the Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Corporations.

Eleven entrepreneurs traveled from Nova Scotia to Boston to meet with New England-based companies to explore possible business partnerships and learn about doing business in the US.

“To successfully compete in today’s business climate, you must be open to many things. Being willing to explore opening doors to do business in other world markets is key,” Penta said.

Penta remembers her professional origin abroad in Great Britain and throughout the years has traveled to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand and Ireland. At PENTA Communications, her staff is culturally diverse with professionals born and raised in the United States and others that have lived in or traveled all over the world. One associate was born and raised in Germany; another in England, another in France and one was born in Mexico and traveled throughout England, Ecuador, Nepal, Germany, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Holland, Thailand, India and Pakistan. It is that diversity which Penta feels makes her company a perfect candidate for this program.

“We believe Zurab will feel right at home at PENTA Communications amongst an internationally diverse and seasoned crew of executives,” Penta added.

According to Beslia, that is already what is happening in his first few days at the company.

“I want to personally thank Deborah for her huge input, she’s done a lot for me and I really appreciate it. All the people on the team I really enjoying working with so much and will miss them. This is a very friendly atmosphere and I really enjoy it,” he said. “The intercultural experience I am getting at this company, having all the meetings with many clients is going to be really a big step ahead in my career. I’m going to really miss everyone. This is such a wonderful company. Boston and the New England area are just wonderful too. I want to thank everyone at PENTA Communications, Inc.”