Karolina Dehnhard, managing director of the International Transaction Group at Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., was a guest of the Polish government and a featured speaker at the recent European Economic Forum in Poland.

As the President of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce North-East, Ms. Dehnhard concentrates on connecting start-ups as well as established businesses with their counterparts in the United States and Poland. She spoke about the opportunities for American companies to invest in Poland and for Polish-based companies to conduct business in the US.

“The pandemic has actually made the globe a smaller world,” said Karolina Dehnhard. “People, while sitting in front of their computers, were able to connect with professionals from different sectors across the globe, making the concept of taking business global within closer reach.”

At the conference, Ms. Dehnhard discussed her prior experience promoting business development in South Korea, Spain, Ireland and Cuba through her affiliation with Leading Women Entrepreneurs, an organization that named her one of the Top 25 Women Entrepreneurs in New Jersey. She outlined a roadmap for companies to follow to forge partnerships with professionals globally, leading to the expansion of their businesses.

Ms. Dehnhard also emphasized the importance of understanding that doing business between various countries requires the cooperation of various governing boards, both private and political. Her panel at the conference included professionals from the Polish Embassy, the Polish government and private agencies, all which play a pivotal role in these types of transactions.

She highlighted that at the core of American companies’ interest in doing business in Poland is the access to funding available through the European Union. She commented, “We have made substantial in-roads with established entities in Poland that serve as the partnership arm in the application process to secure funding. Given these relationships, this is the prime time to consider manufacturing or selling services or products in Poland by US clients.”

Under the slogan “Europe in Search of Leadership”, the 30th Economic Forum was held in Karpacz, southwestern Poland. The event was attended by more than 3,000 people, including representatives of the Polish government and guests from abroad. The Forum is the largest meeting platform in Central and Eastern Europe, offering discussions about security, prospects for economic development, contemporary challenges and overcoming crises as well as presenting specific solutions.