Jesper Loevendahl (left) and Dan Trampedach has connected across the Atlantic Ocean to establish DABGO - Danes Abroad Business Group Online. They met in Copenhagen to make a common presentation of the initiative.

Executive summary: It all started when Jesper Loevendahl had no one to dine with "in the middle of nowhere". Today the organisation Danes Abroad Business Group Online has 7,500 members and aiming at 25,000 in the years to come. Purpose: To strengthen business for Danes abroad.  Although it is not for foreigners, they can join certain arrangements - and adapt the whole concept for free. By Peter Horn Photos by Pamela Stacey Juhl Danish Jesper Loevendahl was sitting all by himself "in the middle of nowhere", in a hotel room in Chicago, with a burger in  on hand and the remote controle in the other, as he did the day before, the week before - and the year before, when he got the idea: "Other Danes may be in the same situation somewhere in this city - and if we joined forces we might all benefit both professional and social."

This was autumn 2006. He decided to establish a network based on the professional inter-network Linkedin. Today, with co-founder Dan Trampedach in Switzerland and 96 fireballs, Danes Abroad Business Group Abroad, DABGO, has 7,500 members worldwide - and an ambition of reaching 25,000 within the next few years, the founders told participants at a meeting at Skt. Petri Hotel in Copenhagen with topics like "Denmarks international capital",  "Brain drain" and "How to increase Danish export"´on the agenda. 

Jesper Loevendahl is a sales and marketing director of Danish golf car company Garia Inc. in Florida, and Dan Trampedach is partner in the it firm Thomsen Trampedach Gmhb. in Switzerland.

First in the World
The founders, both speakers at the presentation of the topics, stressed, that Denmark is the first country to use social media like Facebook. Linkedin and Ning for a global strategy, that is ment to increase Danish exports, Danish inter-state trade, promote Danes' international careers and create an infra structure for sharing knowledge and experience on a global basis. They told an audience of  more than 100 that they have "succeeded in this through an NGO strategy where the members are the drivers". They thus underlined that DABGO is not a top down organisation as has been the case with many former initiatives. 

The goal for DABGO has been and is to build a global business network driven by the members on a pro bono basis. The founders state that "DABGO will work for securing the globalisation of Denmark and turn the Danish brain drain to brain gain".

"Every first Wednesday in the month danes in 40 cities in six continents meet to network, share local experiences and create a social beathing holes for Danes abroad or passing by. At these "Stambord"'s arrangements (in Danish meaning your preferred table at a restaurant)  everyone is welcomed - also foreigners associated to Danes, Danish businesses or Denmark. However only Danes can become members."

The Stambord arrangements were started in New York in 2008 and are now held from Cape Town to São Paulo, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Sydney and London - not to mention Copenhagen. If one wants to become a member in Denmark one has to show on the personal CV on Linkedin residence in a foreign country for at least two year - not necessarily in a row.

The concept is free
Mr. Loevendahl is well aware there's a bit of "Denmark for the Danes" in the intiative, but it is not "ment that way. We just can't cope with taking the whole world in as we are entirely pro bono based. So we'll  do the next best ting, namely to show the good example and give away the concept for free. All other nationalities can do the same - just by adapting our concept. The hard work is of course to build up the organisation. That took us a lot of time, but I was surprised how fast things moved when we actually had established the memberbase platform," Jesper Loevendahl says. 

DABGO is in touch with the Danish Foreign Ministry - also on a local basis - and with organisations like Danes Worldwide.

"We're the only one to have the unique combination of social networks on the web and personal meetings and thus we have and make no competition," Jesper Loevendahl states.

Funding wanted
Membership of DABGO is free and this will not be changed, according to the founders. However they have a need for funding as the plan is to hire an operation manager to help getting things done as the organisation grows.

"We are looking for a couple of million Danish kroner (US $355,000)  and we think that will not be a problem. After all, DABGO can help Danes posted abroad to build a good network and to have their everyday problems solved by meeting other Danes in the same community. DABGO is worth a lot to large, international Danish companies so we think some of the companies will support our initiative."

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www.dabgo.net