Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Friday expressed gratitude to the Skolkovo Foundation’s Ekaterina Inozemtseva and Alina Suslova for their work in promoting entrepreneurship in Russia.
Inozemtseva is the Foundation’s director of strategy, while Suslova is a key project supervisor.
Medvedev with Suslova, center, and Inozemtseva. Photo: sk.ru
Medvedev handed certificates to the pair at a ceremony at the Skolkovo Hypercube on Friday before clinking champagne glasses together.
"The government has a few presents to give, although these presents are always pieces of paper," Medvedev joked. "These papers express the government's attitude to the work of one person or another and organizations," he added.
Inozemtseva and Suslova have been central to Skolkovo’s efforts to encourage innovation in Russia over the last few years, organizing key events such as the now-annual Startup Tour and Startup Village, and Skolkovo’s delegation to Slush, Europe’s largest startup conference.
"I'm very proud to receive this award, but I want to point out that this isn't my personal achievement, but the achievement of the entire team," Inozemtseva said.