April 23, 2023 - An important date for those interested in the strengthening ties between Croatia and its diaspora - ACAP 2023 (Association of Croatian American Professionals conference) is coming to Zagreb.

Wherever I look, i see shoots of hope for the future of Croatia. 

Entrepreneurs who are becoming more successful at business, a slowing down of the emigration in Osijek and surrounding area, and a much greater engagement from the Croatian diaspora with the young movers and shakers in the Homeland. Not to mention the steady trickle of those in the diaspora who have decided to return to Croatia for its safety, lifestyle and authentic experiences. You can read a number of interviews about their experiences in the TCN section, Croatian Returnee Reflections. 

One of the strongest bonds that has been built across the Atlantic has been with the Association of Croatian-American Professionals (ACAP), which has been doing excellent work promoting Croatia and ties to Croatia since its inception in 2014. The official website describes itself 

The Association of Croatian-American Professionals is an international network of 2,000+ professionals spanning all industries and academic communities.  Since 2014, ACAP has endeavored to connect and inspire Croatian-American professionals from the United States and around the world to exchange ideas and engage in business collaboration while preserving the cultural heritage we all hold dear to our hearts.

ACAP is a non-profit organization created to foster knowledge-sharing, networking, and promoting Croatian and Croatian-American professionals, and trade between the two. We are active in providing opportunities for professional development, promoting trade, bridging businesses and communities, and facilitating networking events. We welcome individuals of non-Croatian heritage who are active in the Croatian community.

And ACAP is coming to Zagreb! This year's ACAP 2023 conference will be held in Croatia for the first time, from July 5-8 in Zagreb, bringing together some of the heavyweights of the diaspora looking to develop more business and connections in Croatia. These include the CEO of the world-famous Cleveland Clinic, Tomislav Mihaljevic. Health tourism is a huge potential for Croatia, which boasts excellent in the field, and ACAP 2023 has made it a large focus of the event, backed by some very influential speakers in the field, including ACAP President, Dr. Steven Zivko Pavletic:

We hope you will be able to join us in Zagreb. Expectations are high and we will need your support to make this conference a full success. We hope to highlight the excellence of Croatian professionals in Zagreb with a force like never before.

More details on the July conference can be found here with the agenda and link to register. 

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What's it like living in Croatia, and where can you get the best survival tips? TCN CEO Paul Bradbury and TCN Editor Lauren Simmonds have teamed up to publish Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners.

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