EDGE Partners — FDI Advisory | Economic Development

Services for Companies & Investors

For foreign companies and investors entering the U.S. market, EDGE Partners provides the strategic guidance, government access, and on-the-ground expertise needed to navigate one of the world's most complex investment environments.

Market Entry Strategy

We help foreign companies define and execute a U.S. market entry strategy — identifying the right structure, location, partners, and timeline to succeed from day one.

U.S. market assessment and competitive landscape analysis

Entry structure advice: greenfield, acquisition, joint venture, or partnership

State and regional location analysis and site selection support

Go-to-market roadmap development and stakeholder mapping

VC Backed Company Support

EDGE offers structured advisory for venture-backed companies at every stage of U.S. market entry — from initial soft landing to full market establishment. Our engagements are scoped to match your funding stage, with defined deliverables and fixed fees.

Series A: U.S. soft landing assessment — legal structure, immigration pathway, CFIUS pre-screen, and federal program checklist

Series A-B: CFIUS readiness assessment — risk classification, investor analysis, and mitigation strategy

Series B: Full U.S. market entry program — entity formation, city selection, federal program applications, and VC ecosystem mapping

Series A-C: Federal program navigation — SBIR, STTR, DARPA, DIU, AFWERX, NIH, and IRA program eligibility and application strategy

Series C-D: Location and incentive advisory — site selection, ecosystem analysis, EDA introductions, and incentive negotiation

CFIUS & Regulatory Navigation

Foreign investment in the U.S. is subject to rigorous national security review and regulatory oversight. Our team has navigated these processes from inside the government and helps clients move through them with confidence.

CFIUS risk assessment and filing strategy

Interagency coordination and government relationship management

Export control, licensing, and compliance guidance

Mitigation agreement support and ongoing monitoring

Incentives & Grants

The U.S. offers significant federal and state incentives for qualifying investments — but navigating them requires insider knowledge. We identify, package, and negotiate incentive opportunities on behalf of our clients.

Federal grant and tax incentive identification and eligibility analysis

State and local incentive package negotiation support

CHIPS, IRA, IIJA, and other program navigation

Coordination with EDOs, IDBs, and financing authorities

Government Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement

Successful investment in the U.S. often depends on relationships with federal, state, and local government stakeholders. We open doors, manage relationships, and represent client interests at every level of government.

Federal agency engagement across Commerce, State, Treasury, and DOD

Congressional and executive branch relationship management

State and local government coordination and community engagement

Public affairs strategy and stakeholder communications

Services for Economic Development Organizations

EDGE Partners helps EDOs identify, attract, and close transformative investment projects. Drawing on our deep federal government experience and national network, we serve as a trusted extension of your team at every stage of the investment lifecycle.

Investor Origination

We source qualified foreign investors and companies actively seeking U.S. locations, matching your region's assets with the right opportunities at the right time.

Direct outreach to qualified global investors across 40+ countries

Sector-specific targeting aligned with your region's competitive strengths

Representation at SelectUSA Summits and international investment events

Warm introductions to decision-makers, not just referrals

In-Country Representation

EDGE serves as your trusted international representative, promoting your region or country directly in key global markets. We conduct investor meetings, represent you at trade shows and summits, and build strategic relationships on your behalf to ensure your location stays top-of-mind with priority investors.

Direct investor outreach and relationship management in target markets

Representation at trade shows, investment summits, and sector conferences

Ongoing market intelligence and investor pipeline reporting

Brand-building for your region with global investors and intermediaries

Strategy & Positioning

We help EDOs sharpen their value proposition, build compelling investment materials, and compete effectively in the global arena for high-quality investment projects.

Regional competitive analysis and investor-facing narrative development

Sector prioritization and target market identification

Marketing collateral review and pitch preparation

SelectUSA program strategy and representation

Trade Mission Support

EDGE designs and executes high-impact trade and investment missions that connect economic development organizations with global investors and partners. We provide end-to-end support from strategy and target identification through on-the-ground execution.

Mission strategy, market selection, and investor target identification

Full agenda planning, meeting scheduling, and logistics coordination

On-the-ground execution and delegation support

Post-mission follow-up and investor pipeline development

Our Team

EDGE Partners brings together former senior U.S. government officials, seasoned diplomats, and experienced private sector leaders united by a single mission: making cross-border investment into the U.S. work.

Leadership & Advisory Board

Firm Leadership

Our leadership team and board bring decades of experience at the highest levels of U.S. government and private sector investment advisory.

Jasjit Singh

Founder & CEO

As former Executive Director of SelectUSA, Jasjit led the U.S. government's flagship investment promotion program through its most successful period, facilitating $145 billion in foreign direct investment and working directly with Economic Development Organizations and investors across every U.S. state and territory. He brings unparalleled credibility with both the public and private sectors, and has built EDGE Partners to reflect his conviction that government expertise, applied at scale, is the most powerful tool in the FDI advisory market.

Bill Burwell

Founder & Board Member

Bill Burwell served as Deputy Executive Director of SelectUSA at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he worked alongside Jasjit Singh to build and run the program that became the U.S.'s central engine for attracting foreign direct investment. His deep institutional knowledge of the FDI landscape, combined with long-standing relationships across the U.S. economic development community, makes him a foundational voice in EDGE Partners' strategic direction.

Don Graves

Board Member

Don Graves served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, the second-highest position at the Department of Commerce, where he oversaw trade, investment, and economic competitiveness policy at the national level. A trusted advisor to multiple administrations, he brings extraordinary policy depth and C-suite credibility to the EDGE Partners board.

Alejandra Y. Castillo

Board Member

Alejandra Y. Castillo served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, leading the U.S. Economic Development Administration and its national network of regional programs. Her leadership on equitable economic growth, infrastructure investment, and regional competitiveness brings a vital dimension to EDGE Partners' work with communities and economic development organizations across the country.

Gary Sumihiro

COO & Board Member

Gary Sumihiro brings operational discipline and strategic leadership to EDGE Partners as Chief Operating Officer and Board Member. With a career spanning investment advisory, government engagement, and organizational management, Gary ensures that the firm's capabilities and client commitments are executed with precision and integrity at every level.

Kenny McDonald

Board Member

Kenny McDonald is one of the most respected economic development leaders in the U.S., having served for over a decade as President and CEO of One Columbus, consistently ranked among the top regional economic development organizations in the country. His practitioner's perspective on what it takes to win investment projects gives the EDGE Partners board rare ground-level insight into the EDO community.

Elizabeth Schaefer Husain

Chief Strategy Officer

Elizabeth Schaefer Husain serves as Chief Strategy Officer, bringing deep expertise in FDI strategy, economic competitiveness, and transatlantic investment flows. Her background in advising both public and private sector clients on complex cross-border transactions informs EDGE Partners' approach to strategy development and client engagement.

Chris Medina

Chief Technology Officer

Chris Medina leads EDGE Partners' technology strategy, overseeing the platforms, data infrastructure, and digital tools that give the firm a modern edge in investment facilitation and client service. His background bridges the worlds of technology innovation and government operations, enabling EDGE Partners to build scalable, secure, and effective advisory capabilities.

Senior Advisors

Former U.S. Diplomats & Industry Leaders

Our senior advisors are former U.S. diplomats and commercial officers who served across Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. They bring country-specific expertise and industry leadership that translate directly into results for our clients.

Fred W. Aziz

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat, multilingual senior advisor with deep expertise in the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye. Served in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and key posts across the region.

Yamilee Bastien

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat served in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. Global trade and investment advisor specializing in Latin America and the Caribbean, with deep expertise in mining, critical minerals, clean energy, and infrastructure.

Matthew Gaisford

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat with the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. Over three decades supporting market access, regulatory navigation, and government advocacy across Latin America.

Ian Hopper

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat with 23 years in the Department of State. Served as chief consular official in Toronto, Amman, and Baghdad, with additional postings in Canada, Iraq, Germany, India, the Philippines, and Jordan.

Sandeep Maini

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. Commercial Service officer in India with extensive experience supporting U.S.-India commercial engagement. A trusted bridge between American companies and one of the world's fastest-growing investment destinations.

Dev Palmer

Senior Advisor, Semiconductor & Microelectronics

IEEE Life Fellow and nationally recognized leader in microelectronics R&D with 35 years of government and industry experience. Recipient of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence and the DARPA Results Matter Award.

Ricardo Peláez

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat, served as Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Southeast Europe with postings in Brussels. International business strategist with nearly three decades advancing U.S. commercial interests worldwide.

Chris Quinlivan

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat with over 30 years in international trade, investment, and government engagement. Served in Southeast Asia, Canada, China, and Europe.

Christina Sharkey

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat served in the Czech Republic, Germany, Egypt, and China. Global trade and investment leader with a career spanning five continents.

Betsy Shieh

Senior Advisor

Former U.S. diplomat served in Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia. Retired in 2025 as a Senior U.S. diplomat at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Peter Winter

Senior Advisor, UK & Ireland

Trade and investment advisor who has spent decades supporting international expansion and strategic communications across East Asia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Advisory & Transaction Team

Specialists Across Every Dimension of the Deal

Our advisory and transaction team is built to support every stage of your investment, across disciplines and industries.