As we are in the middle of one of the most historical political shake-ups that Denmark has ever seen, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) efforts in Denmark made a critical impact - and attracted nationwide attention.
During GEW Denmark, over 120 entrepreneurial events took place across the country and were registered in the joint event calendar. The local event makers showed initiative and engagement to make GEW 2022 the best one yet. With pitching events, networking events, workshops and everything in between it quickly became clear that the local event makers are ready to make an entrepreneurial impact - now more than ever.
GEW Denmark Launched During Uncertain Times
The Danish edition of Global Entrepreneurship Week jump-started and opened the week on Friday, Nov. 11 with a day full of activities. As a breakout, actors from the political world in Denmark and the European Union gathered with stakeholders from non-governmental and trade organizations for a politically-spun roundtable discussion. The event’s sole purpose was to open the eyes of policymakers to create and improve the foundation for entrepreneurship in Denmark.
As the day evolved, the entrepreneurial ecosystem got together for the official kickoff of Global Entrepreneurship Week. With more than 250 people in attendance, the main agenda was future possibilities, dreams and obstacles in efforts to reach common ground to better the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Denmark.
Denmark has historically been a country honoring permanent employment and the entrepreneurial spirit hasn’t been sown in our backyard. We need that spirit to rise from a foundation of wanting to start a business and not having to. Right now, the ecosystem is threatened more than ever before. Companies that go bankrupt are at an all time high, the rates of newly established businesses are at an all time low and the funding is hibernating over the winter. There has to be an understanding on all levels that innovation and entrepreneurial-friendly legislation is a must. The future will bring more problems for society than ever before and the startup ecosystem is the way forward to fight our biggest challenges, such as environmental issues. GEW Denmark surely took the pennant during the week and brought attention to our worries.
GEW Denmark Championed Entrepreneurial Needs and Stories During the Week
Global Entrepreneurial Week in Denmark received nationwide media attention and was featured on the most popular news channel. During the official launch day, Global Entrepreneurship Week was plastered on the biggest news channel in Denmark, TV2NEWS. With a reach of two million during the first hours of the day, the entrepreneurial tone was set. The news station visited two entrepreneurs who are fighting for survival and took time to shed light on the troubling times they are in. The recession, consumer behavior and the overall spikes in prices has made it near impossible to run a successful, sustainable business.
The Danish Broadcasting corporation had a 10 minute radio segment live from the official opening of GEW Denmark. Here, I, chairman of Danish Entrepreneurs and project manager of GEW Denmark, was live on air to speak on behalf of entrepreneurs. The need for change is urgent, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem is demanding a voice - a voice that resonated during the opening day and throughout the week.