WASHINGTON — Leaders from the global entrepreneurial ecosystem will gather in Quito, Ecuador, on October 5-7 for GET Forum 2026, the Inter-American Development Bank Group’s (IDB Group) flagship event on innovation and early-stage investment for development of which GEN is a co-organizer for 2026. The forum aims to turn the region's entrepreneurial drive into businesses, investment and development impact at scale.
More than 100 international speakers and 800 participants are expected to attend the high-level conference in Quito, along with over 2,000 attendees at the Innovation Village on the opening day. Confirmed speakers include Jeff Hoffman, Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and tech entrepreneur; venture capital leaders Rebeca Hwang and Nicolas Berman; Casey Weston, LinkedIn’s Global Head of Labor and Economic Policy; Sariha Moya, Minister of Economic and Productive Development of Ecuador; and María Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy of El Salvador.
“Entrepreneurial talent exists in every country. What determines whether that talent transforms an economy is the strength of the ecosystem around it,” said Graham Macmillan, CEO of IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the IDB Group. “Entrepreneurs need investors. Investors need market intelligence. Governments need evidence. Universities need industry partners. Innovation becomes development impact only when those connections exist — and GET Forum is designed to build them.”
“Ecuador is committed to making entrepreneurship, innovation and investment engines of long-term economic growth,” said Minister Sariha Moya. “Hosting GET Forum gives us the opportunity to connect our entrepreneurs and businesses with global investors, technology leaders and partners, while positioning Ecuador as an active contributor to the region’s innovation economy.”
Despite high levels of entrepreneurial activity across the region, many promising innovations still struggle to reach scale. GET Forum serves as a convening platform, bringing together founders, investors, policymakers, corporations, universities, development partners and ecosystem builders to catalyze collaboration. For countries seeking new sources of productivity, competitiveness and quality employment, building those connections has become an economic imperative.
Co-organized by the IDB Group, the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), the Alliance for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of Ecuador (AEI), and the government of Ecuador, this year’s GET Forum will focus on three priorities:
- Expanding economic opportunity through technology skills
- Scaling venture capital investment
- Shaping policies that enable stronger entrepreneurial and investment ecosystems
Artificial intelligence and digital transformation will cut across the agenda, with discussions examining how emerging technologies are reshaping businesses, labor markets and economic opportunity.
“The countries that will lead tomorrow’s economy will be those that build stronger innovation ecosystems today,” said Jonathan Ortmans, Founder and President of the GEN. “Connecting talent with capital, knowledge and global networks is not optional — it is a prerequisite for sustained competitiveness.”
Paulina Burbano de Lara, President of the Board of the AEI, said, “Ecuador brings together an exceptional combination of strengths: unique natural wealth, a diverse society with a deep entrepreneurial spirit, and a private sector ecosystem that believes in the country and connects talent, investment, and collaboration. GET Forum will provide an opportunity to showcase how the combination of these strengths enables us to respond to major global trends, transform ideas into impactful solutions, and position Ecuador as a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship with worldwide reach.”
As part of the GET Platform, IDB Lab’s broader effort to strengthen entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems across the region, the forum goes beyond an annual gathering. It is a long-term mechanism for turning entrepreneurial innovation into development impact at scale.
Registration is now open. To register and learn more about GEN's work in Latin America, please visit: https://www.genglobal.org/get-forum.
The full GET Forum agenda and speakers can be viewed here.