Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025: “Together We Build”

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a worldwide celebration of innovation, community, and collaboration. This year’s theme “Together We Build” shines a spotlight on the power of collective action to create sustainable and impactful entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Join Professor Gary Packham (ARU Pro Vice Chancellor Student Enterprise and Entrepreneurship), ARU Visiting Professor Ren Kapur MBE, social entrepreneur, Founder & CEO, and special guest Nick Howe, Enterprise Partnership Manager at NatWest, for a powerful and inspiring conversation about how shared ambition and ethical finance can fuel entrepreneurial success. 

Whether you're a student, aspiring founder, early-stage entrepreneur, or simply curious about the power of enterprise to shape the future, this is a session designed to inspire, inform and connect.

Register now to secure your place and be part of a global conversation that celebrates how “Together We Build”.

About speakers:  

Speaker 1: Professor Gary Packham, Pro Vice Chancellor Student Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, ARU 

Gary Packham is the Pro Vice Chancellor (PVC) of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Anglia Ruskin University. Formerly Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, he led over 130 staff and 5,500 students, achieving world-leading research status in the 2014 and 2021 REF exercises and returning the Faculty to financial surplus. Under his leadership, the Faculty launched new curricula, expanded degree apprenticeships with major employers, and enhanced research and engagement. As PVC, Gary oversees international development, employability, entrepreneurship, and innovation, during which ARU earned national recognition, including the Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year (2014) and the Duke of York Entrepreneurship Award (2016). He has also held senior roles at the University of Glamorgan and has an extensive research record in economic development, small business management, and technology commercialisation. 

Speaker 2: Ren Kapur MBE, Social entrepreneur, Founder & CEO 

Ren Kapur MBE is a dedicated advocate for enterprise, education, and community empowerment. With a lifelong passion for enabling individuals to thrive through business ownership, she has built a career connecting corporate, government, charity, and local agendas to drive sustainable growth. A business owner since age 18, Ren has led multiple ventures with a focus on social impact and lifelong learning. She is the Founder and CEO of Enterprise For Life®, X-Forces Enterprise, X-Emergency Services, and the Soldiering On Awards, all centred on enterprise education and community support. Since 2013, X-Forces Enterprise has helped thousands of Armed Forces veterans start and grow their own businesses, while the Soldiering On Awards celebrate their achievements. Appointed by the Secretary of State for Education in 2009 as the National Champion for Business, Admin and Finance, Ren has long championed enterprise learning as an essential life skill. Her current roles include Army Reservist, FSB Policy Lead, APPG Women and Enterprise Lead for Education and Skills, Visiting Professor at Anglia Ruskin University, PPL Senior Advisor, and incoming Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London 

Speaker 3: Nick Howe, Enterprise Partnership Manager at NatWest 

Fall in love with your customers problem - not your solution to it" a lesson that a lot of business owners Nick is lucky enough to work with would share with their younger selves. 
 
Nick has a Passion for supporting people and businesses and has built a strong network and a track record for spotting and signposting opportunities for those he is aligned with. He is also a confident presenter to both small and large audiences on a range of business topics. All of this via his role as Enterprise Partnerships Manager at NatWest, where he has served for over 30 years. 

Great listener to business owner challenges with suggestions made on the back of those to introduce people to like minded solutions to the identified needs. 
 

Nick also help business community organisations to build their offer and range of events, workshops, contacts and reach to help their local business economy thrive. Nick has delivered over 335 mentoring sessions to founders that he has met through Digital Boost since 2021