GEN Announces 2023 Compass Awards Finalists

Eighteen awards will recognize top change-makers in entrepreneurship ecosystems globally.
Kathryn
Forrest

September 13, 2023 - The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) is thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2023 GEN Compass Awards. The awards recognize excellence in entrepreneurship, policymaking, investor support programs and research – and honor individuals and organizations who are making a difference in helping entrepreneurs start and scale around the world.  

The finalists will be celebrated and the winners announced at the Compass Awards Ceremony on September 20 in Melbourne, Australia as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC). GEC is a gathering of startup champions from around the world who are working together to build one global entrepreneurship ecosystem through a shared engine of innovation and economic growth in cities and countries everywhere. 

Meet the 2023 GEN Compass Awards Finalists 

GEN Country of the Year 

  • GEN Jamaica 

  • GEN Algeria 

  • GEN Australia 

  • GEN South Africa 

  • GEN Japan 

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Campaign of the Year 

  • GEW Germany

  • GEW Algeria 

  • GEW Jordan 

  • GEW Panama 

  • GEW Cambodia 

Champion Catalyzer for Activities – Overall 

  • GEW Algeria 

  • GEW USA 

  • GEW Spain 

  • GEW Jordan 

  • GEW UK 

Champion Catalyzer for Activities – Per Capita 

  • GEW Bermuda 

  • GEW Panama 

  • GEW North Macedonia 

  • GEW Dominica 

  • GEW Algeria 

Champion Catalyzer for Partnerships - Overall 

  • GEW UK  

  • GEW USA 

  • GEW Romania 

  • GEW Turkey 

  • GEW Algeria 

Champion Catalyzer for Partnerships - Per Capita 

  • GEW St. Kitts + Nevis 

  • GEW Kosovo 

  • GEW Latvia 

  • GEW Panama 

  • GEW Bermuda 

Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) Campaign of the Year 

  • EWC United Arab Emirates 

  • EWC Singapore 

  • EWC Spain 

  • EWC Argentina 

  • EWC Saudi Arabia 

Brand Champion 

  • EWC Latvia 

  • GEW North Macedonia 

  • GEN UK 

  • GEW Kosovo 

  • GEW Rwanda 

Inspiration + Resilience 

  • UNDP Syria 

  • GEN Turkey 

  • 249 Startups 

  • Echar Pa'lante Multisectoral Alliance 

  • GEN Niger 

Barrier Breaker  

  • GEN UK and GEW Denmark 

  • GEN Israel 

  • BGE Exelon  

  • Kas di Arte Korsou 

  • Hello Alice 

Policy Champion  

  • Hon. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development in South Africa

  • Oswald Osaretin Guobadia, former Senior Special Assistant on Digital Transformation, Office of the President of Nigeria 

  • Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Chair of Startup20 and Mission Director, Atal Innovation, NITI Aayog 

  • Isabella Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration  

  • Hon. Maria Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy, El Salvador  

Research Champion 

  • UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School 

  • UNCTAD 

  • Founders Institute 

  • GEN Australia 

  • Startup Genome 

Ecosystem Champion 

  • Cameron Law, Executive Director, Carlsen Center For Innovation & Entrepreneurship 

  • Edwin Zulu, Managing Director, GEN Zambia 

  • Chad Renando, Managing Director, GEN Australia 

  • Molika Veng, Managing Director, GEN Cambodia 

  • Mahlatse Tolamo, Managing Director, GEN South Africa 

GEN Rookie 

  • Jasiri 

  • John Matlosa, Managing Director, GEN Lesotho 

  • Startupscale 360 

  • ICT Agency Sri Lanka 

  • Hassan Ripon, GEN Bangladesh

Enterprise Registration + Regulation 

  • Hon. Maria Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy, El Salvador  

  • Mykhailo Federov, Deputy Prime Minister, Ukraine 

  • National ICT Development Agency, Nigeria 

  • Government of Iraq 

  • Government of Bhutan 

Investor Champion 

  • Eli Velasquez, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Investors of Color

  • Mary Irwin-Long, Director, International Development, Northern Ontario Angels 

  • Donna Harris, Founder and CEO, Builders + Backers 

  • Maria Rita Spina Bueno, Executive Director, Anjos do Brasil 

  • Kate Cornick, CEO, LaunchVic 

GEN Starters Award 

  • Ole Sivertsen, President, Desert Control 

  • Nicholas Stamatiou, CEO and co-founder, Whole 

  • Idicula Mathew, CEO and Co-Founder, Hera Health Solutions 

  • Fern Ho, CEO, The Leaf Protein 

  • Abdullah Abalkhail, Founder and CEO of White Helmet  

 For more information and to view the awards criteria, please visit www.genglobal.org/compassawards.  

 About the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)  

The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates programs in 200 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross-border collaboration and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier entrepreneurship ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For more information, visit www.genglobal.org and follow us on TwitterLinkedInInstagram and Facebook.

About the GEN Compass Awards  

The Global Entrepreneurship Network recognizes excellence in entrepreneurship, policymaking, investor support programs and research during the Compass Awards ceremony at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress. The awards honor individuals and organizations who make a difference in helping entrepreneurs start and scale around the world. For more information, visit http://genglobal.org/compassawards