GEC 2025 Program

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Startup Nations Ministerial
Compass Room
Invite Only
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GEN Global Assembly - Overview of the Day
GEN Village
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Becoming a Global Innovation City
Speakers:  Alejandra Winter ,  Victor Mulas ,  Tim Rowe
Session Room 6
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Sharing What Works in GEN Atlas
Speakers:  Tom Hancock
Session Room 5
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GEN Global Assembly Workshop: Campaigns that Inspire New Entrepreneurs (Group 1)
Speakers:  Mark Marich ,  Oli Barrett
Session Room 3
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Celebrity Diplomacy: The Power of Soft Diplomacy in the World of AI
Speakers:  Professor Fernando Garibay ,  Ronald C. Gunnell ,  Daniel Bedingfield ,  Samantha Tauber
Session Room 1
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Corporate Diplomacy - Leveraging Multinational Reach to Advance Entrepreneurial Growth
Speakers:  Puru Trivedi ,  Brandon Soloski
Session Room 4
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Global Assessment for Global Impact - Introducing GEN Catalyst to Assess ESOs
Speakers:  Chad Renando ,  Adenike Adeyemi ,  Jonathan Potter ,  Mallory St. Claire ,  Phumlani Nkontwana
Session Room 5
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Shaping the Future of Diplomacy through Youth-Led Action and Community-Building
Speakers:  Tere Stouffer ,  Sarah Rapp
Session Room 6
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GEN Global Assembly Workshop: Campaigns that Inspire New Entrepreneurs (Group 2)
Speakers:  Mark Marich ,  Oli Barrett
Session Room 3
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Activating Entrepreneurial Potential in Every Community
Speakers:  Gary Schoeniger ,  Thom Ruhe
Session Room 3
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Ecosystem Connect: Connecting the Connectors in a Fragmented World
Speakers:  Oli Barrett
Session Room 4
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GEN Global Assembly Interactive Workshop: Sustainability, Partnerships and Planning
Speakers:  Silvina Moschini ,  Viviana Angulo ,  Isabel Casillas Guzman ,  Cecilia Wessinger ,  Alejandra Molina
Session Room 5
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GEN Global Assembly Workshop: Test Before You Invest - The Fast Track to Validating Your Startup Idea
Speakers:  Donna Harris
Session Room 1
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GEC 2025 Opening Ceremony: Bold Solutions for a Thriving Future
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Erika Gutierrez ,  DeAngela Burns-Wallace ,  Ivan Tornos ,  Mike Braun ,  Samantha Tauber ,  Jennifer Rumsey ,  Syed Abdul Momen ,  Sonny Beck ,  Patrik Jonsson ,  Temitola Adekunle-Johnson ,  Antonio Dias Martins
Main Stage
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Welcome Reception
GEN Village
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GEC Mixer: After Hours @ Hovito Ultra Lounge
Offsite
Invite Only
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Host City Huddle: Strategic Networking for Ecosystem Leaders
Offsite
Invite Only
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NELN Breakfast Meet-Up
Offsite
Invite Only
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Main Stage Program Overview: Day 2
Speakers:  Oli Barrett
Main Stage
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Startup Nations Annual Meeting
Speakers:  Sara Goldberg ,  Victor Hwang ,  Albert Bravo-Biosca ,  JF Gauthier ,  Vasiliki Mavroeidi ,  Arlette Verploegh Chabot ,  Jonathan Potter ,  Dom Hallas ,  Belinda Baah ,  Jose Miguel Benavente ,  Bindi Karia ,  Antonio Dias Martins
Compass Room
Invite Only
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Beyond the Breakpoint: Supporting Entrepreneurs in Distress
Speakers:  Elizabeth Gore ,  Dana Redford
Session Room 3
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Bridging Data + Creativity in Ecosystem Building
Speakers:  Grace A. Belangia ,  Vahé Heboyan ,  Eric R. Parker
Session Room 4
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From Entrepreneurs to Communities: Rethinking Ecosystems Through Placemaking
Speakers:  Chad Renando ,  Jo-Anne Kelly ,  Jesse Poole
Session Room 2
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GEN Founders Summit
Speakers:  Erika Gutierrez ,  Konstantin Berezin ,  Pablo Perez
Session Room 5
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Innovating Investment Mobilization in Emerging Startup Ecosystems
Speakers:  Viviana Angulo ,  David Mullings ,  Bishal Dhakal ,  Edna Montse ,  Oswald Osaretin Guobadia
Session Room 1
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Practical Mindset Training for SMEs at Scale: Approaches, Methods and Lessons from Uganda
Speakers:  Mary K Odongo ,  Charles Ocici ,  Ronald Mukasa ,  Rosemary Iwanu Mutyabule ,  Anita Shankar
Session Room 6
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Self-Efficacy Is the New Superpower
Speakers:  Asheesh Advani
Main Stage
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The Power of Everyday Entrepreneurs
Speakers:  Gary Schoeniger
Main Stage
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Youth, Agency + AI
Speakers:  Rebeca Hwang ,  Fira Hovaghimian ,  Alexander Cohen ,  Kimberley Stewart ,  Sona Aznawooddian ,  Edward Ortmans ,  Matias Gutierrez
Main Stage
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A University-Wide Approach to Supporting Entrepreneurs
Speakers:  Ted Zoller ,  Pamela Whitten
Main Stage
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Breaking into the US Market: Timing, Strategy, and Key Steps for Global Founders
Speakers:  Sebastian Vidal ,  Ayla Matalon ,  Maxwell Rich
Session Room 1
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Endeavor’s Multiplier Effect: Success, Reimagined
Speakers:  Nida Ansari ,  Amy Brown ,  Justin Brown ,  Kent Cissell
Session Room 2
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Family Offices as LPs: Strategies, Challenges + Opportunities in Venture Fund Investing
Speakers:  Kay Makishi ,  Annie Wayda ,  Jeremy Shure ,  Louwee Shibata
Session Room 4
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Inside the Venture Studio: Exploring a New Business Support Model
Speakers:  Yuma Tanaka ,  Lesa Mitchell ,  Ryan Larcom
Session Room 3
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The Sky is No Longer the Limit: How to Build a Space Startup
Speakers:  Stephan Reckie ,  Steve Wolfe ,  Brandon Seifert ,  Matthew Voss ,  Samantha Tauber
Session Room 5
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Resilience in Companies and Ecosystems
Speakers:  Elliott Parker
Main Stage
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Building the Future: Advancing Indiana's Semiconductor Ecosystem
Speakers:  Chad Pittman ,  Arvind Raman
Main Stage
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Book Signing with Gary Schoeniger
Speakers:  Gary Schoeniger
GEN Village
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Beyond the Hype: How to Make AI Work for Your Business
Speakers:  Anastasia Kudrez
Session Room 6
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Building a Strong Value-Based Network
Speakers:  David Olivencia
Session Room 1
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Catching Up to the AI Ecosystem Elite: Focus on Policy Action
Speakers:  JF Gauthier ,  Josh Lerner
Session Room 2
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Increasing Angel Investor Activity in Your Region with Tax Credits: An Interactive Workshop
Speakers:  Jacob Schpok ,  Barb Cutillo ,  Jason Whitney ,  Patrick Henshaw ,  Ben Pidgeon ,  Claire Neuman
Session Room 5
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Navigating the Road to Series A: Perspectives from Investors
Speakers:  Donna Harris ,  Tyler Mantel ,  Bryan Smith
Session Room 4
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Startup Asia: Chasing the Innovation Frontier
Speakers:  Vasiliki Mavroeidi ,  Channmeta Kan ,  Maliki Maliki
Session Room 3
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The Unique Role of Foundations in the Global Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Laura Macknick ,  John Tyler ,  Amir Pasic
Main Stage
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Towns + Cities Making Entrepreneurial Strides
Speakers:  Dan Robison ,  Corianne Rice ,  Jo-Anne Kelly ,  Marcela Escobar Arango ,  Philip Gaskin ,  Brandon Sakbun
Compass Room
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Enhance Your Capital Readiness: Strategies for Revenue Management + Credit Preparedness
Speakers:  Kimelyn Harris ,  Nicola Corzine ,  Shannan Herbert
Session Room 1
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Entrepreneurship World Cup USA Showcase
Speakers:  Mark Marich ,  Rebeca Hwang ,  Jeff Hoffman ,  Donna Harris ,  David Cohen
Main Stage
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GEN Research Summit
Speakers:  Josh Lerner ,  Erik Stam ,  Donald F. Kuratko ,  Sameeksha Desai ,  Scott Shane ,  David Hsu ,  Rebecca White ,  Jeff Hornsby
Compass Room
Invite Only
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Not Just a Vibe: How Creative Entrepreneurs Build the Infrastructure for What’s Next
Speakers:  Polina Osherov ,  Drew Kincius ,  Jake Budler ,  NaShara Mitchell
Session Room 6
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Startup Huddle Demo
Speakers:  Pretty Ndlovu ,  Ryan Johnson ,  Andrea Monge
Session Room 4
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Supercharge Your Angel Network's Return-On-Investment
Speakers:  Israel Pons ,  Linda Smith ,  David Olivencia ,  Nicolas Rouhana
Session Room 2
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The Public-Private Partnership Playbook for Startup Success + Economic Growth
Speakers:  David Watkins ,  Ting Gootee ,  Andrew Kossack
Session Room 3
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Building Innovation Ecosystems that Deliver
Speakers:  Chelsea Linder ,  Sarah Mostowich ,  Cynthia M. Crutchfield ,  Jamilah Corbitt
Session Room 1
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Buy or Lie: The Truth About Customer Discovery
Speakers:  Mike Trotzke
Session Room 4
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Catalyzing Innovation in Latin America: Building a Collaborative Future
Speakers:  Sara Goldberg ,  Vanderleia Radaelli ,  Jose Miguel Benavente
Session Room 3
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Expanding Your Portfolio: Cross-Border Angel Investing Beyond the U.S.
Speakers:  Scott Fox ,  Maaike Doyer ,  Marcel Dridje
Session Room 2
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Startup Act Hackathon: Leveraging Decision-Thinking
Speakers:  Belinda Baah ,  Mike Perry
Session Room 5
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Attracting + Retaining Talent
Speakers:  Jeff Hoffman
Session Room 2
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Ecosystems that Drive Agricultural Innovation
Speakers:  Manuel Ron ,  Tim Bettington ,  Tom Greene
Session Room 3
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From Community Investment to Global Impact
Speakers:  Jessica Taylor ,  Daniel Blackman
Main Stage
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Preparing Your Company for Venture Funding + Capital: A Founder's Perspective
Speakers:  Elizabeth Gore
Session Room 6
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Unlocking the IPO
Speakers:  Carolina Bernal-Ramirez ,  Kent Hawryluk ,  Maxwell Rich
Session Room 1
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What’s Next: The Future of Entrepreneurship + Economic Development
Speakers:  Denisse Rodriguez ,  Mark Burdette, EDP ,  Stephanie DeVane ,  Lomax R Campbell
Session Room 4
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Ecosystem Building Everywhere: Art Installation in GEN Village
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Andy Stoll
Main Stage
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America the Entrepreneurial
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Victor Hwang
Main Stage
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Startup Community Super Builders: Seeding Ecosystems, Powering Economies
Speakers:  Brad Feld ,  David Cohen ,  Ian Hathaway ,  Lesa Mitchell ,  Greg Rogers ,  Erik Mitisek
Main Stage
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Give First: The Power of Mentorship
Speakers:  Brad Feld
Main Stage
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Endeavor x Gutwein Law Founder Happy Hour
Offsite
Invite Only
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Give First: Book Signing with Brad Feld
Speakers:  Brad Feld
GEN Village
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Networking Event: Space Entrepreneurs are Reaching for the Stars
Offsite
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Compass Awards Reception + Dinner
Offsite
Invite Only
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GEN Invest Forum
Speakers:  Viviana Angulo ,  David Mullings ,  Israel Pons ,  Linda Smith ,  Sara Goldberg ,  Scott Fox ,  Bishal Dhakal ,  Maaike Doyer ,  Nicolas Rouhana ,  Juan Manuel Porcaro ,  Marcel Dridje ,  Omar Vega
Compass Room
Invite Only
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Main Stage Program Overview: Day 3
Speakers:  Oli Barrett
Main Stage
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Building Connected Ecosystems: Real-World Case Studies in Entrepreneur Support
Speakers:  Morgan Allen ,  Chad Renando ,  Taylor Overton
Session Room 2
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CDFI-Friendly Hubs: A New Way to Expand Capital Access for Local Growth
Speakers:  John Zody ,  Sam Centellas ,  Taylor Price ,  Mark Pinsky ,  Christopher Galang
Session Room 4
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Crossing Borders, Building Bridges: Models for Global Ecosystem Collaboration
Speakers:  Alejandra Winter ,  Annika Pierson ,  Luis Rodriguez ,  Ryan Ramkhelawan
Session Room 3
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Leveraging LinkedIn for Funding, Talent, Customers, and Mentorship
Speakers:  John Hill
Session Room 1
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Seeds of Innovation: Building Entrepreneurial Mindsets in K–12 Classrooms
Speakers:  Gloria Viscasillas ,  Faris Alami ,  Stephanie Alvarado ,  Riley Johnson
Session Room 6
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U.S. National Ecosystem Building Resource Providers Gathering
Speakers:  Cecilia Wessinger ,  Denisse Rodriguez ,  Jess Edwards ,  Jim Woodell ,  Norris Krueger ,  Fay Horwitt ,  Julie Heath ,  Rob Williams ,  Ify Aduba ,  Amy Beaird ,  Grace A. Belangia ,  Lomax R Campbell ,  Lindsay Schuenke
Session Room 5
Invite Only
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Beyond Just Sounding Right: Expert-Level Thinking With AI​
Speakers:  Alexander Cohen
Main Stage
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AI-Powered Solutions for a Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Speakers:  Rebeca Hwang ,  Pablo Ignacio Peralta ,  Christian Ulstrup ,  Natalia Seiler
Main Stage
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Building AI-Resilient Startups: Avoiding the Walmart Effect
Speakers:  Dinesh Maheshwari
Main Stage
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De-Risking Youth Entrepreneurship: Market-Based Solutions for Sustainable Growth
Speakers:  Jo Gray ,  Bora Caldu ,  Matthew Wallace ,  Bia Santos
Session Room 6
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Insights from Japan's Evolving Startup Ecosystem
Speakers:  Ayumi Fujimoto ,  Masaru Nagura ,  Victor Mulas ,  Daiki Nakajima
Session Room 2
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Stop Chasing Leads, Start Closing Deals: The Startup Sales Playbook That Actually Works
Speakers:  Jeanette Renshaw
Session Room 1
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The Advocacy Edge: Engaging Founders in Policymaking
Speakers:  Tom Sullivan ,  Victor Hwang ,  Oswald Osaretin Guobadia ,  Dom Hallas ,  Shweta Rajpal Kohli
Session Room 3
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Ecosystem Building in the Post AI World
Speakers:  Donna Harris ,  Daniel Navarro
Main Stage
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Helping Small Businesses Succeed in Today’s Digital Economy: Verizon's Digital Ready Program
Speakers:  Oli Barrett ,  Katie Davis
Main Stage
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The Modern Journey of an Athlete Leveraging Sports Tech & AI
Speakers:  Jeffrey Hintz ,  Brian Alkire ,  Richard Felton-Thomas
Main Stage
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Accelerating Life Science Innovation: Building the Ecosystem for Growth
Speakers:  Jeffrey Hintz ,  Brian Alkire ,  Richard Felton-Thomas
Session Room 4
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Achieving Exponential Growth through Inbound Sales
Speakers:  Jeff Hoffman
Session Room 1
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Entrepreneurship World Cup Summit: Fostering Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship
Compass Room
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Investing in the Americas: Unlocking Capital for High-Impact Companies
Speakers:  Julia Figueiredo ,  Ginger Rothrock ,  Raechele Smalls
Session Room 2
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Unlocking Economic Potential: Strategies for Sparking Youth Entrepreneurship
Speakers:  Ronald C. Williams ,  Nadine Baker ,  Nadia Mullin ,  Desma Deitz ,  David Coronado ,  Calvin Selth
Session Room 6
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GoDaddy + GEN: Powering the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Emily Wheeler
Main Stage
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AI, Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy: Ensuring AI Reaches Main Street
Speakers:  Sandy Fernandez ,  Elizabeth Gore ,  Jordan Medina ,  Katie Davis ,  Carly Tatum
Session Room 6
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Breakout Valuation: Master the Drivers that Build Lasting Value
Speakers:  Patrick Donohue
Session Room 4
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Global Entrepreneurship Week Summit: Building Stronger National Campaigns
Speakers:  Stephanie Kropf ,  Sachindra Samararatne ,  WafaeImene Harrir ,  K M Hasan Ripon ,  Neus Gorina ,  Peter Kofler ,  Bora Caldu
Compass Room
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New Approaches to Ecosystem Performance Measurement
Speakers:  Adenike Adeyemi ,  Chris Haley ,  Erik Stam ,  Phumlani Nkontwana
Session Room 2
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Open Innovation with Startups: Practical Strategies for Mid-Sized Companies
Speakers:  Alberto Onetti ,  Marco Marinucci
Session Room 1
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The Generational Goldmine: Bridging Eras to Boost Innovation
Speakers:  Aaron Whigham ,  Eurwin Daans ,  HRH Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hayu
Session Room 3
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Why Female Investors are the Future
Speakers:  Maaike Doyer
Main Stage
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Rare, Resilient, Refined: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Claudia Romo Edelman and the Rise of Sotol
Speakers:  Claudia Romo Edelman
Main Stage
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Power, Policy + Possibility: Advancing Inclusive Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
Speakers:  Tara Lynn Gray ,  Claudia Romo Edelman
Main Stage
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Scale Up Ecosystems: Dan Isenberg's Growth Focused Approach
Speakers:  Daniel Isenberg
Main Stage
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From Founder to Finish Line: Fueling Founder Resilience Without Burning Out
Speakers:  Naya F. Powell ,  Christina Richardson ,  Juan Pablo López Gross
Session Room 1
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GEN Campus Summit: Building Next Generation Startup Hubs
Speakers:  Kizito Okechukwu ,  Sabur Khan ,  Civan Sözkesen ,  Rabea Zioud ,  Tim Rowe
Session Room 2
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Shaping Global Impact Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
Speakers:  Peter Ptashko ,  Beatriz Bevilaqua ,  Daniel Blackman
Session Room 3
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Soft Landing Pads: Exploring An Economic Development Tool for Winning Early Stage, Tech-Enabled Companies
Speakers:  Jose Carlos Sarmiento ,  Shayna Hetzel ,  Craig Montuori
Session Room 4
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Test + Transform: Policy Experimentation to Elevate Your Impact
Speakers:  Albert Bravo-Biosca
Session Room 5
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Reinvention, Resilience + the Future of Consumer Tech
Speakers:  Julie Wainwright ,  Sarah Lerner-Mantel
Main Stage
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Book Signing with Julie Wainwright
Speakers:  Julie Wainwright
GEN Village
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Building a Future for Medtech + Lifetech Innovation in the Heartland
Speakers:  Ethel Massing ,  Brandon Noll
Main Stage
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Announcing the CoCreate Competition to Empower Founders
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Alex Tsai
Main Stage
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Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Accelerator
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  Jordan Medina
Main Stage
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Bold Delivery: The Art of Implementing Policy
Speakers:  Arlette Verploegh Chabot ,  Oswald Osaretin Guobadia ,  Gonzalo Valenci
Session Room 3
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From Local Roots to Global Impact: Lessons from gener8tor’s Journey Across Startup Ecosystems
Speakers:  Chelsea Linder ,  Troy Vosseller ,  Joe Kirgues
Session Room 4
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Fundraising Strategies for Venture Capital Funds
Speakers:  Juan Manuel Porcaro ,  Miryam Lazarte ,  Vernon Lee
Session Room 2
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GEW USA Summit
Speakers:  Carlos Jimenez ,  Kevin Carter ,  Scott Fox ,  Aidan Battista ,  Jennifer McDonald ,  Rich Smith ,  Isabelle Kent ,  Fay Horwitt
Compass Room
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New Release: Global Startup Ecosystem Scorecards
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans ,  JF Gauthier
Main Stage
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Strengthening Startup Ecosystems: Global Lessons from Africa
Speakers:  Kizito Okechukwu ,  Robert Koen ,  Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare ,  Kennedy Bungane
Session Room 1
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The Art of Pricing: How to Charge What You’re Worth and Still Attract Customers
Speakers:  Katie Davis ,  Warrick Roundtree
Session Room 6
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The Builders Behind the Boom: Scaling Boldly in the Heartland
Speakers:  Scott Dorsey ,  David J Adams ,  Justin Christian ,  Martha Hoover
Main Stage
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USA Meetup: Vision 2035
Speakers:  Maria Meyers ,  Andy Stoll ,  Victor Hwang ,  Mark Lawrence ,  Ify Aduba ,  Nathan Ohle
Session Room 5
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Beyond the Deal and Behind the Camera with Mark Cuban
Speakers:  Mark Cuban
Main Stage
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Indiana University Reception
GEN Village
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LGBTQ+ and Allies Mixer
Offsite
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Right to Start’s Groundbreaking Event: The Celebration of Entrepreneurship
Offsite
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Africa Nights
Offsite
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Jamaica Nite @ GEC 2025
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Indiana Ecosystem Tour: Shaping the Future of Food through Innovation in Agriculture
Offsite
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Indiana Ecosystem Tour: Showcasing Commercial and Defense Technology Collaboration
Offsite
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State and Local Policy Summit
Speakers:  David Watkins ,  Tara Lynn Gray ,  Mike Braun ,  Taylor Overton ,  Corianne Rice ,  Heather McDougall ,  Esperanza Crane ,  Justin Onwenu ,  Steven McMichael ,  Jeremy Gray ,  Jake Teshka ,  Asa Hutchinson ,  Moore Hallmark ,  Cindy Ryu ,  Neil Rafferty ,  Michael D. Crain ,  Aaron Pilkington ,  Melissa Saavedra ,  David J Adams ,  Steve Kaiser ,  Karol Gonzalez Rivera ,  Nora Sackett ,  Drew Storey ,  Brad Fallon ,  Drew Markel
Compass Room
Invite Only
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Indiana Ecosystem Tour: Building an Innovation District from the Ground Up
Offsite
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Investor Matchmaking
GEN Village
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Teaching Entrepreneurship in the Post-AI World
Speakers:  Jeff Reid ,  Tim Barnes ,  Nik Rokop ,  Marissa Kaloga ,  Lesley Robinson ,  Ayman ElTarabishy ,  Emily Wheeler ,  Stephen Spinelli, Jr
Session Room 2
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GEN Global Assembly: National Leadership Meeting
Speakers:  Jonathan Ortmans
Session Room 5
Invite Only
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Indiana Ecosystem Tour: Creating a Hub for Life Sciences Manufacturing and Innovation
Offsite
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Indiana Ecosystem Tour: Experiencing a Century of Innovation in Motorsports
Offsite
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Indiana Ecosystem Tour: Addressing Future Workforce Needs through Youth Entrepreneurship
Offsite
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Venture Club Innovation Showcase
Offsite
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No Bad Ideas - Turn Your Ideas Into Great Ones
Speakers:  Steven A Rodriguez ,  Garry Lyon
Session Room 6
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Startup Huddle Organizers Meeting
Speakers:  Pretty Ndlovu
Session Room 5
Invite Only