Thousands of entrepreneurs rely on their cities to help them grow and scale their businesses. But many cities across the United States lack the proper resources and connections to help new entrepreneurs find the programs and investors they need. Government programs are supremely important to new entrepreneurs. However, more cross-sector support is needed to develop a sustainable ecosystem where entrepreneurship can really take off.
The GEW USA Startup Cities program is focused on providing the most important aspect to a developing ecosystem – connections. Thanks to research from the Kauffman Foundation, we know that connecting entrepreneurs to local support organizations and to each other, is a key component to a healthy infrastructure entrepreneurs rely on in order to learn, share and grow. Access and availability to entrepreneurship events is an important starting point for valuable relationships.
Throughout our startup cities, partners and organizers hosted events during GEW, such as the Innovation Lab Open House at the Idea Center in Miami; Global Entrepreneurship Policy Roundtable at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; Womentechover & InnovateHer Challenge hosted by Puerto Rico Women in Startups; or the $50,000 North Texas Business Pitch Competition. These events are leveraging government, investors and corporate partners, and are helping to share resources that attract more people to the world of entrepreneurship.
We applaud cities like Boston, New York, and Silicon Valley for spearheading the rise of entrepreneurship in America. But it’s time for the next wave of cities to pave a new path forward for entrepreneurs, help address the challenges small to medium sized cities face, and make inroads to repair the recent scars of recession. GEW is helping to produce America’s next generation of job creators and innovators. We are excited to work with these developing ecosystems across the U.S.
This year, our Startup Cities include:
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Austin, Texas
Cleveland, Ohio
Dallas, Texas
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Kansas City, Missouri
Louisville, Kentucky
Miami, Florida
Nashville, Tennessee
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Washington, D.C.
We can’t wait to continue connecting entrepreneurs, investors, local government leaders and support organizations throughout this year and into 2016. We will be announcing additional Startup Cities and continuing to grow our network of support into the New Year. To learn more about GEW USA and the Startup Cities program please visit www.gewusa.org, or you can read about additional GEW USA events. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.