About Global Entrepreneurship Week
10 million people. 40,000 activities. 200 countries.
One week. Removing barriers + empowering all.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is a campaign to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs in every country and community around the world – especially those individuals who face structural barriers or may have never considered the idea of launching a startup. Each November, 10 million people take part in tens of thousands of activities, competitions and events that inspire them to act and provide them with the knowledge, experience and connections they need to succeed.
Global Entrepreneurship Week reaches beyond high-tech startup hubs like Silicon Valley, London and Shanghai. It envisions one entrepreneurial ecosystem open to all, including smaller cities in emerging economies and under-represented communities, whether systemically marginalized, geographically hard-to-reach or otherwise pushed aside or left out. National campaigns are driven by local event organizers who plan activities tailored to their community’s needs. Activities can range from small, local gatherings to massive international competitions – or anything in between.
While GEW only takes place one week each year, the connections made are long-lasting. The campaign serves as an opportunity to collaborate and engage with organizations and individuals to celebrate and spotlight entrepreneurs, expose people to the path of entrepreneurship, help them get started and facilitate access to capital and the resources to grow.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is powered by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and supported by a range of strategic partners including corporate sponsors like FedEx, entrepreneurship support organizations like Endeavor Global and JA Worldwide, a diverse collection of national host organizations and 25,000 local event organizers.
The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates programs, like Global Entrepreneurship Week, that make it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a company. GEN divides its programs into four distinct categories: those that celebrate entrepreneurs and inspire others to follow in their footsteps; those intended to better understand the underlying conditions that best enable entrepreneurs to thrive; those that support entrepreneurs through proven policy and programmatic interventions; and those that connect entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders and community leaders to strengthen local ecosystems around the world.