If you have been following Global Entrepreneurship Week for any length of time, you have probably heard about its origin story. Inspired by Enterprise Week in the UK – an effort called by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to inspire more young British entrepreneurs – GEW was developed and has been made possible for the past 17 years by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
This year’s campaign theme is ‘Entrepreneurship is for Everyone’. Yes, there are tens of thousands of events that reach founders at all levels, but there are also many more that open the eyes of others and lift up people and communities who face persistent barriers to entrepreneurship.
“We believe the opportunity to start and grow a business can be an amazing pathway to economic mobility for all,” said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, in a recent video address celebrating #GEW2024.
Each November, Kansas City is home to one of the largest local GEW campaigns – with more than 100+ events. But that passion for equitable entrepreneurship has rippled through other cities with large celebrations in Tallahassee, Florida; Bloomington, Indiana; Sacramento, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and more than 250 U.S. cities across the country.
Celebrations around the world in places like Sao Paolo, Brazil; Amman, Jordan; London, England; Shanghai, China; Lagos, Nigeria; and many more, help lift up emerging ecosystems. In addition, they help generate impactful lessons and data points that help improve programs to make it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale.
Since GEW launched in 2008, it has impacted millions of lives and created hope and belief in a better future for all.
We hope you will get involved and reach out to those in your communities in need of hope and opportunity. Tell us what you plan to do and register an event on the GEW website. Stay tuned to our GEW newsfeed sharing stories from around the world. Join the digital dialogue on your favorite social media channels using #GEW2024 and remember – Entrepreneurship Is for Everyone.