The Global Entrepreneurship Network began operating in Barbados when it partnered with the Barbados Youth Business Trust to conduct the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week campaign and the Entrepreneurship World Cup. Barbados has many entrepreneurs, including women, celebrities and young adults, who participate at a high rate. Because of this, Barbados has a high level of early-stage entrepreneurial activity for a small island state.
GEN operates a platform of projects and programs in 200 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere, to start and scale a business. GEN is actively engaged in coordinating a cohesive environment for the development of entrepreneurship in Barbados. This is fostered through activities to celebrate, understand, support and connect ecosystem leaders both locally and globally.
Through Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), GEN celebrates the successes and impact of entrepreneurs in an effort to help break down cultural barriers and reach new audiences, expanding the number of people who at some point in their life consider becoming an entrepreneur.
Government, corporate and education institution leaders require better data, research and analysis about entrepreneurship barriers, needs and opportunities and which program interventions and policies to address them are proven to have maximize impact. Through the Global Entrepreneurship Research Network (GERN) and GEN’s Startup Nations policymaker network, GEN helps identify and crowdsource best-in-class policies and public programs that help entrepreneurs thrive.
Through efforts such as the Global Business Angels Network, Global Enterprise Registration, Startup Huddle, GEN Starters Club, Startup Open and other programs, GEN offers programs and resources intended to help smooth the path to market for founder teams and provide entrepreneurs at all stages with the support necessary to reach the next level.
GEN helps break down siloes and enhance collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers and startup community leaders through its virtual platforms and numerous live events, including its Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) and GEC+ series, the annual Startup Nations Summit, and by co-hosting other events across the globe.