GEN began operating in Panama in 2012 when it partnered with Junior Achievement Panama to organize the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) campaign. Through GEW, GEN celebrates the successes and impact of Panama's 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.
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 helps celebrate, understand, support and connect entrepreneurs and those who champion them.
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 Panamanian 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 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.