GEWROC 2025 - Where Ideas Ignite and Builders Unite.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Rochester 2025

November 18–21, 2025 | Rochester, New York, USA

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Rochester 2025 is a four-day celebration of innovation, inclusion, and impact — uniting entrepreneurs, small business owners, and ecosystem partners from across Western New York to build connections, share knowledge, and strengthen Rochester’s entrepreneurial landscape.

This year’s theme, “Where Ideas Ignite and Builders Unite.” highlights the full journey of entrepreneurship — from sparking an idea to sustaining and expanding a thriving business. Over four immersive days, more than 15 Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) and dozens of local entrepreneurs will come together for panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and community tours focused on practical tools and collaborative growth.

Each day centers on a distinct stage of business development:

• Day 1: Start-Up & Early-Stage Businesses – Building the foundation with sessions on financial readiness, branding, storytelling, and product-market fit.
• Day 2: Growth & Expansion – Diving into scaling systems, accessing capital, procurement, and sustainable operations.
• Day 3: Exit & Succession Planning – Exploring business continuity, legacy building, and generational wealth transfer.
• Day 4: Entrepreneurial Wellness – Reconnecting mind, mission, and motivation through mindfulness, wellness, and community celebration.

GEW Rochester 2025 will feature interactive workshops, youth entrepreneur spotlights, ecosystem tours of local innovation hubs and small businesses, and networking opportunities designed to inspire action and collaboration.

Organized by the ROC Business Resource Partnership with presenting sponsor, Citizens Bank and community partners including: Third Eye Network, Economic Recovery Corps, Enterprise Center at PathStone, the City of Rochester, the SBDC at SUNY Brockport, Connected Communities, Greater Rochester Black Business Alliance, Rochester Economic Development Corp., Venture Jobs Foundation, and Business Insight Center - Rochester Public Library and many more. GEW Rochester amplifies the stories, resources, and relationships fueling Rochester’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Join us in celebrating the people, purpose, and partnerships that power inclusive entrepreneurship in Upstate New York.

Learn more and get involved at: www.GEWROC.com