Global Entrepreneurship Week in Harare.

Regular readers of this column will know a few things about me by now. Firstly entrepreneurship is like life blood to me, secondly, I am a firm believer in the power of relationships. This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) which hits both those chords strong and hard. GEW is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.

 

Like most—if not all—new ventures, Global Entrepreneurship Week started with an idea. What if there was a global movement to inspire people everywhere to unleash their ideas and take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey? The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation launched GEW in to connect aspiring entrepreneurs and others who can help them take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey.

 

More than 130 countries now celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week each November from Guyana to Zimbabwe. Global Entrepreneurship Week is not one single event--it is tens of thousands of events, activities and competitions happening around the world.

 

"Countries around the world are embracing their entrepreneurs as significant drivers of economic activity and growth," said Jonathan Ortmans, president of Global Entrepreneurship Week and a senior fellow at the Kauffman Foundation. "Through GEW, we are instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in millions and helping them unleash their ideas."

 

Hundreds, if not thousands, of new startups will square off in competitions that offer prizes of startup capital, support and services to help them grow to scale. Policymakers and researchers in dozens of countries will examine best practices in accelerating efforts to support high-growth entrepreneurship. And millions of aspiring entrepreneurs will make connections with potential collaborators and mentors through a wide range of events and activities that provide inspiration as well as practical support.

 

A recent study by the Kauffman Foundation, "Getting the Bug: Is (Growth) Entrepreneurship Contagious," suggests that there is a significant link between knowing an entrepreneur and becoming one. Global Entrepreneurship Week exposes individuals to entrepreneurs and others in the startup ecosystem—encouraging them to start their own ventures, spurring increased economic activity and growth. Relationships matter.

 

In Harare there is the Global Entrepreneurship Meet-Up on Friday 22nd of November (that’s tomorrow) at the well-known Celebration Centre. Free coffee, trendy start up pitches that you didn't even know existed in the city, and high level connecting over a genuine interest in building the creative ideas of entrepreneurs. There'll be 3 riveting start-ups that talk for 4 minutes. From a tech company that's facing Apple and Samsung Head-on to a brick and mortar guru who has the first batch of funding on building a new city. Lots of questions and answers, and lots of coffee. Starting at 630pm you can learn more at http://zw.unleashingideas.org . You can also join in online and discuss Zimbabwe’s Entrepreneurial Landscape by using the hashtag #GEWZim on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

As most businesses are thinking of winding down for the year or preparing for the Christmas rush, this week represents a chance to rekindle the fire of entrepreneurship within, to network with like minded people, and take a step in the direction of skyrocketing Zimbabwe’s economy once more.