FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Sarah Brewster, media relations representative
(816) 842-8111 or sarah@trozzolo.com
Barb Pruitt
(816) 932-1288 or bpruitt@kauffman.org
77 countries and thousands of organizations join effort to inspire the next
generation of entrepreneurs
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 17, 2008) – Beginning today, Global Entrepreneurship
Week, the world’s first-ever celebration of enterprising spirit, arrives as
an international, open-source answer to the current economic downturn.
Recognizing the global nature of many of the challenges we face, Global
Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 17-23, will connect innovative young people with
their counterparts around the world, and ultimately create a global movement
of entrepreneurial people.
Co-founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the United States and Make Your Mark, a business-led, government-backed campaign in the United Kingdom, the Week is estimated to engage more than 5 million young people in 77 countries through more than 11,000 events.
“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we do everything we can to
promote entrepreneurship,” said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the
Kauffman Foundation. “As the global economic downturn deepens, we are
relying on entrepreneurial people with new thinking to lead us out of the
recession. We look forward to the outcome of this unprecedented
celebration.”
In the United States, all 50 states are joining the global effort with more
than 1,200 partners hosting 800-plus events throughout the country.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is an outgrowth of Global Enterprise Week in
the UK, which began four years ago, and EntrepreneurshipWeek USA in 2007.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Schramm joined forces to create a combined
effort that would reach out to countries around the world and create
cross-cultural discussions about entrepreneurship and its importance.
“Global Entrepreneurship Week brings young people together across national
borders, taking enterprise to the classroom and giving young people the
confidence and self-belief not only to develop tomorrow’s big ideas but to
put them into practice,” said Brown. “The Week will reach millions of young
people, and to each one of them my challenge is this: Believe in your ideas
and make them happen. You can be making a difference, so be bold, be
imaginative, be brilliant. That’s really what this Week is all about. Enjoy
it.”
Those supporting Global Entrepreneurship Week include big-name entrepreneurs and leading business figures such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor; Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group; Pan Shiyi, founder of SOHO China; Russell Simmons, U.S. hip-hop pioneer; Lord Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple.
Global businesses supporting the Week include global sponsors Ernst & Young,
IBM and NYSE Euronext, as well as Honda, Dell, Coca-Cola, Microsoft and
Intel. Below is a list of the participating countries.
To learn more about the Week, those involved and the activities around the
world, visit www.unleashingideas.org.
About Global Entrepreneurship Week
With the goal to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination and
creativity, Global Entrepreneurship Week will encourage youth to think big,
turn their ideas into reality, and make their mark. From Nov. 17-23, 2008,
millions of young people around the world will join a growing movement to
generate new ideas and seek better ways of doing things. Thousands of
activities are being planned in more than 75 countries around the world.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is: founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation and the Make Your Mark campaign; sponsored by NYSE Euronext, IBM
and Ernst & Young; and, supported by JA Worldwide, Endeavor, Entrepreneurs’
Organization, DECA, YPO-WPO, National Foundation for Teaching
Entrepreneurship, Young Americas Business Trust, YES – European
Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs, Department for Business Enterprise &
Regulatory Reform, AIESEC, Youth Employment Services, The Prince’s Youth
Business International.
Countries participating in Global Entrepreneurship Week:
1. Argentina
2. Australia
3. Bahamas
4. Barbados
5. Belgium
6. Bermuda
7. Bolivia
8. Botswana
9. Brazil
10. Bulgaria
11. Burkina Faso
12. Cameroon
13. Canada
14. Chile
15. China
16. Colombia
17. Croatia
18. Czech Republic
19. Denmark
20. Dominican Republic
21. Egypt
22. Finland
23. France
24. Germany
25. Ghana
26. Greece
27. Honduras
28. Hungary
29. India
30. Indonesia
31. Ireland
32. Italy
33. Japan
34. Kenya
35. Kyrgyzstan
36. Latvia
37. Lebanon
38. Lithuania
39. Macedonia
40. Madagascar
41. Malaysia
42. Mali
43. Malta
44. Mexico
45. Morocco
46. Mozambique
47. Nepal
48. Netherlands
49. New Zealand
50. Nigeria
51. Norway
52. Pakistan
53. Paraguay
54. Peru
55. Philippines
56. Poland
57. Portugal
58. Romania
59. Russia
60. Rwanda
61. Saudi Arabia
62. Serbia
63. Singapore
64. Slovakia
65. South Africa
66. Spain
67. Sri Lanka
68. Sweden
69. Turkey
70. Uganda
71. United Arab Emirates
72. United Kingdom
73. United States
74. Uruguay
75. Venezuela
76. Vietnam
77. Zambia