The Global Entrepreneurship Network is an organization that operates projects and programs in 200 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere, to start and scale a business. Chief among these is Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), a massive campaign to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs worldwide. Happening from the 14th to the 20th of November, it brings together 10 million people across 200 countries at events and activities organized by 20,000 partners to inspire them to act and provide tools for entrepreneurship. With the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) named the host of GEW in Sri Lanka for the next 3 years, the initiative is poised to break barriers and open doors to entrepreneurship for all in Sri Lanka.
The activities of Global Entrepreneurship Week launch startups that bring ideas to life, driving economic growth and expanding human welfare. These activities give inspiring and existing entrepreneurs a chance to be creative and build great startups. Notably, there’s a strong focus on empowering budding entrepreneurs and those facing systemic barriers to scaling their companies. By breaking such barriers, GEW enables everyone to access entrepreneurship and innovation.
This year as ICTA facilitates Global Entrepreneurship Week in Sri Lanka. The agency has brought together several ecosystem partners united in empowering entrepreneurs. This vast collective includes enterprise organizations, startups, accelerators, government organizations, educational institutions, and many more. Throughout GEW, these partners will be organizing several activities to empower entrepreneurs. This year, GEW 2022, Sri Lanka, will cover four themes; ecosystems, education, inclusion, and policy. All the events under its banner will celebrate and empower Sri Lankan entrepreneurs across industries by strengthening links via collaboration among local entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers.
Importantly, these activities aren’t limited to being in Colombo. Instead, they’re taking place across the country. One such event is organized by the Uva Startup Hub, which aims to help connect entrepreneurs from the Uva province with a broader array of opportunities. Board Director at Uva Startup Hub, Kushan Wanniaracchi, shared, “This is a great opportunity for our regional entrepreneurs to gain exposure to opportunities outside to scale their companies.”
Furthermore, some of these activities, such as those conducted by Generation Alpha, also aim to encourage entrepreneurial thinking among Sri Lankan youth. With so much happening during Global Entrepreneurship Week, its activities will cover a wide range of topics such as ideation, funding, building MVPs, and even deep work training by HomeTree Co-Working. There’s something for everyone interested in taking action and becoming entrepreneurs. Of course, this is still scratching the surface and is a small glimpse into what GEW Sri Lanka has to offer.
There’s even a session focusing on cybersecurity by one of the sponsors, Bug Zero. In conversation with Arteculate, Co-Founder of Bug Zero, Dr. Primal Wijesekera, highlighted the importance of cybersecurity for organizations of all sizes – including startups, which he argues should consider cybersecurity a key priority from Day 01 as they build their products and services. To that end, Bug Zero’s sessions will be focused around helping startups build a strong and secure digital foundation to build upon as they grow.
Informal and engaging discussions will occur throughout Global Entrepreneurship Week in Sri Lanka. These initiatives seek to encourage startups to bring ideas to life, stimulate economic expansion, and improve the welfare of individuals. In addition, it will enable aspiring entrepreneurs who encounter obstacles to launch and scale their businesses. Furthermore, established entrepreneurs would gain valuable advice and networking opportunities to build their businesses. Ultimately, Global Entrepreneurship Week offers Sri Lanka a platform to open the doors of entrepreneurship and innovation for everyone and even instill a passion for business among the next generation.
You can learn more about the events of Global Entrepreneurship Week Sri Lanka by heading over to the ICTA website or the ICTA Facebook page.