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Global Entrepreneurship Week ignites innovation and collaboration every second week of November. Join millions worldwide in a vibrant celebration of risk-takers and problem-solvers. Explore new ideas, connect with mentors, and discover resources to launch or scale your ventures.
Want to sponsor Global Entrepreneurship Week? Learn how
Expected Global Entrepreneurship Week Deals
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is less about traditional retail deals and more about access to resources, education, and networking. Expect organizations like Startup Grind, Techstars, and Endeavor to host free webinars, workshops, and pitch competitions. Educational platforms such as Coursera and edX may offer discounts on entrepreneurship courses, while co-working spaces like WeWork or local incubators might provide free trial days or special membership rates. Look for mentorship opportunities through programs like SCORE and virtual events from global partners. We will update this page with confirmed live opportunities as November approaches.
Platform Guide for Global Entrepreneurship Week
Tag National Today (linkedin.com/company/nationaltoday) and use #GEW2026. Share your entrepreneurial journey or insights.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #GEW2026. Share news, trends, and participate in live discussions about innovation.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #GEW2026. Share local event details or success stories from your community.
Global Entrepreneurship Week Hero
Richard Cantillon
History of Global Entrepreneurship Week
17000 B.C. New Guinea, where our hunter-gatherer ancestors traded obsidian for essential and non-essential goods. This form of trading would continue until the first Agricultural Revolution in 10000 B.C. — when we started domesticating animals and plants, and building communities. People began specializing in a different economic niche, and goods or services they created were exchanged for other goods or services. As specialization improved and trade volume increased, communities transformed from small holdings to towns and cities with thousands of people. The Fertile Crescent, Sumeria, and the city of Uruk are examples of these cities.
The invention of money around 650 and 600 B.C. helped shape human society and entrepreneurship. People moved from trade by barter to a trust-based economy, where value was placed on items such as cowries, silver rings and bars, beads, and tobacco leaves.
Fast forward to the 1800s where machines began playing a crucial role in economic development. Capitalism became the ideal economic approach, with people freely allowed to pursue their self-interests to better society. This era gave rise to great entrepreneurs and innovators like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford.
From the 19th century to the present, entrepreneurship became the very pillar on which global economies rest. As technologies continue to evolve, the number of entrepreneurs will grow, and the global dependency on entrepreneurship will increase.
Seeing the importance of entrepreneurship to global economic advancement and human welfare, in 2008, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation created Global Entrepreneurship Week. Since then, it has grown from a series of events happening only in the U.S. and U.K. to expanding to over 165 countries.
Global Entrepreneurship Week timeline
The first entrepreneurs emerge in New Guinea, who trade obsidian for food and other goods.
The invention of money is a turning point in entrepreneurship history and paves the way for it to move beyond borders.
The Irish-French economist, Richard Cantillion, is the first to use entrepreneurship in his book, “Essay on the Nature of Trade in General”.
Social initiatives that strive to create a positive impact in society while making a profit start being considered as a form of entrepreneurship.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week
Local businesses can actively participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week by hosting open house events or offering free introductory workshops on business planning, marketing, or financial literacy. Consider sponsoring a local startup pitch competition or providing mentorship hours to aspiring entrepreneurs in your community. Highlight your own entrepreneurial journey on social media, sharing lessons learned and inspiring others to take the leap. Partner with local schools or universities to speak about career paths in entrepreneurship.
Global Entrepreneurship Week FAQs
When is Global Entrepreneurship Week?
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2026 runs from Monday, November 9, through Sunday, November 15. It’s a full week dedicated to inspiring and supporting entrepreneurs worldwide.
How many countries participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week?
Global Entrepreneurship Week is a truly international event, with over 180 countries participating annually. Millions of people engage in thousands of events designed to foster entrepreneurial ecosystems.
What is the economic impact of entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship is a powerful engine for economic growth, driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering competition. New businesses are responsible for a significant portion of net job creation and introduce new products and services to the market.
What is the difference between an entrepreneur and a small business owner?
While often used interchangeably, an entrepreneur typically focuses on innovation, growth, and scaling a new venture, often with a unique or disruptive idea. A small business owner, conversely, may operate an existing business model with a focus on stability and serving a local market, though they can also be innovative.
How To Observe Global Entrepreneurship Week
Participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Week events
Every year, several events, activities, and competitions occur in countries worldwide to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week. Check the internet for the ones happening in an area close to you. Mark the date and come prepared to learn and expand your network.
Bring your business idea to life
If you have a business idea that you have been contemplating, Global Entrepreneurship Week can be a perfect time to take that leap and make it happen. Business pitching competitions are an essential part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. You can check if there is one happening in your area, enter the competition, and prepare your business plan and pitch ahead.
Organize a Global Entrepreneurship Week event
If there is no Global Entrepreneurship Week event happening in your local area, why not organize one? Entrepreneurship is a topic that many organizations love to get on board with, especially when it involves youth. That means it will be a little less difficult to obtain sponsorship. Create a project plan and a proposal and submit them to as many like-minded organizations as possible. Don’t wait until you get a signed partnership to start preparing the necessary logistics for the business. The rule of thumb is to prepare three months ahead.
5 Fascinating Facts About Entrepreneurship
There are 582 million entrepreneurs worldwide
That means about 5% of the global population are entrepreneurs.
Older adults tend to embrace entrepreneurship
According to a study, 60% of small businesses were started by people between 40 and 60 years of age.
Google is an advice resource for entrepreneurs
A significant number of entrepreneurs, 26%, choose to Google their problems rather than turn to colleagues or books for advice.
The U.S. is the land of entrepreneurs
The U.S. ranks top in creating enabling business climates for entrepreneurs and developing small businesses.
Most U.S. businesses were built from scratch
About 80% of U.S. business owners built their companies from the ground up, and fewer inherited or purchased their businesses.
Why Global Entrepreneurship Week is Important
Entrepreneurship drives innovation
Entrepreneurial individuals have brought about every new technology and innovation in recent memory. That includes the likes of Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk. By introducing new products and services to the market, these entrepreneurs improved the standard of living, evolved society, and paved the way for new markets. We are faced with an unprecedented existential crisis with climate change, and entrepreneurship will be essential in helping us mitigate and adapt to a crisis such as this.
Global Entrepreneurship Week recognizes the importance of entrepreneurship to economic growth
One of the key reasons Global Entrepreneurship Week was founded is to highlight entrepreneurship as a driver of economic growth. Entrepreneurs are job creators, and through their innovative ideas, they bring about new-and-improved products, services, and technology. All these have a ripple effect on the economy, as it contributes to increased employment, creates more qualified workers for industries, and generates more national wealth.
Entrepreneurship contributes to positive social changes
Entrepreneurship doesn’t only address economic issues but issues of sustainability too. Social entrepreneurship, for example, helps solve problems of education, water scarcity, and gender equality, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Entrepreneurship Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | November 10–16 | Monday–Sunday |
| 2026 | November 9–15 | Monday–Sunday |
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