Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2022 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Today I fly out to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the 2022 Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) which is a program of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. This journey will entail me joining 70 US Delegates from around the nation to explore three core themes of Reboot, Rethink, and Regenerate while connecting with hundreds of startup leaders and advocates from around the globe (200 countries).

I am greatly looking forward to the immense amount of learning that will come from connecting to entrepreneurial leaders from around the world to the cultural experience of being in a new country. I am eager to find the commonalities that we share around entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset as well as celebrating the uniqueness of the various cultures that will be a part of this international experience. At the heart of entrepreneurship, it is all about “finding ways to create value for others, and when we do this we empower ourselves.”?

Challenges + Opportunities:?

Over the four-day conference there will be a full slate of events and knowledge sharing opportunities where as a diverse set of ecosystem builders, entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs), governments, investors, and entrepreneurs we can learn from one another. The five Challenge + Opportunities areas that will be discussed are BioTech, Space, Cities, Energy, and Web3.?

I remember reading back in 2016 Klaus Schwab’s, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and today I am amazed with how many of these challenges and opportunities are continuing to come to fruition and at the rate in which they are impacting (positively and negatively) our daily lives. I love the way these have been positioned as both “Challenges + Opportunities” as if we apply an entrepreneurial mindset to these challenge spaces we can see that opportunity arises if we collectively move towards solutions bettering our world and communities. It takes a diverse set of perspectives and creators to see these Challenges + Opportunities in a holistic way and I believe the GEC will serve as a connection point for ecosystem leaders and policymakers alike to share best practices and collaborate to turn these challenges into opportunities.

Reboot, Rethink, Regenerate:

The broader theme for the GEC is Reboot, Rethink, and Regenerate.?

When we think about how we can reboot our local, regional, national, and international economies empowering entrepreneurs and inspiring innovation is vital to this taking place. We must foster innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems that connect the right resources to our entrepreneurs at the right time. A roadmap to recovery, relies on the creation of new jobs and opportunities which we know entrepreneurs and scale-ups provide to our regional, national, and international economies.?

Entrepreneurs can’t do it alone. They need the infrastructure and ecosystem to support them which means having ecosystem builders, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs working together to foster the conditions for entrepreneurial success.

As we look to reboot our economies through entrepreneurship, we must rethink the way we build communities and systems to foster entrepreneurial activity. We must foster inclusive ecosystems that empower entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to build and solve our world’s challenges. In rethinking the way we collective build inclusive innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems we can regenerate the would around us from the communities, cities, and countries we live in. I am excited to delve into how we can Reboot our economies, Rethink the way we build business and ecosystems, and Regenerate the world we live in.

Reboot businesses and our global economy

Rethink how we live, work, and create ideas

Regenerate the momentum of communities, cities and countries

Speakers and Breakouts:

As an ecosystem builder and following much of what the Kauffman Foundation has been sharing for years on entrepreneurial ecosystem building, I am excited to learn from and connect with Andy Stoll, Philip Gaskin, and Victor Hwang (now leading Right to Start).?

I also look forward to hearing from tech leaders Steve Wozniak, Co-founder of Apple, and Marc Randolph, Co-founder and former CEO of Netflix. Add one more sentence

Additionally, I am excited to hear from leaders within the Global Entrepreneurship Network which I have had a great pleasure of connecting with by serving as the Greater Sacramento Community Organizer of Global Entrepreneurship Week Sacramento. Specifically, Jonathan Ortmans, Founder and President of GEN, and Jeff Hoffman, Chairman of the Board of GEN.

Lastly, I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to hear from Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud, Secretary General and member of the Board of Trustees at Alwaleed Philanthropies, who has “received the first of its kind ‘Change Maker Award‘ at the Aid & Trade Conference in London in recognition of her humanitarian and philanthropic efforts worldwide.” I also am excited to learn about the future of energy, investment, and IT in Saudi Arabia from HRH Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud, HE Khalid Al-Falih, and HE Abdullah Bin Amer Alswaha.?

About the Co-hosts:

The Co-hosts of the GEC are the Global Entrepreneurship Network and Monsha'at.?

Global Entrepreneurship Network:

The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates a platform of programs in 170 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For details on the programs and initiatives that make up GEN, visit genglobal.org. Follow GEN on Twitter @unleashingideas

Monsha'at:

Monsha'at, the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, organizes, supports, develops and sponsors the SME sector throughout Saudi Arabia to increase the productivity of these enterprises and increase their contribution to the GDP from 20% to 35% by 2030. It supports programs to promote an entrepreneurial spirit and works to diversify sources of financial support for SMEs – stimulating venture capital initiatives and setting policies and standards for financing entrepreneurial ventures. Monsha'at is keen on removing administrative, regulatory, technical, procedural, informational and marketing obstacles facing entrepreneurs. For more information, visit monshaat.gov.sa. Follow Monsha'at on Twitter @MonshaatSA.