Innovate Charlotte will once again host several entrepreneurship events across the Queen City starting next week.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is an annual celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship that takes place in ecosystems worldwide. More than 10 million people will participate in thousands of activities, competitions and events around the globe. The event was launched in 2008 by Global Entrepreneurship Network.
Charlotte’s GEW will include 18 local events from Nov. 14-17 to help first-time founders as well as seasoned entrepreneurs network and advance their businesses. Innovate Charlotte, which first hosted GEW events last year, is partnering with local co-working spaces, tech and nonprofit organizations and ecosystem leaders for a variety of panel discussions, networking, pitch competitions and workshops. It will be a mix of in-person, hybrid and virtual events. For those interested in attending or participating, it is recommended to pre-register or purchase a ticket in advance.
“I’m excited to see the variety of events and topics happening throughout the week,” said Juan Garzon, managing director of Innovate Charlotte. “Small business and entrepreneurship remain the main drivers of our economy. Now more than ever, we need to support and nurture our budding entrepreneurs.”
Garzon said one highlight is the organization’s collaboration with Venture 135 this year. This is a venture capital conference that focuses on generating quality deal flow and innovation across the financial technology and insurance technology industries, Innovate Charlotte said. Venture 135 will span two days during GEW, Nov. 15-16, at Barings headquarters. Garzon said the conference will “bring entrepreneurs and investors from other markets into the Charlotte community.”
He added, “GEW this year will allow visitors to get a taste of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
Another event kicking off next week is the Creative Lab Open House by the Do Greater Charlotte Foundation. The event is to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated Creative Lab at Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church in Charlotte. The mixed-use creative lab is designed for underserved youth in communities along West and Wilkinson boulevards. It’s Charlotte’s first co-learning space for youth that focuses on design, entrepreneurship and innovative technology. The groundbreaking event for the lab was held Aug. 26.
During GEW, attendees can tour the new space, grab a drink from the lab’s coffee shop, try the creative studios and have a daily lunch-and-learn session with Charlotte’s entrepreneurial community.
Other events such as a startup crawl, fintech conference and hackathon for historically Black colleges and universities will also take place during the event. Garzon said he expects several hundred people to participate in Charlotte’s GEW.
Click here to see the full list of entrepreneurial events happening locally.
