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Communities Around the World Celebrate First Global Entrepreneurship Week

November 19, 2008

This week an estimated five million people will celebrate the first annual Global Entrepreneurship Week by taking part in one of the 13,000 events planned worldwide. Founded by the United Kingdom's Mark Your Mark campaign and the U.S.-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Global Entrepreneurship Week is designed to foster innovation and ambition in people under 30 to encourage them to participate in the innovation economy and start new businesses. The initiative has found support from several high-profile world leaders like U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Singaporean President S.R. Nation, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.

Organizations in 77 countries and all 50 states will participate in entrepreneurship-related activities this week including entrepreneurship challenges, student business innovation tournaments, and special networking opportunities. In the U.S., more than 880 different events are taking place.

One of the most active U.S. partners, the Launch Pad at University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL will feature activities all week. Session include presentations on university commercialization, social entrepreneurship and Florida's entrepreneurial outlook. Launch Pad is also offering a prize to the person who attends the most Global Entrepreneurship Week events.

A directory of U.S. activities is available at: http://unleashingideas.org/country/US/activities

On Friday, November 21 at 9:45am, the New York Stock Exchange will host a panel discussion featuring celebrity entrepreneurs Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam Records and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, and Linda McMahon, CEO of the World Wrestling Federation, talking about how they got their start and what challenges budding entrepreneurs can expect along the road to starting a successful business. The event is intended to give young people a glimpse at the challenges and rewards of starting your own business and will allow audience members to ask questions about the process. The event will be webcast at: http://www.unleashingideas.org/mentoringmadness

Many organizations and communities are participating in the week's Speednetwork the Globe initiative to connect innovative people and to spark conversations about entrepreneurship. These events take a "speed-dating" approach to networking by getting people to talk for five or ten minutes at a time about their ideas and goals. By including both young people and those already involved in the innovation economy, these events can lead to future mentorships or other meaningful collaborations.

The Kauffman Foundation has more information and updates about U.S. events, including summaries of the day's activities, at: http://www.kauffman.org/entrepreneurship/international-celebration-of-entrepreneurship.aspx

Find out more about Global Entrepreneurship Week at: http://www.unleashingideas.org/

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