Little Rock to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week in mid-November

Little Rock will celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week with a myriad of events to help celebrate and nurture small business and entrepreneurship.

The events start November 14 and are hosted by The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub at Winrock International and supported by a Delta Regional Authority sponsorship.

The events are spearheaded by Kim Lane, the Innovation Hub Director of Operations and Community Development and Startup City Leader of Global Entrepreneurship Week Little Rock. Lane said she contacted the GEW headquarters last year to discuss ways to take part in the program.

“Arkansas has a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Global Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of the power and energy driving that community,” she said. “With a variety of workshops, pitch competitions and networking events, this is a great time for local entrepreneurs to immerse themselves in the tools and training available.”

Events for Global Entrepreneurship Week in Central Arkansas include:

Monday, Nov. 14
10 a.m.-noon: Doing Business with the City of Little Rock, at the Willie L. Hinton Resource Center
5-8 p.m.: How to Start a Business in Arkansas, at the Innovation Hub

Tuesday, Nov. 15
9-10 a.m.: Lift the Rock, at The Venture Center
9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: High School Startup Day, at the Innovation Hub
10 a.m.: Boost Your Sales, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
10 a.m.-noon: Google Analytics Basics for Startups, at The Venture Center
1 p.m.: Writing a Business Plan, at UALR
5-6 p.m.: How to Finance Your Company, at the Innovation Hub
5-8 p.m.: Startup Grind Little Rock with Graham Gordy at the Innovation Hub

Wednesday, Nov. 16
10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Verizon Tech Expo, at the Innovation Hub
9-10 a.m.: 1 Million Cups Little Rock, at the Innovation Hub
1 p.m.: My Student Startup, at UALR
5 p.m.: Government Contracting Step by Step, at the Innovation Hub
6 p.m.: G60 Pitch Competition/Conway, location TBD

Thursday, Nov. 17
6-7 p.m.: Presentation and book signing by Lucie Amundsen, at the Clinton School of Public Service

Friday, Nov. 18
5-8 p.m.: Maker Community Night, at the Innovation Hub
5-8 p.m.: Argenta Art Walk, at the Innovation Hub/Argenta Arts District
6 p.m.: Pitch ‘n Pint, at The Flying Saucer

The Hub and Winrock are working with the Delta Regional Authority to provide the robust programming. Entrepreneurship is a vital component of the economy, according to Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, Chris Masingill.

“We live and operate in a 21st-century, global economy where entrepreneurship is becoming an increasingly important way to drive growth and create opportunities, especially for those living in rural America,” Masingill said.

“The Delta Regional Authority is excited and proud to partner with the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub to bring Global Entrepreneurship Week USA to Arkansas,” Masingill added. “Through these types of partnerships, we are able to share resources and programming to create a stronger economy in the Delta region and help Delta entrepreneurs and small businesses compete on a global level.”

Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide effort, began in 2007. Jonathan Ortmans, the president of GEW, Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Carl Schramm, former president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, began the movement for the purpose of helping build an entrepreneurial ecosystem across the globe.

Winrock’s Senior Director of U.S. Programs and Executive Director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub sees the Global Entrepreneurship Week as a confirmation of Arkansas’ work to build an entrepreneurship ecosystem.

“The Innovation Hub is very honored to work with so many partners to assemble an impressive and dynamic series of events for Global Entrepreneurship Week in Arkansas,” Sabin said. “This illustrates the progress we have made in building a strong and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem here, and it underscores that Arkansas is a great place to start and grow a business.”

Most events of the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Little Rock are free and open to the public. Details of the week are located at the Hub website. Events requiring registration can be found at the Hub’s Eventbrite page.

Collaborators and sponsors of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Little Rock include:

• U.S. Small Business Administration
• Delta Regional Authority
• University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service
• Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center
• Junior Achievement
• Noble Impact
• Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center
• The Venture Center
• Little Rock SCORE
• Innovate Arkansas
• Startup Junkie
• City of Little Rock
• Arkansas Capital Corporation
• Leiva’s Coffee