KCSourceLink has announced that Global Entrepreneurship Week – Kansas City, the metro’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship, has a new base camp for its 15th year, according to a press release issued today.
The weeklong event that draws thousands to network, learn and grow will have its main events at iWerx in North Kansas City, Missouri, and surrounding locations from Nov. 14-20.
“From Midtown in Kansas City, Missouri, to 18th and Vine, we locate our GEWKC base camps in vibrant communities with strong entrepreneurial energy, and we’ve seen North Kansas City really take off as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in the past 10 years,” says Michael Carmona, senior director of KCSourceLink. “We’re excited to spur new ideas, make new connections and spark the next innovations in a place where that enterprising spirit is thriving.”
KCSourceLink organizes GEWKC each year, with input from the community and sessions crowdsourced from entrepreneurs, service providers, policymakers and champions of entrepreneurship.
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“The small businesses that have set up shop here have defined our character and made North Kansas City a destination for entertainment, culture and community,” says Adam Roberts, serial entrepreneur, owner of Screenland Armour Theatre and North Kansas City councilmember. “We hope to foster some of that entrepreneurial energy at GEWKC, as entrepreneurs and their champions connect to learn more about how to start, grow and accelerate businesses.”
iWerx in North Kansas City will serve as the base camp, where the main GEWKC sessions will be held. iWerx is the first business incubator in North Kansas City and houses and nurtures startups and post-revenue small businesses. It offers space for coworking and events.
“The iWerx team is excited to be the base camp for GEWKC 2022,” says Bob Martin, founding partner of the iWerx family of coworking and enterprise development facilities. “As a business with a mission to edify and assist entrepreneurs and their endeavors every day, we relish the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Since our inception seven years ago, we have been an active supporter and contributor to this worldwide event. We look forward to welcoming the Kansas City entrepreneurial community to iWerx in November.”
Other locations near iWerx — like Restless Spirits, Cinder Block Brewery and Chicken N Pickle, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year — will also participate in the week.
Past base camps have been held in the 18th and Vine District in Kansas City, Missouri, and in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, two other entrepreneurial hubs that have been historic hotbeds of arts, community and culture.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is an international celebration of the dreamers, innovators and job creators who launch startups, bring ideas to life and advance entrepreneurship. Founded in Kansas City by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in 2008, the event has since expanded to more than 170 countries. The event, organized each year by KCSourceLink, is driven by the input of the community and features crowdsourced sessions from entrepreneurs, policymakers, small-business advocates and anyone else who is interested in entrepreneurship.
GEWKC sessions will fit into five tracks, created by the planning committee in response to past attendee requests:
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Makers, Artists and Creators
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Startups
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Scalers
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Inclusive Community Builders
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Youthpreneurs
For those who want to host a session, GEWKC is accepting submissions until 11:59 p.m. Aug. 28. Sessions can include individual speakers, presenters, headliners, panels, workshops, competitions and more. Currently, GEWKC is accepting submissions for in-person, hybrid and online sessions. Attendees will be able to build their agendas and register in October. GEWKC is free and open to the public.
To learn more about what the GEWKC planning committee is looking for when it selects sessions for base camp, register for the How to Prep Your Session for GEWKC workshop 9:30 – 11 a.m. Aug 12.
More information about how to submit a session can be found on the Call for GEWKC Submissions page on the GEWKC website.
