Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania Lead States with Most Events Scheduled during the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov 01, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- A record 123 countries will take part in the world's largest celebration of innovators and job creators in less than two weeks. In the U.S. alone, more than 1,400 organizations -- including top universities, non-profit organizations, startups, government agencies and corporate sponsors -- will host Global Entrepreneurship Week events, Nov. 14 -- 20, 2011.

Once a year, entrepreneurial minds around the world join the GEW movement to foster originality, imagination and ingenuity through local, national and global activities. Founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the world's largest foundation dedicated to entrepreneurship, GEW helps current and aspiring entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, skills and networks necessary to grow sustainable enterprises.

"Global Entrepreneurship Week has become a launching pad for entrepreneurs everywhere, and this year we are expecting 10 million people to participate," said Carl Schramm, president and chief executive officer of the Kauffman Foundation. "There are no requirements to take part -- anybody, anywhere can find a way to get involved in events that will change lives."

In 2010, 1,313 U.S. partners hosted 3,286 activities with nearly a half-million participants. This November, all 50 states are expected to be represented in nearly 3,500 events and activities. The states (including Washington, DC) with the most activities are: Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, Washington, DC, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and Virginia.

GEW offers both virtual and face-to-face activities, ranging from large-scale competitions to intimate networking gatherings. A list of activities can be found on the interactive activities calendar at www.gewusa.org/event-central , where visitors can search by keyword or location.

A few of the 2011 featured events in the U.S. include:

-- Startup Weekend: Twenty U.S. cities--and more than 40 others around the world--play host to events that move entrepreneurs from idea to launch in 54 hours.

-- Global Student Entrepreneur Awards: Students across the globe will convene at the New York Stock Exchange to compete for $150,000 in cash and business services as well as one year of mentorship with RedBox founder Mike DeLazzer.

-- Movers & Changers Forum: Finalists in this mtvU / NYSE Euronext competition will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on the opening day of GEW and compete for $25,000 in seed money to help start their companies.

-- Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition: The best clean technology ideas from around the world are pitched to investors and entrepreneurs with a chance at winning $100,000 in support and services to help turn their ideas into a businesses.

Other featured events and activities in the U.S. include:

-- Global Women's Summit: Hosted by the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., the summit will discuss the role and impact of women entrepreneurs in today's economy.

-- Collegiate Inventors Competition: Twenty-six students from nine universities will present new ideas and innovations to a panel of expert judges in Washington, D.C., to vie for mentorship and cash prizes.

-- World Series of Innovation: A national competition organized by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship that allows middle or high school students to think creatively and invent new products that address every-day opportunities.

-- Future of Entrepreneurship Education Summit: Hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, the event convenes top leaders from different sectors of the entrepreneurship ecosystem to help make entrepreneurship a viable career pathway.

-- Global Innovation Game: A global challenge on Facebook that encourages the international community of players to buy, sell, and create solutions to problems facing the world.

-- Great Lakes Entrepreneurial Bash: Taking place in Chicago, top business leaders, executives, company owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs will come together to in a celebration of outstanding entrepreneurship.

-- Entrepreneur Expo: Harnessing the Power of Innovation: The first large-scale conference dedicated to promoting and celebrating Maryland's entrepreneurial community.

-- Kairos Discussion Challenge: Kairos Society Fellows--representing students from top universities around the world--are faced with the open challenge to develop solutions to the persistent global hunger crisis through venture creation.

Organizations supporting GEW/USA include NYSE Euronext, DECA, Entrepreneurs' Organization, Junior Achievement, Startup Weekend, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Startup Digest, Kairos Society, National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

For more information on plans for the Week throughout the United States, visit www.gewusa.org . To view a complete list of participating countries and supporting organizations, or to learn more about what is happening around the world during the Week, visit www.unleashingideas.org .

Global Entrepreneurship Week

During one week each November, thousands of activities around the world inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial action while connecting them to potential mentors, collaborators and investors. In three short years, Global Entrepreneurship Week has expanded to more than 120 countries--empowering nearly 20 million people through 95,000 activities. Powered by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the initiative is supported by dozens of world leaders and a growing network of 25,000 partner organizations. For more information on the US campaign, visit www.gewusa.org , and follow @gewusa on Twitter.

Kauffman Foundation

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people's eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. In addition, the Foundation focuses on initiatives in the Kansas City region to advance students' math and science skills, and improve the educational achievement of urban students, including the Ewing Marion Kauffman School, a college preparatory charter school for middle and high school students set to open in 2011. Founded by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has approximately $2 billion in assets. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org , and follow the Foundation on Twitter at @kauffmanfdn and Facebook.

SOURCE: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation