Standing From Left: Sabrina Low (Asiaxcess), Rani Wemel (LTT Global), Peter Tam (Microsoft), Nas Sobri (ICT Penang/KUMUDA), Karyn Mak (Senedi)
Sitting From Left: Vimal Kumar (Gorgeous Geeks), Tun Azela (MDEC/MSC Malaysia), Dato' Saifuddin Abdullah (Deputy Minister of Higher Education), Dash Balakrishnan (Warisan Global) and Marc Nager (Startup Weekend)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), which will be held from Nov 8 to 21, is going to be bigger than ever with more entrepreneurial treats for budding and existing entrepreneurs.
This year was about turning dreams into reality, said Dhakshinamoorthy Balakrishnan or Dash, chief executive officer of Warisan Global Sdn Bhd (country host of GEW in Malaysia).
"Last year, we inspired many young entrepreneurs. This year, we would like to show them ways to build their dream businesses.
"GEW Malaysia is emphasising its role as a catalyst to bring forth the start-up culture among youths -- a culture that is rooted in innovative, sound business models and practices that has global reach."
Dash added that Warisan Global together with its supporters and catalyst partners aimed to connect young people through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators.
Among the many key events during GEW are Sembang-Sembang, a monthly networking event for women entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs-to-be, Clean Tech Open, a global ideas challenge to find the best green technology ideas from around the world and Startup Weekend, a workshop to convert ideas into actual ventures.
The campaign, invented by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Enterprise UK is best described as a global movement with massive ambition. It has encouraged and empowered youth and energised businesses around the world.
For more information on GEW, visit www.gewmalaysia.org or www.unleashingideas.org
GEW catalyst partners are DiGi, ICT Penang, Microsoft Bizspark, KREAM, LTT Global Communications, Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia, Youth Entrepreneur Malaysia and Gorgeousgeeks.
SOURCE: New Straits Times (Thu, 21 OCT 2010) - Making dream businesses grow by Halimatul Hamid