Futurpreneur Canada Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week


The non-profit organization will be the official Canadian host for the 10th consecutive year

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Young entrepreneurs drive innovation and job creation, fueling the Canadian economy. To celebrate their contributions, Futurpreneur Canada is excited to partner with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) for the 10th consecutive year as Canada’s official host of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). This year, GEW highlights four critical themes, two of which are the value women and youth bring to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

As Canada’s only non-profit organization providing resources, financing and mentoring to aspiring business owners (40% of which are female-led) Futurpreneur encourages communities across the country to get involved.  By doing so, we will bring insight and recognition to the important contribution entrepreneurs make in building strong communities, spurring innovation and creating jobs to sustain our nation’s goal of economic growth and inclusive prosperity.

“Global Entrepreneurship Week, while celebrating the successes and milestones of small businesses, is also a platform for meaningful conversation to address the gaps and opportunities for under-represented groups in the entrepreneurial community, including women and youth,” said Karen Greve Young, Chief Executive Officer of Futurpreneur Canada. “Through the work we are doing at Futurpreneur, including Trailblazers 2018, we strive to break down barriers and create opportunities for diverse groups to share knowledge and resources to facilitate positive change.” 

To mark the launch of GEW 2018 in Canada, The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, joined Futurpreneur and a variety of Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneurs last Thursday in a flag raising ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

“As a small-business-friendly government, we are committed to helping more Canadians—including youth, women and other under-represented groups—start up, scale up and grow their businesses,” said Minister Ng. “Futurpreneur is a key part of that, helping entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 39 transform their ideas into businesses. Global Entrepreneurship Week, with its message of inclusivity, represents a great opportunity to celebrate the many success stories of Canada’s promising entrepreneurs.”

In addition to various national events and competitions taking place in Canada, dozens of partners and supporters from coast to coast will come together to inspire their communities and to join the conversation on social media, using the hashtags #GEWCanada #GEW2018.

Futurpreneur is proud to highlight the following activations across the country:

  • Flag Raising Ceremony on Parliament Hill:
    On Thursday, November 8th 2018, The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, joined Karen Greve Young, Chief Executive Officer of Futurpreneur Canada, alongside Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneurs, in a flag raising ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, to honour the launch of GEW in Canada.
  • GEW Canada Community Challenge:
    Are you the most entrepreneurial city in Canada? Take part in our GEW Canada Community Challenge and put your city on the map! We’ll be following the #GEWCanada #GEW2018 buzz from coast to coast and awarding this title to the city that hosts the most entrepreneurial events per capita during GEW. For more information on how to get your city in the race, click here.
  • Trailblazers, Vancouver:
    Futurpreneur Canada, in partnership with TruShield Insurance, is proud to present Trailblazers 2018: A celebration and showcase of inspiring young Canadian female entrepreneurs. Join us on Thursday, November 15th and hear from five trailblazing Futurpreneur-supported women  who have used their ventures to break down barriers and forge new paths in the entrepreneurial community. Be inspired by their stories, network with other entrepreneurs and community members, and help celebrate the importance of small business in Canada during GEW. For more information, click here.
  • Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (“GEM”) Report on Youth Entrepreneurship:
    A new report on youth entrepreneurship in Canada has revealed an interesting trend in the young entrepreneurial ecosystem (ages 18-39). The report, sponsored by Futurpreneur, THECIS and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), captures a variety of key insights and learnings into the young entrepreneurial ecosystem, including but not limited to: consumer services, provincial hub findings and in-depth analysis into the gender gap. We encourage those who would like more information to attend a webinar on Tuesday, November 13th at 3:00 pm EST, which will provide a detailed overview of the content with the report author Amanda Williams, and Peter Josty, the leader of the GEM Canada team. Access to the webinar can be found here.
    To read the report, click here.

For more information about how you can get involved and join the #GEWCanada conversation, visit Futurpreneur’s GEW Page.

About Futurpreneur Canada
Since 1996, Futurpreneur Canada has been the only national, non-profit organization providing resources, financing and mentoring to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. To date, we have supported over 11,000 young entrepreneurs launching businesses in communities across Canada.  Our internationally recognized mentoring program matches these entrepreneurs with business experts from a network of over 3,000 volunteer mentors.
Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian member of Youth Business International and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
www.futurpreneur.ca Facebook: Futurpreneur Twitter: @Futurpreneur

For interview opportunities and media inquiries, please contact:
Zandra Miljan
Public Affairs and Media Relations
Futurpreneur Canada
Call or Text:  647-680-8165
Email: zmiljan@futurpreneur.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a4eea3b4-b86b-4d96-adcd-ee97e884c4f0

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