MBC as Missouri State Coordinator for GEW

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This year, from November 14-20, 2022,  Global Entrepreneurship Network will celebrate 15 years of helping millions of people unleash their ideas to start and scale new businesses through Global Entrepreneurship Week. Since it's founding, GEW has grown to become a comprehensive effort that engages entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, support organizations and others collaborating to advance economic growth and innovation in more than 170 countries around the world.   

The Multicultural Business Coalition has been working with GEN as the Missouri State Coordinator of Global Entrepreneurship Week since .  The state coordinators tapped by GEN encourage hundreds of organizations throughout their state to plan and conduct activities during GEW USA. In this capacity, we also play a key role in connecting resource organizations and ecosystem stakeholders to expand awareness and deepen our collaborative activity.  We’re working with a great team of Community Organizers across the state, representing Kansas City, St. Joseph, Joplin, Columbia, Springfield and St. Louis.  

Meet our Missouri Community Organizers!

• Dr. Adrienne B. Haynes, President, Multicultural Business Coalition
• Michael Carmona, Senior Director, KCSourceLink
• Chanté L. Keller, Network Navigator, KCSourceLink
• Rachel Anderson, Director, efactory
• Ken Surbrugg, Business Development, Missouri SBDC at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU)
• Ray Hall, Minority Business Coordinator, City of Columbia, Missouri

Thank you to our organizers for helping to support a diverse, collaborative entrepreneurial ecosystem in Missouri. 

For 2022, the themes being celebrated across the state include: year's themes are:

· Climate- activities in this category focus on entrepreneurs and businesses focusing on the environment through climate change, high performance buildings, energy efficiency, or other innovative means. 

· Technology- activities in this category focus on how we can leverage technology to build companies, communities, and our state. 

· Revitalization- activities in this category highlight the work startup champions are doing around the state to help reactivate and reenergize our neighborhoods, cities, and state. 

· Generational Wealth- activities in this category highlight proactive planning to help our business communities reduce the impact of the pandemic and recession on the long term growth of our ecosystem.