Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

Hawaii Technology Development Corporation
For Immediate Release: November 1, 2021

HONOLULU—For the first time, all four counties across the State of Hawaii are collaborating to bring Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) to entrepreneurs and businesses statewide. Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hawaii will take place from November 8-14 with a series of live online events and workshops geared to local businesses at no cost to attendees.

GEW week focuses on encouraging startups to bring ideas to life and drive economic growth for small business. The ten workshops offer a variety of topics of interest to small businesses. Registration is now open at www.GEW-AlohaState.org.

Governor David Ige proclaimed GEW Aloha State week on October 19, 2021 recognizing that entrepreneurs and their startups are the driver of economic vitality, particularly in rural and underserved communities, which accounted for 68.3% of all private payroll jobs in 2020. GEW week helps to recognize the value of entrepreneurship in job creation, education, innovation and economic growth within our local communities. Some of the event topics are on sustainable tourism, funding resources for entrepreneurs, small business cybersecurity, panel on women in tech, tips on fostering innovation, and the future of young entrepreneurs in Hawaii.

“The State of Hawaii celebrates our passionate and committed entrepreneurs. Their ingenuity and initiative are creating a more vibrant economy and helping to drive our communities toward a more sustainable future,” said Gov. Ige.

“The pandemic restrictions posed additional challenges to all our businesses this year, so reaching out across the counties to tap into each other’s experience and lessons learned can be especially helpful,” stated Lori Fisher an organizer of the Maui Business Brainstormers (MBB), an official coordinator for GEW in Hawaii.

Each November, GEW celebrates and empowers millions of entrepreneurs in every country and community around the world, especially individuals who face barriers or who have never considered the idea of launching their own business. A record 180 countries will join GEW 2021 in thousands of activities, competitions and events that will inspire them and provide the knowledge, experience and connections they need to succeed. GEW is an international movement, powered by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), dedicated to making it possible for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a company.

The Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism and its attached agency, the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, have a vested interest and mission in fostering innovation, supporting entrepreneur development and providing necessary resources to help local business.

“We are proud to be one of the partner organizations who helped to bring GEW Hawaii together. We ask entrepreneurs across the state to join us and celebrate starting a business in Hawaii.” said Len Higashi, acting executive director of HTDC.

To view a complete list of events, list of participating counties and organizations, or to learn more about Global Entrepreneurship Week, visit www.gew.co.

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Media Contacts:
Charlene Chan
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
(808) 824-0134
dbedt.hawaii.gov

Sandi Kanemori
Hawaii Technology Development Corporation
(808) 539-3616
htdc.org

Lori Fisher
MBB Organizer
Maui Business Brainstormers
(808) 283-4880
mauibusinessbrainstormers.org