Category: Conferences on Entrepreneurship

If you want to experience the ultimate multi-day learning, networking and sheer inspirational event among entrepreneurs and their advisers from every continent, your opportunity is coming up soon.

MIT’s Annual Global Startup Workshop will be held on Seoul, South Korea, from March 23 to 25, 2011. Each year, this event is held on a different city/country and has been held on every continent except Antarctica.

Last’s event in Reykjavik was truly awesome, with a variety of speakers, panels, workshops and events that made the three days go by too quickly while learning from some of the most inspiring people you will ever meet. The participants found it easy to get swept up in the enthusiasm of the fest, and it was easy to make friends from all around the world. Veterans of previous events tell me this is the norm for the GSW, and warned me that attending GSW becomes an addiction.

To learn more go to MIT’s Global Startup Workshop Website.

Princeton Entrepreneur Network’s 14th Annual Conference today launched their Social Enterprise track as an adjunct to their regular entrepreneurial group, as a reflection of the growing interest in doing well by doing good.

Besides their keynote speaker, various discussions of starting a business and getting PR, and annual business plan contest, there was a fascinating presentation by MIT’s Media Lab followed by panel discussions on Education, Economic Development and Health Care which made the rather maddening ride out from NYC very worth while.

I chose the Economic Development panel, as I’ve had some experience in the field and was rewarded with a panel of experts including Brian Hays, CEO of Bel Soleys Inc (www.belsoley.com), a seller of hot sauces made from Haitian peppers. A retired Marine Corps officer, Brian is seeking to help out in the earthquake-ravaged country in the best way he can, by hiring Haitians and providing a means to help them earn money. “it’s quite simple,” he says, “people need to earn money. Money really can solve a lot of problems that people have, including going to the hospital and paying for proper health care. I know it sounds obvious but I learned it again when I was there.” Brian also pointed out that it took over a year to set up a corporation in Haiti, and the procedure included getting President Preval’s signature – twice. This archaic system of company formation hinders the creation of new jobs and prevents Haitian entrepreneurs from doing what entrepreneurs do best: quickly responding a new situation with solutions that provide value to everyone involved.

Available in streaming video, you can watch the premier event of cutting-edge technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Watch it live here: Live TechCrunch. A virtual Who’s Who of the Disrupters in the tech world.