GEN Asia to strengthen global connections, cultivate evidence-based solutions
to entrepreneurial challenges in the region
The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates in 170+ countries, helping ecosystems scale up by fostering deeper cross-border collaboration and initiatives engaging the fraternity members including entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers and entrepreneurship support organizations. The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) unveiled its latest effort here in Bangkok – Thailand, aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business.
Formation of GEN Asia
The announcement was made during GEC + Bangkok, an event to explore innovative new approaches to unleash digital innovations in Thailand and how entrepreneurs can influence inventive regulatory dialogues that help shape public policy. GEN Asia will serve as a regional hub to strengthen global connections among a diverse collection of stakeholders and provide a sustained focus on empowering entrepreneurs throughout the continent.
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GEN President Jonathan Ortmans, was joined by Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thailand Minister of Digital Economy and Society Pichet Durongkaveroj, as well as 26 country representatives from the GEN Asia members.
Jonathan Ortmans, President of the Global Entrepreneurship Network said:
“In a relatively short period of time, communities and countries everywhere have come to understand the need to support their most innovative citizens – and many governments have established goals for entrepreneurial development. GEN Asia will help bring a fresh round of globally-validated policies and programs to bear against persistent challenges facing Asian entrepreneurs.”
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Core Areas of Work: GEN Asia
GEN Asia is founded on the core principles of empowering the ecosystem builders in member countries by:
- Increasing the amount of research collaborations between major funders of entrepreneurship research and Asian institutions;
- Identifying and helping replicate effective public policies and programs to support entrepreneurs;
- Coordinating with existing multilateral efforts such as APEC, ASEAN, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and others;
- Expanding GEN’s support of national governments throughout Asia by providing input on national strategies, contributing to capacity building efforts and connecting government leaders to counterparts outside Asia.
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The Executive Committee that is leading this new effort in the region comprises of individuals who are already well integrated and mobilizing their local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Kalsoom Lakhani, Founder and CEO Invest2Innovate is to represent Pakistan, whereas the following names include the rest of the committee:
- Minwoo Nam, Chair of the GEN Asia Executive Committee; and Chair, Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation (Korea)
- Qian Wang, CEO, Zhongguancun InnoWay (China)
- Yatin Thakur, Acting Managing Director, GEN India (India)
- Hiro Nishiguchi, Acting Managing Director, GEN Japan (Japan)
- Emmanuel Maillard, Founder, GEN Myanmar (Myanmar)
- Marianne Tan, Head of Partnerships, ACE Singapore (Singapore)
i2i repping Pakistan at the MoU for GEN Asia - David Kuo, Acting Managing Director, GEN Taiwan (Taiwan)
- Steve Cheah, Founder, GEN Thailand (Thailand)
- Pham Hoang Tien, Managing Director, GEN Vietnam (Vietnam)
GEN Asia has 50 members representing 26 countries — and aims to extend its reach throughout the rest of Asia by 2020. Other GEN Asia members participating in the announcement included:
- Allan Connolly, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Mentor and Leading Learner in Entrepreneurship (Australia)
- Mushfig Hasanov, DVC “Debate in Civil Society” Public Union (Azerbaijan)
- Sohael Chowdhury, Young Entrepreneurs & Leaders League (Bangladesh)
- Muhaimin Khan, BetterStories Limited (Bangladesh)
- S M Rakibul Hasan, hubdhaka (Bangladesh)
- Dorji Tashi, The Loden Foundation (Bhutan)
- Ek Sopheara, Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (Cambodia)
- Catherine Gao, EFG (China)
- Ivan Sandjaja, Ciputra Foundation (Indonesia)
- Deependra Chamlagain, Samriddhi, The Prosperity Foundation (Nepal)
- Kashif Khan, GEN Pakistan (Pakistan)
- Henry Ong, Young Entrepreneur Society (YES) Philippines (Philippines)
- Hyun Ju Bang, Korean Entrepreneurship Foundation (South Korea)
- Hikmat Abdurahmanov, Association of International Business and Technologies (Uzbekistan)
- Hai Hai Nguyen, StartUp.vn (Vietnam)
- Pham Hoanh Tien, GEN Vietnam (Vietnam)
GEN is supporting the U.S. State Department and Government of India for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, India, 28-30 November 2017.
Sourced from: GEN
Image source: GEN
