My Experience Attending Global Entrepreneurship Week Events

I will preface this blog by stating that I am an intern for the UNTHSC and that I am writing this from the perspective of an attendee. Enjoy!

For the ones in the back who do not know what Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is, let me briefly explain to you so I can really dive into my experience. GEW is basically a global movement celebrated in hundreds of cities around the world, reaching millions of people through local, national and global events, activities and competitions. The goal is to inspire communities to collaborate and share their networks and markets to build an ecosystem of healthy thriving entrepreneurship. An objective of GEW is also to educate and provide the entrepreneur, business owner, and innovator the proper guidance, resources, and skills needed to get to the next level. 

Let me hop straight into the first event I attended! The name of this event was the GEW Kickoff Party, keep in mind since I told you I would be honest, I won’t sugarcoat anything or try to be suave in my approach to these events. This event consisted of three things networking, fun, and an opportunity to see what the rest of the week has to offer. When the event started, I was a bit nervous, I am a bit of an introvert, but I took a chance and spoke to a man named Robert Liang the president of WEST ONE Products based in Fort Worth; this proved to be a very good decision. We spoke and built a relationship in that short time, I felt like I had someone on “my side” in life, something like a friend. This led to an increase in my confidence and I began speaking with everyone networking, talking about ideas, life and much more. The event to me was more than just a typical networking event, it was the gate way to a new community and a confidence booster that I belonged. I’m sure everyone their got something different from the event, that being said I am sure everyone’s stomach was at least half full! The event said it would provide food, so I didn’t know what to expect, it wasn’t 5-star food, but I was surprised at the tasty food they provided. I’ll also add that the organizers demonstrated a holistic approach to this event as well by making sure that this was a zero-waste event, meaning everything was either compostable or recyclable. Would I attend next year? Absolutely, I only benefitted from the event and don’t think opportunities arise like this for free very often. 

The second and final event I attended was, “TCU Football Legends: Where are they now? Live Podcast by K^2”. So, coming to this event I wasn’t too sure what questions were going to be asked to the guests, didn’t know much about the guests speaking and how I could benefit. So, what did I do? I showed up with an open mind. As the seats began to fill in the room I started to get a bit excited, I knew these gentlemen who were former TCU football players and have transitioned into the entrepreneurial world had some interesting insights that I could use to excel in my transition from a TCU football player into a new professional space. TCU football players Kelton Hollins and David Bolisomi the hosts of K^2 began asking very intriguing questions that were answered with grace and depth from the panelist. The Panelists included Cedric James, former New England patriots cornerback and current market coordinator of TCU’s Idea Factory, Tim Maiden former TCU player and former Senior Vice President of Frost Bank and current Adjunct Professor at Dallas Baptist University, and finally Tim’s brother Terrence also a former TCU football player and current CEO of Russel Glen Company and Senior Vice President of RISE Clothing Company. The panel had so much to offer from advice to real life examples of adversity and how they overcame it. To say the least I sucked up tons of knowledge and wisdom from these gentlemen. Overall the event was great, the Panel and Hosts even stayed after to answer any questions and connect via LinkedIn. Would I go to another event Hosted by K^2? If It was anything like this event absolutely. 

I wish I would’ve attended more events truthfully, but as a current college student and major of the “Dismal science” (economics) it is very difficult to make time. One thing I learned going to these events is that people want to help you. I also learned that it is hard to for business owners to locate resources and knowledge, so I feel blessed that I met the right people which led me to going to these events. Want to get involved with GEW 2020? Check out our website for more information  https://www.gewfortworth.com

————————————————————————–

Montrel Wilson is an Ecosystem Building intern under the Research Development & Commercialization Department of the UNTHSC. He is also a current student at Texas Christian University studying economics. In his short life, he has studied in both China and South Africa, all while studying Japanese. He hopes to obtain a better understanding of the world around him through travel and study. 

Share this post