Governor Christine Gregoire will lead a statewide celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation in Washington during Global Entrepreneurship Week this November. Sponsored and coordinated by the Washington State Department of Commerce, the schedule (to-date) includes a range of activities, events and competitions:

• Launch Spokane: Entrepreneur & Startup Forum and Networking Event is a a panel discussion featuring founders of local startups, investors, serial entrepreneurs and service providers addressing topics such as why it’s critical for entrepreneurs to find mentors, understanding the capital game and building a team.
• New Ventures Challenge is a competition for startups and young businesses that is backed by the North Central Washington Economic Development District, Wenatchee Valley College, the Wenatchee Valley Mall, and the Wenatchee Downtown Association.
• Entrepreneur University is a one-day boot camp for entrepreneurs and investors that ends in a pitch competition for six finalists.
• North Central Washington Community Success Summit is a chance for residents to share insights and stories about how they are being innovative in building toward a sustainable future for its rural communities.
• Ignite BGI in Seattle features about a dozen sustainable MBA students and faculty from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute focused on the 'triple bottom line'--people, planet and profit.
• Startup Weekend Seattle will be taking place November 16th, giving local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers.

Additional details will be provided as they are released by the Department of Commerce and the Governor’s office.
Other new GEW/USA partners with registered events include:

• The State of Michigan DTMB-Procurement of Lansing, Michigan has registered its How to Contract with the State of Michigan event. The webinar will introduce entrepreneurs to products and services that the State of Michigan purchases, how to register as a vendor and much more.
• Chic CEO from San Diego, California. Chic CEO provides female entrepreneurs with the knowledge and support they need to start a business. During GEW, they will be hosting the San Diego SAVVY networking event to promote business savvy women sharing ideas, learning and teaching one another.
• The UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership of Buffalo, NY has set up events for University at Buffalo students including an Art & Entrepreneurship event, Speed Networking with Local Entrepreneurs, and The Innovation Challenge.

Another organization that has recently committed to being a GEW/USA partner is New Ventures of Washington, D.C.

In other news from the Unleashing Ideas network:

• Junior Achievement Egypt reports that it won the 2012 MetLife Foundation Entrepreneurial Award and a $25,000 grant for developing and demonstrating an outstanding innovation to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit in young people.
• The 13th Annual Junior Achievement of Hawaii Golf Classic will tee off on Thursday, Sept. 20. All funds from the tournament will be donated to Junior Achievement of Hawaii to support its mission of empowering young people to own their financial success.
• Entrepreneurs Organization Fort Worth (EO Fort Worth) announced Comerica Bank as their very first Founding Strategic Partner. Together they work to support the growth of the entrepreneurial community in the area; EO Fort Worth is the fastest growing EO chapter in the history of the organization.
• Muscatine Community College in Muscatine, Iowa joined NACCE, to further promote entrepreneurship throughout the college and surrounding area.

[Photo Credit: WSDOT]

tags: Christine Gregorie, EO, junior achievement, NACCE, Washington State Department of Commerce