Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025

Join iStart Valley for the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 Celebration on Saturday, November 15th at 10:00 AM CST, a global movement dedicated to celebrating and empowering entrepreneurs across the world. Since its inception in 2008, iStart Valley has proudly partnered with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) — an initiative that began by inspiring young people to make their mark and has evolved into a worldwide celebration of innovation, collaboration, and economic growth. Powered by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, GEW now unites entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and changemakers from more than 180 countries and 25,000 partner organizations, creating a dynamic ecosystem that fuels creativity and progress on a global scale. The 2025 theme, “Together We Build,” highlights the collective strength of community, shared vision, and collaboration — encouraging participants to join forces with mentors, peers, and partners to bring ideas to life and make a lasting impact.

This year’s event features an inspiring keynote by Wen Zhang, renowned global speaker, executive coach, and founder of INNW Institute, followed by a showcase of the Youth Executive Committee’s achievements and upcoming initiatives. The celebration will conclude with the announcement of $10K scholarship winners and honorees from iStart Valley’s advanced technology programs.

Don’t miss this empowering experience!

Keynote Presenter

Wen Zhang is a globally recognized speaker, executive coach, and founder of INNW Institute, a nonprofit and marketing firm dedicated to helping leaders be seen, heard, and funded through the power of strategic storytelling. She is also the creator of the LeadHERship™ Circle, a global initiative designed to elevate women’s voices and help them lead from within.

Over the past 15 years, Wen has launched revenue-driving initiatives as Chief Marketing Officer at InternshipDesk, scaled international partnerships at Evention LLC, and led product strategy at Dell Technologies, where she oversaw a $320M portfolio and a 400+ person sales team. Through INNW Marketing, she has directly advised over 200+ founders and leaders, helping them raise more than $55M+ in combined capital and revenue growth. Wen is a sought-after speaker and has spoken on global stages, including TEDx talk and SXSW.

She holds a Master’s degree in Advertising & Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Duke University.