Entrepreneurship Around the Globe

(Washington DC – January 5, 2012) AAM is pleased to announce the completion of a series of short video profiles focused on entrepreneurship around the globe. Produced with support from the Kauffman Foundation and in partnership with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), they provide a glimpse into the world of some of the 21st century’s most creative innovators.

Three videos were filmed during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship, with events taking place concurrently in 123 countries around the world. From November 14th-20th, 2011, AAM traveled to Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend conferences, participate in business incubation sessions, and visit individual entrepreneurs. The first piece below overviews the various GEW events we attended, while the second and third focus on individual Argentinian entrepreneurs.

The last video captures the action from the 2nd Annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which took place from December 3rd to 5th in Istanbul, Turkey. Hosted by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and following the inaugural 2010 Summit hosted by President Obama in Washington, D.C., the event featured innovators and visionaries from around the Arab world and an opening speech from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

As an organization, AAM seeks to provide in-depth coverage of today's critical international issues. And there is perhaps no issue more globally relevant than economic growth. Entrepreneurial innovation has been and will continue to be the backbone of this growth, both in the developing and developed world. We are deeply interested in bringing the stories of entrepreneurs to life: to help people better understand the nature and history of entrepreneurship, its essential role in spurring innovation, and the fundamental role it will play in future prosperity.

In November 2011, the world's best and brightest innovators gathered on six continents to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship.

From its headquarters in Buenos Aires, "Mercado Libre" ("Free Market" in English) has become the largest e-commerce site in Latin America with three and a half billion dollars in transactions in 2010.

From a small factory on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, workers turn out versions of shoes that have been around in Argentina since the 19th century. This humble canvas footwear called "alpargatas" has been built into an international brand by the start-up company Paez Shoes.

In December 2011, entrepreneurs from the Middle East gathered in Istanbul to discuss the need for a new culture of entrepreneurship in the region. U.S. Vice President Biden gave the opening remarks.