Young entrepreneurs take part in global celebration
Judith Meza pictured receiving her Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Lord Mayor of Hull Councillor Mark Collinson at the GEW awards evening in 2024. Also pictured are Yugo Liu, who supported Judith in her role as a Youth Enterprise Champion, and Lady Mayoress Councillor Christine Randall
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Young entrepreneurs from across Hull and East Yorkshire will connect with international partners later this year for a festival of enterprise designed to shine a spotlight on the collective power of community, collaboration, and shared ambition.
Locally, Hull City Council will partner with Yorkshire in Business and the Microbusiness Alliance to help people explore the world of business during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from November 17-21.
Globally, the Hull and East Yorkshire entrepreneurs will link online with youth enterprise projects from South Africa, Australia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Worldwide, GEW will embrace 180 countries, with millions of people participating in activities designed to provide them with the knowledge, experience, and connections they may need to succeed in business.
The theme for GEW 2025 is ‘Together We Build’ with the aim of promoting collaboration and inviting entrepreneurs to explore what’s possible when they join mentors, peers, partners, and supporters to bring ideas to life and build something bigger than themselves.
Hannah Cheshire, left, and Sue Altass from Inspire Ignite with participants in the 2024 Make £5 Blossom event
This year the city of Hull will be marking 22 years of its involvement in celebrating youth entrepreneurship and enterprise skills in schools. The programme will again include events focusing on how entrepreneurship can create positive change and opportunities for all in our communities.
That ongoing commitment has been welcomed by key figures, with Marc Ortmans, chair of GEN UK and GEW UK, noting the recent opening of the Hull Emporium pop-up shop in Hull, and Liz Barclay, patron of JCYEB, reinforcing her commitment to young entrepreneurs following her recent appointment as SME advisor to the Institute of Directors.
Marc said: “Over the years, Hull and East Yorkshire has played a significant part every year in celebrating what it does to support enterprise skills and youth entrepreneurship.
“The region has always demonstrated a commitment to engaging with enterprising young people and sharing good practice with colleagues across the UK and the rest of the world. I looking forward to visiting to see the development of its youth enterprise hub and the fantastic pop-up shop for young entrepreneurs."
Liz added: “Global Entrepreneurship Week is something I look forward to annually, celebrating how Hull and East Yorkshire supports young entrepreneurs globally and with its own local and regional businesses.”
Adam Corbally, right, pictured with Ty Hartley, owner of Next Gen Mentors, and Caitlin Leaming, owner of Cait’s Witchy Creations, at one of the THUD Yorkshire events
GEW in Hull and East Yorkshire:
Make £5 Blossom
The week will start with 13 schools and 13 businesses coming together in the Guildhall for the Make £5 Blossom event, in which the businesses will give the pupils a loan of £150 to develop enterprise ideas and help them to learn about Big 13 Enterprise Skill.
School Enterprise Days
Former BBC Apprentice star Adam Corbally will be joined by pupils from St Mary's College for an enterprise day to promote learning around the Big 13 enterprise skills.
The young people will face the challenge of impressing a set of judges drawn from the regional business community with their ideas of how to organise a profitable event at Sewell Group Craven Park. A similar event will take place in the Guildhall on the Friday for primary schools and there will also be activities at primary and secondary schools in Hull, East Yorkshire and Scarborough with the chance to win cash prizes sponsored by the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank (JCYEB).
THUD Yorkshire
Hull Trinity Market will be the venue for a THUD Yorkshire event in partnership with the JCYEB and the Microbusiness Alliance. Three aspiring young entrepreneurs will have the chance to win cash prizes and secure valuable advice by pitching their ideas to an invited audience of young entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Video Venture
Another highlight of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 will be the return of the highly popular Adam Corbally Enterprise Challenge Video Pitch. Young entrepreneurs can present their ideas in a short film and stake their claim to win investment in their business and in-kind business support.
GEW Awards Evening
The curtain will come down on another amazing Global Entrepreneurship Week with a celebration event at Hull Guildhall with the centrepiece being the presentations to winners of the annual Hull and East Yorkshire enterprise awards.
The 2025 programme of events is sponsored by Engaging Education, T Arran Photography, the JCYEB, The Hull Story, Jordan Smith Mortgage & Protection Advisor, Design Over Technology, Enterprise Days, Hull Trinity Market and Hull City Council.
GEW will also raise funds for two charities Action for Ashley and Joy for Joel, two young people who are living with Duchenne.
To find out more about the events taking place during GEW please visit via www.gewhull.co.uk and look out on social media for the hashtags for the week – #GEWHull #GEWUK #GEW2025 #TogetherWeBuild