(l to r) Robert J.Clarke (US Charge d' affaires), Mrs. Renate Stille (Brazilian Ambassador ), George Fergusson (British High Commissioner), Pedro Herrera –(Argentinian Ambassador), Thomas A. Meister (German Ambassador), Sam Morgan (Patron, GEW- NZ), Michel Legras (French Ambassador), Luis Enrique Franco (Mexico Charge d' affaires), Robert Acton (Chair, Global Entrepreneurship Week –NZ)

Sam Morgan, Ambassador GEW New Zealand:

Craig Riddle, Partner at Ernst & Young:

Rob Acton, Chair Wellington Innovation Network:

With the sun now rising in New Zealand, Global Entrepreneurship Week has officially begun. Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations are now starting up all over the world, launching not just individual campaigns, but a global movement that will connect approximately 4 million people in 87 countries.

Each nation has found a different way to kick off what is the culmination of months of organizing and engaging their communities. Here in the United Kingdom, where I am making my first stop, the British Library is hosting an event with Enterprise UK featuring such globally recognized leaders as Matt Brittin, UK managing director of Google; Peter Jones, entrepreneur and star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den; Jim O’Neill, head of Global Economic Research at Goldman Sachs; and, Carl Schramm, president and CEO of Kauffman Foundation. All will gather in a few hours to celebrate entrepreneurship throughout the United Kingdom and discuss its potential to grow the global economy.

Such excitement is no surprise in the UK – a public known for having a sky-high opinion of entrepreneurs. Indeed, it is estimated that one in four people are either running their own business or considering it for the future. This interest in entrepreneurship is stimulated by leaders who have put their time and efforts behind their words, especially Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who conceived the idea of Global Entrepreneurship Week with the Kauffman Foundation’s Carl Schramm, and has actively participated in activities every year. Top-level commitment to a pro-entrepreneurship culture is also shown in the government’s Enterprise Strategy, which sets out the framework for driving forward enterprise policy. Reforms to date are reflected in the country’s improving Doing Business ranking; according to the World Bank, this year the UKeconomy made it on the top 5 list for ease of doing business.

Similarly exciting launch activities around the world demonstrate the rising importance attached to entrepreneurship. Young people are one of the groups most affected by the recession, as shown by high youth unemployment rates everywhere. So, it is not surprising that this demographic is so apt to participate in events like that in New Zealand, where over 150 aspiring entrepreneurs, established business leaders and government officials are, as I upload this post, joining together for an early morning speednetworking session at the Wellington city government building that will be broadcast throughout the country. In a few hours in Brazil, young people and government officials are also coming together for a launch, with the intent of discussing sustainable entrepreneurship and specific initiatives that can support and guide this movement at the federal, state and municipal levels of government. In China, where President Obama will be for the beginning of Global Entrepreneurship Week, over 1,000 people are just about to celebrate entrepreneurship with a large-scale ceremony that will feature a number of VIPs from the Chinese government and also debut the musical drama “Forever the Moment”, which was composed and directed by undergraduate students. And in the United States, Chapman University in Orange, California, will turn into a “Times Square” of sorts as engineering students develop a way to host the “Orange Ball Drop,” counting down to midnight on the eve of the Week.

With activities planned for seven straight days, this week we will be witnessing a renewed interest in the marketplace as a place to work with ideals and ideas. Young entrepreneurs are deeply curious about the opportunities the marketplace offers to tackle the challenges facing the human race. In this new mindset, running profitable businesses and improving the world are seen as mutually reinforcing. The “post-Google”, “new media” generation has opened the doors to creativity and innovation. I hope you will join this generation in their activities in your country and support their dreams of starting revolutionizing companies.

Join me tomorrow in the Netherlands.

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Follow Jonathan Ortmans whistle-stop tour around the world, reporting first hand on the highlights of Global Entrepreneurship Week. To receive alerts directly in your inbox, make sure you are subscribed to the Global Entrepreneurship Week newsletter.

A mayoral reception in Wellington’s Council Chambers saw a variety of speakers talk about entrepreneurial and innovation activity as one of the key drivers of economic activity. The New Zealand launch was attended by upward of 100 entrepreneurs, business people, local politicians and others in Wellington.  Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast spoke about the importance of entrepreneurs in the country’s capital, the home of such household name entrepreneurs as Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Global Entrepreneurship Week New Zealand patron and TradeMe founder Sam Morgan.

Sam Morgan spoke of the need for entrepreneurs to seize the time in their lives when they could make the choice to develop their entrepreneurial activity, something that only happens on a few occasions.  He also spoke about entrepreneurs seizing the “platform” upon which to base their ventures, such as the Internet and other developments.

The speed networking topic for the opening event was ‘what should replace the no. 8 icon so often used to describe innovation in New Zealand?’

One minute after Wellington’s launch a second Speed Networking event got underway in New Plymouth, officiated by New Plymouth mayor Peter Tennent.

A video of highlights of the event can be found here.