GEN Launches Effort to Stimulate Entrepreneurial Growth throughout Asia

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) unveiled its latest effort aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. The formation of GEN Asia will serve as a regional hub to strengthen global connections among a diverse collection of stakeholders and provide a sustained focus on empowering entrepreneurs throughout the continent.

The announcement occurred during GEC+Bangkok, an event to explore innovative new approaches to unleash digital innovations in Thailand and how entrepreneurs can influence inventive regulatory dialogues that help shape public policy. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha joined Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, and GEN Asia members from 26 countries on stage for the announcement.

“In a relatively short period of time, communities and countries everywhere have come to understand the need to support their most innovative citizens – and many governments have established goals for entrepreneurial development,” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. “GEN Asia will help bring a fresh round of globally-validated policies and programs to bear against persistent challenges facing Asian entrepreneurs.”

At the global level, GEN operates in more than 170 countries. It fuels healthier start and scale ecosystems by fostering deeper cross-border collaboration and initiatives that engage entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers and entrepreneurship support organizations.

GEN Asia aims to empower ecosystem builders in member countries by: increasing the amount of research collaborations between major funders of entrepreneurship research and Asian institutions; identifying and helping replicate effective public policies and programs to support entrepreneurs; coordinating with existing multilateral efforts such as APEC, ASEAN, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and others; and expanding GEN’s support of national governments throughout Asia by providing input on national strategies, contributing to capacity building efforts and connecting government leaders to counterparts outside Asia.

The new effort is led by an Executive Committee comprised of a collection of individuals leading national efforts to strengthen their entrepreneurship ecosystems:

• Minwoo Nam, Chair of the GEN Asia Executive Committee; and Chair, Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation (Korea)
• Qian Wang, CEO, Zhongguancun InnoWay (China)
• Yatin Thakur, Acting Managing Director, GEN India (India)
• Hiro Nishiguchi, Acting Managing Director, GEN Japan (Japan)
• Emmanuel Maillard, Founder, GEN Myanmar (Myanmar)
• Kalsoom Lakhani, Founder, Invest2Innovate (Pakistan)
• Marianne Tan, Head of Partnerships, ACE Singapore (Singapore)
• David Kuo, Acting Managing Director, GEN Taiwan (Taiwan)
• Steve Cheah, Founder, GEN Thailand (Thailand)
• Pham Hoang Tien, Managing Director, GEN Vietnam (Vietnam)

GEN Asia has 50 members representing 26 countries — and aims to extend its reach throughout the rest of Asia by 2020. Other GEN Asia members participating in the announcement included:

• Allan Connolly, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Mentor and Leading Learner in Entrepreneurship (Australia)
• Mushfig Hasanov, DVC “Debate in Civil Society” Public Union (Azerbaijan)
• Sohael Chowdhury, Young Entrepreneurs & Leaders League (Bangladesh)
• Muhaimin Khan, BetterStories Limited (Bangladesh)
• S M Rakibul Hasan, hubdhaka (Bangladesh)
• Dorji Tashi, The Loden Foundation (Bhutan)
• Ek Sopheara, Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (Cambodia)
• Catherine Gao, EFG (China)
• Ivan Sandjaja, Ciputra Foundation (Indonesia)
• Deependra Chamlagain, Samriddhi, The Prosperity Foundation (Nepal)
• Kashif Khan, GEN Pakistan (Pakistan)
• Henry Ong, Young Entrepreneur Society (YES) Philippines (Philippines)
• Hyun Ju Bang, Korean Entrepreneurship Foundation (South Korea)
• Hikmat Abdurahmanov, Association of International Business and Technologies (Uzbekistan)
• Hai Hai Nguyen, StartUp.vn (Vietnam)
• Pham Hoanh Tien, GEN Vietnam (Vietnam)

About Global Entrepreneurship Network

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)  operates a platform of projects and programs in 170 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration through initiatives engaging entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For details on the programs and initiatives that make up GEN, visit genglobal.org and follow @unleashingideas on Twitter.