ISTANBUL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week, more than 120 Endeavor network members have gathered in Istanbul to participate in the 2nd Global Entrepreneurship Summit (Dec 3-6), hosted by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Along with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Endeavor Co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg delivered a keynote address which recognized the transformative potential of global High-Impact Entrepreneurship and combated 10 common entrepreneurial “myths.”
In his own address, Biden cited two Endeavor Entrepreneurs—Alemşah Öztürk (41?29!) and Bedriye Hülya (b-fit)—as examples of Turkey’s many visionaries helping the lead the entrepreneurial revolution in the region. Didem Altop, Managing Director of Endeavor Turkey, participated in an exclusive meeting with the Vice President and also spoke on two panels.
“The timing is right for this Summit,” says Linda Rottenberg. “From the debt crisis in Europe to the wave of revolutions in the Middle East, the world is clamoring for new solutions. What we at Endeavor call ‘high-impact’ entrepreneurs remain an important driver of growth: they generate wealth and opportunity, create high-value jobs, and serve as inspirational role models for the next generation. Together, they foster a culture of ‘thinking big,’ where young people grow up learning to take risks and innovate.”
Rottenberg continues: “It is fitting that this Summit is being held in Turkey, which has become an extraordinary hub of innovation and a catalyst for entrepreneurship in growth markets around the globe. Increasingly, the world is looking to Turkey as an example of a successful ecosystem of entrepreneurship—with a growing network of mentors, investors, and role models.”
Many Endeavor board and network members had prominent speaking roles, including Arif Naqvi (Abraaj Capital), Ferit Sahenk (Doğuş Holding), Erhan Erkut (Ozyegin University), and Ken Morse (Entrepreneurship Ventures). Other Endeavor board members in attendance included Fadi Ghandour (Aramex), Vuslat Doğan Sabancı (Hürriyet), Işık Keçeci Aşur (Aragon Capital), Murat Özyeğin (FINA Holding), and Fawaz Zu'bi (Accelerator Technology Holdings).
Throughout the Summit, many participants also spent time at the “Endeavor Lounge,” a prominent pavilion showcasing Endeavor and Endeavor Entrepreneurs—many of whom gave presentations.
In addition to the Summit, Endeavor Turkey organized seven related events—two panels, two roundtables, and a networking session, in addition to an Investor Trek and Gala. Endeavor’s two-day “Investor Network Trek” (Dec 1-2) assembled many esteemed international and local investors, culminating in a massive “speed networking” session with over 200 investor-entrepreneur introductions in a single two-hour window. Meanwhile, over 300 people, including many of Turkey’s top business leaders and investors, attended Endeavor Turkey’s annual Gala fundraiser (Dec 2) at the Four Seasons in Istanbul.
The Entrepreneurship Summit follows on the heels of Global Entrepreneurship Week, an annual initiative of which Endeavor is a global partner.
Specifically, the Summit is a follow-up of U.S. President Obama’s Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C. in April 2010, aimed at “deepen[ing] ties between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.” Endeavor played a prominent role in the inaugural summit, which featured a panel with Linda Rottenberg and Endeavor Jordan founding board member Fadi Ghandour (watch the YouTube recording), and which four Endeavor Entrepreneurs attended as delegates. Endeavor also released results of a survey of Middle East entrepreneurs, underscoring the relevance of the Summit for assembling key players to catalyze regional entrepreneurship.
For more information and photos, see the post on the Endeavor blog.
About Endeavor
Hailed by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman as “the best anti-poverty program of all,” Endeavor is leading the global movement to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. To date, Endeavor has screened more than 29,000 entrepreneurs and selected 631 individuals leading 399 high-impact companies.
With support from Endeavor’s worldwide mentor network, these high-impact entrepreneurs:
- Have created over 156,000 jobs
- Generated over $4.5 billion in
revenues in 2010
- Inspire future generations to innovate and take
risks
Headquartered in New York City, Endeavor currently operates in 15 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. As the high-impact movement expands globally, Endeavor will continue to prove that anyone with a big idea can succeed, from Silicon Valley to Latin America, the Middle East, and beyond.
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