Entrepreneurs are often self-starters, trailblazers and pioneers. And during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) we get to find out what makes these creators tick.

Nov. 12 through Nov. 18, 2018, thousands of events and competitions in 170 countries aim to engage and connect entrepreneurs with potential collaborators, mentors and even investors – giving them a sense of support and guidance as they take that next step in their entrepreneurial journeys.

And, the College of Charleston has been the starting point for many entrepreneurs as they began their journey. This year, the Center for Entrepreneurship in the College’s School of Business is joining the GEW initiative with a week of networking events for students, faculty and community. Events will feature a women’s pitch competition, Charleston Shoe Company founder Neely Woodson Powell, a talk on global entrepreneurship and freedom, and the George G. Spaulding Distinguished Executive Speaker Series featuring David Koysza, senior counsel to Boeing South Carolina.

Here is rundown of the GEW events at the College of Charleston:

Monday, Nov. 12

Women’s Pitch Competition on Gender Equality

2–2:30 p.m. | Wells Fargo Auditorium, Beatty Center, Room 115 | School of Business (5 Liberty Street)

Come out and listen as College of Charleston students pitch innovative ideas for United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal no. 5—to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Event is free and open to public.

2018 Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs: From Money-Losing Hobby to Trending with Fashionistas

2:30–3:15 p.m. | Wells Fargo Auditorium, Beatty Center, Room 115 | School of Business (5 Liberty Street)

Neely Woodson Powell, founder of Charleston Shoe Company, will share her journey as a female entrepreneur and how she built her business from the ground up. Neely’s talk will focus on entrepreneurial failure and how to turn it into success.

Event is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Nov. 13

Cookies, Coffee and International Research: A Brown Bag Event

3–3:50 p.m. | Tate Center, Room 202 | College of Charleston School of Business (5 Liberty Street)

Brumby McLeod, Ph.D., professor of hospitality and tourism management at the College of Charleston School of Business, and Siri Terjesen, Ph.D., director of the American University Center for Innovation, will discuss their recent research on the convergence of housing and tourism in Iceland and updates on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor—the world’s most prominent study of entrepreneurship. This event is co-sponsored by the Global Business Resource Center and Center for Public Choice and Market Process.

Global Entrepreneurship and Freedom

5:30–6:30 p.m. | Tate Center, Room 207 | College of Charleston School of Business (5 Liberty Street)

Join Siri Terjesen, Ph.D., Dean’s Faculty Fellow in Entrepreneurship and Director of the Center for Innovation at American University, as she highlights the intersection of creating businesses on a global scale and the power it generates to act, speak and think freely. Reception to follow event. This event is co-sponsored by the Global Business Resource Center and Center for Public Choice and Market Process.

RSVP here: http://bit.ly/2Otc4Hc

Wednesday, Nov. 14

Boeing South Carolina and the Two Questions that Drive Innovation

2–3:15 p.m. | Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center Auditorium, Room 101 (58 Coming St)

This year’s George G. Spaulding Series Distinguished Speaker is David Koysza, senior counsel to Boeing South Carolina. Koysza will discuss will how curiosity allows for the aerospace giant to design and adapt for the future. Please note: This is an invitation-only event. This event is co-sponsored by the George G. Spaulding Distinguished Executive Speaker Series.