George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 at George Brown Polytechnic was a huge success!
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 at George Brown Polytechnic was an inspiring and action-packed celebration of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking. From November 17–23, startGBC delivered over 20 dynamic events, bringing together students, alumni, community entrepreneurs, mentors, and industry leaders for a week of learning, connecting, and building.
This year’s GEW featured an exciting mix of funding-focused sessions, hands-on AI workshops, pitch competitions, founder panels, and skill-building labs designed to empower early-stage entrepreneurs. Participants explored everything from validating ideas and securing investment to leveraging emerging technologies and strengthening their personal leadership.
Thanks to our incredible mentor advisor network who generously volunteered their expertise as every event was offered free of charge. Their commitment helped create an inclusive and supportive environment where aspiring founders could grow their confidence and gain real, actionable insights.
The turnout, energy, and engagement were exceptional, making this one of our most impactful GEW celebrations yet.
Stay tuned for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2026! We’re already planning more innovative events, high-value workshops, and opportunities to help you launch, scale, and thrive as an entrepreneur.
Check out the amazing line up from GEW 2025!
Take a look at some of the amazing events and workshops hosted throughout GEW 2025, showcasing the creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit of our community. Stay tuned for the 2026 lineup, shaping up to be even bigger and better!
Events
Wellpreneur Mindfulness
9:30 a.m., Monday, November 17, 2025 - Virtual
Life as an entrepreneur isn't easy; it can be stressful, lonely, demanding, and manic. We want you to develop a strategy for work-life balance and maintain your health. We advocate that a good entrepreneur is a wellpreneur, and building in daily mindfulness will help you achieve this.
How George Brown Polytechnic Can Help Support Your Business Growth
12:00 p.m. Monday, November 17, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Come and learn how the GBP Office for Research can help you go from ideation to commercialization. The panel will discuss the various resources available to you all the way along your entrepreneurial journey. From workshops, validation, product development, intellectual property protection, Mitacs, and other grant-assisted programs to help you scale and succeed.
#WhyNotMe Entrepreneur Panel Discussion: Breaking Barriers
2:00 p.m. Monday, November 17, 2025 - Virtual
Come and engage with five George Brown Polytechnic entrepreneurs who will share their personal entrepreneurial stories with you and explain how they have overcome any diversity obstacles that they have encountered.
Learning Lab - Building Leadership Skills with Modern Mint
5:00 p.m. Monday, November 17, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Every entrepreneur needs to build strong leadership skills, yet this isn't easy and especially when so much is going on during your startup's creation. Come out and join a new interactive way for you to learn how to develop those much-needed leadership skills. Modern Mint games have developed a fun game to help you become the leader you need to be.
Wellpreneur Mindfulness
9:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - Virtual
Life as an entrepreneur isn't easy; it can be stressful, lonely, demanding, and manic. We want you to develop a strategy for work-life balance and maintain your health. We advocate that a good entrepreneur is a wellpreneur, and building in daily mindfulness will help you achieve this.
Lunch Lab - Building Brands with Digital Strategy & Storytelling
12:00 p.m., November 18, 2025 - In-Person (startBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Successful businesses are built on trust, and so it has never been more important to create a consistent brand that people can relate to and build trust in. Come learn from one of the best marketers in the industry as Nancy takes you on a learning journey to help you hone the skills you need to build your digital strategy around compelling storytelling. An added bonus is that Nancy is a proud George Brown Polytechnic alumnus.
#WhyNotMe Entrepreneur Panel Discussion: Student Entrepreneurs
2:00 p.m., November 18, 2025 - Virtual
Come and listen to a lively panel discussion with 5 George Brown Polytechnic students who will share with you how they have managed to balance their school work with launching and scaling a business, and some of the challenges they have experienced and overcome.
Learning Lab: GEN Huddle - Preparing for Funding
5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Come and join us for our monthly Global Entrepreneur Network Huddle and be guided by Dino Miele, a seasoned angel investor and knowledgeable venture capital actor, as he guides you through the various funding steps and how you should prepare yourself for the different funding stages.
Wellpreneur Mindfulness
9:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 19, 2025 - Virtual
Life as an entrepreneur isn't easy; it can be stressful, lonely, demanding, and manic. We want you to develop a strategy for work-life balance and maintain your health. We advocate that a good entrepreneur is a wellpreneur, and building in daily mindfulness will help you achieve this.
Pop Up Market
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., November 19, 2025 - In-Person (GBC Main Lobby St James Campus, 200 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 3W8)
Come and support local businesses! startGBC is proud to host over 20 George Brown Polytechnic student and alumni companies. Just in time for the festive gift-giving season, come and find unique offerings from our incredible vendors. Clothing, jewellery, food, and so much more will be represented. Bring your family and friends and spread the word, as open to everybody.
No Registration Required - Open Doors
Lunch Lab: AI Mastery for Founders
12:00 p.m., November 19, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
AI is going to change the world as we know it, so learning how to harness it to its full potential is key. Come and learn about the incredible opportunities AI presents founders in launching and scaling their business.
Learning Lab: Developing the Power of Persuasion for Business
5:00 p.m., November 19, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Business is all about forming and controlling relationships, be it with customers, vendors or collaborators. Come and learn all about the 'Power of Persuasion' and how you can develop skills to be able to deploy it in your communication and interaction style.
Wellpreneur Mindfulness
9:30 a.m., Thursday, November 20, 2025 - Virtual
Life as an entrepreneur isn't easy; it can be stressful, lonely, demanding, and manic. We want you to develop a strategy for work-life balance and maintain your health. We advocate that a good entrepreneur is a wellpreneur, and building in daily mindfulness will help you achieve this.
Lunch Lab: Scaling Smart: How Strong Operations Fuel Startup Growth
12:00 p.m., Thursday, November 20, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Launching a business is easy; scaling a business is hard! Come and join seasoned management consultant Randa as she guides you through smart ways to streamline your processes and the introduction of fractional leadership to help you scale your business faster.
Learning Lab: Mechanics of Building a Venture Funded Startup to IPO
5:00 p.m., Thursday, November 20, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Understanding how to position yourself correctly to attract funding and scale all the way to an IPO (Initial Public Offering) takes skill. We are extremely lucky to be joined by JohnEdgar, who has created 2 companies that have gone all the way to an IPO! Come learn from John about the things you should be preparing from the start of your entrepreneurial journey.
Wellpreneur Mindfulness
9:30 a.m., Friday, November 21, 2025 - Virtual
Life as an entrepreneur isn't easy; it can be stressful, lonely, demanding, and manic. We want you to develop a strategy for work-life balance and maintain your health. We advocate that a good entrepreneur is a wellpreneur, and building in daily mindfulness will help you achieve this.
Lunch Lab: Using Interns to Fuel Growth
12:00 p.m., Friday, November 21, 2025 - In-Person (startGBC Entrepreneurship Support Centre)
Growing your business is never easy, as the costs involved in hiring people limit so many. Come and learn from Alex how you can harness the powers and abilities of interns. Get the most up-to-date minds to help you scale your startup and perhaps attract government support at the same time.
#WhyNotMe Entrepreneur Panel Discussion: Women Entrepreneurs
2:00 p.m., Friday, November 21, 2025 - Virtual
Come and join us for a great panel discussion with 5 George Brown Polytechnic women entrepreneurs as they share with you their personal entrepreneurial journeys and how they overcome barriers and obstacles to succeed in launching their businesses.
Scale Up Financial Invitation
Friday, November 21 to Sunday, November 23, 2025 - IN-PERSON (startGBC Entrepreneur Support Centre)
Are you a GBC student or alumnus who is operating a business or just about to launch one? Do you want to under the funding flow of how to build a strategy to scale a business from bootstrapping finance through to venture capital?
Then this hands-on financial simulation will be of interest to you. Only 25 seats are available. You must be able to commit to the entire weekend (Friday 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Each seat is worth $1,000, but will be covered by startGBC for those selected.