Only the bold can change the world
22 ON SLOANE
African Bank CEO, Kennedy Bungane, receiving the Ecosystem Catalyst Award at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana from GEN President, Jonathan Ortmans.
Image: Supplied.
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) returned to the US for the first time in 15 years, where it was first hosted.
In 2009, Kansas City welcomed just a few hundred ecosystem stakeholders who banded together with one vision – to build a “one global entrepreneurial ecosystem’’.
The movement has now quite literally mushroomed over the years and has seen thousands of ecosystem stakeholders meet annually to discuss better ways to support the development of entrepreneurs across the globe.
In 2017, South Africa hosted the GEC, which welcomed over 5000 delegates from 160 countries onto our shores. Last week, the City of Indianapolis greeted 3455 participants from 141 countries, marking the 15th Global Entrepreneurship Congress under the theme, the “Bold Change the World”.
With over 148 sessions and 200 speakers, the congress was over-saturated with rich and impactful content. Some of the key highlights included a keynote fireside chat with one of the world’s most renowned entrepreneurs, Mark Cuban, who advised entrepreneurs to explore unchartered territories, saying “Go where others don’t look and just start”.
Many other significant highpoints of the GEC include the launch of the GEN Catalyst Index, which is a bold new initiative aimed at developing a standardised framework to assess, benchmark and elevate the performance of Enterprise Support Organisations (ESOs) worldwide.
GEN and Startup Genome also launched the Aptitudes and Policies for Exponential Entrepreneurship (APEXE), which is aimed at helping national governments evaluate and enhance the performance of national policy action in growing tech startup ecosystems. The first instalment of the APEXE Nations Ranking offers a balanced scorecard of the performance of each country’s past entrepreneurial innovation policies.
At the awards evening, African Bank, a local bank in South Africa, was awarded the prestigious Ecosystem Catalyst Award – in recognition reserved for an organisation that demonstrates outstanding commitment to driving long-term, inclusive growth in their local entrepreneurship ecosystem, through programmes and education.
From championing township entrepreneurs to pioneering new financial models for underserved communities, the bank continues to demonstrate what it means to not only fund ideas – but to believe in the people behind them.
Now here’s the kicker. In September 2026, the global community will convene in Cape Town for the 2nd Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC+) Africa, which will welcome over 2000 delegates with arms wide open from across the continent onto our shores, in addition to a few other hand-picked international delegates.
The GEC+Africa promises to promote inclusive and sustainable growth; accelerate digital transformation; improve access to finance; advocate for supportive policies and strengthen pan-African collaboration.
Many participants I met at the congress simply craved stability. Around the world, they urged their government leaders to also prioritise transparency and provide clarity. As an example, Cuban encouraged entrepreneurs to just be entrepreneurs and focus on what they do best.
As he said, “if your business succeeds, politicians will come to you, and you must build a business that outlasts any one politician’’.
I left GEC feeling totally inspired and echoed the words of Jonathan Ortmans, the GEN president, “entrepreneurs are the new diplomats of the world”.
Kizito Okechukwu is the co-Chair of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Africa; and Executive Head of 22 On Sloane, Africa’s largest entrepreneurship campus
Kizito Okechukwu Kizito Okechukwu is the executive head of 22 On Sloane, Africa’s largest entrepreneurship campus and co-chair of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Africa.
Image: Supplied.
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