GEW Events at a Glance

Monday, November 16 at 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

GEW Kick-off and Half-day Symposium: Floyd County Library

From the Ground Up: Supporting Downtown Entrepreneurs

Monday, November 16 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM Floyd County Library

Every great business starts somewhere and for many of Southern Indiana's most inspiring entrepreneurs, it started with a downtown presence. From the Ground Up: Supporting Downtown Entrepreneurs kicks off Global Entrepreneurship Week 2026 with a half-day symposium designed to connect, inspire, and equip the current and future entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of our community.

Join us at the Floyd County Library for an engaging morning of conversation, local spotlights, and practical resources all focused on the people and ideas driving downtown's growth. Whether you're just starting out, ready to scale, or simply curious about what entrepreneurship looks like in Southern Indiana, this event is your on-ramp to a week-long celebration of innovation happening right in your own backyard.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is celebrated in 180 countries during November 16–20, 2026, and this is where our community's story begins. Come ready to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and the organizations that support the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Free and open to the public.

Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 PM

Creative Economy Summit

JOIN US for an evening of connection, conversation, and shared learning for artists and creatives. Over dinner, music, and gallery viewing, we’ll come together to exchange ideas and explore the practical side of sustaining a creative practice.

A panel discussion will focus on pricing, selling, and negotiations. We’ll then move into a hands-on session on using social media to promote yourself and your work, with practical strategies for building visibility and connecting with your audience.

Come meet fellow artists, share experiences, and leave with useful tools, new perspectives, and stronger community connections.

https://events.iu.edu/ius-cbct/event/2428175-creative-economy-summit

November 17th, 2026 IU Southeast, Hoosier Room

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Dinner, networking, gallery viewing

6:00- 7:00 p.m. Know Your Worth: Pricing, Selling, and Negotiating with Confidence

7:00 - 7:20 p.m. Break for dessert, gallery viewing

7:20 - 8:20 p.m. Build Your Brand: Practical Social Media Strategies for Creatives

Open networking

Please contact Dr. Aycan Kara for more information. karaa@iu.edu

Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 PM

The Next Big Thing Pitch Competition: Indiana University Southeast

The Next BIG Thing Pitch Competition

Wednesday, November 18 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Indiana University Southeast Hoosier Room, University Center North

Do you have what it takes to bring about the next BIG thing? Join us for an exciting evening of innovation, inspiration, and friendly competition as Southern Indiana's boldest entrepreneurs take the stage to showcase their groundbreaking ideas and compete for a share of non-dilutive seed capital.

The Fast Pitch category is for individuals and teams who have identified a problem to solve, addressed a customer need, executed market research, and have a rough business plan but have not yet finalized a minimum viable product or service. The Pitch Tank is for those with a completed business plan and a specific minimum viable product or service to offer.

Whether you're pitching or cheering from the crowd, come experience the entrepreneurial energy that's putting Southern Indiana on the map.

Submission deadline: 11/4/2026.

The event is free and open to the public. Food buffet and non-alcoholic beverages included.

Thursday, November 19 at 8:00 AM-6:00 PM

Student Entrepreneur Resource: Maker 13

Maker 13 Global Entrepreneurship Week Small Business Showcase

Thursday, November 19, 2026 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

Ivy Tech Community College Sellersburg and Maker13 are partnering to host a Global Entrepreneurship Week Small Business Showcase on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at Maker13 in Jeffersonville. The event will feature businesses from three cohorts of Ivy Tech’s Launch and Scale Entrepreneurship Program, funded through the Garantoni Foundation. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their businesses, connect with local entrepreneurs and learn about resources available to help them grow.

The event will also welcome more than 300 Southern Indiana high school students interested in entrepreneurship, giving them an opportunity to explore business ideas, meet entrepreneurs and learn about the tools and resources available in their community.

The showcase will include local businesses, interactive entrepreneurship activities and opportunities for students to learn about starting, making, branding, financing, selling and growing a business.

Friday, November 20 at 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

(FL)ounders Day, Redwire Tour and Fire-Ice: Novaparke and The Root

Redwire Tour‍ ‍Redwire Tour: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=redwire-tour

Novaparke, 111 Innovation Pkwy, Georgetown

Friday, November 20 9:30–10:30 AM

Kick off Global Entrepreneurship Week with a rare behind-the-scenes tour of Redwire's 30,000-square-foot facility at Novaparke, where engineers, scientists, and technicians design, build, test, and operate technology for spaceflight research and manufacturing. With roots in Southern Indiana stretching back more than four decades through Techshot, Redwire works where space technology, biotech, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences meet. Its Georgetown campus includes advanced labs and a Payload Operations Control Center with a direct link to the International Space Station. Space is limited to 20 attendees, and due to security requirements, all participants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Free; registration required.

F(L)OUNDER Stories: GEW Edition

F(L)OUNDER Stories: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=flounder-stories-4

Friday, November 20 10:30–11:30 AM

Novaparke, 111 Innovation Pkwy, Georgetown

Grab a coffee and join fellow founders for a special Global Entrepreneurship Week edition of F(L)OUNDER Stories, a casual morning of conversation and connection. Whether you're running an established business, getting an idea off the ground, or just curious about Southern Indiana's entrepreneurial scene, this is an easy, low-pressure way to meet the people building what's next in our region, and a great start to a full day of GEW events at Novaparke and The Root. Free to attend.

Brand > Marketing with Lesa Seibert

Branding > Marketing with Lesa Seibert: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=brand-marketing

Friday, November 20 11:45 AM–12:45 PM Novaparke, 111 Innovation Pkwy, Georgetown

Before you spend another dollar on marketing, make sure your brand is clear. In this workshop, Lesa Seibert, CEO and co-founder of Louisville branding and advertising agency Mightily, explains why brand has to come before marketing: brand is who you are, and marketing is how you say it. Lesa will cover the four pillars every strong brand needs (purpose, positioning, personality, and proof) and show how startups like Mercury, Evvy, and Whatnot built intentional brands from day one. She chairs the Kentucky Commission on Small Business Innovation and Advocacy and writes for the Forbes Business Council. Her key message for founders is that customers aren't buying your product; they're buying what it solves for them. Free to attend.

Founder Meetup with Nicole Driscoll / ISBDC

Founder Meetup with Nicole Driscoll/ISBDC: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=founder-meetup-with-isbdc-4

Friday, November 20 12:00–1:00 PM The Root, New Albany

Join Nicole Driscoll of the Indiana Small Business Development Center for a special Global Entrepreneurship Week edition of the Founder Meetup at The Root. This relaxed lunchtime gathering is open to founders at every stage, from aspiring entrepreneurs to seasoned business owners. Come to connect with peers, trade ideas, and learn about the resources available to help your business grow in Southern Indiana. Free to attend. RSVP to Nicole at ndriscoll1@isbdc.org.

Where Are They Now? Featuring Donald Ridings of Fat of the Land

Where Are They Now with Donald Ridings: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=where-are-they-now-featuring-donald-ridings-of-fat-of-the-land

Friday, November 20 1:00–2:00 PM Novaparke, 111 Innovation Pkwy, Georgetown

What happens after you win the pitch competition? Donald Ridings, a traveling nurse and father, won the 2024 Grand Prize at The Next Big Thing Pitch Competition with Fat of the Land. The Indiana snack brand makes kettle-cooked potato chips in 100% beef tallow instead of seed oils. What started as homemade chips for his family in 2023 launched in 2025 and now reaches grocery shelves well beyond Southern Indiana. In this fireside chat, Donald will skip the highlight reel and talk honestly about what came after the applause: the challenges, surprise opportunities, and hard decisions involved in going from "I have an idea" to "I'm building a company." Free to attend.

From Homemade to High-Growth: Jenny Watson's CPG Journey

From Homemade to High-Growth:

Jenny Watson’s CPG Journey: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=from-homemade-to-high-growth-jenny-watsons-cpg-journey

Friday, November 20 3:00–4:00 PM The Root, 110 E Market Street, New Albany

Jenny Watson started The Elderberry Co. in her kitchen with a homemade elderberry syrup recipe and a front-porch business. Today it's a nationwide wellness brand serving families across the country. In this candid fireside chat, Jenny will go past the startup story to what comes next: the decisions, pivots, risks, and lessons involved in building a consumer packaged goods company that lasts. Whether you're sitting on an idea, launching your first product, or trying to scale, this is a firsthand look at what the journey really takes. Free to attend.

Fire & Ice with KYX

Fire & Ice with KYX: https://therootworkspace.com/?events=fire-ice-with-kyx

Friday, November 20 4:00–6:00 PM The Root, 110 E Market Street, New Albany

Forget awkward networking circles and forced elevator pitches. KYX, Kentucky's all-volunteer startup nonprofit working toward ten Series A companies out of Kentucky by 2030, is closing out Global Entrepreneurship Week with a 39°F cold plunge followed by a 190°F sauna and a post-sweat huddle. It's built for founders, builders, and doers who prefer action to small talk and believe a little discomfort is the fastest way to real connection. Come ready to plunge, sweat, and maybe meet your next collaborator somewhere between the cold and the steam.

Register at luma.com/68tp3dvq