The 2022 ICSB is holding their annual global conference this week July 4th-8th in Washington, D. C. Combining fun with learning, students were able to sightsee as well as attend a Washington Nationals baseball game on July 4th. Founded in 1955, the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) was the first international membership organization to promote the growth and development of small businesses worldwide. The organization brings together educators, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from around the world to share knowledge and expertise in their respective fields through publications, programs, workshops, training sessions and certifications.
Necessity is the mother of innovation, as evidenced by the current startup surge, with new businesses opening up at rapid rates across the globe. In addition, the events of 2020 brought about a global awakening to social inequities such as racial injustice, climate change, and income inequality. Creating solutions to right these societal wrongs requires constructing economic systems guided by ethics and empathy rather than individual interests. Human-centered or humane, entrepreneurship addresses the needs of both employees and society at large. With an emphasis on inclusiveness, cooperation over competitiveness, and leading humanity forward, this way of operating is making space for an entrepreneurial revolution that disrupts society as we know it.
Among the sessions topics included technology for humanity, digital marketing, disrupting value based entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship survival tips, essentials of operating a family business, universities in entrepreneurial ecosystems and MSME, defining and value in markets, pitch acting for stronger presentations, sustainable entrepreneurship, elements of a successful venture, the entrepreneurial revolution ahead, GEM research opportunities, papers the economic impact of COVID-19, ecosystems and national innovation, women and youth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial revolution in hospitality and tourism, and the real meaning of leadership.
One session that caught the editor’s eye was The Entrepreneurial Revolution on Poverty featuring Dr. Michael Morris of Norte Dame University and his Global Partnership for Poverty and Entrepreneurship, a network platform for sharing venture creation resources. It provides tools and a framework for low-income entrepreneurs and supports annual and bi-annual conferences. Of interest was Dr. Morris’ adaptation of the entrepreneurial mindset for poverty by which cognition becomes opportunity alertness, affect engendering passion, optimism, and self-efficacy, promotion behaviors in creative problem solving and resiliency.
The current CEO and President Ayman el Tarabishy of D. C. based Georgetown University acted as host. From his deputy chair in the department of management, Dr. El Tarabishy connected all the points in the capitol city for attendees. And his role as creator of the United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day, helped add U. N. participates to the conference. All members owe a debt of gratitude to Ayman for an exceptional conference.
Written by Editor Clint Day, an ICSB member who attended virtually.