GEWKC submissions open: Organizers seek community-sourced ideas for fall event series
June 12, 2025 | Startland News Staff
One of Kansas City’s largest interactive educational experiences for entrepreneurs is inviting community members to drive the conversation when Global Entrepreneurship Week returns in November.
Festivities are set for Nov. 17-22 at Union Station in Kansas City.
The GEWKC event series’ programming is crowd-sourced through submissions from community members and organized by KCSourceLink. Selected concepts are led on event day by the individuals or organizations who submitted them.
Click here to share an idea with GEWKC organizers.
“As a former entrepreneur, I understand how valuable time is when you’re building something from the ground up,” said Callie England, director of GEWKC and marketing director at KCSourceLink, which has organized GEWKC since 2008. “That’s why every session we include in GEWKC is intentionally crafted to offer real, actionable value. In my third year leading this event, it’s been incredibly rewarding to give back by helping curate free, impactful education for our community.”
Organizers are welcoming a wide range of session ideas, from solo talks and expert panels to hands-on workshops, networking events, site visits and more. While creativity is encouraged, space is limited. Sessions that focus on real skill-building, knowledge-sharing and tangible takeaways for entrepreneurs have the strongest chance of being selected.
GEWKC also has traditionally been home to such high-profile startup and small business community events as AltCap Your Biz and LaunchKC’s grant winner reveal.

Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City attendees listen to a panel conversation in the Planetarium at Union Station, basecamp for GEWKC; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Other well-attended GEWKC sessions and workshops have included:
- Happy hours and networking
- “Marketing Mastermind” panel
- “AI and Marketing: Create 30 Days of Content with Chat GPT”
- “Managing ADHD as a Business Owner”
- “Polish Your Pitch: An Interactive Guide on Clarifying Your Story Hook”
- Marketing and sales for artists/makers/creatives
- “Balancing Babies and Business”
- “What entrepreneurs should know about trademarks, copyrights, intellectual property, equity funding, hiring vs. contracting”
“GEWKC was built with the entrepreneur in mind — whether you’re running a business, growing a side hustle or just getting started,” England said. “We want every attendee to walk away with something that truly helps them move forward: practical tools, honest insight and meaningful connections.”
Click here to learn more about GEWKC.
Featured Business

2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Fishtech Labs invests $3M in Overland Park security firm
Tech accelerator Fishtech Labs on Thursday announced its first major investment in Foresite, an Overland Park-based managed security provider. Founded by serial entrepreneur Gary Fish, the Kansas City-based accelerator is investing $3 million in Foresite, which offers cyber security and compliance services for businesses. Unlike most managed service providers, Foresite uses a “white label” approach…
Digital divide initiative could help 9,000 Kansas City households
More than 9,000 Kansas City households are among the potential beneficiaries of a new national digital divide initiative. Comcast recently partnered with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s ConnectHome initiative, marking the largest expansion to Comcast’s Internet Essentials program. Now all Kansas City households within a Comcast service area that receive HUD housing…
New Startland reporter wants to immerse herself in KC’s culture of innovation
Two months ago today, I packed up the last of my belongings in my Columbia, Mo. apartment. And to be frank, I was slightly embarrassed to be moving back in with my parents in Independence, Mo. A recent graduate from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, it seemed that almost everybody I knew was…
Exclusive: John Fein departing Techstars to lead new $7M Midwest venture fund
After three years with the Kansas City-based Sprint Accelerator, John Fein is moving on to lead a venture fund that has ambitious Midwestern plans. Fein, who’s served as the managing director at the Techstars-led accelerator since 2014, will serve his last day with the organization on July 31. With decades of fast-paced startup experience, Fein…
