

Global Entrepreneurship Week
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Wilmington
GEW Wilmington is a celebration of entrepreneurship in the greater Wilmington region. It highlights some of the best of Wilmington's entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
November 17-23, 2025
GEW Wilmington is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide celebration of entrepreneurs.
Taking place in 200 countries with over 10 million participants and 40,000 activities, GEW is an international movement that thrives on community, collaboration, and shared ambition. This year’s theme, "Together We Build," celebrates the collective strength of mentors, peers, and partners, showing that entrepreneurship isn’t a solo journey but a shared adventure.
It honors seasoned founders while inviting anyone who has ever wondered, “Could I build something of my own?” to take their first step, confident they won’t have to take it alone.
In 2025, Brunswick Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, and several UNCW programs including the Career Center, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC), and Research and Innovation are offering GEW Wilmington events. Register now and be sure to post about your experience using #GEW2025!
GEW Week
Save the Date for GEW - November 17-23, 2025!
Pre-GEW
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Intermediate QuickBooks for the Small Business Owner
Tuesday, November 11 1:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.
What: In the intermediate QuickBooks lesson, you'll focus on more complex functions like managing accounts receivable and accounts payable, reconciling bank statements, and generating detailed financial reports. Additionally, you'll learn how to use QuickBooks to analyze business performance, make informed financial decisions, and optimize workflow efficiency.
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Legal Considerations for Franchising or Buying a Franchise, Trademarks, and Copywriting
Wednesday, November 12 2:00p.m. - 3:30p.m.
What: This class will provide you with a legal overview of (1) considerations when purchasing franchise (2) responsibility of the franchisor (3) the key terms you will want to pay attention to when deciding whether to enter into a particular franchise business agreement.
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
"It's About the Story!tm" Workshop by Chris Mather
Thursday, November 13 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
What: Join us for a pre-Global Entrepreneurship Week event with Chris Mather, founder and President of Leveragent. This virtual workshop is all about creating and delivering effective presentations to investors, customers, and partners. Learn how to craft compelling investment pitches, tell a story within them, and present effectively!
Who: Entrepreneurs looking to present for venture or angel funding, creating pitch decks for competitions or events, and anyone interested in crafting a story for a presentation.
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Non-Profit Series:Deep Dive into Board Development
Thursday, November 13 6:00p.m. - 7:30p.m.
What: Nonprofit sustainability begins with an engaged and well organized board. This session will cover who to ask to be on your board, board member roles and responsibilities, and how to establish board governance from day one.
Nonprofit sustainability begins with an engaged and well organized board. This session will cover who to ask to be on your board, board member roles and responsibilities, and how to establish board governance from day one.
Speaker(s): Rachel Bodkin-Fox: Rachel Bodkin-Fox was the founder and owner of The Foxes Boxes, a fresh food restaurant with a social mission to remove barriers to employment for low-income, low-skilled workers by providing on-the-job training leading to self-sufficiency and professional fulfillment.
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Lunch (for UNCW faculty, by invitation only)
In partnership with UNCW Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC)
- USPTO presents "Insider Tips and Tricks" to Patents
- NC Innovation updates and announcement
Where: CIE
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Starting Your Small Business in NC
Friday, November 14 11:00a.m. - 12:30p.m.
What: Navigating the requirements for starting a business in North Carolina can be confusing and sometimes the information friends and websites offer isn’t completely accurate. We’ll discuss the state, local, and federal requirements for doing business in our state and where to find resources our state offers to help you succeed.
I have an EIN, what now? What’s the difference between a DBA, Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Corporation, and an S-Corp? How much will this cost? How long does it take? Where do I go to register? How do I get a license? Can I do this from home? Do I need a State Tax Number?
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
17th
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Cybersecurity 101 for Small Businesses
Monday, November 17 2:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.
What: Small businesses are more vulnerable than ever to cyber threats—but protecting your business doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. In this interactive session, CloudWyze’s Chief Revenue Officer and certified cybersecurity expert, Bo Wheeler, will break down the current cybersecurity environment and explain how everyday threats like phishing, ransomware, and credential theft are affecting small businesses in our region. You’ll learn practical steps to strengthen your defenses, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how you can qualify your business for fast-track cyber insurance coverage. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or managing a growing team, this course will help you make informed decisions about your business’s digital safety. Speaker(s): Bo Wheeler, Cyber Security Expert
Co-Sponsor(s): CloudWyze
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
Chefz Vision
Monday, November 17
What: Where food meets business and opportunity. Chef’z Vision is a regular meetup event that brings the local food entrepreneurship and innovation community together for networking, introduction of new concepts, industry insights, brand development, and business expansion.
Where: The event is held at Block Eatz in the McKeithan Center on the north campus of Cape Fear Community College.
Organized by: Genesis Block
18th
Entrepreneur Day
Connecting classroom learning with entrepreneurs
All day, All around the region
Organized by: CIE
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Advanced QuickBooks for the Small Biz Owner
Tuesday, November 18 1:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.
What: Advanced QuickBooks lessons cover complex topics such as advanced reporting techniques, including customizing and memorizing reports,invoice templates, and job costing using tags, classes , and locations. As well as advanced functions like inventory management, enabling users to optimize their accounting processes efficiently.
Speaker(s): Kim Anderson
Where: Online, a Zoom registration link will be sent to you after registration
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Ai-Inspired Marketing IN ACTION with Constant Contact
Tuesday, November 18 4:00p.m. - 5:00p.m.
What: Join us as we take a live look at AI doing the work for you, while increasing the quality of your marketing using the incredibly simple to use platform Constant Contact, SBC’s official marketing partner.
Learn from Aaron Wesley Means of award-winning Solution Provider ACTIVATE Business Solutions as he shows you in realtime how to embrace the latest digital marketing technology using tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to save time, maximize your return, and become more competitive.
You’ll learn how to beat writer’s block to create more captivating messaging in mere moments as we:
- Create entire email marketing pieces with AI
- Create social media marketing posts with AI
- Create text marketing blasts with AI Create an ENTIRE marketing Campaign with AI! (Brand new, just launched last month!)
- Make your marketing more timely and personal with AI-driven segmentation and automation
- Live Q&A + Special SBC discount bonus package available for all attendees for instant implementation
Co-Sponsor(s): Constant Contact
Where: Online, a Zoom link will be sent after registration.
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
CFCC Small Business Center In-Person Workshop: Welcome to Entrepreneurship
Tuesday, November 18 5:30p.m. - 8:00p.m.
What: This class is a must for anyone that is thinking about starting a business or has recently launched a business and has questions that need to be answered. We encourage you to bring with you any questions you might have. During this in-person session you will learn about:
- Personal characteristics of an Entrepreneur
- Legal entities—LLC vs. Sole Proprietorship
- Federal Employer Tax ID Number (EIN)
- Business Feasibility Analysis
- Capital—Equity vs. Debt
- Basic Bookkeeping Made Easy
- Business Modeling
- Insurance
- Taxes—Filing requirements for Federal and State
Speaker(s): Mr. Arnold Dunn - SCORE Mentor
Co-Sponsor(s): SCORE
Where: CFCC Small Business Center, Building G, Classroom 113A
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
17th-18th
19th
1 Million Cups Wilmington (at CIE and online)
Time: 9:00-10:00 AM
Organized by: The entrepreneurial community
More info: No registration needed, just show up!
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Real Estate Basics for Business Owners
Wednesday, November 19 2:00p.m. - 3:30p.m.
What: Learn how to negotiate a lease for your business location, when and how to own property for your business location, and 1031 tax free exchanges.
Speaker(s): Nancy Guyton, Attorney
Co-Sponsor(s): Law Firm Carolinas
Where: Online, a Zoom link will be sent after registration.
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
20th
CFCC Small Business Center Online Workshop: Non-Profit Series: Deep Dive into NPO Administration
Thursday, November 20 6:00p.m. - 7:30p.m.
What: In this session we will look at the big picture of the nonprofit ecosystem. What are the different types of nonprofits? What does it mean to start a nonprofit and how do I begin? We will broadly cover the key components of nonprofit organizations–legal requirements, board development, resource development, and organizational infrastructure.
Running a nonprofit is not just about delivering services, developing programs, and fundraising. It is essential to have administrative systems in place to ensure the nonprofit you have launched has all of the legal filings completed annually and on time. In this session we will discuss keeping records, NC Charitable Solicitation Licence, 990, Bookkeeping, and Payroll.
Speaker(s): Rachel Bodkin-Fox: Rachel Bodkin-Fox was the founder and owner of The Foxes Boxes, a fresh food restaurant with a social mission to remove barriers to employment for low-income, low-skilled workers by providing on-the-job training leading to self-sufficiency and professional fulfillment.
Where: Online, a Zoom link will be sent to you prior to your class.
Cost: Free, registration required
Organized by: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center
The Recipe of the RAISE
Thursday, November 20
Organized by: Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW)
21st
"Show Me the Funding!tm" Workshop by Chris Mather
Friday, November 21 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
What: Join us for a Global Entrepreneurship Week event with Chris Mather, founder and President of Leveragent. This virtual workshop is all about understanding funding for your entrepreneurial venture.
Who: Entrepreneurs and anyone interested in understanding funding options and opportunities.
Where: Online
Cost: Free, registration required
Looking Back on GEW 2024
In 2024, Wilmington's GEW was supported by Wilmington Coalition partners and UNCW programs including: Brunswick Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, Channel powered by Live Oak Bank, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, and UNCW Cameron School of Business, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Research and Innovation.
Highlights include:
- 17 mentors and 15 mentees participated in Mentor Madness.
- Over 450 K-12 and UNCW students had the opportunity to meet a founder during Entrepreneur Day.
- Inventor Day was launched and included events such as USPTO presentation at 1MC, the NAI lunch for faculty inventors, and "Demystifying the Patent Process" Workshop.
In 2023, GEW was supported by many Wilmington Coalition partners and UNCW programs including: Brunswick Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, Channel powered by Live Oak Bank, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, and UNCW Cameron School of Business, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Research and Innovation.
15 mentors participated in Mentor Madness and more than 2000 attendees participated in GEW CIE events, and GEW CIE sponsored and partner events, in 2023.
Contact The CIE
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
803 South College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403-5676
Regular Hours
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Monday to Friday- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Saturday and Sunday - Closed