Over a hundred people came to the DC Google office last night to hear more about Google’s current efforts to support and foster entrepreneurial communities around the world and in local regions. The event highlighted the new Google for Entrepreneurs resource, which includes acceleration and training programs and events worldwide – some by Google and some by its partners.
At last night’s event, speakers discussed entrepreneurship globally and locally and how to encourage entrepreneurship legislatively with regard to the Startup 2.0 Act. Budding entrepreneurs, university students, and Capitol Hill staffers all came together to build connections and foster a stronger, more resourceful entrepreneurship community in the DC area.
Mary Grove, head of global entrepreneurial outreach at Google, explained the inspiration and future of Google for Entrepreneurs:
- Google’s driving force to support these programs is to have the ability to change the world by being locally grown. Partnerships with organizations such as Women 2.0, Startup Weekend and Startup America show that the work itself is not new. What this represents is a formalization of the effort dedicated to propelling entrepreneurship forward.
- Big topics Google for Entrepreneurs is tackling in the near future:
1. Bringing together partners in both an interactive and a physical space. How can Google marry and connect communities physically?
2. Supporting youth. They’ll be looking into working with partners with a global footprint and the ability to scale locally.
3. Supporting social issues. Where do these fit into the Google realm, and where can they be active?
The panel concluded with an interesting question from a local furniture store owner at Lana Furniture: “The startup culture is strongly geared toward the youth and providing opportunities for technical skills and business resources for them. There’s no one out there to help old people. How do I get resources for my business?” While that may be the overwhelming view of the entrepreneurship world, an entrepreneur is anyone who is creating. For a student developer or a person starting their next career, Google offers non-age-exclusive opportunities to help you build your brand and develop your skills with local training sessions.
For more information on Google resources to help you with your business, visit the resources page here.
