Recently returning from a fall escape with my wife to Napa Valley where I experienced in volumes the imagery of entrepreneurship, I find myself invigorated to trumpet a “celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit” in our beloved Okanagan Valley.
For much of this calendar year, I have witnessed a dramatic rise in the entrepreneurship presence. Everything I turn these days—television, newsprint, magazines, electronic media, etc.—and from the words shared by our politicians and both community and corporate leaders all speak to the issue of entrepreneurship.
It raises the question, “Is there really something to this entrepreneurial spirit that takes us over like a tsunami at sunrise?”
The answer is yes, as we are learning the answer to that question in every corner of our existence—from the storm of self-employed home-based ventures, low- and high-tech enterprise, the plethora of immigrant, physically challenged, seniors, female and youth entrepreneurial ventures that find their place in the market.
These all lend themselves convincingly to the phrase “entrepreneurship is here to stay”.
And now politicians at the tri-levels of government are singing the praises of the socio-economic benefits via new policies and programs that favour the entrepreneurship and small business sector.
Lastly, in this entrepreneurial spirit explosion are our educational institutions of all categories both public and private now developing entrepreneurial programs and centres at an unprecedented pace.
Leaning to the apex of my column theme this week, our Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society, after a successful introduction of the inaugural Valley Entrepreneurship Conference in Kelowna in November 2012, is now working on the followup conference this year with the theme of “Unleashing Ideas—Building the Entrepreneurship Culture in the Okanagan.”
The conference will take place Nov. 21 and 22 in Kelowna. More information on the conference may be found at www.OVESociety.ca.
This event will again be one and a half days with a new program and a full slate of genuine entrepreneurial speakers to make the experience memorable for all who participate.
With this excitement comes the news that once again the Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society will work with the Global Entrepreneurship Week initiative which began in the USA just a few short years ago and has reached 70+ countries around the world for on week in November. The Canadian Youth Business Foundation will also aid in the promotion of the Global Entrepreneurship Week and entrepreneurship across our nation.
No question, entrepreneurship is here to stay and it steps forward also through the program delivery of many of our economic organizations like Community Futures, Women’s Enterprise Centre, Business Development Bank and the cadre of business networking clubs throughout the region.
In closing today, I ask respectfully, that you stay tuned and join in the celebration of entrepreneurship every chance you may get over the coming weeks and months.
We need you to this celebration so that the entrepreneurial spirit in the Okanagan remains alive and flourishing.
