By Nathan M. Walters, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Entrepreneur Week, an organization dedicated to providing practical entrepreneur-focused conferences around the world, arrives at Planetarium de Gavea for five days (October 22nd – 26th) with an aim to further foster the entrepreneurial mindset in Brazil. The event arrives as Brazil develops a growing middle class, and is introducing measures to bring greater competitiveness both domestically and internationally.
“All eyes are on Brazil,” says New York transplant and Entrepreneur Week organizer Pamela Granoff Simon. “The purpose of Entrepreneur Week is to make a real impact, to give attendees the tools so that they can grasp the opportunities that are now in the pipeline for Rio.”
Entrepreneur Weeks are known for being practical, solution-based events. Distinguished speakers for the week have been drawn from all aspects of entrepreneurialism, including: entrepreneur executives, local start-ups, investors, local government officials, legal experts, and students.
The networking potential for those interested in developing an idea are immense, as is the opportunity for attendees to learn more about the real opportunities and challenges that entrepreneurs in Brazil face.
In terms of what industry can benefit the most from the event, Granoff Simon offers, “I think any business that benefits from the growth in the consumer in Brazil is attractive. The middle class is growing rapidly, the government continues to facilitate credit and lending to the consumer, unemployment is at historic lows all these contribute to the growth of consumerism.”
São Paulo, the financial center of Latin America, has traditionally been the first choice for business in Brazil, but with upcoming international events in Rio, more investment has started to flow into the city. This access to funding is one important part of the equation for developing an environment where innovation and entrepreneurialism can flourish.
Problems do remain, however, and the cost of doing business in Brazil can be significant, starting with language barriers. Brazilian culture often carries a heavy and costly stigma of failure that prevents many from attempting a new venture, and the bureaucratic entanglements, not to mention an incredibly complex tax system, are significant obstacles for innovation.
While Entrepreneur Week serves many purposes for the business community in Rio, Granoff Simon explains the primary objective of the event. “One of our main focuses is on access to information, providing a resource for would-be entrepreneurs that are asking themselves: ‘How do I move from idea to reality?'”
Over five days Entrepreneur Week in Rio will offer a wide variety of panels and speakers, and Granoff Simon notes, “We have an incredible line up of speakers and topics from opportunities in digital business to bootstrapping social entrepreneurship to the reality of investment in Brazil”
“The third day (Wednesday) of the event which focuses on finance, laws and opportunities is something everyone is looking forward to. I think demystifying the legal issues of setting up a business in Brazil is an important topic; whether you are interested in starting a company or investing in one.”
The importance of entrepreneurialism in the development of Brazil is certainly exciting. The next decades will be shaped by the innovation of Brazilians as the country’s economy transitions from state-dependency to more private enterprises. This transition is already happening, and the success of local start-ups, such as Peixe Urbano, has instilled a new vigor into local entrepreneurs.
See more information about the event and tickets here.
What: Entrepreneur Week
Where: Planetarium de Gávea – Rua Vice-Governador Rubens Berardo, 100, Gávea
When: October 22nd-26th, 8am-8pm daily
Price: R$150 for week