A City of Builders: Honoring National Entrepreneur Day during GEW
Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 17–23) offered Las Vegas another meaningful opportunity to summon and recognize the builders, risk-takers, and visionaries who shape our community. This year, National Entrepreneur Day aligned perfectly with a gathering we hosted at StarBase, where creators, founders, students, veterans, and community leaders came together for an evening grounded in connection and collaboration.
The week officially opened on Saturday with Tech Alley at Taverna Costera in the Arts District, a longstanding hub for grassroots innovation and local support. By Tuesday, the energy had carried into StarBase for a two-part experience presented by Social Exchange and GEW Nevada.
A Space for Ideas to Take Shape
From 3–5 PM, attendees participated in No Bad Ideas: Community Cowork + Future Design Lab. This session brought people from different backgrounds into a shared workspace where creativity could unfold freely. Tables filled with notebooks, sketch ideas, and quiet conversations set the tone for a thoughtful afternoon. Through activities like No Bad Ideas: Innovation Cards and the Snake Oil challenge, participants explored new ways of thinking and collaborated with people they had only just met. The emphasis was simple: in a room full of entrepreneurs, there truly were no bad ideas, only possibilities waiting to be built.
The evening transitioned into Entrepreneur Exchange: Together We Build, a networking mixer designed to keep the meaningful conversations going with a more relaxed vibe. A new wave of attendees joined to share their stories, offered insights, and found common ground across industries and experience levels. Founders connected with first-time creators. Many shared perspectives with seasoned leaders and veterans discussed ventures with local innovators. It was a reminder that entrepreneurship thrives not only through individual drive, but through community support. StarBase provided an inspiring backdrop for the occasion. Its creative, open layout encourages conversation and allows people to move naturally between groups. The environment carried a sense of possibility, reflecting the spirit of the week itself.
As we look back on this year’s program, it’s clear that the strength of Nevada’s entrepreneurial spirit comes from the people who choose to show up, support one another, and build together. We’re grateful for the community organizers who make Global Entrepreneurship Week possible from Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson to Reno. A special thank-you goes to State Coordinator, Dave Burlin, whose leadership through Vets In Tech and influence with Alive Print Shop continues to amplify the voices, ideas, and opportunities that fuel our innovation ecosystem.
