Your guide to Global Entrepreneurship Week 2014

This week, Northeastern joins more than 140 countries in celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand human welfare.

Northeastern will host a series of exciting events, speakers, panels, and workshops designed to showcase the thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus. The events, which were organized by the Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education, begin Monday and run through Thursday and are open to the entire Northeastern community.

“The great thing about the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Northeastern is than anyone can get involved,” said Dan Gregory, co-director of the Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education. “Global Entrepreneurship Week is an opportunity for the entire campus community to learn what entrepreneurship resources are available and become a part of the ecosystem.”

For a full lineup of events, details, and registration information, visit northeastern.edu/eweek/. Here are some highlights of each day’s events:

MONDAY
GEW 2014 at Northeastern kicks off with a reception featuring Fresh Truck, a Northeastern alumni venture and social enterprise, and the “The Collegiate Vegan,” Madeline Heising, AMD’15. (6-8 p.m., Alumni Center)

TUESDAY
Scout: Northeastern’s student-led design studio, will lead a panel discussion aimed at exploring the concept of design thinking and how it applies to real business challenges. (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., 333 Curry Student Center)

The Northeastern Entrepreneurs Club will host serial entrepreneur Martin Keen, founder of the socially-conscious KEEN Footwear and the award-winning Focal Upright Furniture. Keen will discuss need-based innovation and product design. (7-8 p.m., Curry Student Center, West Addition)

The latest installment of the Profiles in Innovation Presidential Speaker Series will feature Claire Chase, founder and executive director of the International Contemporary Ensemble, who will give a talk in which she will reveal how ICE musicians turned initial failures into entrepreneurial opportunities. (5 p.m., Curry Student Center Ballroom)

WEDNESDAY
The Social Enterprise Institute will host a series of student presentations, which will focus on their working with and investing in social enterprises around the world. (1-2:30 p.m., 333 Curry Student Center)

The next installment of Northeastern’s Women Who Inspire speaker series will feature three groundbreaking female entrepreneurs in addition to moderator Pamela Goldberg, CEO of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. (5 p.m., Raytheon Amphitheater)

The Boston-based Improv Asylum will conduct an interactive workshop aimed at demonstrating how entrepreneurs can use improv to improve their businesses. (7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., afterHOURS)

THURSDAY
Representatives from the incubator and accelerator programs MassChallenge, Techstars, Start Tank, and Betaspring will discuss the future of these programs and why students should apply to them. Nick Naraghi, CEO of Northeastern’s student-run venture accelerator IDEA, will moderate the event. (Noon – 1:30 p.m., Raytheon Amphitheater)

NEXPO, Northeastern’s biannual entrepreneurship expo, will feature a CoFoundersLab Matchup breakout session for Northeastern student and alumni entrepreneurs interested in networking and meeting potential co-founders or building their startup teams. (6-9 p.m., Cabot Cage)