This week sees entrepreneurial icons flock to Scotland as the second edition of CAN DO Fest, Scotland’s festival of impactful entrepreneurship, kicks off with EIE 2019 – one of the UK’s leading events for tech entrepreneurs and investors, at the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh on 24 April.
Almost 4,500 entrepreneurial leaders, change makers and innovators are expected to attend the new-look festival to help them spark ideas, collaborate and grow. Co-ordinated by Entrepreneurial Scotland, the festival is set to deliver a record programme of 31 events right across the country, with a cluster of signature events during April and May that will culminate with Impact Summit, delivered by FutureX on 15 May at Glasgow’s SWG3, before the festival continues with a series of fringe events throughout the weeks that follow.
This year boasts an impressive line-up of world leading entrepreneurs who will be speaking at various events, workshops and masterclasses. New York serial entrepreneur, David Rose – who is the chief executive of the world’s largest business start-up, Gust – will deliver the keynote speech at the Entrepreneurial Scotland annual summit at Gleneagles on 25 April.
Speaking ahead of the summit, David S. Rose said:
“I’ve been involved with building the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New York City since the early 1980s and have seen first-hand the impact that passionate founders can have on the economy. It’s a thrill to experience what’s now happening in Scotland’s thriving ecosystem. Scotland is reclaiming its global reputation as a nation of change makers and innovators, and CAN DO Fest showcases the very best of Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent.”
The Scottish Government launched the Scotland CAN DO agenda six years ago to help make Scotland a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation – a CAN DO place for business.
Derek Mackay MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Finance, Economy, and Fair Work, said:
“I am delighted to be taking part in this year’s CAN DO Fest, Scotland’s annual celebration of impactful entrepreneurship. Since the Scotland CAN DO approach was launched in 2013, we have seen Scotland rise from the 12th to the 5th most effective environment for business support globally. Initiatives like CAN DO Fest, and its sister festival VentureFest, can only build on this momentum while helping us achieve our goal of sustainable economic growth”.
