As an organization committed to the support of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and the promotion of the ideas of entrepreneurship, we have taken this digital revolution to see how we can better advance the knowledge and practice of our members. To do this, we decided that it was time to change our membership practice. Your ability to engage with ICSB should not be determined by your country’s status within our organization. If you are ready to be uplifted through the ICSB international network so as to explore your entrepreneurship and research distribution potential, then an ICSB membership is for you!

Curious about the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and their big efforts to help grow entrepreneurial ecosystems? While Kauffman is USA-focused, their large ESHIP program has much to offer ICSB members. Join Norris Krueger and Kauffman’s Christine Lai and other ESHIP leaders to explore the many great ways that ESHIP and ICSB can work together (If you’re looking for great research questions…) For more, check out www.bit.ly/ESHIPgoals & www.bit.ly/ESHIPprojects. We would love to have you get involved in any of the 7 ESHIP Goals and their projects!

Former ICSB officer Norris Krueger is better known for his innovative research and teaching but is now a “Goal Champion” for ESHIP. Norris is working to advance research on bottom-up, entrepreneur-led ecosystems.

Christine Lai works with Kauffman as a community activator for the ESHIP initiative focused on developing strategic partnerships. Other ESHIP Goal Champions will join us to answer questions about the Goals.

جلسة المجلس الدولي للمشروعات الصغيرة (ICSB) باللغة العربية: مستقبل ريادة الأعمال والمشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة ومتناهية الصغر – مرحلة ما بعد الكورونا.

ICSB Exchange Webinars welcomes Dr. Hala Helmy El Said Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Arab Republic of Egypt, and all other distinguished panelists.

ICSB will host, for the first time, an Exchange Webinar in Arabic. Joining together, national and organizational leaders with small business owners and entrepreneurship educators, the group will discuss their understandings for the future of both entrepreneurship and MSMEs throughout the Arab World following the reintegration post-COVID-19.

According to the IMF, small and medium-sized enterprises are the “cornerstones of Arab economies.” As they constitute over 90 percent of all businesses, SMEs create the majority of new jobs while accounting for the majority of the region’s economic growth. Currently, policy schemes and interventions have been put in place, yet they have yet to see much progress. As the Arab world holds much potential, we feel it is important to discuss them.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have been known to contribute greatly in economic growth of both developed and developing countries. According to a report published in the journal of Economic Literature in the year 2000 about the manufacturing firms in developing countries, the share of MSMEs in employment tends to be higher in developing countries, which are typically more focused on small-scale production.

Dr Moses L. Ngoze is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Business at the Technical University of Mombasa in Kenya; where he teaches and provides academic leadership in Entrepreneurship and Management Science disciplines at Undergraduate and Graduate levels. He is also an Associate Consultant/ Researcher of Management at Capital Strategies Kenya Limited, Nairobi in Kenya. His research interests are concentrated in the areas of corporate entrepreneurship dimensions, financial performance, business environments, manufacturing firms, BDS, MSMEs, industrial economics in Sub Saharan Africa.

As our communities navigate this time of uncertainty, we know this is a uniquely challenging time for small business owners. To help, we’ve gathered some useful resources and Google tools to help you update critical business information online to keep customers informed, host virtual meetings and events, and access documents from anywhere. During today’s webinar we will discuss Google My Business, Google Hangouts and Google Drive.

Panelist: Randi Penfil- Grow with Google trainer. Randi is a speaker for the Grow with Google partner program. She has more than 20 years of experience helping small businesses and nonprofits improve their digital marketing.

As a professional speaker and trainer, Randi has educated thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs. Before becoming a Google-supported trainer, Randi educated and trained SMBs for Constant Contact as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Development Director. She brings enthusiasm and experience to every workshop and conversation about digital marketing. Her passion is helping small businesses take control of their digital footprint. #GrowwithGoogle #randipenfil

Sharjah Research, Technology & Innovation Park (SRTI Park) was established in 2016 by royal decree of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE, and Ruler of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. SRTI Park aims to develop and manage an innovation ecosystem within a free zone that promotes Research and Development and supports enterprise activities and the triple helix collaboration of industry, government, and academia. SRTI Park continues extensively in its efforts to attract and host knowledge-intensive businesses. The thematic pillars SRTI Park focuses on are water technology, renewable energy, environmental technology, digitization, Industrial Design 4.0, and Transportation & Logistics.

A conversation with H.E. Hussain Mohammed Al Mahmoudi. Moderator: Dr. Winslow Sargeant, ICSB President-Elect

H.E. Hussain serves a dual role as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American University of Sharjah Enterprises (AUSE) and as the CEO of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP). Both these entities were established through royal decree by the Ruler of Sharjah, who also directly appointed H.E. Hussain to these responsibilities in order to create collaborative long-term relationships between industry, academia and the public sector, fostering an ecosystem of enterprise and innovation.

Are there different elements within an organization and the leadership that make a firm more Humane than another? How about looking at an organization from different theoretical and or practical perspectives? Humane Entrepreneurship is different, but how is a key question to be answered.

Dr. Rosangela Feola, Dr. Antonio Botti, Dr. Massimiliano Vesci

Things can change quickly in life. The security of one moment can quickly become impermanent before we have a chance to realize it. This is certainly the case with the crisis that has resulted from the global outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Millions of people globally have been infected, and thousands have already died from the outbreak. The general public is advised to remain socially distant from one another and to regularly wash their hands. The global economy has gone into freefall, a recession, if not a depression, now seems likely. Panic buying in the shops is common practice. No one knows what tomorrow holds.

Ahmed Osman is the President of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization devoted to small businesses internationally. The first Arab and African elected to this position since ICSB’s establishment in 1955 and the youngest President to date. ICSB is the platform that distributes new knowledge and information on small business management and entrepreneurial development. ICSB is the originator of the United Nations’ Resolution to create an International Name Day dedicated to Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises on June 27 (MSMEs Day). He is also the editor of the Global MSME Report for 2019. Ahmed is also the Managing Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Network in Egypt (GEN Egypt) and is a Project Management & Strategy Advisor for government and private organizations in Egypt.