Ernst & Young Launches its Sponsorship of the Inaugural 2008 Global Entrepreneurship Week

Worldwide event to encourage youth entrepreneurship

MONTE CARLO, MONACO—Ernst & Young officially kicked off its global sponsorship of the 2008 Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 17-23, 2008), a first-ever worldwide series of entrepreneurship events, with the help of the Week’s founding sponsor, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
 
As a global sponsor, Ernst & Young will provide support and initiate activities designed to engage and encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurial ideas with the support of entrepreneurs, government officials, non-profit leaders and educators. To date, more than 70 organizations in some 60 countries are participating in the Week, which is expected to involve millions of young people around the world.

“Through its position as founder of the prestigious World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, Ernst & Young’s considerable entrepreneurship leadership and resources in dozens of nations will help put this initiative on the world’s stage,” said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation.

"We are proud to launch our sponsorship of Global Entrepreneurship Week at an event that honors the world’s top entrepreneurs from 43 countries,” said Ernst & Young Global Vice Chair for Strategic Growth Markets, Greg Ericksen. “Educating young people about entrepreneurship and reinforcing the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to their respective countries is critical to long-term prosperity—more so now than ever before.”

During the Week, a series of events will be held on international, national and local levels that will involve young people in many aspects of entrepreneurship. While many of these events are now in the planning stages, examples range from The Netherlands launching the Week from the floor of Euronext to Chile holding a 10k race.

In addition to Ernst & Young, the Week is sponsored globally by NYSE Euronext and IBM. Organizers expect more countries and sponsors to sign on in coming months. A complete list of participating countries and organizations is available at www.unleashingideas.org. 
 
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 130,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve potential.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

About the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people's eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. It also works to prepare students to be innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled workers in the 21st century economy through initiatives designed to improve learning in math, engineering, science and technology. Founded by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has more than $2.4 billion in assets. More information is available at www.kauffman.org.

CONTACTS:
Morten Hussmann, Ernst & Young Global Public Relations
morten.hussmann@uk.ey.com; +44 (0)7917 557 018

Barbara Pruitt, Kauffman Foundation, U.S.
bpruitt@kauffman.org; +44 (0) 913-908-3898