Global Entrepreneurship Week Nevada 2025 delivered its most expansive and community-centered programming to date, uniting founders, Veterans, creatives, students, nonprofit leaders, and small-business owners across the state. From Las Vegas to Reno to Ely, this year’s theme—Together We Build—was not simply a slogan. It was a statewide demonstration of collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose.
With more than a dozen official events held between November 17 and 23, alongside an early kickoff on November 15, GEW Nevada showcased the strength, diversity, and ingenuity of our entrepreneurial ecosystem. As one of the organizing teams for Las Vegas, Alter New Media is proud to share this full statewide recap.
**Saturday, November 15
Tech Alley Las Vegas: Official Statewide Kickoff**
Global Entrepreneurship Week Nevada opened at Tech Alley Las Vegas, the beating heart of the Downtown technology and innovation community. The kickoff gathered founders, creators, students, Veterans, and community builders inside the Downtown Arts District for a day of panels, storytelling, and networking—all aligned with the 2025 global theme, Together We Build.
The formal program began at 10:00 AM, with opening remarks delivered by Stavros, setting an inclusive and collaborative tone. Throughout the day, the Tech Alley stage featured community innovation stories and a keynote from one of Nevada’s rising tech founders.
At 11:00 AM, a featured statewide panel brought together GEW community organizers representing Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno. The discussion explored how Nevada can align regional strengths, eliminate silos, and build a scalable, cohesive statewide innovation economy.
About Tech Alley
Tech Alley, led by organizers such as Nadya Rousseau, Dave Burlin, Ben Laifsky, Breeze, and Elias Benjelloun, is a grassroots, community-driven initiative dedicated to convening, educating, and uplifting Nevada’s technology and startup ecosystem. Monthly meetups draw innovators from every background, while specialty groups offer continuous learning across AI, design, cybersecurity, fundraising, entrepreneurship, and more.
Its role as GEW Nevada’s official kickoff host underscores its importance as a foundational pillar of the state’s creative and startup culture.
Monday, November 17
Commerce First Radio Show
88.1 FM, Las Vegas
Brandon Ward opened GEW week on the airwaves, spotlighting entrepreneurs and resource organizations shaping Southern Nevada’s business landscape.
White Pine Small Business Fair & Community Development Jam Session
Bristlecone Convention Center, Ely
Rural Nevada activated GEW with a collaborative fair connecting small-business owners, nonprofits, local officials, and community leaders—highlighting the importance of statewide inclusion.
Tuesday, November 18
Southern Nevada Nonprofit Summit
Wynn Las Vegas
A full-day summit dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit and social-impact sectors through workshops on funding, governance, digital transformation, and collaborative leadership.
UNR Extension: Navigating Private Financing for Startups
North Las Vegas
Founders received practical guidance on preparing for private investment, understanding capital structures, and designing scalable fundraising strategies.
Entrepreneur Exchange: National Entrepreneur Day
StarBase, Las Vegas
One of GEW’s anchor events, Entrepreneur Exchange brought together a diverse mix of founders for ideation, co-working, and an evening mixer that strengthened cross-industry connectivity.
Wednesday, November 19
Accessing Nonprofit Grants, Sponsorships, and Resources
A workshop guiding founders and nonprofit leaders through funding ecosystems, sponsorship pipelines, and resource navigation.
LinkUp: Co-Working and Networking
WeWork, Las Vegas Blvd
A productivity-centered gathering that connected business owners seeking collaboration, accountability, and structured co-working.
Tech Alley Henderson x CyRoot Academy
The Pass, Henderson
A special GEW-edition event honoring Veterans Month and Nevada’s tech workforce. The session featured Mark Phelan presenting on technology and human integration, followed by community discussions and event giveaways supported by Todd Deremer.
Nadya Rousseau, Lauren Jones, and Ben Laifsky took the stage to share updates on GEW Nevada programming statewide.
StartUpNV Pitch Day
Innovate Vegas
Founders pitched for investment in one of Nevada’s most established startup investment pipelines, signaling momentum in the state’s early-stage capital landscape.
Verus Community Meetup
Ahern Hotel
A Web3-focused gathering advancing blockchain education, community collaboration, and emerging digital innovation.
Thursday, November 20
Succession Advisors Roundtable: One Big Beautiful Bill
Sierra Gold, Las Vegas
Entrepreneurs explored long-term business planning and succession strategy in an intimate, advisor-led roundtable.
SilverFlume: Nevada’s First Stop for Business Registration
Online
A deep dive into state business licensing processes, compliance, and the SilverFlume portal.
UNR Extension: Unique Value Propositions
North Las Vegas
A hands-on workshop helping founders develop clarity and differentiation through the VRIO framework.
StartUp Vegas: LevelUp
WeWork, Las Vegas Blvd
A premiere gathering of technologists and founders featuring lightning talks, pitches, and networking.
Las Vegas Race Week Digital Social Mixer
Hosted by Sean Mike Kelly
A media- and tech-driven networking event bridging entrepreneurial and digital culture.
Founders Live Reno
Innevation Center, Reno
A high-energy pitch competition where founders delivered 99-second pitches to a live audience, showcasing Northern Nevada’s rising entrepreneurial talent.
Friday, November 21
Korean Delegation at Blackfire Innovation
Las Vegas
Nevada hosted international partners exploring the state’s innovation infrastructure, technology hubs, and investment potential.
Transformative CEOs Mastermind: Day One
Private Residence, Las Vegas
Led by Alter New Media’s Lauren Jones and Nadya Rousseau, Day One focused on Personal and Professional Transformation, covering alignment, confidence, leadership presence, AI-driven strategy, and visibility. Sessions included guidance from Roy and Cody Meyer, Kate Walker, Anna Oris, and Chera Leigh.
Saturday, November 22
Transformative CEOs Mastermind: Day Two
Dress for Success Southern Nevada
Day Two shifted toward Community Transformation, featuring one-on-one mentorship, panel discussions, and direct service to women preparing for career transitions. The day emphasized leadership as service and the responsibility of CEOs to elevate their communities.
Sunday, November 23
Wellness & Community Gathering
The week concluded with a fitness session led by David Lonergan, supporting entrepreneurs in prioritizing holistic well-being.
Later that evening, Dave Burlin hosted a community gathering at The Alchemist Bar in Chinatown, closing GEW Nevada with connection, reflection, and celebration.
Sponsors and Acknowledgments
Lead Sponsors
VetsinTech – Ikram Mansori
Alive Print Shop – Austin Boyd
GEW Nevada Brochure Design – Jessica Naves
GEW Nevada Community Organizers
Las Vegas – Nadya Rousseau & Lauren Jones, Alter New Media
North Las Vegas – Elias Benjelloun, TechStart.ai & Nevada Partners
Reno – Lurdes Madrigal, Nevada Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)
Henderson – Ben Laifsky, Hunter Marketing
State Support – Shaq Cruz & Melissa Saavedra, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Community Partners
Taylor Goodyear, Social Exchange Group
Tyler Gallo, Das Erbe Collective
Joshua Leavitt & Lorraine Yarde, Tech Alley
A Unified Statewide Achievement
GEW Nevada 2025 showed what is possible when cities, organizations, and leaders commit to a shared vision. Across rural and urban regions, the week uplifted entrepreneurship through education, global collaboration, Veteran engagement, nonprofit empowerment, leadership development, and community service.
Entrepreneurship in Nevada continues to be defined not only by innovation, but by generosity, connection, and collective action. As Alter New Media and the Las Vegas GEW team reflect on this year’s momentum, one truth stands out clearly:
Together We Build—and together, Nevada rises.
