Entrepreneurs’ Organization Announces Location for 2023 Global Leadership Conference

Flagship event to be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, April 25-27

1 August 2022 (Alexandria, VA) – The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) announced today that its annual, marquis event, the Global Leadership Conference (GLC), returns in 2023 as a hybrid in-person and online experience that will stage from Cape Town, South Africa. The three-day event will return to its roots in-person, at one location, from the Cape Town Convention Centre from 25-27 April, 2023, and offer in-person networking and learning experiences that help EO members connect, develop and grow. As in 2022, the conference will also offer online components to non-members with an entrepreneurial mindset – from students, to aspiring business founders, to successful owners and organizational leaders seeking growth.

Similar to past events that preceded the pandemic, this GLC will have Chapter Officers Training at its core. In 2023, that training will take place over the course of two days and be designed for member leaders from around the world who have volunteered to serve in a leadership capacity the next year. That way, chapter board members can learn from their peers and be fully prepared to deliver impact and value for their fellow members.

Chief Executive, Dr. Carrie Santos said, “Our organization believes so strongly that entrepreneurial talent is everywhere in the world and learning is for everyone. In EO, entrepreneurs have the chance to learn and develop together, in an inclusive, diverse community that creates shared value and growth through equitable access to support. No one needs to go it alone.”

Pankaj Yadava, EO’s Senior Vice President of Product, said: “Cape Town is such a beautiful, welcoming city that is ideally located at a nexus of our global EO member community and we are thrilled to bring this uplifting event to its shores. We look forward to sharing more details in the coming months about the inspiring lineup of speakers and learning experiences we will offer to help our members, and the world’s entrepreneurs, feel more empowered and connected.”

Last April, EO’s Global Leadership Conference returned to its roots as an in-person gathering of hundreds of the world’s most diverse, connected and engaged business founders, following a two-year pause that was necessitated by pandemic precautions. More than 7,000 people attended or watched the 2022 event – the highest number yet -- drawing knowledge and inspiration from its lineup of successful business founders and high-profile thought leaders.

Nearly 1,100 entrepreneurs from 78 countries gathered in Washington DC or Barcelona, Spain, to enjoy the on-site, peer-to-peer, learning experience and networking opportunities. At the same time, nearly 6,000 people tuned into GLC virtually, engaging in Q&A sessions and live chats with stage speakers. More than 100 interpreters worked at the virtual and on-site events to offer simultaneous interpretation in Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

2022’s Global Leadership Conference included presentations from a diverse range of inspiring speakers, such as supermodel and beauty business mogul Tyra Banks, who shared her hopes for the future: “My dream is to not just have the strongest memory of my legacy as being a model. I want to be remembered as a businesswoman; for being an entrepreneur.”

Other notable speakers included Iranian fashion designer Tala Raassi, Indian industrialist and accessibility advocate Sminu Jindal, New York Times multi-time bestselling author, Daniel Pink, Ugg founder Brian Smith, behavioral economist and The Wharton School’s youngest-ever professor Katy Milkman, and inventor, filmmaker and CEO/founder of Not Impossible, Mick Ebeling, who challenged entrepreneurs to solve seemingly impossible problems.

“That same bravery that you have in your own business, imagine what would happen if you used that same muscle to solve social issues around the world. It’s not a new muscle for you. It’s just a new application of that muscle. You guys are power lifters.”

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from EO’s top leaders, such as Board of Directors Chair Marc Stöckli, a 14-year member of EO Zurich who asked his fellow entrepreneurs, “How does what you have achieved compare to your potential?” Stöckli then reminded members that “EO is a gym not a spa. It is not for us to deliver value but to create the value we seek. What we commit to finish will paint a brighter future for generations to come.”

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EDITOR’S NOTES

For media inquiries, photos or additional information, please contact:

[email protected] or [email protected]

2022 GLC event photo galleries for members with logins can be accessed in this online light box. 

An event highlight video is publicly available on the EO YouTube channel.  

About Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO): The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a high-quality support network of 16,000+ like-minded leaders across nearly 80 countries. EO helps entrepreneurs achieve their full potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learning. EO has been helping entrepreneurs achieve transformational growth since 1987 and its member network is committed to learning and helping each other succeed. For more information or to get involved, follow us on Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and visit our website: www.eonetwork.org