In the lead article, “Global Heroes,” Adrian Wooldridge points out that “(d)espite the downturn, entrepreneurs are enjoying a renaissance the world over.” He argues that now is entrepreneurship’s moment for “creative creation,” and points to the numerous opportunities the current financial crisis opens up for entrepreneurs. “Microsoft, Genentech, Gap and The Limited were all founded during recessions,” Wooldridge writes. He references the Endeavor Survey carried out in eight emerging markets last November, which found that while 85% of Endeavor Entrepreneurs felt the impact of the crisis and 88% thought the worst was yet to come, on average, they believed “their businesses would grow by 31% and their workforces by 12% this year.”

In “Magic Formula,” Wooldridge highlights Endeavor Entrepreneur Bento Koike for having built “one of the world’s most successful manufacturers of wind-turbine blades, in Brazil. He says that “today’s smart entrepreneurs start global.”

In “Saving the World” Wooldridge discusses the fact that “entrepreneurship is reshaping the voluntary sector,” by using business techniques to philanthropy. He points to South African Endeavor Entrepreneur Shane Immelman who “has built a successful company by trying to bring the benefits of education to poor schoolchildren in South Africa” with his company, Lapdesk.

Endeavor CEO Linda Rottenberg, along with Endeavor Jordan founding board member Fadi Ghandour, spoke on a panel “The Culture of Entrepreneurship” (see the YouTube video below), and four Endeavor Entrepreneurs from Turkey and Jordan attended the Summit as delegates:

- Nevzat Aydin, Yemeksepeti, Turkey

- Bulent Celebi, Airties, Turkey

- Fatih Isbecer, Pozitron, Turkey [see blog post]

- Mansour Mansour, Javna, Jordan

In the closing remarks to the Summit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited Endeavor as one of the State Department’s partners for their e-mentoring program that is to be launched later this year.

On April 28, Endeavor hosted a breakfast and panel on High-Impact Entrepreneurship where participating Endeavor Entrepreneurs talked about local barriers to entrepreneurship, how to reverse “brain drain,” and the role of government in fostering innovation.

For first-hand insights on the Summit, check out blog posts (Portfolio.com) by Endeavor’s own Elmira Bayrasli: Day One; Day Two.

The whitepaper, as the first in a series of reports co-authored with Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and sponsored by First National Bank, aims to stimulate public-private collaboration in creating an environment conducive to entrepreneurship.

On March 25 in Johannesburg, Endeavor South Africa held a well-attended launch event for the whitepaper. Click here to see photos from the event. Also, check out news coverage of report recommendations to bolster investment for enterprise development and support local business incubators.