What qualities come to mind when you think of someone who is BOLD? 

If you are BOLD, you’re often willing to take risks. Someone who is BOLD has confidence in their ability to make change. BOLD individuals are courageous. These same entrepreneurial traits appear over and over again among students and faculty who branch out of the norm, identify a problem to solve and explore the world for solutions through global education.

In June, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Global Entrepreneurship Congress held in Indianapolis. This collection of Global Entrepreneurs have been gathering to advance the goals of entrepreneurship across the globe since 2009. Previous events have been held in Melbourne (2023), Riyadh (2022), Bahrain (2019), Istanbul (2018), Johannesburg (2017), and more! 

According to the GEC website, “the Global Entrepreneurship Congress is the only place where founders at all stages of development and policymakers, investors and support organizations from all economies are in the same room — collaborating to bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.”

 

What impressed me the most about the conference was the incredible diversity of the attendees! I met entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors from Brazil, Japan, Togo, Ecuador, Chile, and across the United States. Each individual I met reinforced the importance of global cooperation and inclusion of voices from across the spectrum of humanity, to solve the world’s greatest problems. 

My reasons for attending are rooted in the role global education plays in preparing Ball State University students for success in the 21st century economy. This was an opportunity to connect with industry leaders and discuss how a globally-minded education creates the conditions for economic growth and prosperity. 

The theme of the GEC Indiana 2025 conference was “The BOLD Change the World.” When I think of global education, especially at Ball State, this phrase resonates with me. I see BOLDness in the international students who come to Muncie to pursue their dreams and contribute to the campus community. I see BOLDness in the U.S. students, many of whom have never left the U.S. or the great State of Indiana, take a leap of faith and study abroad with their BSU faculty on a BSU-In program, or semester-long exchange. You have to be BOLD in order to take the risk to leave your friends and family behind, learn a new language or way of being, in order to become the best version of yourself, and by extension, the best version of your community.

Conference Session with Audience

The event featured panels that included Indiana Governor Mike Bruan, the CEOs of mainstay Indiana companies: Eli Lilly, Cummins, Zimmer Biomet, and Beck’s Superior Hybrids. Each company highlighted the importance of global engagement, with both Eli Lilly and Zimmer Biomet being led by foreign born CEOs. Openness to collaboration and new thinking is a critical skill that not only benefits entrepreneurs, but also keeps these businesses fresh and at the cutting edge of their industries. 

The headliner for the event featured Indiana University alumnus and celebrity entrepreneur, Mark Cuban. I was struck at how his comments aligned so closely with what global education values and brings to universities like Ball State:

  • Curiosity-minded individuals are needed to grow business and investment;
  • An ability to communicate and connect builds trust between communities and business;
  • Entrepreneurs are the new diplomats; 
  • Why can it be you that changes the world?

Conference Vendors

International students who attend our university are BOLD in their natural curiosity, seeking opportunities to pursue their studies at top universities. 

U.S. study abroad students are BOLD as they hone their communication skills and their ability to connect while studying abroad with their faculty in diverse places such as London, Tokyo, Cape Town, and Lima. 

Entrepreneurs, like study abroad and international students, are BOLD as they play significant diplomatic roles. Building bridges between communities and solving the world’s greatest problems. 

We often talk about how global education can change the individual. But really, the individual is the one who creates the change within themselves, their community, and the world. By being BOLD and engaging the world beyond their comfort zones, finding areas of common understanding, and making lifelong connections, more often than not will result in positive outcomes for the individual and their immediate community. 

Row of flags from around the world