International Council for Small Business (ICSB)

☕ Pour a coffee and join the global conversation on the future of entrepreneurship. https://icsb.org/sunday-times/central/june-14-for-msmes-worldwide/

The agenda for the ICSB World Congress 2026 is now live! From June 29–July 1, leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, and innovators from around the world will gather at the George Washington University School of Business in Washington, DC, for the MSMEs World Cup 2026.

One of the many exciting discussions will feature new research examining how government entrepreneurship support policies influence university faculty members to become entrepreneurs. Using data from 227 academics in China, the study finds that targeted policy support significantly increases entrepreneurial intentions and venture creation, particularly among academics with substantial industry experience. The findings provide important insights into how governments can better connect research, innovation, and economic development.

Alongside cutting-edge research, participants will engage in conversations on artificial intelligence, human-centered leadership, sustainability, innovation, and the future of MSMEs. With world-renowned speakers, global networking opportunities, academic sessions, and a special ICSB Day at the United States Congress, this year's Congress promises to be one of our most impactful gatherings yet.

📍 Washington, DC

📅 June 29–July 1, 2026

🎯 Theme: MSMEs World Cup 2026

View the agenda and join us as we shape the future of entrepreneurship worldwide.

June 14 ICSB Sunday Times The agenda for the ICSB World Congress 2026 is now live. Join global leaders in Washington, DC, June 29–July 1, as we explore entrepreneurship, innovation, AI, and the future of MSMEs. Featured research highlights how government support policies can significantly encourage university faculty membe...

☕ Pour a coffee and dive into the latest edition of the ICSB Sunday Times.

This week, we highlight exciting upcoming workshops from around the world as we prepare for the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C. Featured sessions include discussions on transforming small businesses into global enterprises and a special academic masterclass by Herman Aguinis, Avram Tucker Distinguished Scholar and Professor of Management at the GW School of Business.

Participants will gain valuable insights into management research best practices, innovative methodologies, and strategies for increasing the rigor and impact of entrepreneurship research. Join a global community of scholars, entrepreneurs, and policymakers shaping the future of MSMEs and innovation worldwide. https://icsb.org/sunday-times/central/june-7-for-msmes-worldwide/

June 7 ICSB Sunday Times ICSB Sunday Times explores upcoming workshop from around the world. Participants will also gain valuable insights into management research best practices and innovative methodologies through a masterclass led by distinguished scholar Herman Aguinis, strengthening the rigor and impact of future entre...

VATICAN CITY, May 29, 2026 — His answer to the Pope's warning about artificial intelligence was not a tech company. It was a bakery.

ICSB Chairman Ki-Chan Kim makes the case for the world's smallest businesses at the Vatican, answering Pope Leo XIV's first AI encyclical with a 70-year-old Korean bakery. https://icsb.org/central/icsb-at-the-vatican/

Ki-Chan Kim walked into the New Synod Hall and made a simple argument. Technology should serve people, not replace them. The proof, he said, sits in a Korean shop that gives away one loaf for every two it sells.
Kim is Chairman of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and Professor Emeritus at the Catholic University of Korea. He delivered the address at the General Assembly of the Pontifical Foundation Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice and the FCAPP 2026 International Conference. The gathering brought together Catholic leaders, scholars, business executives, and policymakers to examine the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence and economic change. For decades, ICSB has pushed a single idea: entrepreneurship should put human dignity, community, and opportunity first. On Friday, Kim gave it a name. He called it the Human-Centered Entrepreneurship Revolution.
He tied it straight to the news of the week. On May 25, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, a warning against reducing the human person to data, function, or tool in the age of AI. Kim set it in a hundred-year line, from Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum in 1891 to John Paul II's Centesimus Annus in 1991. Each defended people against the machine of its era. The question now, he said, is blunt. Will technology replace us, or serve us?
Human-centered entrepreneurship, Kim argued, is how you put the encyclical to work.
Ki-Chan Kim Ayman El Tarabishy Winslow Sargeant, Ph.D.

At the Vatican, the Case for Human-Centered Entrepreneurship | ICSB | International Council for Small Business ICSB Chairman Ki-Chan Kim makes the case for the world's smallest businesses at the Vatican, answering Pope Leo XIV's first AI encyclical with a 70-year-old Korean bakery.

There are moments when research moves beyond journals and enters global conversations.

We are honored to see the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and the ICSB 2025 Annual Global MSME Report recognized by Forbes in a recent feature discussing the future of global MSMEs, cross-border entrepreneurship, and financial innovation.

In particular, Forbes cited the phrase “permanent white water,” a concept developed in the ICSB report to describe the nonstop turbulence that MSMEs now face from geopolitical shifts, supply chain disruptions, digital transformation, and economic uncertainty.

For more than 70 years, ICSB has worked to elevate the voice of entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, and small businesses worldwide. From helping co-create United Nations MSMEs Day to supporting MSMEs across more than 130 countries, we remain committed to advancing entrepreneurship that creates resilience, opportunity, and human-centered growth.

This recognition is not just about ICSB. It reflects the growing global understanding that MSMEs are central to the future of economies, innovation, and inclusive prosperity.

Thank you to everyone around the world who continues to contribute to this mission. The work continues.

Forbes Highlights ICSB Leadership in Global MSME Conversation | ICSB | International Council for Small Business Forbes referenced the ICSB 2025 Annual Global MSME Report and specifically highlighted the phrase “permanent white water” to describe the increasingly turbulent environment facing MSMEs worldwide.

Happy Mother’s Day from the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) to all the incredible mothers whose strength, compassion, and leadership inspire generations around the world. Today, we celebrate the love, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that mothers bring to their families, communities, and society every day.

The International Council for Small Business (ICSB) is proud to announce the establishment of the Jeff R. Alves Academy Scholarship Award, a new annual recognition honoring Jeffrey R. Alves for his extraordinary contributions to entrepreneurship education, mentorship, and the global small business community.

As Founding Co-director of the ICSB Academy and a long-serving leader within ICSB, Jeff Alves has helped shape generations of scholars, educators, and entrepreneurs through his vision, generosity, and commitment to MSMEs worldwide.

Beginning this year, two students annually will be selected as Jeff Alves Academy Scholars and will receive:

• Full registration and accommodation support for the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C.

• One year of mentorship with an ICSB leader

• Recognition on the ICSB website and within the global ICSB community

Jeff Alves represents the very best of academic leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and service. Through this scholarship, his legacy of mentorship and opportunity will continue to inspire future generations of entrepreneurship scholars and leaders.

Congratulations and thank you, Jeff, for your remarkable impact on ICSB and the global entrepreneurship community.

🏆 Nominations are now open for the 2026 ICSB Global Awards as part of the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C. 🌎
The International Council for Small Business is proud to recognize the world’s leading entrepreneurship centers, educators, and academic programs driving innovation, measurable impact, and transformational change across the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/e984tety
This year’s awards include:
🌍 ICSB Global Impact Award for Best Entrepreneurship Center
🔗 https://lnkd.in/e2QT6Fr5
👩‍🏫 ICSB Global Awards in Entrepreneurship Educator Excellence
🔗 https://lnkd.in/e5jpzzcP
🎓 ICSB Global Awards in Entrepreneurship Education Excellence
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eUCiefJu
These prestigious international recognitions celebrate institutions and educators shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers through creativity, leadership, and human-centered entrepreneurship.
📅 Finalists announced: May 31, 2026
📍 Washington, D.C.
🔗 More information: ICSBCongress.com

Pour yourself a warm cup of coffee as we look ahead to the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C., with the Call for Papers extended to May 31 and a hybrid format open to global participation. We highlight key themes from MSME growth to innovation and policy, in a world where resilience and adaptability are no longer optional but essential. At the same time, we reflect on a profound irony at the heart of management academia. While we produce extensive research on leadership, performance, and organizational effectiveness, we too often fail to apply these principles within our own institutions. This disconnect remains one of the most important challenges for our field to confront. Finally, new research reinforces that outcomes are shaped by intention and design. Internal moral drivers play a stronger role than external support in shaping social entrepreneurial intentions, while SME innovation depends not on the scale of investment or collaboration, but on their focus. Targeted investments drive product and process innovation, while R&D collaborations support organizational innovation, particularly in less-central regions.

ICSB May 3 Sunday Times Pour yourself a warm cup of coffee as we look ahead to the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C., with the Call for Papers extended to May 31 and a hybrid format open to global participation. We highlight key themes from MSME growth to innovation and policy, in a world where resilience and ad...

We are proud to announce that Ruben Ascua will serve as a keynote speaker at the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C.

A Past President of ICSB, Ruben is a leading researcher and contributor in the field of MSME finance, whose work has significantly advanced the understanding of access to finance and its role in supporting small-business growth and resilience.

As Rector of Universidad Nacional de Rafaela (UNRaf), a public university located in the productive heart of Argentina, he represents a country that played a historic role in advancing the global MSME agenda. In 2016, Argentina partnered with ICSB to lead the United Nations effort to establish MSMEs Day, now celebrated annually on June 27 worldwide.

UNRaf offers innovative degree programs designed to develop talent for future professions, including technical and engineering degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and postgraduate studies. The university is deeply committed to research, international engagement, and entrepreneurial development.

Ruben’s career reflects a strong integration of research, policy, and institutional leadership, contributing to the advancement of MSMEs both in Argentina and globally.

We are honored to welcome Ruben to the ICSB World Congress as we convene leaders from around the world to advance the future of MSMEs.

We are proud to announce that Jonathan Ortmans will serve as a keynote speaker at the ICSB World Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C.

In 2025, ICSB recognized Jonathan as one of the 10 most influential people in the world in advancing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), reflecting his global impact and long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship.

As the Founder and President of Global Entrepreneurship Network, Jonathan has built a truly global platform operating across 200 nations, supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems at scale. From launching and expanding Global Entrepreneurship Week into a worldwide movement to connecting policymakers, investors, researchers, and founders, his work has shaped how entrepreneurship is fostered across borders.

Raised in the United Kingdom and trained as an economist, Jonathan’s career spans Capitol Hill, leadership of a major health care and trade policy think tank, and multiple successful startup exits. His journey reflects a rare blend of policy insight, entrepreneurial ex*****on, and global vision.

We are honored to welcome Jonathan to the ICSB World Congress as we convene leaders from around the world to advance the future of MSMEs.