Newswise — Babson College will hold its first-ever Global Summit for the Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices (STEP) Project June 1-3, 2009.

More than 40 academic scholars representing 26 universities from 21 countries will gather at Babson for this unique global dialogue.

The College's partner universities from Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and North America will meet to further explore entrepreneurship in the business family context. The summit will focus on the research which all partners have been carrying out together over the last three years with family firms in leading entrepreneurial families in their respective countries. The collective scholarly thought and cross-cultural comparisons of cases will lead to new insights and powerful practices for business families worldwide.

The STEP Project is a global applied research initiative that explores the entrepreneurial process within business families and generates solutions that have immediate application for family leaders.

Families are the dominant form of business organization worldwide - - they play a leading role in the social and economic wealth creation of communities and countries. While the majority of family business scholars focus on sustaining and passing on a businesses from one generation to the next, Babson and the STEP Project realize that business families need to also pass on the entrepreneurial mindsets and capabilities which enable them to create new streams of wealth across many generations. This transfer of not only wealth, but knowledge and intangible resources, is critical to long-term growth and continuity.

STEP was founded in 2005 by the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College, the hub for entrepreneurial activity at the top-ranked business school for entrepreneurship education. It is the Center's mission to lead the global advancement of entrepreneurship education and practice through the development of teaching, research, and outreach initiatives that inspire entrepreneurial thought and action in all organizations and society. Visit: http://www3.babson.edu/ESHIP/eship.cfm

For more on STEP visit: www.STEPProject.com

In June 2009, Babson College, convener and catalyst for entrepreneurship practice and policy globally, will welcome opinion leaders and entrepreneurs to its campus for programs and conferences designed to further shape and advance the field. Regarded as the number one school in the world for entrepreneurship, Babson has built a proven model for researching, teaching, and fostering entrepreneurial thought and action. http://www3.babson.edu/Newsroom/Releases/2009entrepreneurshipevents.cfm

View Video of Babson's Mission to Advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action for the World: www.babson.edu/video/eship/BabsonImpact.html

Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., is recognized internationally as a leader in entrepreneurial management education. Babson grants BS degrees through its innovative undergraduate program, and grants MBA and custom MS and MBA degrees through the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Babson Executive Education offers executive development programs to experienced managers worldwide. For information, visit www.babson.edu.

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