Entrepreneurs Honored at Ethiopia’s GEW 2025 Closing Ceremony

Ethiopia’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2025 concluded its remarkable run on November 27, 2025, with a prestigious closing and awards ceremony held at the Sheraton Addis Hotel. The event, anchored by the unifying theme "Together We Build," was a grand celebration of the nation’s rapidly expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem and drew an impressive crowd of more than 400 participants.

The attendees represented a cross-section of Ethiopia's leadership and community, including members of parliament, ministers, government officials, private sector executives, entrepreneurs, the business community, media representatives, and key figures from academia and professional associations.

The awards ceremony was one of the focal points of the evening, spotlighting individuals whose determination and innovative spirit embody the 'Together We Build' ethos. The awards were notably inclusive, recognizing entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and focusing on impactful ventures:

• Milky Mamo received the award for Promising Social Entrepreneur of the Year, acknowledging her commitment to using business models to solve societal challenges.
• The Promising Startup of the Year award was shared between Abreham Assefa and Fedesa Shuma for Fedho Power, signaling a strong future for disruptive and scalable Ethiopian businesses.
• In the specialized categories, Dinsafa Misbah was honored as the Promising Inclusive Entrepreneur of the Year, while Beamlak Alemayehu and Mulugeta Wuletaw took home the Promising Female Entrepreneur of the Year and Promising Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards, respectively.
• Abdulaziz Mahmood was named the Promising Refugee Entrepreneur of the Year, showcasing the power of entrepreneurship as a path to integration and self-reliance.

Critical institutions that provide the necessary support and infrastructure for entrepreneurs were also celebrated. The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) was recognized as the Best Media Outlet Supporting Entrepreneurship for its role in amplifying entrepreneurial voices.

The Cooperative Bank of Oromia earned the distinction of Best Financial Institution with Most Innovative Financial Schemes, highlighting its role in expanding access to finance.

Furthermore, the Bishoftu Polytechnic College was recognized as the Promising Entrepreneurial TVT of the Year, emphasizing the importance of Technical and Vocational Training in generating job creators.

The event also featured the acknowledgment of academic excellence and digital innovation. The best research paper award from the National Entrepreneurship Research Conference submitted research papers focusing on Young Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, was presented to Atsede Tesfaye Hailemariam (PhD) and Konjit Hailu Gudeta (PhD). This highlights the increasing synergy between academia and the business world.

Finally, the winners of the high-stakes 2025 Hackathon competition were announced, demonstrating the potential of youth-led digital solutions: Team Edulift Innovators (Project: EduLift) claimed 1st place, Team Nova Tech (Project: Fayda Health) secured 2nd, and Team SolveX (Project: Kersha wede Gursha) took 3rd.

The closing ceremony provided a powerful affirmation that the spirit of enterprise is thriving in Ethiopia, driven by a shared commitment to building a prosperous future.