The GCC countries have seen a flurry of activity in the ‘entrepreneurship’ space in the last few years, while economic diversification plans for the GCC economies, such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, have focused squarely on encouraging youth towards ‘business activities.’ Partially as a means to lessen the pressure on the public sector to employ youth, and as a means to spur socio-economic development within the low– and –mid strata, the GCC has embraced ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘business’ as the means to end the heavy reliance on all manner of dependencies from government subsidies to government jobs. Across the region, prizes1 , mentor networks2 , incubators3 , business plan competitions, TV shows, conferences, SME funds, angel and entrepreneur networks, and all manner of initiatives4 , have exponentially proliferated, and the social stigma associated with the uncertainty of business and risk-ridden entrepreneurial bravado has seen an erosion, in part thanks to the celebration of entrepreneurship and the star stature conferred on entrepreneurs – although even these combined efforts seem lacking from the perspective of the entrepreneurs – especially women entrepreneurs. Large scale projects and significant initiatives are now publicized in the media, though still few – and from a government or leadership perspective, just in 2016, Saudi Arabia has seen the announcement and publication of its Vision 2030 and National Transformation Plan, and the appointment of the Governor to the recently established SME Authority. However, the impact of all these efforts is still embryonic. Amidst this urgency to transform, the institutions charged with preparing youth for the world beyond theory have faced increasing scrutiny and pressure to deliver high quality curricula and programs that do not just offer an applied education, but impact beyond the realm of the classroom. Indeed, this mandate to be forward thinking is not just for the GCC institution, but the responsibility of all global institutions offering a business education. An AACSB blog published in January of 2016 announced that the AACSB had “identified five primary opportunities for business schools as Catalysts for Innovation, Co-Creators of Knowledge, Hubs of Lifelong Learning, Leaders on Leadership, and Enablers of Global Prosperity.” This workshop will highlight the critical importance of addressing pedagogical changes that are either being implemented by forward thinking institutions or are necessary in order to ensure either the healthy absorption of youth into the labor market, or alternatively to ensure a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and thriving entrepreneurial activity across the region. It will additionally explore the pertinent role of partnerships necessary across stakeholders, from private and public, across institutions (academic, financial, etc.), that must engage and collaborate with each other in order to ensure a healthy ecosystem for businesses to prosper, employees with entrepreneurial mindsets to develop and advance, and entrepreneurial ventures to flourish in the GCC. More importantly, it will explore the role of institutions in leveraging those collaborative partnerships for the students as beneficiaries. It will further explore the role of research and policymaking in ensuring just and equitable economies in the GCC. The workshop will finally address whether or not institutions in the GCC are, or should, emphasize the pivotal role of business schools in harnessing creative and philanthropic communities, thereby empowering and enabling them for innovation, sustainability, impact, and scale.