
ASEAN YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS COUNCIL (AYEC)
AYEC is the official voice of young entrepreneurs in the ASEAN policy-making process. It was successfully proposed by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) to the ASEAN Leaders in 2015 and later that year launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It consists of a network of government endorsed young entrepreneur associations from all 10 ASEAN Member States. Besides participation in the ASEAN Economic Integration process, AYEC also serves as a young entrepreneur’s network, with direct connectivity with the respective national level associations and the ASEAN Secretariat. Annually, AYEC hosts the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival since 2016.
The AYEC also formed the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Association (AYEA) in 2016 to promote exchange and cooperation between young entrepreneurs and investors within ASEAN member states.
Through the AYEC, the ASEAN Young Women Entrepreneurs Club was established in July 2021 as a platform to bring together and develop a strong young female entrepreneurs and women-owned business community in ASEAN aimed at contributing towards ASEAN socio-economic development.
7th ASEAN YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS CARNIVAL (AYE CARNIVAL)
AYEC Carnival is a gathering of young entrepreneurs from AYEC association members and its Dialogue Partners. The Carnival has been annually organized since 2016:
1. 2016: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2. 2017: Manila, The Philippine: Unleash the Hero in You
3. 2018: Singapore: Smart Business, Smart Leader
4. 2019: Bangkok, Thailand: Empowering the Future: 10 Nations, 1 Vision
5. 2020: Hanoi, Vietnam: Together we are making differences (virtual)
6. 2021: Brunei: Reimagining Business in the New Paradigm (virtual)
The 7th AYE Carnival themed “Rise Stronger Together” calls for businesses and young entrepreneur to overcome the disruptions brought by COVID-19 through digitalization, leadership, collaboration and inclusive involvement of women in addressing the grand challenges of our times as we adapt to this new normal. The 7th AYE Carnival will be hosted physically in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 11-12-13 November 2022 by the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia as the AYEC Chair 2022 with Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Cambodia in partnership with ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Cambodia.