You are the Future of Entrepreneurship!
If there’s one constant in life, it’s change. Life today is hardly the way it was a hundred years ago or even ten years ago. Fields such as medicine, technology, education, and business are constantly evolving. Progress moves forward, always. And that’s why you, Young Entrepreneur Extraordinaire, are the future of entrepreneurship!
The world of business yet-to-be rests on your shoulders. (No pressure.) Your dreams and creativity today will shape the way companies and entrepreneurs around the world communicate, produce, sell, and market their products for years to come. You’ll pave the way for a new crop of young entrepreneurs who will follow in your footsteps.
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The 21st century has seen a major increase in social entrepreneurship. As young people grow up in a world that’s more connected than ever, they are constantly aware of the world’s many problems. And with that awareness comes a strong desire to do good for positive change.
Some of the ways companies of all sizes and ages are working to make positive changes include:
- Going green
- Donating profits
- Social media promotion and support of underrepresented groups
- Social responsibility
- Bettering employee culture
- Being active in local communities
If the items on this list seem obvious to you, then you’re part of how young entrepreneurs are building a better future around the world!
TECHNOLOGY
As technology races forward, you have no problem keeping up. That’s one of the enormous benefits of being young: your mind is still growing and changing, making it easier for you to learn new social media platforms and digital shortcuts than it is for your older peers.
Keeping up with changing trends in technology gives you an automatic advantage in business. You don’t need to learn new apps and jargon because they’re already an everyday part of your life. You already know what a brand ambassador is and you know how to get the most out of having one. You may already be friends with a major influencer who can help direct customers to your business!
Technology also helps to connect people all over the world. This means that as a young entrepreneur, you may have co-workers, partners, or team members who live thousands of miles away!
By staying on top of new advances in technology, you’re showing your bosses, peers, and competitors that you know how to navigate the future of business.
CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
We already know that successful entrepreneurship is rooted in creative problem-solving. The best entrepreneurs throughout history – the Jack Dorsey’s or the Brian Chesky’s — have made names for themselves by identifying problems and offering creative solutions. Your generation, with unprecedented access to website builders, app creators, and funding campaigns, can come up with some of the most satisfying solutions to common problems.
Will you be the person who finds the cure for Alzheimer’s? Or creates a new sustainable power source? Will you solve clean water problems in underserved communities?
Whatever you do, we want to hear about it!
NEW WAYS OF LIVING
Not too long ago, food delivery was pretty much limited to pizza. But in recent years we’ve seen the rise of Uber Eats, Door Dash, Postmates, Grub Hub, Seamless, and other apps. Some of you may not even remember what life was like before we had all those options!
The natural outcome of your generation’s familiarity with evolving technology and creative problem-solving is that you’re always innovating new ways of living that were unimaginable a few years ago. How we consume entertainment, date, meet up, eat, do business, order groceries, and learn are being migrated online more than ever. Who better than you and your young entrepreneurial peers to streamline and maximize our everyday interactions?
You may already see some gaps in the way something is run and have good ideas for how to make it better. This is precisely why you are the future of entrepreneurship!
FLEXIBILITY
The global lockdown certainly affected the way we all think about leaving our homes, from shopping to school to work. You may have done virtual learning for a few months, an entire school year, or more. Did your parents set up a home office? Did you take doctor’s appointments online? Have virtual meetups with your friends?
Because of that strange and uncertain period, you’re more capable than ever of recognizing the need for work flexibility. You’ve seen first-hand the potential (and the limitations) of living life almost entirely online. And you know very well the importance of maintaining a healthy, stable work-life balance.
This will translate to a major shift in business. You and your peers know better than anyone what the flexibility of future work will look like, and you’re the ones who will help transition global corporations to the new normal.
DIVERSITY
Every single attribute of young entrepreneurship listed above has led to this: a future that is more diverse than ever. Social entrepreneurship, unprecedented online access, and flexibility mean young entrepreneurs are completely changing the old-fashioned idea of what success looks like. There’s more opportunity than ever for women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and other individuals from underrepresented groups to turn their dreams into realities. It’s unlikely we’ll ever go back to the way things were. And for business? That’s nothing but good news! The more diverse a company, the better its chance of success.
Gen-Z already represents one of the most diverse generations to come up in history. And that will be among your strongest attributes as you create a new world of entrepreneurship.
The Kantner Foundation not only admires young entrepreneurs, we reward young entrepreneurship. Rather than holding on to traditional ways of doing business, we love to see young people like you shake things up and disrupt the status quo. You’re creative, energized, and you see the problems facing your generation. No matter what field you enter, you’re bound to be part of the solution. There’s never been a better time to be a young entrepreneur!
Young entrepreneurs in Florida may be eligible for a Kantner Foundation college scholarship. Click here to learn about what we have to offer and how to apply.
