Located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, the Junior Achievement Free Enterprise Center is a place where high school students can explore careers and make plans to pursue their goals. The center aims to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship is a common goal for young people.
More than half (54%) of Gen Z adults say they would be happier owning their own business than working a regular day job, according to a new workforce survey from CNBC and SurveyMonkey. . The survey was conducted in early April among 5,993 adults in the U.S. workforce, including 770 Gen Z respondents under the age of 27.
“There’s a recipe for finding your way to your purpose,” said Robin Wise, president and CEO of Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain. “It’s about seeing people doing things that you might want to do. It’s about getting to know yourself.”
CNBC partnered with Junior Achievement to bring together Denver-area business leaders to speak with students about their journeys to founding companies. Here are his five key pieces of advice they shared:
“Embrace what makes you different”
Mowe Haile, founder of Sky Blue Builders, Darian Simon, co-founder of Be a Good Human, and Robin hurston, founder and CEO of Outside Interactive, Inc., talk to students about entrepreneurship. Masu.
Caitlin Steuben | CNBC
Darian Simon co-founded the clothing company Be a Good person in 2015 to inspire positivity. He advises young people to “embrace what makes you different.”
Simon was diagnosed with autism and ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) at the age of 28. Now 30, he rejects the “disability” part of his diagnosis, saying he accepts it as his superpower.
“My biggest strength is my neurodivergent nature. I have less inhibitory space in my brain, so I can think of better ideas,” he said. So boxes don’t really exist in the same way.
Adaptability of values
Robin Thurston sold his digital fitness technology startup to Under Armor in 2013 for $150 million. He recently founded Outside Interactive, a network of endurance sports, outdoor and healthy living media brands.
He likens starting a business to an arduous hike and advises keeping that analogy in mind as you embark on your journey. He must accept the unknown, realize that things are unlikely to go as planned, and overcome the inevitable difficulties. He said.
“That’s what great entrepreneurs do,” Thurston said. “They are resilient and will overcome challenges.”
Recognize challenges as opportunities
Camila Uzcategui co-founded Vitro3D in 2020, a company that uses technologies like 3D printing in advanced manufacturing spaces. She said her background in physics and her interest in experimenting with technology taught her the importance of failure.
“With all of these challenges, I like to see them as opportunities to potentially pivot in new directions or ways to better understand something,” Uzcategui said.
Expect excellence from your team
Moi Haile founded his construction company, Sky Blue Builders, during the Great Recession in 2009. He said it’s important to surround yourself with people who share your passion and always expect excellence from them.
“When you’re an entrepreneur and you have a team, you’re there to coach them, guide them and encourage them,” he said.
surround yourself with the right people
Lara Meriken founded Larabar, a company that makes vegan, gluten-free, plant-based bars, in 2000 after a career in social work.
“A lot of people were literally in denial,” she recalls. “They were just like, why would you do this? Why would you fall into the oversaturated category?”
She said identifying and working with trusted friends who are supportive and encouraging is important to the company’s success. She sold Larabar to General Mills in 2008 for about $55 million.
Another secret to success is learning from the stories of other entrepreneurs, Meriken said. “Even though we have a company, we still need inspiration every day.”
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