The New Generation of Entrepreneurs
Nov
3
Written by:
11/3/2010 1:19 PM
When people think of the stereotypical entrepreneur they usually think of a male in his late 20’s with the determination to raise capital. Today, this stereotype has diminished. Instead, there is a rapid growth in entrepreneurship among young women. I found an article on Newsday.com that validated that the business world has changed and young women are finding inspiration to launch their own businesses.
Nia Froome of Valley Stream won the Oppenheimer Funds-NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. At 17 years old, Nia planned to open an online bakery called “Mamma Nia’s Vegan Bakery.” Yes, an online vegan bakery is extremely original and to be honest, I had never heard of one until reading this article. She beat out 28 finalists and won $10,000 to help start up her business. To Nia’s surprise, there was a much bigger reward in store. Nia and three runner ups had the opportunity to met with President Barack Obama and discuss some of their future business plans. Nia’s drive to own her own business derived from her mother, who gave up meat when she was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago and is now in remission. During the challenge, she presented a business plan and free samples of cookies and cinnamon rolls to the judges. After Nia was named champion of the challenge, she announced that she would donate part of her winnings to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit that supports breast cancer research.
Reward comes to those who work hard to live out their entrepreneurial dreams. This article teaches us that it’s never to early to turn your business dreams into reality. In this case, Nia not only has the passion to become an entrepreneur but a passion to give back to the inspiration behind her vegan bakery. How do you try to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in today’s youth? Does your organization work with local colleges to bring on intern and provide hands-on experience? Have you thought about mentoring a recent graduate?