Youth Entrepreneurship

What do kids know about being entrepreneurs? Turns out their curiosity about the world around them, natural creativity, willingness to take risks, and unbridled enthusiasm add up to the characteristics of our greatest entrepreneurs. But after we close down our neighborhood lemonade stand, outgrow our babysitting empire, and shut down our lawn mowing business, we often lose our entrepreneurial instincts. Programs supported by the Kauffman Foundation are designed to keep the entrepreneurial flame alive in boys and girls, whose inventiveness and drive can actually teach us something about being entrepreneurs.

Initiatives

  • All Terrain Brain logoAll Terrain Brain (ATB) is a multimedia project designed to get kids to take their brains "off road" and tap into their entrepreneurial spirits.

  • Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011, the world's largest celebration of entrepreneurship, will feature millions of people participating in thousands of events in more than 100 countries and all 50 United States. Events will be held November 14-20, 2011, to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity. Now in its fourth year, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) will bring together aspiring and inspiring entrepreneurs, helping them embrace originality, imagination and ingenuity through local, national and global activities.

  •  Kansas City is showing its support for Global Entrepreneurship Week and local entrepreneurs. The Week, November 15-21, 2010 offers a worldwide series of events in more than 100 countries to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and encourage young people to become more innovative and entrepreneurial. In Kansas City, the Week includes events for entrepreneurs at every age and stage of business.

Featured Resources

  • Despite America’s lingering recession, its young people remain enthusiastic about one day becoming entrepreneurs. A Harris Interactive® online poll, conducted on behalf of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, released in conjunction with the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), reveals that 40 percent of youth ages eight to 24 would like to start a business at some future point, or already have done so.

  • WEF EE Exec Summary CoverThe World Economic Forum's Global Education Initiative (GEI) report, Educating the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs provides specific recommendations for the academic, public, private and non-profit sectors to collaborate in supporting the development of entrepreneurship ecosystems, in which education is a key driver.

  • Harris Survey on Youth Entrepreneurship thumbnailAmerica's young people want to be their own boss according to the results of a Harris Poll survey release in November 2007. The Kauffman Foundation commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct an online survey of 2,438 youth ages 8 to 21.