I don't believe the children are our future. I believe these children, today's children, will make their own future. One completely different than the one we have envisioned for them… a better future. We may have been able to provide them with the technological advances they will need, but it is they who will actually solve the world’s problems.
Let me tell you why I say this. Last week, I had the honor of attending The BizWorld Foundation’s annual Education “Riskmaster” Luncheon, a fundraising event highlighting the need for business and entrepreneurship education in the classroom. Each year, they award a “Riskmaster” for entrepreneurialism and innovative spirit. This year, I was honored to be the recipient and join the list of friends and fellow recipients whom I greatly respect, including Tom Siebel, Ron Conway, Eric Schmidt and Elon Musk.
BizWorld is a non-profit organization, founded by my good friend, Tim Draper. BizWorld’s mission is to teach children the basics of business, entrepreneurship, and money management and promote teamwork and leadership in the classroom. It fills a critical need in our society: to inspire and educate the next generation of entrepreneurs. The youth served by the BizWorld programs become the adults who will change the face of tomorrow. Instilling real-world skills and a passion for success is critical to the health of our future economy.
I knew how incredible this organization was but it was only when I saw their work in action did I feel truly inspired. These kids are like no others I have ever met.
While all of the kids were remarkable, one little girl in particular highly impressed me. Her spirit truly embodies what BizWorld is all about. She walked right up to me, shook my hand and gave me her business card. Did I mention these kids were about 10 years old? Her card read: “Aspiring Entrepreneur. Today: Learning and Playing. Tomorrow: Changing the World.” This little girl was fearless.
The kids had set up real companies selling string bracelets. They had done everything to get their business off the ground, with each student taking on a leadership role to support the team in designing, manufacturing, marketing and selling their products in the BizWorld marketplace.
As I was buying a bracelet from the same girl who handed me her business card, she let me know that they were running a special. “If you buy two bracelets, you can win a raffle ticket to win the grand prize,” she informed me. I decided to play a little hard ball with her to see how she would handle it. “What if I buy one now and decide to buy a second one later?” I asked her. “I’m sorry, but the deal is only good for right now,” she told me. I came back with, “Well, what if I buy one now and put a deposit down for a second one? “That’s fine,” she countered, “but your deposit is non-refundable.” I simply could not believe my ears. If this is what BizWorld is teaching these bright future entrepreneurs, I certainly hope they don’t enter the enterprise software space. I don’t want to find myself competing against them in the near future.
It was an inspiring afternoon of good company, including Mayor Ed Lee. It is my pleasure to join The BizWorld Foundation in bringing attention to their vital mission.
