TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com: Empowering Gen Z for Entrepreneurship

TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com has won the “Best Entrepreneurship Education Project” at the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards 2023 (MAIAs).

Aiming to bridge the gap between students and the corporate world, TheTeenageEntrepreneur gives them essential skills and global exposure.

According to co-founder Michael Gilmore, “This project empowers young people to tap into their potential and achieve their goals.”

Unlocking Potential Through Online Guidance

TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com offers students aged 10-20 access to a wide range of activities, workshops, and mentorship sessions. It features industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, and distinguished professors from top universities worldwide.

• Students gain valuable insights from C-Suite executives and global entrepreneurs.
• The platform focuses on building essential characteristics, skills, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Over 100 live events annually provide students with practical knowledge and connections.

Creating Opportunities for Young Innovators

Ascendance recognizes the untapped potential in both urban and rural communities in Malaysia. With a team of 40 young individuals aged 8-20, the project aims to provide a place for students to learn essential topics like financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

“We want to ensure that our future leaders are well-prepared for the real world,” says Ascendance co-founder Harsha Ravindran.

Promoting Gender Equality and Inspiring Success

TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com actively closes the gender gap by featuring successful women from around the world. Through inspiring stories and experiences, the platform empowers young female students to achieve their dreams.

• 65% of the platform’s audience consists of women.
• Female mentors and role models provide guidance and security.
• TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com aims to develop high-achieving female leaders.

Access, Awareness, and Real-World Experiences

Through virtual workshops, mentorship sessions, talk shows, and conferences, the platform invites industry professionals to share their expertise. Students have direct access to learn from renowned companies such as Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Bank of America.

Financial education is enhanced through real-life experiences. The platform’s extensive network brings world-class exposure to students across Malaysia.

Innovation and Hands-On Learning

The project offers students the opportunity to participate in the “Teenage Entrepreneurs Challenge.” This three-month competition allows secondary school students to experience entrepreneurship firsthand. Students develop business ideas, start actual ventures, and contribute to social entrepreneurship.

Collaborating with Wharton Interactive from the University of Pennsylvania, TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com utilizes gamified methods to enhance financial literacy and entrepreneurial education.

Inspiring Testimonials and Outreach

Participants, teachers, and corporate sponsors have shared their positive experiences with TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com:

• Student testimonial: “I learned about money allocation in starting a small business.”
• Teacher testimonial: “A change is what we need! The students related to real-life situations.”
• Corporate testimonial: “Ascendance works on transforming students’ mindsets.”

The project has reached 6,000 users and collaborates closely with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education Malaysia and corporate sponsors. Outreach programs have impacted 3,600 students from 34 schools across Malaysia.

A Vision for the Future

TheTeenageEntrepreneur.com aims to make the platform accessible to one million teens worldwide. Plans include gamification to engage students based on their interests. To achieve this vision, ongoing support, fundraising, and global recognition are essential. The goal is to build a community of goal-oriented, world-changing individuals who shape the future collectively.

In the words of the project team, “Building the future is our collective responsibility.”

To learn more about Harsha’s work, as well as all the other winners at MAIA 2023, visit: https://maiawards.org/winners-2023