Youth Movement Getting Down to Business

I’ve been researching and thinking about areas that could use new developments to help shape our future. Let’s think for a moment a place where one may not have been so fortunate to pursue higher education, but needs the resources available to better connect with others to pursue his/her dreams. Let’s think for a minute the child in China, Brazil, or even Afghanistan that wants to connect with another child in the United States to tell someone what their daily life is REALLY like and not what the media portrays. Let’s think about connecting people, especially young with old to mentor, tackle real-world projects together, learn from or influence one another. Or, let’s think about this scenario where a company is struggling lacking the resources to handle programming a new website or application, but a 16 year-old enjoys has the expertise to solve this problem and doesn’t know how to bring to market his/her talent. We need to create more environments that prepare young people in this new virtual world to experiment and be open to becoming the entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow.

The opportunities in the online business community are going to be the driving force for the future in every industry.  I’ve been considering how I could be a significant individual to help bring together like-minded people to better shape the educational institutions, encourage the companies of today to embrace the new ways of doing business, as well as partner with the youth of tomorrow.

LET’S COME TOGETHER WITH THE COMMON GOAL & LET’S WORK TOGETHER.

Whether one is pursuing his/her MBA, finishing their undergraduate program, or sitting in today’s high schools, young people are embracing the web and tend to be the first to adopt new technology and the different uses of the internet. They use it, have fun with it and enjoy spending time experimenting with the new tools. Why not help them understand how to take something they enjoy and turn it into something marketable as professionals. Why not let them collaborate with others that seek to learn but they feel too overwhelmed and not sure where to start. Why not help build the confidence and provide the opportunity to people of all ages that have the potential to go far with their talent and creativity.

Inspiring Teens to Get Down to Business

We need to provide teens more opportunities in the high school classroom to conduct a case analysis for a small business down the street, or give an opportunity to assist a large corporation, or maybe contribute to the growth of a new non-profit. Why not provide the window into a new world for companies looking to develop innovative ways about solving a problem, create more internships, or provide a setting for young people to express themselves whether virtually in groups, or meeting together face-to-face at conferences across the globe. Why not create a way for teens to document their professional growth in a place they can make their own. All of these efforts as a way to inspire and prepare today’s youth professionally by using the new social tools available online.  At the same time, adults will also find the joy of sharing their knowledge and gain a new prospective in these new learning/work environments.

Here are a few that are beginning to dream that dream. Why don’t we come together to form a strong foundation in order to suspend a global bridge.

MacArthur Digital Media and Learning

RenegadeCEO’s

YouthActionNet

TechStars

YouthVenture

Northeastern University’s Co-op Program

Generations Incorporated

TeensInTech

InternshipIN

DoSomething

One Laptop Per Child

Best of Boston “Webpreneurs”

So as you are playing with Facebook, or other websites online and you come across things such as RunKeeper.com and say to yourself, “That’s cool – why didn’t I think of that!” I took that opportunity and meet with Jason Jacobs, who created this service among other webpreneurs that are diving into the digital world hoping to Google their way to the top and gain popularity with others. You’d be surprised how many people got their start in this space right in my own backyard of Boston. Whether I consult people, start a site of my own and become a Webpreneur, I enjoy helping to shape that goal for myself and others. Boston’s Mayor Menino and other professionals are taking strides through the launch of the BostonWorldPartnerships.com with an interest to help others promote entrepreneurship building a bridge for the future of business in this area.

Last night, Doug Levin, an entrepreneur and advisor coordinated a speaking engagement to discuss The State Of the Consumer Internet. Welcomed at the event was a select group of individuals that listen attentively to a group of webpreneurs on a panel which included Dave Balter – CEO of word-of-mouth agency BzzAgent, Jeff Bussgang – General Partner of Flybridge Capital, Jeff Taylor – CEO of Eons.com, Tributes.com and founder of Monster.com, Scott Savitz – CEO of Shoebuy.com and newcomer CEO Brad Rosen, of Drync.com which provides a new iPhone application for wine connoisseurs. Among the crowd was Mr. Dan Bricklin, someone we all need to pay homage to for inventing the first spreadsheet.

We’re Making History Baby!
The event was held at The Vilna Shul, a historic Boston synagogue located in Beacon Hill. The environment provided a backdrop with an interesting blend of two worlds mixing the old with the new. As we sat in the temple, one could appreciate the restoration process that was being used to discover the true beauty in the art found behind the walls, while the audience was able to network and learn about the beauty from within each individual. The audience listened with admiration to the executives recounting  their experiences, while some individuals were hoping to make history one day themselves.

Dan recorded the event (MP3 Audio File), so I would like to share it with all of you. Some of the people you hear in the crowd could be the new webpreneurs of tomorrow experimenting in this space, seeking answers from those that have had great success. Who knows, you may learn something of your own, or say, “I use that application on my iPhone, Facebook page, or that’s really neat.” You may want to be apart of that new business development happening, or one day look back on some of the ideas discussed today and say, “I knew them before they were stars,” in the digital space.