Entrepreneurship Education is Not About Ticking the Box: Students Must Launch New Ventures

For students aged 16-19, the power of launching a startup is transformative. This is the age where ambition meets exploration, where learning through action can make a profound impact. At Entreprenerds, we believe that to truly understand entrepreneurship, students must go beyond theory; they must take the leap and start something of their own.

Paul Graham famously pointed out that “75% of the richest people in the world are founders of startups,” outnumbering those who built wealth through investment or fund management. Their contributions are vast, reshaping industries and economies and driving the culture forward. By engaging teens in building their own startups, we offer them the skills and mindset to pursue a future shaped by their own innovations.

Entreprenerds is designed specifically for 16- to 19-year-olds, with programs like the Entreprenerds Foundation and the Entreprenerds Challenge empowering students to launch startups in real time. These programs provide teens with step-by-step guidance through the journey of founding a business, from ideation and market research to prototyping and launch. More than a lesson, it’s a practice in resilience, creativity, and adaptability—the essential skills they’ll need as lifelong entrepreneurs.

We recognize the essential role that schools play in this endeavor. That’s why we’re actively forming partnerships with educational institutions across the UK, bringing entrepreneurship directly into classrooms. Our free Introduction to Entrepreneurship module is accessible to all schools, serving as the ideal starting point for students to explore their entrepreneurial potential. This experience encourages them to experiment, innovate, and build something of their own.

When schools invest in entrepreneurship education for teens, they aren’t just adding another subject to the curriculum—they’re investing in the future leaders and job creators of tomorrow. The potential for impact goes far beyond individual success; it extends to a student’s ability to drive cultural and economic change. For 16- to 19-year-olds, the chance to build and launch a venture today means the opportunity to shape their world tomorrow. We invite all schools to join us in inspiring and supporting the next generation of founders and change-makers.