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Category: News & PR

Draper Innovation Index News
Leane Pottas

Youth Entrepreneurship in Japan: Potential in a Cautious Culture

The Draper Innovation Index (DII) ranks Japan 17th in the world for innovation and entrepreneurship – a top-tier score reflecting strong performance across government quality, economic environment, and social sub-indices. By every structural measure, Japan should be one of the world’s most active startup nations. And yet, Japan has a well-documented reputation for caution when it comes to entrepreneurship. One commentator famously described it as “a country where young people don’t start businesses.” The data backs this up and understanding why, matters for anyone working in entrepreneurship education. The Numbers Tell a Clear Story Compared to global averages, Japan’s entrepreneurial participation is strikingly low: These numbers do not reflect a lack of capability. Japan is one of the most educated, innovative, and technically skilled nations on earth. What they reflect is culture, and culture can change. The Demographic Challenge Japan’s entrepreneurial scene is also shaped by a powerful demographic reality: it is one of the oldest demographic countries in the world, with a median age of 49.5. Over the last 30 years, the average age of a new entrepreneur in Japan has increased. The percentage of founders under 40 has been decreasing, while the share of those over 50 has been rising. This decline in youth entrepreneurship reflects the country’s broader aging population – a challenge affecting all aspects of its society and economy. Japan’s Strengths Are Significant Despite the cultural caution, Japan possesses immense underlying strengths that could fuel a new generation of entrepreneurs if properly activated: What Could Change This Japan has all the ingredients needed to produce a new generation of entrepreneurs. The challenge is putting them all together: Japan does not lack the talent, the infrastructure, or the ideas. What it needs is a cultural shift that makes entrepreneurship feel like a viable, respected, and exciting path for young people, the same shift that produced Sony, Nintendo, and Pokémon in an earlier generation. The foundation is already there. The next wave just needs to be encouraged to build on it. Explore Japan’s complete innovation ranking and the full Draper Innovation Index at https://bizworld.org/index/

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Draper Innovation Index News
Leane Pottas

Youth Entrepreneurship in Jamaica: A Cultural Powerhouse of Young Talent

The Draper Innovation Index (DII) ranks 228 countries on the conditions that enable entrepreneurship to thrive; from government quality and economic environment to innovation and social norms. Jamaica’s overall DII ranking is modest, but it does very little to capture what is actually happening on the island. Jamaica is often called a “cultural powerhouse” – an island nation whose music, sports, and culture have had outsized global impact for generations. That same dynamic energy is visible in its entrepreneurial ecosystem, and its young people are leading the charge. What Makes Jamaica Stand Out The data on entrepreneurial activity in Jamaica turns global averages on their head. In most economies, early-stage entrepreneurship is dominated by older age groups. In Jamaica, it is the youth who lead: This combination of female leadership, youth engagement, and confidence creates a genuinely dynamic environment. The Real Challenges The obstacles facing Jamaican entrepreneurs are real and worth understanding clearly: The Foundations Are Strengthening Education is a major success story in Jamaica and a critical foundation for its future entrepreneurs. The country has made impressive strides: On innovation, Jamaica punches above its weight. It ranks 63rd globally on the DII Innovation sub-index – ahead of many of its Caribbean neighbors, and scores highly on social and cultural norms that support entrepreneurship, as well as on entrepreneurship education in schools. The Path Forward Jamaica has a track record of producing entrepreneurs who reach the world stage; such as Chris Blackwell who co-founded Island Records at age 22 and brought reggae music to a global audience. The foundations are clearly there: a resilient and confident population, a strong cultural identity, rising education levels, and young people who are not waiting around. The focus now needs to be on helping businesses survive longer, increasing technology adoption, and improving access to capital. The next Chris Blackwell is out there. The question is whether the ecosystem will catch up to the talent. Learn more about BizWorld’s international partnership with Jamaica Explore the full Draper Innovation Index at https://bizworld.org/index/

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Draper Innovation Index News
Leane Pottas

Youth Entrepreneurship in Argentina: Passion in the Face of Challenges

The Draper Innovation Index (DII) ranks countries around the world on how easy it is for people to start and grow new businesses. Argentina sits in a challenging position on the DII due to long-term economic instability, but the country tells a far more complex story than its ranking suggests. It is one of extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit, particularly among its young people. Under the Javier Milei administration, there are now real signs of recovery. Hyperinflation has fallen to more normal levels and economic growth has significantly increased, making this an important moment to pay attention to what is happening on the ground. A Nation of Aspiring Entrepreneurs Despite the economic backdrop, the entrepreneurial spirit among Argentina’s youth is exceptionally strong. The numbers speak for themselves: This level of ambition, sustained through economic crisis, is remarkable. Entrepreneurship in Argentina is not a trend, it is a cultural response to adversity. So why does Argentina not rank higher on our global innovation rankings? The Challenges That Remain Despite the enthusiasm, structural barriers are holding many young Argentinian entrepreneurs back: Education: The Missing Link For Argentina to convert aspiration into action, education needs urgent attention. Recent trends show a concerning decline in student performance in core subjects that are foundational for running a business: Investing in entrepreneurship-specific education and durable skills could be a powerful motivator, directly connecting classroom learning to the ambitious goals of so many young Argentinians. Where Argentina Shines on the DII Despite its overall ranking, Argentina has standout performance in key DII categories: Argentina’s story is one of resilience. Its youth face enormous economic challenges but respond with an overwhelming desire to build something. If the economy continues to stabilize and investment in education follows, the entrepreneurial energy already present in its young people could become the engine that drives the country forward. Supporting young Argentine entrepreneurs is not just the right thing to do – it may be the most important economic investment Argentina can make. Explore the full Draper Innovation Index at https://bizworld.org/index/

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education
Leane Pottas

What Is Compass? BizWorld’s Self-Paced Entrepreneurship Program for Ages 16-22

Most schools teach young people facts and figures. Very few teach them how to think or how to build something that could change their future. That’s the gap that BizWorld’s newest program Compass, was designed to close. BizWorld’s new self-paced entrepreneurship program for young entrepreneurs takes students from raw passion, all the way through to a recorded business pitch in seven structured steps, on their own schedule, with no classroom required. You’ve Got the Drive. Now What? Most young people with a business idea (or idea of a problem that needs solving) hit the same wall. They’ve watched the YouTube videos. They’ve done the Googling. They still don’t know the actual next step. Compass meets them exactly there. Ayesha Madni, Director of Education at BizWorld, describes it simply: it’s for the young person having, “this really strong inner feeling that I want to do something about this but im not sure how to get going.” Whether that’s a problem they want to solve in their community, something they love doing and want to turn into a business, or simply a growing curiosity about entrepreneurship – Compass is built for that moment. What Is Compass? Compass is a 7-part, on-demand entrepreneurship program for young entrepreneurs aged 16–22. It’s self-paced, one-time payment, no subscription required, and designed to feel more like an engaging workshop than just traditional boring video content. What will you learn in the 7-part program? By the end, students don’t just have knowledge – they have a real output. A business pitch they can share with friends and family, post on social media, or use to apply for an accelerator like BizWorld’s YES! Program. Compass is More Than a Business Course What makes Compass different from the thousands of free resources already online isn’t just the content – it’s the sequence. Ayesha is deliberate about this: “You have to first unlock the mindset that you can do something new and unique, and then it takes you through step by step exactly what you need to hear and how to do it.” The skills built inside Compass go well beyond entrepreneurship. Goal setting, time management, creative problem-solving, leadership and the ability to pitch an idea confidently – these are life skills. As Ayesha puts it, “knowing how to communicate and pitch an idea applies whether you’re presenting at work, interviewing for a job, applying to university or speaking at your graduation.” Who Is Compass For? Compass was originally developed for students ages 16-22, but it has quickly attracted interest from homeschooling parents and educators looking to bring entrepreneurship into their classrooms. The self-paced, flexible format makes it easy to incorporate however works best for you. If you’re a student sitting on an idea, if you’ve always been interested in the idea of being an entrepreneur, or you even just have a strong feeling that you want to create something new, Compass is built for you. If you’re a parent or educator who wants to give a young person the mindset and skills to back themselves, Compass delivers that too. A Direct Path to YES! – BizWorld’s Young Entrepreneur Success Business Accelerator Program Compass sits intentionally just before BizWorld’s YES! Program in the BizWorld Trajectory of Programs. Where YES! is BizWorld’s accelerator for young entrepreneurial-minded individuals who are ready to build and pitch at a serious level, Compass is the on-ramp – the place where the idea gets refined and the young person gets ready to start their journey into entrepreneurship. The goal, as Ayesha describes it, is clear: complete Compass, develop your pitch, and take that idea forward into YES! and beyond. Start Now – Launch Offer Available Compass is available now for a limited time, for a one-time payment of $29.50 with the launch discount code COMPASS50 (regular price $59.00). No subscription, no meetings, start immediately on your own time. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment – Ayesha’s answer is straightforward: “There’s never the perfect time for anything. We must choose to create that time.” Today is the perfect day to start. Choose it! Start Compass now. Want to take your idea even further? Learn about BizWorld’s YES! Program or support young entrepreneurs building the next generation of businesses.

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Educational Blog
Leane Pottas

What Is the BizWorld Innovation Sprint? A Fast-Paced Idea-A-Thon for Young Entrepreneurs

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you put a room full of young people, a real community problem, and 12 hours on the clock together – the BizWorld Innovation Sprint is your answer! Launched as a brand-new program by the team behind the YES! (Young Entrepreneur Success) business accelerator program, the Innovation Sprint is quickly becoming one of the most exciting ways for young people to hone their entrepreneurial chops. Here’s everything you need to know. What Is the BizWorld Innovation Sprint? The Innovation Sprint is a two-day, in-person hack-a-thon style event where students aged roughly 16 to 22 come together to identify a community problem and build a viable business idea around solving it. Think of it as a creative pressure cooker: teams of two to four work side by side, ideate, build, and pitch their concepts to a panel of judges – all within a single weekend. It’s hosted by BizWorld, the non-profit that has been teaching life skills through entrepreneurship for almost 30 years. Innovation Sprint vs. Hackathon: What’s the Difference? The Innovation Sprint borrows its fast-paced, collaborative format from the classic hackathon – but with a key twist. Where a hackathon usually centers on coding and tech, the Innovation Sprint is open to any kind of business idea. That includes physical products, community services, charitable ventures, and yes, tech-enabled solutions too. BizWorld calls it an “Idea-A-Thon” – same energy as a hackathon, with none of the boundaries. How Does the Innovation Sprint Work? The format is intentionally simple, leaving plenty of room for creativity: Friday evening – Ideation: Students gather over pizza, brainstorm problems they see in their communities, and group ideas into themes like food scarcity, senior care, animal welfare, and homelessness to name a few. By the end of the evening, teams form around shared interests and walk away with a clearly defined problem, that they’re excited to solve come stage two of the event. Saturday – Build and Pitch: Teams spend the day developing a solution and working through the business side: Who’s the target audience? How will we generate revenue? Why does this matter? How is it sustainable? This all happens while our amazing mentor volunteers, business professionals, university lecturers, entrepreneurs and engineers, roam the room asking the hard questions to guide our participants. The day wraps with a one-minute pitch in front of judges, followed by Q&A. No long slide decks, no fluff. Just a clear problem, a clear solution, and a clear case for why it could work. A Glimpse of What’s Possible The first ever Innovation Sprint took place in May 2026 in the Bay Area of California, hosted at Mission College. The winning team, BestBox, built a concept for a smart medication-dispensing device – complete with a home unit, a portable travel version, and behavioral reminders for users who need to take doses outside the standard morning/afternoon/night cycle. They even mocked up the app interface using generative AI tools. All in 12 hours. Why the Innovation Sprint Matters The point isn’t to produce the next billion-dollar start-up overnight. It’s to give young people something far more valuable: the belief that they can have an idea, build on it, and put it out into the world. “We’re so proud of how the Innovation Sprint aligns with our mission here at BizWorld, to equip future generations with entrepreneurial life skills to unlock their potential and create economic opportunity.” The Sprint also creates real, in-person community, something virtual programs struggle to replicate. Students meet like-minded peers, work with mentors, and gain confidence that’s hard to teach in a classroom. One participant summed it up perfectly in the post-event survey: “I gained the belief in myself that I can be an entrepreneur if that’s what I want to be.” How to Get Involved The next Innovation Sprint is already in the works, with BizWorld looking for schools, colleges and community partners to bring the event to new regions. Whether you’re a student keen to participate, a mentor with experience to share, an educator looking to host your own version of the sprint, or a donor who wants to back the next generation of entrepreneurs, we’d love for you to get involved. Submit your email below for more information about the BizWorld Innovation Sprint.

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education
Leane Pottas

Why Self Belief is the Most Underrated Entrepreneurship Skill

Ask most people what it takes to launch a business and they’ll give you a practical list: a solid idea, startup capital, a mentor, market research, a pitch deck. All of those things matter. But there is one prerequisite that almost never makes the list, and without it, none of the others can do their job. That prerequisite is believing you can actually do it. At BizWorld, we have watched this play out time and again across our programs. Young people arrive with raw ideas and real potential, but the biggest obstacle standing between them and their first step is rarely a lack of knowledge. It is a lack of permission; the internal kind. The belief that they are allowed to try. The Skill Nobody Teaches Entrepreneurship education has come a long way. There are more resources, programs, and accelerators available to young founders today than ever before. Curriculum can teach you how to build a pitch deck, but it cannot teach you to believe the pitch is worth giving in the first place. That is a different kind of learning and it requires a different kind of environment. During BizWorld’s first-ever Innovation Sprint, participants were asked to identify a community problem and build a viable business idea around it, all within a single weekend. At the end, we surveyed participants about their experience. One response stood out above almost everything else. A student wrote simply:“I gained the belief in myself that I can be an entrepreneur.” – Innovation Sprint participant, 2026 Not “I learned how to pitch,” not “I built a business model.” The most meaningful takeaway for that student was the discovery that entrepreneurship was something they were actually capable of. That is not a small thing. That is everything. Why Self-Belief is so Hard to Come by For young people especially, the world is not always generous with its encouragement. Many grow up in environments where entrepreneurship is not modeled, discussed, or considered a realistic path. Nobody tells them they can’t, they just never hear that they can. The silence itself becomes the barrier. This is exactly why programs like the YES! Young Entrepreneur Success Program are built the way they are. Beyond the mentorship, the seed funding, and the pitch training, the deeper work is cultural. It is about creating a room, physical or virtual, where a young person hears, possibly for the first time, that their idea has merit and their ambition is worth pursuing. That moment of being seen and taken seriously is often the catalyst for everything that follows. As BizWorld’s own team has shared, young entrepreneurs have told us directly: “If it wasn’t for your encouragement, we wouldn’t have kept pursuing this idea.” The tools helped. The mentors helped. But the belief came first. Criticism as confidence-building – when done right There is a common fear that feedback and critique will damage fragile confidence, especially in young founders. But the opposite is true – when critique comes from a place of genuine investment in someone’s success, it becomes one of the most powerful confidence-building tools available. At BizWorld, we are intentional about this. Mentors challenge ideas not to diminish them but to stress-test them. When a young founder learns to answer a hard question, defend a model, or pivot under pressure, they discover something important: they can handle it. That discovery is its own form of belief-building. It is the difference between fragile confidence, which depends on everything going right, and durable confidence, which knows it can recover when things go wrong. Research in entrepreneurial psychology consistently shows that self-efficacy, the belief that one’s actions can produce results, is one of the strongest predictors of entrepreneurial success, outperforming experience, education, and even access to capital in some studies. Building the Belief, One Room at a Time This is why BizWorld’s approach has always been about more than curriculum. Our commitment to equity means we are deliberate about whose belief we are building. Young people from underserved communities, from backgrounds where entrepreneurship has never been modeled, are exactly who we are most committed to reaching – because they often have the most to offer and the least reason to believe it yet. Whether it is an 8-year-old in our flagship BizWorld+ Program learning what a CEO is, 12-year-old at the Innovation Sprint building their first business concept, or a 22-year-old YES finalist securing $10,000 in seed funding, the through line is the same. Before the pitch, before the product, before the plan – there was a moment when someone decided to believe in themselves enough to try. Everything else grew from there. That is the skill that few are teaching. And it is the one we are most committed to building. Join us in supporting youth entrepreneurship and equipping future generations with the life skills to unlock their potential and create economic opportunity.

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education
Leane Pottas

The BizWorld Programs Trajectory: The Ultimate Building Blocks for Youth Entrepreneurship!

Are your students ready to launch into the future with real-world skills, entrepreneurial confidence, and critical thinking? This blog unpacks the full BizWorld Trajectory – our series of five progressive youth entrepreneurship programs that build on each other, starting as early as 3rd Grade and continuing through to college. The BizWorld Trajectory is our structured “rocket launch mission” of entrepreneurial learning: beginning with BizWorld+, followed by id8, then the Impact Challenge, and now our latest program offering, Compass, before culminating in the YES! Program. Each stage is designed to develop future-ready, business-minded young leaders through real-world experience and hands-on learning. Welcome aboard the BizWorld Trajectory, where learners don’t just dream about success… they land it. With every module, BizWorld helps students build, launch, and land skills that shape future-ready leaders. Whether you’re teaching 3rd Grade or middle schoolers, or supporting older youth with real business ideas, the BizWorld Trajectory provides age-appropriate, hands-on entrepreneurial education that empowers students to lead, innovate, and solve real problems. Let’s countdown and blast off through each stage of the BizWorld Trajectory. 👩‍🚀👨‍🚀🛸 Stage 1: BizWorld+ – “Ignition: Building the Entrepreneur’s Brain” The first step in the BizWorld Trajectory is BizWorld+, our foundational program. Like prepping your rocket for launch, this stage gives students the tools to think like entrepreneurs. Through 17 action-packed lessons, students start and run mock businesses. They budget, manage cash flow, collaborate, and market their products, all while learning essential life skills, financial literacy, leadership, and critical thinking. As one educator puts it: “I think this program is going to change everything; not just how students learn, but how teachers see their role in unlocking real-world skills.” – Wendy Tibbs, Education Community Manager Skills Built in BizWorld+ : By the end of BizWorld+, students don’t just understand business, they see themselves as capable problem solvers, ready to take on the entrepreneurial world. Stage 2: id8 – “Prototype & Launch: The Design Mission” The next program in the BizWorld Trajectory is id8, where students become mission designers! This STEAM-based program focuses on design thinking, empathy, and technology. Students identify real-world challenges, prototype digital apps, and pitch solutions that matter. Think of it as creating advanced tech for intergalactic explorers.  If your students can design for Earth, who says they can’t design for Mars? Skills Built in the id8 program: Got your tech toolkit ready? Then it’s time to move on to our next stop! Stage 3: Impact Challenge – “Reaching Orbit: Leading with Purpose” Now the real leadership training begins. The Impact Challenge, our third program in the BizWorld Trajectory, equips students to become social entrepreneurs – leaders who combine business strategy with community impact. Students launch ventures that tackle real issues, from recycling to mental health, proving they’re not just dreamers; they’re doers. This is where they plant their flags, not just on any planet, but in their own communities. Skills Built in the Impact Challenge program: With their mission in motion and impact underway, it’s time for the final ascent. Stage 4: Compass – “From Passion to Purposeful Action” Now that we’ve ignited a passion for entrepreneurship in the classroom, what’s next for these young entrepreneurs? How do we help them define their passions, refine their ideas, and build the practical skills needed to bring them to life? That’s where Compass steps in. Compass is an on-demand, interactive learning experience for ages 16–22 that guides learners step-by-step as they transform their passions and skills into a real business idea. Along the way, it helps youth refine their ideas, define their passions, and find their entrepreneurial true north. Designed as a direct-to-learner experience that can also be facilitated in the classroom, Compass blends engaging video content with hands-on activities to empower young entrepreneurs to move from inspiration to action—building toward a clear idea and a confident pitch. Skills Built in the Compass program: Stage 5: the YES! Program – “Final Landing: Build Your Own Business Base” The YES! Program (Young Entrepreneur Success) is the final stage of the trajectory. It’s a 12-week accelerator for students aged 16–22, packed with expert mentorship, full business planning, and real investor pitches. Here, students don’t just simulate businesses, they build them. They launch real companies and pitch their ideas to investors for a chance to win up to $30,000 in seed funding, taking their first bold step into the real business universe. Skills Built in the YES! program: It’s the ultimate launchpad, where young entrepreneurs turn vision into venture and ideas into impact. Why the BizWorld Trajectory Matters for Educators The BizWorld Trajectory transforms your classroom into a launchpad. The BizWorld programs are all built on one another to provide an all in one project-based learning, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, SEL and 21st-century learning curriculum. The impact that teachers have is extraordinary. In fact, the average teacher will influence over 3,000 students in their career. Imagine how powerful that influence becomes when paired with real-world education that prepares students for life beyond the classroom. Key benefits for your classroom through the BizWorld programs: ✅ Aligned with state curriculum and standardized testing goals✅ Designed for elementary to middle school ✅ Hands-on, engaging, and ready to deploy✅ Supports a flexible implementation✅ Fosters SEL, teamwork, and leadership Ready to Launch? Don’t wait for a spaceship. The future is already in your classroom. Equip your students with the entrepreneurial tools they need to build, innovate, and lead. 👉 Explore deeper into all of these programs at bizworld.org/programs At BizWorld the trajectory to student success isn’t light-years away – all it takes is one small step.

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News & PR
Leane Pottas

BizWorld Nigeria – Entrepreneurship Education in Nigeria with MYLI Africa

Two Worlds. One Conviction. How BizWorld’s first African partnership is bringing entrepreneurship education to Nigerian youth – and why it matters. Every year, millions of young people across Africa finish school and face the same question. Now what? In Nigeria alone, the formal job market cannot absorb the number of graduates entering it each year. The math doesn’t work. And yet the system keeps telling young people that a degree leads to a job, and a job leads to a life. Most of them are walking toward a door that may not open. BizWorld has spent more than 25 years building a different answer. Not a workaround. A foundation. The conviction that entrepreneurship skills – how to identify a problem, build a solution, manage money, lead a team, and persist through failure – are not extras. They are the thing. Teach them early enough, and you change what a young person believes is possible for their life. That conviction has been tested across cultures and continents. In the UAE, the UK, Japan, and China, BizWorld’s international partners have run YES! cohorts that accelerated youth-led businesses – some of which have gone on to generate real revenue and create jobs in their own communities. Since 1997, BizWorld has reached more than 870,000 young people worldwide. The model works. It travels. Now, for the first time, it has arrived on the African continent. BizWorld is proud to announce its first-ever African partnership – welcoming MYLI Africa as BizWorld Nigeria. A milestone 25 years in the making. The Problem He Saw From the Inside Efosa Idemudia, CEO of MYLI Africa, didn’t set out to build an education platform. He set out to solve a problem he couldn’t ignore. While working to bring entrepreneurship programs into Nigerian secondary schools, Efosa walked into a school and discovered something that stopped him cold. The school had been operating without a principal for six months. Inside, he found teachers earning the equivalent of $50 a month – so underpaid that their teaching had become a side hustle, while their side businesses had become their main focus. Classrooms were built around passing exams, not building understanding. Parents, stretched too thin, weren’t showing up. He didn’t write a report. He took the principal’s office. From that vantage point, Efosa saw what Nigerian education actually needed – not more criticism, but a better structure. What emerged was MYLI Africa and its platform Ọ́málearn: a vetted, accountable system connecting qualified educators with students and families. Built on a simple belief. Teachers deserve to be treated as professionals. And learning should produce measurable outcomes, not just exam results. When MYLI Africa discovered BizWorld, something clicked. As Efosa puts it, having BizWorld’s backing changes the conversation entirely. Entrepreneurship education in Nigeria can be met with skepticism – seen as informal, unstructured, a fallback for those without better options. But when parents and schools see that MYLI Africa is part of a global network backed by some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, the conversation changes. It stops being a pitch. It starts being a partnership. That shift is exactly what BizWorld was built to create. This partnership is just beginning. Right now, MYLI Africa is training its founding cohort of verified teacherpreneurs – educators being equipped with BizWorld’s curriculum, tools, and global network to deliver entrepreneurship education to Nigerian students for the very first time. What comes next – the classrooms, the cohorts, the young people who will see a different future because of what they learn – depends on the continued generosity of people who believe in this work. You’ve helped BizWorld reach more than 870,000 young people across the globe. Nigeria is next.

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News & PR
Leane Pottas

The People Who Change Everything (And Never Ask for Credit)

Why mentors, volunteers, and coaches matter more than ever You don’t need millions to change a young person’s future.Sometimes, you just need to show up. Right now, young people are stepping into a future that feels uncertain. For many students, the question is no longer simply, “What job will I get?”It’s, “What can I actually do with my life, and how do I get there?” That’s where mentorship changes everything. The Missing Piece: People Programs, curriculum, and tools all matter. But what shifts a young person most is often a person. Someone who takes time to guide them.Someone who listens.Someone who helps them see what they’re capable of – sometimes before they see it themselves. At BizWorld, mentors and volunteers don’t just teach business concepts. They help students understand how the real world works. They simplify complex ideas, ask better questions, and push students to think beyond what feels comfortable. As communication coach and BizWorld mentor, Lital Cohen explains: “Mentorship for me is like giving somebody oxygen.” And that’s exactly what it becomes – oxygen for confidence, clarity, and courage. Opening Doors – Not Just for One Student For students like Isaac, a BizWorld camp alumni, mentorship goes far beyond a single experience. “BizWorld didn’t just change my perspective… it changed my family’s trajectory.” Programs like BizWorld don’t just show one student what’s possible – they can shift the direction of an entire family. Before the program, roles like CEO, investor, or designer felt distant. Afterward, they became real options. That shift matters. Because when one student begins to think differently about their future, it influences conversations at home, decisions about education, and the paths siblings and peers begin to consider. And without the support of mentors, volunteers, and partners, programs like this wouldn’t reach the students who need them most. From Uncertainty to Confidence One of the most consistent transformations mentors see isn’t technical – it’s personal. Students who start unsure grow into leadership roles.Students who are quiet find their voice.Students with ideas learn how to bring them to life. As Lital describes: “In the beginning, I see confusion and people being shy… but by Demo Day – wow.” It carries into how young people speak.How they think.What they believe is possible for their future. And this growth doesn’t only matter for aspiring entrepreneurs. The skills they develop – confidence, communication, responsibility – carry into any career path they choose. Why Mentors Matter – Now More Than Ever The future of work is changing quickly. Young people are expected to think independently, adapt fast, and solve real problems – often without ever being shown how. Mentorship fills that gap in a way nothing else can. It gives young people: As BizWorld mentor Larry Jacobson explains: “Having a mentor is super important. Without guidance, many young people are left to figure things out on their own. That can feel overwhelming, and for some, it limits what they believe is possible.” With the right support, that changes. Students start taking initiative.They begin to lead.They start seeing opportunities where they didn’t before. The Impact Goes Both Ways Mentorship doesn’t only shape students. It changes the people who give their time, too. “The highest level of happiness is giving and then seeing the impact.” There’s something powerful about watching someone grow because of a conversation you had, a question you asked, or encouragement you gave. And for many mentors, it becomes something they continue doing – not out of obligation, but because of the meaning it brings. As Larry shares: “You have to give back – it can’t just be take, take, take.” Where This All Leads At the beginning, the numbers tell a concerning story. Young people feel unprepared.Opportunities feel uncertain.The path forward isn’t always clear. Mentorship changes that direction. It gives young people clarity.It builds confidence.It helps them move from uncertainty into action. Over time, those same young people become leaders, problem-solvers, and contributors in their communities – not because someone told them what to do, but because someone helped them believe they could. This April, You Can Be Part of That Shift April is Volunteer Month – a reminder that impact doesn’t always come from large-scale actions. Sometimes, it comes from showing up. Whether you’re a founder, a professional, or someone with experience to share, your time and perspective can shape how a young person sees their future. And that shift can last far beyond a single program. 👉 Become a BizWorld mentor👉 View our volunteer opportunities to help shape the next generation of leaders Because sometimes, the difference between uncertainty and confidence… is one person who chose to get involved.

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education
Leane Pottas

What the America250 Event Revealed About Student Confidence and Engagement

At the recent America250 event, BizWorld had the privilege of being in the room as students were asked a powerful question: “What does America mean to me?” Moments like this reveal something educators are constantly working to improve: student participation in the classroom. In the audience were students from different backgrounds. Some had experienced BizWorld programs. Many had not. But what followed was striking. Students raised their hands, willingly, confidently, and with curiosity. Why Student Participation in the Classroom Is a Challenge Student participation is not simply about asking questions. It is about confidence. Recent research shows that: Student confidence declined in many classrooms following the pandemic, making active participation even more difficult. Research highlights that confidence-not ability-is often what determines whether a student participates. This raises an important question for educators: How do we create classrooms where more students are willing to raise their hands? What This Moment Revealed At the event with America250, participation did not feel forced. Students engaged naturally. Some of these students had experienced BizWorld, where they had opportunities to: Others had not, but were still influenced by the environment around them. This is what strong learning environments do. They create space for students to: Why Participation Matters More Than We Think When a student raises their hand, it reflects more than engagement. It reflects: These are the same competencies identified by the World Economic Forum (2023) as essential for the future workforce, including communication, collaboration, and creative thinking. These are not developed through passive learning. They are developed through experience. The Environment That Invites Participation Moments like this do not happen in isolation. They are shaped by the people in the room, the questions being asked, and the level of conversation students are invited into. At this event, students were not only responding to a meaningful event, they were doing so in a space shaped by leaders like Rosie Rios. As the 43rd Treasurer of the United States, Chair of America250, and someone who has served across multiple U.S. administrations, her presence represents a level of leadership and real-world impact that students rarely experience firsthand. And that matters. Because when students are placed in environments where real conversations are happening-where their perspectives are invited alongside experienced voices-they begin to see their role differently. Students Are Already Shaping the Future One of the most powerful takeaways from the event is this: Students are not only preparing for the future. They are already shaping it. Through their questions, their curiosity, and their willingness to engage, they begin to step into that role early. For educators, this reinforces the need to create learning environments that: Why This Matters to BizWorld At BizWorld, moments like these matter. Not because every student in the room has participated in the program, but because they reflect what is possible when students are given the opportunity to develop confidence and real-world skills. Participation is not something students are simply told to do. It is something they grow into. The Takeaway for Educators If we want more students to raise their hands, the focus should not only be on asking more questions. It should be on creating environments where students feel ready to answer them. When students: Participation becomes natural. And when that happens, classrooms, and moments like America250-begin to look very different.

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