“ 60% of high school students say they would rather be entrepreneurs instead of employees, as do 43% of college students.”
Who is Generation Z and why are they different?
Generation Z is the generation soon to enter the workforce after millennials. These are individuals currently in high school under the age of 20. What makes this generation so important and different from other generations is not just that they’ll hold 40% of all purchasing power in America by 2020, but the fact that this is the most entrepreneurial generation the world has ever seen.
Generation Z has grown up with technology, enabling self-learning and the drive towards entrepreneurship from an early age as young people quickly become social media influencers and personal brands. Studies show that Generation Z would prefer freelance, remote, and flexible work in their careers more so than millennials do – a poll showing that “ 60% of high school students say they would rather be entrepreneurs instead of employees, as do 43% of college students.”
Young people are becoming better than ever at earning money and starting their careers early, so here are two examples of entrepreneurs who are going to lead and influence the next generation.
Alex Choi
Alex is actually one of my friends and an incredible individual. A high school student in the UK, Alex is currently in the process of building his own tech company. His high ambitions have already earned him a spot in the UK 30 under 30 student entrepreneurs list, and he encourages others to do the same as him with ArlixMeet – a student-run event across multiple cities and countries that bring together teen entrepreneurs for a day-long conference with a panel of CEO’s and mentors.
Jesse Kay
Another friend of mine, Jesse Kay is only 17 years old and hopes to attend NYU Stern next year for college. Based in New Jersey, Jesse has already started his own podcast – “20 under 20,” which has already garnered the attention of Gary Vaynerchuk – an online entrepreneur who Jesse Kay has already interviewed and is lucky enough to call his friend.
He also works as a social media consultant. Check out his podcast and his work here.
Mehak Vohra
