No age limits for next generation of NSW entrepreneurs

Primary school students and would-be teenage tycoons will have the chance to showcase their start-up business ideas at workshops designed to support budding entrepreneurs. As part of the October Startup Sydney Festival, Initiate 48 will teach students how to build a real business, connect them with industry leaders, investors and fellow young entrepreneurs in just 48 hours.

For the first time a two hour workshop will be held for primary school students aged five to 14. Generation Entrepreneur: Kid's Business Workshop will offer educational workshops, hands-on activities and an opportunity to showcase ideas to judges.

Initiate 48 and the kids’ business workshop will be run by Generation Entrepreneur, a not-for-profit organisation that was founded by two high school students in 2014 because they wanted to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit among their peers.

Lord Moore Clover Moore said it’s terrific to see a program that will give Sydney’s youngest and brightest the opportunity to develop their business ideas.  

Mateo Baskaran, from Redfern, and Oliver Martin, from Glebe, are among more than 1400 high school students who took part in a recent Initiate 48 ‘hackathon’. At just 13, they are the youngest students to attend an Initiate event. The two Fort Street High School students were part of a team who successfully pitched a tech startup businesses - creating audio textbooks for schools.

“Before doing the course I didn’t think launching my own business was an option, but now I do. Doing the workshop has really expanded my horizons,” Oliver Martin said.

The City of Sydney has awarded Generation Entrepreneur a $10,000 grant to deliver four workshops during 2017 aimed at high school students.

Initiate 48 – Build Your Very Own Startup
Friday 20 October to Sunday 22 Oct
Fishburners, 608 Harris St, Ultimo
Final Presentations at the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship
Tickets: $45–$60 eventbrite.com.au/e/initiate-48

Generation Entrepreneur: Kid's Business Workshop
Saturday 14 October, 3pm to 5pm
Sydney Town Hall, Lord Mayors Reception Room
Cost: $10 eventbrite.com.au/e/generation-entrepreneur-kids-business-workshop

For information on the events, visit generationentrepreneur.com.au