Gen Z Entrepreneurial Surge

Anand Sanwal believes Gen Z will be the most entrepreneurial generation and is supporting young entrepreneurs through the Formidable Fellowship, which provides grants to middle and high school entrepreneurs who are already generating revenue.

Key Points:

• The Formidable Fellowship is part of a larger vision:

  • Started with $500K to give $1,000 grants to young entrepreneurs
  • First class included 23 grantees
  • Ultimately aims to build a national network of entrepreneurship schools
  • Long-term goal is to "rival the public school system"

• This is Anand's "second mountain":

  • After building CB Insights (reportedly ~$100M in revenue)
  • Focused on "increasing human potential"
  • Believes this new venture can both make money and create positive impact

• Requirements for young entrepreneurs in the program:

  • Must have actual revenue (not just ideas)
  • Looking for students who are "actually building" businesses
  • Not interested in those just trying to "burnish a college application"

• The beauty of young entrepreneurs:

  • Their "ignorance" can be an advantage
  • They don't overthink things
  • They create amazing products/services despite limited experience
  • Many are already generating significant revenue and profits as teenagers

• The program has attracted additional support:

  • Entrepreneurs like Dharmesh from HubSpot and Sean Griffey from Industry Dive
  • Additional capital has been contributed to support more young entrepreneurs