You might work for one of these young entrepreneurs some day! About 60 high school students came to 1776 on Sunday armed with passion and business ideas for Bisnow’s second Gen Z class. This new program teaches high schoolers the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. They listened to stories from seasoned entrepreneurs, learned how to do serious networking, and pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges.
1776 co-founder Evan Burfield, right, in a fireside chat with Gen Z’s Doug Anderson, says when he started netDecide in his early 20s, he worked from 10am to 3am, taking turns with his business partner using the pillows off the couch. His advice for young entrepreneurs: understand the market and develop customers; and jump in early and start learning while you have the energy and focus.
Video Blocks founder Joel Holland, right, exchanged biz cards with a future entrepreneur. He described how, at 15, he started selling video footage of iconic DC sites on eBay. After graduating from McLean High School, he traveled the US for a year, videoing other iconic sites. Now he’s 29 and companies like NBC use the footage for shows like Parks & Rec, 30 Rock, and Scandal. The company sells over one million video clips per month. Joel’s advice: join business clubs at school and don’t tell customers how young you are. The next GEN Z is at startup Wedding Wire in Chevy Chase on May 18 and the early bird price expires tomorrow. Sign up here.
