Uploaded November 27, 2017
‘Our why’ is a letter series written by members of our team, it illustrates our journey at Generation Entrepreneur, and our hopes for the future.
We hope it provides insights into why we do what we do, and why we care.
Dear Friend,
I often ask myself why I do what I do.
I realise now that my happiest moments lie in helping others. In sharing knowledge and joy with others, and creating these moments with them. GenE has shown me how to do this.
Running an event for over 100 people is hard work. But it’s so rewarding when you see everyone’s faces glowing with joy and pride at the end of it. For them to see how much they can achieve in so little time. You see their determination — they’ve found a new reason to be excited about working hard, a new reason to look forward to the future.
Anyone can dream. But not everyone can see their dreams through.
And so I think it’s so important that people learn to pursue their dreams. Through GenE, we want to give young people the opportunity and resources to do this.
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.”
My friend, be resilient and chase your dreams. Because your dreams aren’t going to chase you.
—
Crystal Mai, 18,
Operations Director.
Our first under 14’s event! The participants never cease to amaze Crystal!
Generation Entrepreneur holds a dear place in my heart because it was the catalyst that spurred me on a journey of self-discovery and made me the person I am today. My team inspires me to be a better person and bring out the best in me. At Gen E, we believe much more than start-ups for young people. Our vision is to empower the youth of Australia to change the world. And I believe we do this through broadening the mindset of young people and guiding them to both realise and release their full potential. I love the inspiration, life and communication skills that Initiate 48 events bring to young people.
Throughout most of my high school, I was living in my own bubble. I was afraid of going out of my comfort zone. I was afraid of trying new things. I was afraid of failure. I consider my first Initiate 48 event as a participant in January 2016 to be a major turning point in my life.
I developed stronger teamwork and public speaking skills as well as improved self-confidence. I was truly pushed out of my comfort zone as I explored new perspectives of thinking. I loved how we were free to delve into the real world to test our business models — there were no limits and we could virtually do anything we wanted. For example, approaching strangers on the street asking for their opinion about our business model.
One of the most important things I learned was that everything starts from a random idea — those big things all begin with the seemingly insignificant things and all it takes is initiative and persistence to turn a vision into a reality. Listening to the feedback and stories of the successful mentors who came from a diverse range of backgrounds, I realised that they all started from the basics like all of us. A common theme behind their experiences was that plans never turn out exactly the way they imagined and we therefore must be prepared to accept failure, adapt and bounce back into action.
I learnt that each and every person has their own unique strengths and weaknesses and their different way of approaching problems. I learned to appreciate group dynamics and the importance of teamwork more and realised that any team can create something wonderful together.
My team and I encountered many setbacks and ‘failures,’ and it was a lovely team bonding experience as we cultivated resilience together under positive pressure. Initiate 48 has broadened my outlook and attitude not merely in an entrepreneurial context but also towards the universe as a whole.
After being part of the events team in January this year, I felt something like I had never felt before. I felt complete and fulfilled.
I knew I contributed to an extremely meaningful and worthwhile cause and I loved being surrounded by people with such passionate energy. I knew at that moment that I belonged to the core team. I was drawn towards the amazingly welcoming team vibes — like a tight-knit family.
I’m privileged to be part of the HR team and I continue to grow every day.
—
Leeann Chen, 18,
Partnerships Officer.
Leeann earlier this year!
Adarsh’s Letter!
—
Adarsh Kanyadi, 18,
Operations Officer.
Our Team at our Kid’s Business Workshop!
