Students enthusiastic about social entrepreneurship on Girls' & Boys' Day
3 April was Girls' & Boys' Day, the day on which schoolchildren can get a cliché-free insight into the world of work. A very special event took place at the Körber Start-Hub on this occasion. Four startups from the field of social entrepreneurship presented themselves and the young people were able to develop their own ideas in projects.
Successful founders as accessible role models
The event was organised by Young Makers Hamburg and Social Entrepreneurship City Hamburg. Around 40 students aged between 15 and 18 took part. The aim was to show the young people how entrepreneurial action can be combined with social added value. Through the direct exchange with the founders, they received valuable impulses for a possible professional future in the impact sector. The students were able to get to know the following startups:
Vivo Carbon by Jan Frensch provides climate protection through trees on agricultural land.
MyProtectify by Sogol Kordi offers help with domestic violence.
Little Ashé by David Amoateng brings more diversity to the toy market with dolls.
ChargeHollidays by Lilith Diringer is a platform for sustainable travelling.
Projects based on the SDGs of the United Nations
As an introduction to the topic, the students took a knowledge quiz in which they were asked to differentiate between genuine social business and greenwashing. The hit rate was 100%. After an overview of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there was an intensive exchange with the founders. The teenagers then formed groups to find solutions to problems based on the SDGs. In a vote with ping-pong balls, each symbolising 5,000 euros of investor money, two projects received equal support:
A cultural day organised by the children themselves in daycare centres and primary schools to showcase the diversity of cultures and break down prejudices.
Solar panels on the walls of large commercial properties supply their owners with electricity and contribute to the energy transition.
Tips for the founders of tomorrow
The day was a lot of fun for the students, who were particularly enthusiastic about the variety of topics and the discussions with the founders. When asked what advice they would give to their younger selves today, they had the following answers, which can also serve as tips for future entrepreneurs:
Find a topic that inspires you and look for role models! Just because your immediate environment has the classic career path in mind for you, doesn't mean it has to be your way.
Where your fear lies is also where your greatest potential lies. The greatest growth is possible outside your comfort zone.
Just do it and try it out. No matter how old you are!
