Studentpreneur Podcast: Stories Of Students Who Are Entrepreneurs | Student Entrepreneur | Young Entrepreneur |

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Nkosana H Mafico, 20 years old, Student in  Business Management at University of Queensland and entrepreneur at Shandar Entreprise in Brisbane, Australia.   Wrap up: Nkosana realised early on that high school is a unique market where customers cannot leave for 6 hours and took advantage of it. The fact that his parents did not give him much pocket money was a motivation  for starting his gardening business. Interestingly in his first year at University he followed the voices from the other mindset: be a good student and wait to graduate to start your busines. It was the realisation that he couldn’t get a good internship because the conventional way of applying was not his strength that made him go back to being a Studentpreneur. His motivation was to build his own brand to be an interesting candidate. A business plan competition got him started again and led him to other opportunities with several accelerator programs such as iLab and Muru-D even though he had to invest

In this episode I interview Steinar, the 2015 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year. Check out what it takes…    Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Steinar Henskes, 24 years old, Student in Business at University of Amsterdam and Entrepreneur at Bird Control Group, the Netherlands.   Wrap up: Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Steiner's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have interviewed: He may not have been an entrepreneur in high school but he was  an elite athlete which has a lot of similitudes of being an entrepreneur. He lets himself try his options by taking gap years. He applies entrepreneurial thinking to his decisions such as going to universities to “divert risk”. He realises that the university environment and the startup environment influences each other, it’s the essence of being a Studentpreneur! For him too, you can’t do everything by yourself, you have to surround yours

Meet the energetic Jordan Agolli, host of the Teenage Entrepreneur Podcast.   Wrap up: He started a couple of businesses in High School. Then he tried University and decided against every one else’s advice to leave University. He created his   podcast, which lead him to a lot of opportunities. From all the interviews that he did with almost 40 entrepreneurs what impresses him is that did not make any excuses. Nobody is perfect but they kept pushing. One of his tips is to find people who know what you don't and learn from them.    He stressed the importance of qualifying your mentors. Check what is the area of expertise of your mentor before taking her or his advice for gold. For more tips, check out his podcast, Teenage Entrepreneurs at http://www.teenpodcast.com/.   Contact Jordan at jordan@teenpodcast.com   If you have what it takes you can apply to share your story on air: http://studentpreneur.com.au/pages/contact-form-guest/ Links: Email:  jordan@teenpodcast.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/teenpodcast Web

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Kishore Natarajan, 22 years old, Naval Architect student at IIT Madras and entrepreneur at HyperVerge, India.   Learn more about Kishore Natarajan on www.studentpreneur.com.au Wrap up: Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Kishore's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have talked to: Contrary to a lot of Studentpreneurs Kishore wasn’t entrepreneurial before University. However he joined with interest the extra curriculum activities offered by the student interest groups. This is how he discovered a new field of interest and new friends. He and his teammates built their confidence by winning international student competitions. Thanks to that confidence they all agreed to not take the jobs they were offered, and instead focus on their business. Kishore and his team have found their alumni network very supportive in their journey, and also some key professors.

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Marie Schneegans, 21 years old, Student in Financial Engineering and Applied Economics at Paris Dauphine University and Goethe University and entrepreneur with Never Eat Alone in France    Wrap up: Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Marie's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have interviewed: Instead of keeping her ideas secret, she tells everyone about her project and try to meet as many people as possible by inviting them for lunch.  She is in the mindset of “fake it until you make it” and that’s how she found a free place to run her project. She is opened to new adventures, new people: she got exposed to the Free Space concept while couch surfing in Cambodia and she won a seat in an incubation program Startuphouse in San Francisco by competing in Startup Bus hackaton . Finally Marie reminds us that it’s not always easy to be a student and an entrepren

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Taj Pabari 15 years old, high school student at John Paul College and entrepreneur at Fiftysix, Brisbane, Australia.  Wrap up: Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Taj 's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have talked to: Very early on, at the age of 11, Taj saw an opportunity in the blogging industry and was not scared to reach out to big manufacturers. He never lost that ability to reach out to people, which helped him for his other venture. Entrepreneurship competitions such as Startup Weekend helped him meet his next co-funder and increased his network of mentors and persons of interest. He took his networking to the next level when building up his Linkedin profile and met a lot of investors and people happy to help this way. Don’t forget that people love to help young entrepreneurs, so if you put yourself on Linkedin, they will be able to find you! Hi

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Elsa Shien, 30 years old,  student in Finance and Accounting at Queensland University of Technology in Australia  and entrepreneur at Shanghai Private Guide, China.    Learn more about Elsa Shien on www.studentpreneur.com.au   Wrap up: Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Elsa's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have talked to: Elsa built her fighting spirit through her difficult childhood in a little Chinese village without electricity and having to look after her siblings. She was the first of her family to go to University thanks to this fighint spirit. That spirit is mixed with curiosity which helped her take the "I have nothing to lose" concept to an all new level. Without speaking English she started  working in an English oriented business and soon started her own venture, Shanghai Private Guide against all odds. She went through a lot of ups and d

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Leo Lope Lofranco, 22 years old,  student in Biology at Ateneo de Manila and entrepreneur at Project Mercury, Philipines.   Wrap up:  Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Leo Lope Franco's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have talked to: Leo wasn't destined to be an entrepreneur, after all that's not what one does in the Philippines. Also, biology students are expected to go to Med school. Well, as you have realised, the supporting environment is essential: in Boston he tried a Startup Weekend which changed his mindset and perspective on the world. He learned that startups are multi disciplinary projects and that he had to learn new skills, such as coding. He benefitted a lot from events and from the GSEA competition. So get involved in such competition whatever field you are in and you might end up as a business owner down the track.   Tips: - Share wit

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Samuelle Dimairho student in Accounting at the Online University of Oxford Brook, UK,  and entrepreneur at Aura Group in Zimbabwe. Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Samuelle Dimairho's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I have talked to: He started 20 different ideas to to succeed a couple of times, he is another example of starting fast and failing fast. Also he has been a big reader from very early on, which is how he changed his mindset to become an entrepreneur. He listens to a lot of audiobook while commuting so no excuse if you don't have time to read books, you can listen to them. He started very early, at 14, doing internship from which he gained professional experience but also made a lot of connections, that's how he started his network. As always mentors play a great role in his entrepreneurship journey, he has several who have different areas

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Ulixes Hawili, 19  years old, student in Mathematics and Economics at the University of Tampa, Florida and representing the team Tembo Education Group, one of the 6 finalists of the Hult student entrepreneur competition.  Wrap up:  Each studentpreneur's story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Ulixes Hawili's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I studied in my research: Ulixes gives us a great example on how building a business can make the connection between what you learn in class, such as economics for him, and the real world: improving education in sub-Saharan regions of Africa. Once again mentors are enablers. Ulixes mentions a lot of professors as mentors and he reminds us all that professors are happy to help, especially if you put yourself out there, wanting to improve yourself. Finally, none of it would have been possible for Ulixes and his team if he hadn't attended that pre

Meet this week Troy D'Ambrosio, ex political student, successful serial entrepreneur and now Executive Director at Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, University of Utha, USA. Troy present the exciting new entrepreneurship hub, the Lassonde Studio where 400 studentpreneurs will be able to live, create, and study... with scholarships .    Wrap up:  We have talked with all our guests on how hard it can be to study and run a business at the same time. With the Lassonde Studio, a unique project, Troy  and the Lassonde Entrepreneurship Institute are removing ALL THE BARRIERS for studentpreneurs. On that campus not only you won't feel like you don't fit but you will be supported and encouraged to create, network, tinker and finish your degree. No longer will you have to work in your parents' garage, they provide an "innovation garage" on campus open 24/7, with housing, with all the cool toys (recording studios, 3d printers,....) for 400 studentpreneurs from all horizons and all ages. If that wasn't enought there are $

Meet this week awesome studentpreneurs: Mohammed Fawaz, 22  years old, student in Business Information Management system at Middlesex University, London and founder of Global Tutors in Sri Lanka. Wrap up: Each studentpreneurs' story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Mohammed Fawase's journey that are similar to the studentpreneurs I studied in my research: He embraced networking from very early on and subsequently met several influential people, including two mentors who even ended up investing in his business. There is no particular skills for networking, everyone can learn it, Fawase was a mathematic student in High School and he had no problem networking! He leverages his network for learning as he learns from his environment. Finally he increased his network globally by attending the Global Student Entrepreneur Award competition. Once again, there was no local competition in Sri Lanka but he reached out anyway to the organisat

Meet this week awesome studentpreneurs: Owen Yang, 22  years old, who just finished a Commerce degree Business and Arts at the University of New South Wales (USNW) and is currently running Activ Pass. He was listed as one of Smart Company's top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs for 2014. Book recommended: The 4 hour week. Wrap up: Each studentpreneurs' story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Owen's journey that are quite exciting: He saw an opportunity when he ran into the pain point of signing up for a special training for a entrance test, that's when he realised he could make money through services. He then also applied the concept of the four hour week to his university curriculum: it's about beating the game: pick the easy subjects first, get to know people from the previous year, go to 2 tutorials and not the lecture.... Owen also explained very well how to use the R&D money back system in Australia for any innovative apps, that's

 Welcome to episode 12! My name is Julien Marchand, entrepreneur turned PhD student. Each week I bring you the best of those individuals who are students and entrepreneurs, I call them studentpreneurs. This week is another special episode on competitions. You have heard how critical competitions are to get started or motivated in a super safe environement. On the 8th ,9th and 10th of May I helped organise a weekend competition, called Startup Weekend, held on the Sunshine Coast here in Queensland, Australia. There are a lot these types of weekend competitions around, Startup Weekend is a franchise, check their website and check your local competition. The concept is pretty simple: you come on the Friday night with or without an idea, people pitch their ideas, the top ideas get chosen and teams form around those ideas. Then it's a crazy competition over 54 hours where people build a startup, pivot, eat and barely sleep until the final pitches on Sunday night. There is so much of positive energy being created,

Meet this week awesome studentpreneurs: Jamie Atson, 34 and Aisha Bhukari 31 years old part time MBA students at Toronto University and part of ATTOLLO Social Entreprise team. About the Hult competition: The Hult Prize Foundation is a start-up accelerator for budding young social entrepreneurs emerging from the world’s universities. Named as one of the top five ideas changing the world by President Bill Clinton and TIME Magazine, the annual competition for the the Hult Prize aims to identify and launch the most compelling social business ideas—start-up enterprises that tackle grave issues faced by billions of people. Winners receive USD 1 million in seed capital, as well as mentorship and advice from the international business community.   This week is a special episode on a competition for studentpreneurs: The Hult Competition. Jamie Aston and Aisha Bhukari represent their team ATTOLO Social Entreprise. This episode highlights the great opportunity that entrepreneurship competitions are for studentpreneurs.

Meet this week awesome studentpreneurs :Wilf Watson, 26 years old, studying double degree Business and Arts at the University of the Sunshine Coast & Danum Harris-Lusk, 22 years old, student in Business at USC and both co-funders at Phenomec  Wrap up: Each studentpreneurs' story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Wilf and Danum'd journey that are similar to a lot of studentpreneurs I have interviewed for my research: Both Danum and Wilf valued university to meet like minded people. They are a very good examples of leveraging entrepreneurship competition. These competitions are everywhere, at universities, meetups, or event organised globally like the Global Student Entrepreneur Award (GSEA) or Startup Weekend Co. Danum was on his third competition when met Wilf. They got empowered by the energy and the guidance they received at the weekend and won. This gave them a lot of motivation and validation but more: they received mentoring

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Nicholas Kissajukian , saster student in Commerce at USNW and entrepreneur at Hipfood in Sydney, Australia. Learn more about Nicholas on www.StudentPreneur.com.au Nicholas' tip: Use your student card.  Don't be affraid to ask any one with experience and you will be surprised by their generosity.    Wrap up: each studentpreneur' story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others. For this episode I wanted to go a little bit outside the profile of studentpreneur I have interviewed so far, yes Nicholas is still at an early stage but he illustrates a couple of my findings in my research. Well, first, you don't need to be in tech to have a startup;) Well, it actually goes deeper than this: some of the jobs around offers real entrepreneurial experience. With Nicholas you can see how a chef in his cuisine is running his own business within the restaurant, and like entrepreneurs, as Nicholas said, he is managing chaos. Our studentpreneur started working early i

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Stephen Esketzis, 21 years old, Student in Commerce at Deakin University and entrepreneur with Tracktasia in Melbourne, Australia.   Stephen's recommendations: - Entrepreneur on Fire (podcast) - Conversion Cast (podcast) - Cardone Zone (podcast) - Marketing on the move (Stephen's own podcast) - DotCom Secret Book By Russell Brunson (book)   Wrap up: Each studentpreneur' story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Stephen's journey that are similar to a lot of studentpreneurs I have interviewed for my research: He started by sellings things to his classmates in high schools. He recognises the fact the one needs to learn the ropes in the industry before to fly but at the same time he has the sense of urgency, like the successful 18 year olds coming behind him. He values greatly sales skills and needs to be in control.   To become a guest apply at http://studentpreneur.com.au/

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Galo Vargas, 29 years old, Student in Master of Interaction Design at the University of Queensland and entrepreneur with Getinkspired.com in Brisbane Australia.  Wrap up:  Each studentpreneur'story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Galo's journey that are similar to a lot of studentpreneurs I have interviewed for my research: He started by sellings things to his classmates in high schools, his first job came from his passion developing websites for his friends, he values his mentor and the importance of university in terms of learning but also as an environement to grow a business. What was interesting is that he shows that entrepreneurship is not the one option, it pays to go back in an out the corporate world to grow and value one's entrepreneurial skills. So starting your business now can help you get a job in a couple of years. Books recommended by Galo: Zero to One from Peter Thiel Tip: Fai

Meet this week awesome studentpreneur: Adam Stone, 20 years old, Commerce and Law student at Monash University and entrepreneur with Speedlancer in Melbourne, Australia.  Learn more about Adam on www.studentpreneur.com.au Time for a quick wrap up each studentpreneur 'story is different and what works for some people doesn't for others, however I'd like to point out of few things in Adam's journey that are similar to a lot of studentpreneurs I have interviewed for my research: He started by sellings things to his classmates in high schools, then on ebay. That's a start that we have seen again and again with the guests of this podcast. There is something that is really different about Adam: he totally automated and outsourced his business, reaching the ultimate goal of removing himself from the business. This is really powerful as a studentpreneur because then he can focus on his studies! It's quite interesting to see him starting a new business because contrary to a lot of the studentpreneurs on this show, it'