Happy World Entrepreneurs Day!
Every 21st of August the world celebrates innovation and the empowerment of entrepreneurs across the world as well as the advancements they have brought to our societies. At Allied for Startups we also want to celebrate this important day by shedding light into to the important work and value that entrepreneurship brings, after all, in the words of Mark Zuckerberg, “entrepreneurship is about creating change, not just creating companies”.
Entrepreneurs are the architects of innovation. Where most of us see problems, entrepreneurs see an opportunity to transform the way we live, consume, create and communicate. It’s in their DNA to be solution-oriented. Entrepreneurship is not new, it dates back centuries and it gets better with time. From the invention of the wheel (3500 B.C), to the compass (around 1050 BC) to the more modern light bulb (1879), airplane (1903), antibiotics (1928) or the internet (1950s). To name just a few. All of these have not just changed humanity, they have also allowed for other innovations to develop and thrive. For instance, think about how many opportunities the internet has yielded. Entrepreneurs throughout modern economic history around the world have been disproportionately responsible for truly radical and disruptive innovations.
Entrepreneurship is vital not just for job creation but a very essential and integral part of our economic growth, problem-solving and sociological advancement. This is especially true in the post-COVID-19 economies, in which startups are and will be fundamental economic actors not only as job creators but also to providing solutions to the pandemic and lockdowns. For instance, digital health solutions have skyrocketed in the last 7 months as it has become an absolute necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A few weeks ago we talked to several digital health entrepreneurs who are providing innovative solutions to support health care providers, reduce the spread of the virus and increase the accessibility of health services.
Creating nurturing environments for entrepreneurs to exploit their potential is our mission. We believe that entrepreneurship has the potential to change the world and to transform it into a better place. Creating spaces and regulatory environments that help startups thrive is at the heart of what we do. For instance, our #DSA4startups campaign is designed to give entrepreneurs a voice in legislation that impacts them and their businesses directly. Entrepreneurs should innovate, connect, create and disrupt, not worry about legislation.
Policy makers: on this important day, please remember how entrepreneurship has transformed the world to become a better place and before legislating ask yourselves: Will this legislation make the world more or less attractive for startup entrepreneurs?