Redefining Education Through Entrepreneurship

Hi Everyone and Welcome Back!

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Anand Sanwal, the co-Founder of The Formidable Fellowship, a non-profit focused on sparking the next generation of young entrepreneurs, and the host of the Future Titans Podcast, a show featuring the inspiring stories of the winners of the Formidable grant. Anand is also the co-Founder and former CEO of CB Insights, a very successful AI and data company, a writer, and working on building a national network of schools for entrepreneurship (more on this in a future episode!)

Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.

I wanted to have Anand on the show to learn more about the mission of The Formidable Fellowship and to explore this thinking on the future of education. Entrepreneurship is something I’ve been writing a lot about here in Profit+ and near and dear to my heart. Until coming across Anand though, I never realized how important a role it could play in redefining (fixing) our broken education system. As you’ll see in the episode, Anand is an incredibly thoughtful and impressive individual and has some great ideas about entrepreneurship, education, and how we can best help young people prepare for an increasingly uncertain future. I walked away from this discussion on fire with ideas and inspiration and think you will too.

Tune in to this important episode to learn: 

• How The Formidable Fellowship is helping to jumpstart next generation of young entrepreneurs through grants, mentorship and community

• Why entrepreneurship is fast becoming the key skill for young people to learn

• How mainstream education models are failing young people and why experiential learning can be so much more effective 

• Why the future belongs to self-learners and entrepreneurs

• & Much, much more

   

Stay tuned to the end to learn why, even after all the success he’s had, Anand went back to school to become a Montessori teacher. You’ll also hear stories about Anand’s father, a successful mission-driven entrepreneur, and how Anand made his way through college as a club promoter.

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in!  

Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

Keywords

Formidable Fellowship, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, education, grants, innovation, young entrepreneurs, agency, self-efficacy, experiential learning, entrepreneurship, education, youth perspectives, parental identity, Montessori, networking, economic independence, self-learning, capitalism, mentorship

Summary

In this conversation, Nick Halaris interviews Anand Sanwal, co-founder of CB Insights and the Formidable Fellowship, discussing the importance of entrepreneurship in education and the impact of the Formidable Fellowship on young entrepreneurs. Anand shares insights on the changing landscape of youth entrepreneurship, the challenges faced by young people, and the potential for entrepreneurship to serve as a powerful educational tool. The discussion highlights various success stories from the fellowship and the broader implications for the future of education and employment. In this conversation, Anand and Nick explore the multifaceted challenges and opportunities surrounding entrepreneurship and education. They discuss the evolving perceptions of education among youth, the importance of building supportive networks for young entrepreneurs, and the transformative power of entrepreneurship in fostering economic independence. Anand shares his insights on Montessori education and its influence on his approach to building schools that maximize human potential. The dialogue emphasizes the significance of learning through experience, the impact of mentorship, and the ongoing journey of self-education in a rapidly changing world.

Takeaways

• The Formidable Fellowship provides grants to young entrepreneurs.

• Entrepreneurship fosters agency and self-efficacy in youth.

• Young people are often underestimated in their capabilities.

• Experiential learning through entrepreneurship is invaluable.

• Many young entrepreneurs are finding success with minimal capital.

• The traditional education system may not adequately prepare students for the future.

• Social pressures still influence the decision to pursue college.

• The landscape of employment is changing, with many jobs not requiring a degree.

• Young entrepreneurs are creating jobs rather than seeking them.

• The next generation is poised to be the most entrepreneurial yet. Parental identity is intertwined with children's educational choices.

• Youth today are increasingly skeptical about traditional education paths.

• Building networks among young entrepreneurs can enhance their growth.

• Learning from mistakes is a crucial part of the entrepreneurial journey.

• Entrepreneurship offers unlimited potential and independence.

• Montessori education emphasizes agency and self-directed learning.

• Transformative experiences shape one's perspective on education and entrepreneurship.

• Economic independence is a powerful motivator for young entrepreneurs.

• Understanding educational philosophies can inform better teaching practices.

• Entrepreneurship can drive community growth and change lives.

Titles

• Empowering Young Entrepreneurs: The Formidable Fellowship

• Redefining Education Through Entrepreneurship

• The Rise of Youth Entrepreneurship

• Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

• How Grants Fuel Young Business Minds

Sound Bites

• "We chronically underestimate young people."

• "I wish everybody could just do that."

• "The stakes are real in entrepreneurship."

• "They're going to go create jobs."

• "More than one out of two are underemployed."

• "They're kind of fed up."

• "There's a lot of opportunity here."

• "This might not be their last business."

• "Economic independence is really, really powerful."

• "Entrepreneurship is an amazing unlock."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Formidable Fellowship

06:03 The Impact of Entrepreneurship on Youth

12:17 Showcasing Young Entrepreneurs

18:57 The Future of Education and Entrepreneurship

24:33 The Challenge of Parental Identity and Education Choices

26:35 The Changing Landscape of Youth Perspectives

27:50 Building a Supportive Network for Young Entrepreneurs

30:48 The Journey of Entrepreneurship: Learning Through Mistakes

32:51 The Empowering Nature of Entrepreneurship

34:23 Exploring Montessori Education and Its Impact

39:33 The Intersection of Entrepreneurship and Education

44:12 Transformative Power of Entrepreneurship and Education