Locationsby Marielle Pascua and Bettina Calubaquib
Youth on the Frontlines: Transforming Entrepreneurship for People, Planet, and Prosperity
August 12, 2024
Young social entrepreneurs from Asia-Pacific at the demo day presentation of Youth Co:Lab Summit 2024
The UNDP Philippines Youth Empowerment Project of Asia and the Pacific celebrates International Youth Day 2024, reflecting on the critical role of young people in driving change through entrepreneurship and underscoring the potential power of youth-led innovation in addressing global challenges.
While profit is a common motivator for starting a business, some entrepreneurs are driven by a deeper purpose: to create change.
One might think that entrepreneurship is solely a means to gain profit. After all, it is a common way to earn money by exchanging products or services. The financial benefits of successfully running a business significantly contribute to the economic prosperity of families and the development of communities. However, as climate change threatens our planet, the need for sustainable solutions has never been clearer. No amount of money and power can pacify the impending wrath of environmental devastation and in turn, cannot shield us from a deteriorating Earth.
The People’s Climate Vote for this year paints a concerning picture. About 53 percent of people globally expressed worse weather events this year compared to the last. A staggering 69 percent of people said that the effects of climate change have started to impact their biggest life decisions—their work choices, the things they buy, and the way they live their lives.
Here in the Philippines, the majority of people experience climate change daily. Unpredictable weather patterns not only affect work and the economy but also disrupt homes, families, and futures. The People’s Climate Vote message is clear— climate change hits home more than ever and people are getting worried. It is imperative to act before it is too late.
Lawrie Cate, Chief Technology Officer of mymizu, pitches during the Youth Co:Lab Summit
Amid this conundrum, the youth are stepping up, becoming entrepreneurs themselves not only to gain profit but also to combat climate change. The Youth Co:Lab Summit 2024 held recently celebrated the journey of young innovators and the initiatives they have built. Young social entrepreneurs (YSEs), ecosystem partners, and enablers from Asia-Pacific have come together to amplify youth-led innovation, climate solutions and economic development. This event reaffirmed that the youth are not merely on the sidelines as beneficiaries: they are frontliners toward sustainable development, bringing fresh ideas and solutions and creating positive change in the world, environment, and the lives of many.
Creating change and building an enterprise comes with challenges.
Young people often lack access to education, resources, and funding which hinders their ability to turn ideas into reality. Entrepreneurial education holds immense potential in encouraging young students to lead social enterprises, but it is not adequately taught in schools. Moreover, many young entrepreneurs had to stop halfway due to lack of funding for technology, research, and development. Some innovative solutions require research to test theories and produce products efficiently. Without sufficient funding, however, it is difficult for their business to take shape, and their ideas remain on hold.
With proper guidance, we allow the youth to see entrepreneurial struggles not as barriers, but as cornerstones upon which their businesses will stand firm.
[From L-R] Geneth Incorporado, Daniel S. Agan, Bryll Yu, and Gabriel Advincula put their training into practice during the demo day presentation of the DTI Training of Master Trainers
To overcome the barriers of youth-led entrepreneurship, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) Bootcamp: Training of Master Trainers, co-designed and co-implemented by Youth Co:Lab in the Philippines and DTI-BSMED, equips "master trainers" with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to effectively deliver the Youth Entrepreneurship Program – Bootcamp for Young Entrepreneurs curriculum throughout the Philippines. As an associate event of Youth Co:Lab Summit 2024, the master trainers also had the opportunity to connect with ecosystem enablers, experts, and entrepreneurs, with the goal of strengthening entrepreneurship policy in the country.
Their dedication and passion made us realize that the guidance of trainers would equip the youth with the skills and knowledge to start a social enterprise and ignite their desire to improve their localities. They will help the youth to see entrepreneurial struggles not as barriers, but as cornerstones upon which their businesses will stand firm. We hope more people will emulate these inspirational trainers, reaching more youth and creating transformative change alongside them.
If we see the youth as partners, we can live in a world where impact entrepreneurship is a means to a transformative future.
This International Youth Day on August 12 with the theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” we celebrate by envisioning a world where impact entrepreneurship is a means to a transformative future. In this era where use of digital devices and services has become inevitable, providing the youth with equitable access to technology connects them to the world, and empowers them to enhance sustainability and tackle global challenges such as climate change.
Allowing youth to experiment, learn from failures, and claim their space is integral to fostering a culture of innovation. This environment of experimentation and autonomy enables young leaders to pioneer solutions and drive change in ways that are impactful and tailored to their contexts. Supporting youth-led initiatives that are grounded in local contexts ensures that solutions are relevant, actionable and sustainable. A localized focus strengthens community resilience and maximizes the impact of interventions.
We encourage you to extend support to youth from underserved communities. These emerging leaders are poised to shape future trajectories and drive progress. By investing in their development and providing access to essential resources, mentorship, and opportunities, we catalyze their potential to lead transformative change. This investment empowers individuals and contributes to the broader objective of creating a more equitable and sustainable global future.
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Youth Co:Lab, co-created by UNDP and the Citi Foundation in 2017, is the largest youth movement for empowerment, social entrepreneurship, equality, and social inclusion in Asia Pacific, and has supported young people in 28 countries and territories. Since its inception, activities supported by Youth Co:Lab have reached 280,300 participants across the Asia-Pacific region.
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