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Text copyright © 2024 by Fenley Scurlock and Jason Liaw Cover art copyright © 2024 by Loz Ives
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Photographs: David Yellen (Alina Morse); Morgan Hizar (Emma Butler); Dragana Jurisic (Zlata Filipović); Anita Barsca Photography (Annabel Chang)
Visit us on the Web! rhcbooks.com
Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at RHTeachersLibrarians.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-593-65159-9 (trade) — ISBN 978-0-593-65160-5 (lib. bdg.) — ISBN 978-0-593-65161-2 (ebook)
Ebook ISBN 9780593651612
All interior art used under license from stock.adobe.com
Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.
Penguin Random House LLC supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to publish books for every reader.
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To my parents, for their worldly advice, their support of all my goals, and, above all, their wholehearted love and devotion to my success and joy
—F.S.
To my family for their unconditional love and unwavering support in everything I do —J.L.
CONTENTS
Introduction Leader Archetypes: Which Type of Leader Inspires You?
Featured Leaders
The Disruptor
Alina Morse (she/her)
Jane Park (she/her)
Deepa Gandhi (she/her)
Stelleo Tolda (he/him)
Casey Georgeson (she/her)
Michael Krakaris (he/him)
Dejan Pralica (he/him)
Ava McDonald (she/her)
Mei Xu (she/her)
The Visionary
Yen Tan (they/them)
Charles Miller (he/him)
Rich Riley (he/him)
Aaron Rasmussen (he/him)
The Champion
Davis Smith (he/him)
Daniel Scharff (he/him)
Semhar Araia (she/her)
Claire Coder (she/her)
Lou Lauria (he/him)
Emma Butler (she/her)
Mark Hanis (he/him)
The Innovator
Wonya Lucas (she/her)
Rebecca Hu (she/her)
Eyal Levy (he/him)
Ariel Kaye (she/her)
Vivian Shen (she/her)
Cindy Soo (she/her)
Travis Rosbach
Ann Crady Weiss (she/her)
The Creator
Jeni Britton Bauer (she/her)
Sebastian Martinez (he/him) and Brandon Martinez (he/him)
Tara Bosch (she/her)
Zlata Filipović (she/her)
Danielle Vincent (she/her)
Jennifer Dollander (she/her)
The Investor
Sergio Monsalve (he/him)
Alison Rosenthal (she/her)
Nitin Pachisia (he/him)
Larry Kramer (he/him)
The Strategist
Annabel Chang (she/her)
Ken Stern (he/him)
Andrea Clarke (she/her)
Dan Frank (he/him)
Sean Peng (he/him)
Julie Skaff (she/her)
Lee Brenner (he/him)
Steve Douty (he/him)
Jennifer Silberman (she/her)
Alan Turley (he/him)
Richard Bird (he/him)
Timothy Kight (he/him)
Resources
Acknowledgments
I’m Fen…and I’m Jason. We’re lifelong friends—and we’re also entrepreneurs.
Fen here! I turned my love of art into a business when I was seven, selling artisanal soaps at farmers markets and business fairs, and eventually fulfilling orders for birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, corporate events, and several Airbnb properties. I was instantly hooked on the thrill of designing and pitching a product, learning the art of negotiation, and earning and investing my own money. I studied business greats such as Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, MacKenzie Scott, Richard Branson, and other famed inventors and investors, while learning to write business plans, market products, maintain customer relations, and absorb other aspects of managing a business. Now I apply this entrepreneurial mindset to everything I do.
Jason chiming in! I am a programmer who learned the basics of coding in school, then taught myself the skills to be a webmaster, and was hired by the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce to establish and maintain their web and social media presence. This ignited my passion to help mission-driven organizations and ultimately bridge cultural understanding in the business world with my bilingual skills.
We both have our sights set high and talk about the power of businesses to change the world all the time. And we’re not alone. We are part of one of the most entrepreneurial generations ever. We are also a generation questioning everything and thinking outside
the box to find solutions that will revolutionize the way we live. But while we have big dreams and drive, we still need to learn some core fundamental skills before we start launching real companies. Unfortunately, business and entrepreneurship aren’t taught in most middle and high schools. And although camps, mentorship programs, and extracurricular classes are cropping up in many places, they are still out of reach for most kids.
To try to fill that critical knowledge gap, we decided to gather some very expert advice. We wanted to know: What does it really mean to be an entrepreneur, and what does it take to get there? What can we learn from those who came before us, and from those doing it right now? How do we get up to speed fast, and meld their experience with our ambition, ideas, and instinct? That’s what we were set on understanding.
We started by interviewing family friends and local business owners. We asked friends of friends who they knew, cold-called people from LinkedIn, researched businesses we admired, and emailed heads of companies. In most cases, people responded with enthusiasm, and shared their advice and their connections. Some didn’t respond, or they told us no, and through that we learned a fundamental entrepreneurial skill: say thank you and move on. After all, as many of the people in this book told us, when one door closes, another one opens.
We interviewed leaders from diverse fields and industries—indie beauty experts, ice cream makers, bankers, brand experts, military vets, media moguls. They are from both small start-ups and industry giants, and they live all over the world, from Silicon Valley to Washington, DC, Beijing to Boulder, Australia to Ireland. We talked to leaders who went to Ivy League schools and others who dropped out of college. We talked to some who were raised in public housing, some who were raised in privilege, others who were immigrants who chased the American Dream, and many who simply dreamed big. We talked to people across four generations, including some young
entrepreneurs who are blazing the way for us and eager to share what they’ve learned.
Each pop culture reference, funny anecdote, and inspirational story sparked new ideas, and each conversation revealed a new lesson. We often felt like we were getting a master class in entrepreneurship and leadership, learning insights, trade secrets, and advice that would have taken years to learn on our own. And beyond business advice, we asked these entrepreneurs how they suggested we cope with the pressures our generation is facing today and grapple with the challenges before us. We learned their personal stories, what they were like as kids, and how it relates to who they are now.
The lessons from our entrepreneurs are relevant in everything we do today—in school, our businesses, and life. From reminding ourselves not to take rejection personally, to staying authentic to who we are, to putting ourselves out there even when it feels hard, each interviewee had advice to help us grow and reminders for our entrepreneurial journeys: develop grit like Tara, own your ideas like Charles, embrace feedback like Davis, challenge the status quo like Emma. The experts we spoke with are like trusted mentors we can turn to for advice over and over again by reading their words.
Once we finished all the interviews, we selected which parts to include in the book. (We didn’t want it to be eight hundred pages long!) What’s here is a snapshot of the many hours we spent with these amazing people. We learned that when it comes to entrepreneurship, there’s no one-size-fits-all, so in the pages that follow, we grouped our interviewees by some of the qualities we saw in them, and that readers might see in themselves: the Disruptor, the Visionary, the Champion, the Innovator, the Creator, the Investor, and the Strategist. Our hope is that these examples of different mindsets, leadership styles, and personal vibes will bust the myth that entrepreneurship has a strict definition and is a job available to only a few (another piece of advice from one of our experts).
In addition to this framework, we grouped each interviewee by industry, so readers can pick and choose their entrepreneurial path. Inspired by food? We have entrepreneurs for that. Fashion? There are experts there, too. Technology? Check. Media? Yep! The icons at the beginning of the entrepreneur profiles will help readers follow along with their interests and compare leaders’ advice by sector. Although we varied our interview questions, we had five questions that we always asked: What hashtag best describes you or your business? Is social media good or bad? Is college worth it? What is your best business advice for young entrepreneurs? And what is your best life advice for our generation? We thought these quick takes would help you get the flavor of someone’s personality right away. So you’ll see those answers at the beginning of each interview. And at the end of each one, we have listed key takeaways for you to start doing right now, like building resilience, surrounding yourself with the smartest people in the room, testing ideas, and taking risks. All are skills these entrepreneurs said helped them succeed and will help us fill that critical knowledge gap. We also highlighted our favorite quotes from each interview, the ones that really stuck with us and impacted our own entrepreneurial journeys. Our generation has big problems to solve, from closing the wage gap and leveling out the cost of college to saving the planet and protecting our data. Not only do we want to start now, we have to. This book is a road map to help prepare us, help us develop our entrepreneurial potential, and help us quickly bring the world the next generation of great products, ideas, and solutions. In doing so, we’ll be able to make our mark in a world turned upside down, and yet still full of possibility.
W
hic
h Type of Leader Inspires You?
The Disruptor is a risk taker who challenges the status quo, creating a better way of doing things and blazing a new trail. You’ll meetthecofounderofthee-commercegiantdubbedtheAmazonof Latin America, a makeup saintshakingup the beauty industry, the queen of candles, and a sole-minded shoe enthusiast building communitiesofsneakerheads.
The Visionary is a dreamer who boldly imagines something that few can see: a revolutionary product, service, or idea that could change the world. You’llreadaboutaserialspaceentrepreneurwho wantstoconnecteveryone on Earthviasatellitephone,a filmmaker trying to democratize education, and an app developer bringing authenticityandempathytotheworkplace.
The Champion is an advocate or social entrepreneur who is purpose driven and dedicated to a cause or making life better for people. You will read about a champion of universalsport, a Chief Estrogen Officer imagining an end to period poverty, and a llamalovingoutdoorenthusiastonamissiontodowellbydoinggood.
The Innovator is a fixer who sees a specific problem in their own lives, or in the world around them, and actively works to solve it. You’ll meet the inventor of a recycling robot, a sleep whisperer, andanexecutivebringingmorediversitytotelevision.
The Creator is an artist at heart, someone with a unique vibe who uses their extraordinary perspective to design unprecedented
products. You’ll meet an ice cream artist, a candy creator , a cookie dough designer , a soap maker harnessing the great outdoors, and kidbrothersbringingfuntoyourfeet.
The Investor puts their money behind an idea, product, or service, confident that it will come back to them tenfold. You’llhear from a venture capitalist who helped launch education companies like Kahoot! and Udemy and an immigrant who is making it easier formorepeoplefromothercountriestobringtheirideastoAmerica.
The Strategist is a master planner who sees the big picture and focuses on aligning vision with goals in order to win. You’ll meet a military veteran improving the lives of his fellow servicemen, a former NPR executive working to end polarized news, and a travel industryexpertbringingflyingcarstoourhighways.
ALINA MORSE (she/her), founder and CEO, Zolli Candy
JANE PARK (she/her), founder and CEO, Tokki and Julep
DEEPA GANDHI (she/her), cofounder and COO, Dagne Dover
STELLEO TOLDA (he/him), cofounder, Mercado Libre
CASEY GEORGESON (she/her), founder and CEO, Saint Jane Beauty
MICHAEL KRAKARIS (he/him), cofounder, Deliverr
DEJAN PRALICA (he/him), cofounder and CEO, SoleSavy
AVA MCDONALD (she/her), founder and CEO, Zfluence
MEI XU (she/her), founder and CEO, Chesapeake Bay Candle, BlissLiving Home, Yes She May
YEN TAN (they/them), cofounder, Kona
CHARLES MILLER (he/him), cofounder and CEO, Lynk Global
RICH RILEY (he/him), co-CEO, Origin Materials; former CEO, Shazam
AARON RASMUSSEN (he/him), founder and CEO, Outlier; cofounder, MasterClass
DAVIS SMITH (he/him), founder and board chair, Cotopaxi
DANIEL SCHARFF (he/him), CEO, Machu Picchu Energy; founder, Startup CPG
SEMHAR ARAIA (she/her), CEO, Diaspora African Women’s Network (DAWN)
CLAIRE CODER (she/her), founder and CEO (Chief Estrogen Officer), Aunt Flow
LOU LAURIA (he/him), chief of sport and competition, Special Olympics
EMMA BUTLER (she/her), founder and CEO, Liberare
MARK HANIS (he/him), cofounder, Inclusive America, United to End Genocide, Progressive Shopper
WONYA LUCAS (she/her), president and CEO, Hallmark Media
REBECCA HU (she/her), cofounder, Glacier
EYAL LEVY (he/him), cofounder and CEO, Yogibo
ARIEL KAYE (she/her), founder and CEO, Parachute
VIVIAN SHEN (she/her), cofounder and CEO, Juni Learning
CINDY SOO (she/her), global innovation and co-creation matrix manager, IKEA
TRAVIS ROSBACH, founder, Hydro Flask
ANN CRADY WEISS (she/her), cofounder and CEO, Hatch
JENI BRITTON BAUER (she/her), founder and CEO, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ (he/him), CEO, and BRANDON MARTINEZ (he/him), director of sales, Are You Kidding Socks
TARA BOSCH (she/her), founder and CEO, SmartSweets
ZLATA FILIPOVIĆ (she/her), filmmaker and author
DANIELLE VINCENT (she/her), cofounder and CEO, Outlaw Soaps
JENNIFER DOLLANDER (she/her), founder, Alumni Cookie Dough
SERGIO MONSALVE (he/him), venture capitalist and founding partner, Roble Ventures
ALISON ROSENTHAL (she/her), founder and managing partner, Leadout Capital
NITIN PACHISIA (he/him), founding partner, Unshackled Ventures
LARRY KRAMER (he/him), president, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
ANNABEL CHANG (she/her), head of state policy and government relations, Waymo
KEN STERN (he/him), founder and CEO, Palisades Media Ventures; former CEO, NPR
ANDREA CLARKE (she/her), founder and CEO, FutureFitCo
DAN FRANK (he/him), former CEO, Three Wire Systems, LLC
SEAN PENG (he/him), CEO, Taishan Sports
JULIE SKAFF (she/her), COO, Viz.ai
LEE BRENNER (he/him), head of public policy, digital assets, Goldman Sachs
STEVE DOUTY (he/him), cofounder and CEO, Octopus Software, Smaarts Inc., Scayl Inc.
JENNIFER SILBERMAN (she/her), chief sustainability officer, Dollar Tree
ALAN TURLEY (he/him), minister-counselor for commercial affairs, US Embassy, Tokyo
RICHARD BIRD (he/him), chief product officer, SecZetta
TIMOTHY KIGHT (he/him), founder and CEO, Focus 3
