This disconnect invites us to ask deeper questions about how we teach, support and understand entrepreneurship today—and how we might evolve it for tomorrow.
We believe that the entrepreneurs of tomorrow have the capacity to reimagine our economic systems, but only if we reimagine how we educate, support and celebrate them today.
Our research reveals an opportunity for transformation: behind these numbers lies a generation seeking more than financial success. They're looking for autonomy, purpose and the opportunity to address challenges they care deeply about.
Gen Z participants interested in entrepreneurship across Denmark
(only) of participants are actively pursuing this path
“I think we need to learn more about how to take responsibility for the environment and to know that it matters more than our own wealth.”
—Survey Respondent
We're at a pivotal moment where traditional business models have created unprecedented prosperity alongside the challenges we now collectively face—from climate change to rising inequality. This tension creates an opportunity for transformation. While alternative approaches like the circular economy and regenerative business offer promising paths forward, our entrepreneurial education and support systems haven't evolved to embrace these possibilities.
Our research reveals this disconnect clearly: Gen Z seeks personal passion (52%) and social impact (36%) as primary motivations, yet struggles to find frameworks that integrate profit with values, education that builds purpose-driven ventures rather than conventional business skills, and funding models that prioritize meaningful impact alongside financial returns.
— Survey Respondent
That's why we have started an initiative exploring how alternative entrepreneurship storytelling, resources and education might better serve both emerging founders and the world they hope to shape.
Initiated by the team behind Startup Guide and co-developed with other organizations and individuals at the intersection of business, research, education and social innovation, we're creating space for new conversations about entrepreneurial possibilities and aim to inspire meaningful action.
11—15 August 2025 | Copenhagen
Join us in Copenhagen for five immersive days to reimagine entrepreneurship with purpose, sustainability, and bold new thinking.
What does meaningful entrepreneurship mean to you?
Whether it’s a single word, a quick thought or a personal story, your input helps us better understand how people define purpose in business.
We're developing thoughtful prototypes to address the pathway challenges we've identified—focusing on areas where our strengths can make the greatest impact. We see the gap between interest and action as an opportunity to create educational resources and narratives that honor their values-driven motivations, bridging the disconnect between aspiration and action.
Yet we recognize that reimagining entrepreneurship is a collective endeavor—we're one voice in a broader conversation about how business can evolve to better serve both people and the planet. Together, we're exploring questions like how to build purpose into entrepreneurship from the start, how to balance financial sustainability with broader values, and how stories and education can inspire more responsible innovation.
Your perspective matters in shaping what entrepreneurship can become.
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