Watch out, world: the most entrepreneurial generation yet is here to change the way we live. Research shows that Gen Z, a.k.a. those who were born between the years 1997 and 2012 are more focused on working for themselves, compared to millennials who typically turn to side hustles to make money.
Gen Z has had access to the wealth of knowledge offered by the Internet for most of their lives, being surrounded by smartphones, computers, and other technological means of learning.
Now that their generation is beginning to enter the workforce, the Internet has also allowed them to exercise their entrepreneurial muscles by using the Internet as a means to make money, by selling items on social media or engaging in freelance work.
Realizing the common driving force shared by their generation, a group of Gen Zers who have begun on their own entrepreneurial journeys has set out to support and empower others from their generation in braving their uncharted life journeys.
Co-founders Rio Penn-Grice and Aaron Peña have together built Gen Z Journey, a platform that develops and brings resources to individuals of their generation to help them succeed in life and in business.
“As Gen Z’s with a strong desire to support and advocate other people our age, we set out on a journey to provide a resource and value to aid our generation and beyond in our everyday lives,” Penn-Grice and Peña wrote on their website.
Hailing from the UK, Penn-Grice now lives in California and co-leads the venture as a co-host and publisher. He describes himself as someone who has always had a passion for business. “I love to connect with people wherever they are on their journey because I really believe that relationships are the most valuable thing to a human,” he writes.
Peña, on the other hand, hails from Seattle, Washington, and is passionate about helping others find their way through life. “I take great pride in helping people navigate career paths, personal growth, interpersonal conflicts, unpleasant confrontation, and pursuing self-realization,” he shares.
Penn-Grice and Peña are supported and mentored in this venture by Joe Rodrigues, a seasoned entrepreneur in the culinary industry, and CEO of Gen Z Journey. The venture began when they realized they could share the knowledge and expertise given to them by Joe, as well as the know-how they have gathered from their own experiences so far, to more people who might need it.
The Gen Z Journey team believes that some things cannot simply be learned in a classroom, or read off a textbook; sometimes, the best way to obtain a deep and unique understanding of the world when we learn from the experiences of other people.
To achieve this, the Gen Z Journey team has put together a collection of resources aiming to educate their generation on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, as well as knowledge about the world, in the form of an online publication, as well as a podcast, and a series of videos. Business concepts and other essential tips are broken down into bite-sized chunks and episodes also feature guests who share their expertise.
With a pandemic and another great recession ahead of them, Gen Z faces a bleak and uncertain future. But with their passion for making a difference and their inherent creativity, Gen Z might be the generation who is most poised to take the lead in transforming the world. Right now, they’re only getting started, and it’s exciting to think of the many other ways they can make an impact and touch the lives of others.