Future Entrepreneurs

The life of an entrepreneur means lots of Saturdays grinding away at the dream. It’s no different for aspiring entrepreneurs like Bisnow’s latest GEN Z class, who came to Vox Media’s DC headquarters on Saturday to learn about startup life. The monthly half-day program, launched by Bisnow Ventures earlier this year, exposes DC-area high schoolers to successful tech entrepreneurs. They also learn about networking and how to pitch business ideas.

Vox Media prez Marty Moe went into law and worked for the government (alongside Sheryl Sandberg) before feeling the tug of the business world. He did some serious networking and ended up at AOL, where he eventually ran content channels. Running a division or your own company is full of anxiety, says Marty. From hoping nobody at AOL would figure out he wasn’t tech savvy to running Vox (a publisher of digital magazines) and wondering if he has what it takes to grow the business. Some advice: Your dream may not go in a straight line but don’t settle until you find something you really love; don’t let the doubters make decisions for you; and start each day with a list of priorities that need to get done.

Hollywood portrays startup life as glamorous, but Clearly Innovative founder Aaron Saunders says it’s a seven-day-a-week commitment that requires family (mainly spouses) to be fully supportive. Aaron says he worked at a government contracting firm, making good, steady money, when he quit to launch Clearly Innovative, a web and mobile app development firm. He also launched a program that teaches tech skills and entrepreneurship to middle school students. His advice: Get involved in activities outside of school that help you think ahead; employers want people with experience but also exposure to things.