Our Voice
As the only organisation dedicated to youth entrepreneurship globally, YBI is uniquely placed to advocate for global changes to enable more young people to access entrepreneurship worldwide.
In 2023, we advocated for increased support for inclusive youth entrepreneurship on a global stage:
Making Cents International Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit, Washington DC, USA:
YBI hosted a panel on ‘What works to Drive Inclusive Youth Entrepreneurship’, joined by our partner Accenture and our Canadian member Futurpreneur.
The session introduced YBI’s inclusivity framework and how this is applied to programmes for Indigenous young entrepreneurs.
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC), Melbourne, Australia:
YBI’s panel was joined by our members Habitat (Türkiye), Autoocupació (Youth Business Spain) and Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups as well as two inspiring young female entrepreneurs supported by our Australian member Many Rivers.
We discussed inclusive youth entrepreneurship support in different country contexts and challenges faced by various underserved groups.
World Investment Forum (WIF),
Abu Dhabi, UAE:
YBI’s CEO Anita Tiessen spoke on a panel on ‘Investing in Youth Entrepreneurship – Millennials and Gen Z as business trailblazers’ alongside Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations RT Hon Patricia Scotland QC, investors, and young entrepreneurs about the political imperative to support youth entrepreneurship to stimulate growth and tackle youth unemployment.
Across all platforms, YBI advocated for:
Inclusive and accessible entrepreneurship support programmes
Specialised support for young green and social entrepreneurs
Enhancing entrepreneurship education and skills development
Creating better access to finance and financial health
Promoting decent work principles
To make entrepreneurship more accessible to all young people and harness their contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, it is crucial that structural barriers are removed, and accessible and impactful support is provided to youth-led MSMEs.
