Since 2010, social entrepreneurship has been the focal point for the organisation Mind Your Own Business. The organisation empowers and motivates boys from vulnerable neighbourhoods across Denmark through entrepreneurship.
Through the entrepreneurial programme, the boys are given the opportunity to start their own microbusiness in close cooperation with entrepreneurs from the business community and volunteer venture pilots. The aim is to strengthen the boys’ professional and social skills and encourage a stronger connection to the Danish education system and labour market.
Boys gain empowerment and motivation through entrepreneurship
The project Mind Your Own Business was founded in 2010 and offers a different and innovative approach to helping boys, from ages 13-19, from vulnerable neighbourhoods, in Denmark and Greenland through entrepreneurship.
During an eight-month development programme, the boys will have the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship by setting up their own micro-business in collaboration with volunteer venture pilots and entrepreneurs from the business community. Based on the boys’ entrepreneurial dreams and ideas, the boys, as in any other startup, develop a product with a business plan, marketing, and sales objectives in close dialogue with the volunteer venture pilots
The courses strengthen the boys’ professional and social skills and give them increased motivation and optimism in regards to their future education and job opportunities.
The role of a venture pilot
Volunteer venture pilots are crucial to the success of the programme, and consists of people from the business community who have a wide range of work experience and educational backgrounds. What they all have in common is the commitment and desire to bring their personal and professional skills into play with the goal of supporting high-risk boys in realising their entrepreneurial dreams.
The primary task as a venture pilot is to support the boys’ micro-business on a weekly basis and by making use of their own experiences. The roe of a venture pilot also provides an opportunity for the venture pilot to strengthen his or her own competences within social entrepreneurship, facilitation, and management.
Lars Bjørn Helgestad, venture pilot for Mind Your Own Business, says that not only has it been exciting to be a venture pilot, but it was also personally rewarding. He likes to win – and he has won together with the boys. He was very proud when the boys took to the stage for the Business Awards and could see how much they had evolved in the past eight months. They could move mountains and he was proud of that.
Become a venture pilot for boys with entrepreneurial dreams
Since 2010, more than 600 boys have participated in the programme, 67 micro-businesses have been established and over 500 venture pilots have volunteered together with 68 business partners.
Upcoming programs are already in full progress and you have the opportunity to become a venture pilot for boys from vulnerable neighbourhoods who want to run their own micro-business.
If you want to know more about volunteering as a venture pilot, you can read more here.
