By Contributor,Sarah Hernholm
Copyright forbes
teens from different entrepreneur programs working together to solve a problem in their community
Youth entrepreneurship programs have multiplied over the past decade. High schools now offer entrepreneurship education in the form of curriculum and business electives, college campuses host student entrepreneurship incubators, and nonprofit organizations run accelerators, hackathons, and pitch competitions. Edtech platforms bring startup playbooks to millions of teens and young adults.
The demand is real. According to a Junior Achievement USA survey, 60% of American teens prefer starting their own business over traditional employment. Nearly two in five (37%) want in-school or after-school programs focused on entrepreneurship education. Parents seek skills over grades, employers prioritize creativity and problem-solving, and students crave autonomy.
The expansion has brought fragmentation. Programs tend to compete instead of collaborate, recycling content, limiting access to mentors, and working in silos. If entrepreneurship education aims to prepare students to innovate and build the future, the adults running these programs must model what they teach: collaboration over competition.
Why Youth Entrepreneurship Programs Compete Instead of Collaborate
With growth comes fragmentation. For every new program launched, another pops up with a slightly different name, model, or pitch. Instead of building a robust ecosystem, many programs have walled themselves off, each vying to be the brand parents recognize or the one that secures the most significant grants and headlines.
I’ve witnessed how territorial behavior impacts students directly. One participant in WIT — Whatever It Takes, which I started in 2009, wanted to develop her business idea through both the WIT entrepreneurship program and her school’s business class. The school refused, insisting that any recognition belongs exclusively to them. She created two separate businesses instead of focusing her energy on one venture. That school-based program has since closed.
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This example illustrates a broader pattern—organizations prioritizing institutional credit over student success.
How Entrepreneurship Programs Can Collaborate
The solution isn’t necessarily fewer programs; it’s better collaboration between them. If educators and nonprofit leaders were willing to share resources, the student experience could transform.
Shared curriculum modules: Instead of every organization reinventing the wheel, programs could swap or co-create lessons. One program might specialize in ideation, while another shines in financial modeling. Together, they could offer a more valuable experience. If finances are an issue, they could find ways to divide enrollment costs.
Cross-program competitions and demo days: Imagine regional or national showcases where students from multiple programs pitch side by side. The exposure would be greater, the stakes higher, and the learning deeper.
Mentorship networks: Instead of hoarding mentors, programs could build collective pools, much like LinkedIn, but focused on entrepreneurship education. A shared system could match students with the best mentor fit, rather than just whoever is available within a single silo.
Consortiums and alliances: Regional or national associations could establish quality standards, advocate for funding, and act as hubs of collaboration. Rather than fighting for the same resources, programs could collaborate to expand the available resources.
Some examples already exist in the area of entrepreneur programs partnering with businesses and schools, but not with each other. Hackathons often draw students from various programs, and universities sometimes partner with nonprofits to host competitions. A few alliances are forming around entrepreneurship education, as shared in this LinkedIn post; however, these seem to be exceptions rather than the rule.
The reality is that programs could differentiate themselves far more effectively through excellence in specific areas such as outstanding pitch coaching, exceptional financial literacy instruction, deep industry connections in particular sectors, access to press opportunities, or superior peer community building, rather than trying to own every aspect of the student experience.
What Entrepreneurship Programs Teach vs. What They Model
The disconnect becomes clearer when you remember what entrepreneurship education is supposed to teach. Entrepreneurs know collaboration is often a growth strategy. Startups co-brand, partner, or merge to expand into new markets. They form ecosystems, not empires.
Yet many of the adults teaching entrepreneurship don’t follow that playbook. They talk about resilience, experimentation, and adaptability while operating in silos.
And here’s the more profound irony: in the entrepreneurship space, we coach students to research the competition first before designing. Look at who else is in the market. See if there’s a way to partner or collaborate before replicating your efforts. That’s especially critical in the nonprofit and social good sector, where duplication can drain resources. If we’re teaching students that, then we should be modeling it ourselves.
Why Parents and Students Need Better Entrepreneurship Programs
For students, the fragmentation means limited access. A teen in one program may never cross paths with peers in another—even though collaboration could spark bigger, better ventures. They’re forced to choose one experience instead of weaving together multiple.
For parents, the landscape is confusing. They want to support their child’s entrepreneurial interests but often find themselves comparing websites and testimonials, with little clarity on the actual outcomes. When programs compete instead of collaborate, families are left in the middle, guessing which will best serve their child.
A collaborative approach would shift the focus back to what matters most: preparing students to thrive, not just in business, but in life.
The Future of Entrepreneurship Programs
Entrepreneurship education has entered its boom phase. The number of programs is likely to continue rising. The next evolution must be collaboration.
Program leaders should ask themselves: Are we modeling the behaviors we want our students to adopt? Are we willing to share credit, resources, and talent for the greater good? Are we brave enough to act like entrepreneurs ourselves, building partnerships instead of walls?
Collaboration is no longer optional. In an economy where adaptability and cooperation define success, it’s essential.
Building a Collaborative Ecosystem for Student Entrepreneurs
The boom in entrepreneurship programs is something to celebrate. It reflects a shift in how families, employers, and students see the purpose of education. But growth alone is not enough.
Entrepreneurship programs often teach young people that before launching a business, they should study the landscape, examine who else is already doing the work, and consider whether there’s a way to collaborate before replicating. If that’s what we’re teaching the next generation, then it’s on us—the adults—to model it.
The next era of entrepreneurship programs and education won’t be defined by the number of programs that exist, but by how well they work together. If leaders step out of their silos, the next generation of student entrepreneurs won’t just learn how to launch businesses. They’ll learn how to build ecosystems, solve problems collaboratively, and create a future that reflects the best of what entrepreneurship has to offer.
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