Curiosity, risk-taking and consideration for others – these are distinct characteristics of IB graduates (see IB Learner Profile), just as they are innately those of entrepreneurs who challenge the world’s norm and drive change for the greater good.
Here’s a spotlight on 3 entrepreneurs that Jonathan, Joseph and Stephen – Westbourne’s IB Business Management teachers recommend you follow.
Jonathan’s pick: Melanie Perkins
- Female Australian Co-Founder and CEO of global tech business Canva holds a net worth of $7.6B according to Forbes.
- Canva was borne from Melanie Perkins’ frustration as a 19 year old commerce and communications student who found it terribly long to learn how to use the mainstream design software available at the time.
- She dreamed of an online design tool where it would be easy to collaborate with others and put her theory to the test by creating Fusion Books, a website for high schools to design their yearbooks online.
- Within a few years, the success of Fusion Books saw Perkins expanding to France and New Zealand. She then took the leap to pursue the concept of Canva.
Success didn’t come overnight and her patience through years of navigating the complexities for funding in Silicon Valley (the world’s playground for innovation and technology) finally paid off in 2013.
Joseph’s pick: Anthony Tan
- Co-founder and CEO of Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading technology for delivery services (worth $2B/yr) transformed from a taxi-hailing app.
- Alumni of Harvard Business School, co-created Grab with fellow Malaysian (Ms) Hooi Ling Tan based on the notion that the Malaysian taxi system was unsafe, particularly for female passengers.
- During their time at university, their business plan for Grab was presented in a start up contest and they were awarded First Runner Up with prize money totalling US$25,000.
- Convincing others to fund this concept took time and patience with rejections along the way including from his own father, the president of Tan Chong Motor (multinational automobile distributor).
Tan continued to refine his pitch with the attitude, “‘Look, I can create something that really solves real societal problems.’” until finally his mother – their first individual investor – saw the potential and pooled his own funds to give this start up a real chance.
Read about his 20 hour work days here
Stephen’s pick: Sir James Dyson
- Sir James Dyson displayed true resilience having created the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner after 5,000 and more prototypes.
- Dyson began his career with university studies at Byam Shaw School of Art followed shortly with architectural design at the Royal College of Art. A passion for functional designs combined with engineering was borne.
- Dyson approached Jeremy Fry, British inventor and engineer to fund his mushroom shaped theatre building design. Fry, instead, set him on a different path resulting in Dyson’s final year project as the “Sea Truck”, a high-speed, flat-hulled fiberglass landing craft.
This venture into creative engineering opened up his creativity and desire to pursue solving problems through ‘trial and error’, where setbacks were acknowledged as opportunities to move forward.
~
About IB Diploma Business Management
IBDP Business Management explores creativity, change ethics and sustainability from a business perspective. It plays an integral part in preparing students as our future leaders in STEM and business (take a look at Westbourne’s IB curriculum here).
~
Westbourne’s IB Educators (L to R): Jonathan Marfleet – Deputy Principal, IBDP Coordinator of Westbourne College Sydney; Joseph Tan – Commercial Director of Westbourne College Singapore; and Stephen Powell – GCSE Coordinator of Westbourne School UK.
