The Real Power of Entrepreneurship Happens in Year Two
The Real Power of Entrepreneurship Happens in Year Two
I was recently on a call with a school exploring the possibility of launching a Seed Tree Group entrepreneurship program when someone asked a question I hear quite often: How long does it take to build a robust entrepreneurship program?
My answer? Three years.
Of course, that depends on the school, its goals, and the opportunities it wants to create for students. But I've found that three years provides the runway to build something truly transformational, and much of that transformation begins in year two.
Year one brings all the excitement of launching something new. Students take their first entrepreneurship course, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, learn to sell, participate in networking events, and often help launch an actual business on campus. There's energy, excitement, and plenty of momentum as the program begins to take shape.
But year two is where the program really begins to come alive.
Returning students step into leadership roles within the student-run business. They're no longer simply learning how to operate the business; they're learning to manage it, improve it, and take ownership of its success. But beyond the business itself, two experiences become particularly powerful: mentorship and networking.
Talk to almost any successful entrepreneur or business leader, and you'll likely hear about the mentors who helped shape their journey. I've experienced this firsthand. Some of the most influential people in my life have been mentors who challenged my thinking, offered perspective, opened doors, and helped me navigate important decisions. Many of those relationships continue today.
That's precisely what we want students to discover.
In year two, students are paired with business and community leaders, typically two students for every mentor. Over the course of the school year, they meet six times, developing relationships, learning from another person's experience, and ultimately participating in a job-shadowing opportunity.
But the goal isn't simply to give students a mentor for one school year. The goal is to help students become the kind of people who seek out mentors for the rest of their lives.
The second major component is networking and communication, which I believe is one of the most valuable outcomes of entrepreneurship education. Watching students grow in confidence as communicators is incredibly rewarding, but that confidence doesn't develop from listening to a lecture about communication. It develops through practice, which is why we believe in increasing the shots on goal.
In year one, students often participate in a networking event where they learn to introduce themselves, shake hands, ask questions, and engage with adults outside their normal circles. In year two, we intentionally expand those opportunities.
Many Seed Tree schools are incorporating formal networking dinners where students dress professionally, sit down with business and community leaders, navigate the etiquette of a business meal, and learn how to carry on meaningful conversations. They're learning to be both interested and interesting—asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully, sharing their own experiences, and building genuine relationships.
And yes, it's uncomfortable. But comfort and growth rarely coexist.
Every conversation, every introduction, and every new relationship helps students develop skills and confidence that will serve them long after graduation. As they become more comfortable in these settings, they also begin developing networks of people who may become future mentors, employers, business partners, or lifelong connections.
This is why I encourage schools to think beyond the excitement of launching an entrepreneurship class or student-run business. Year one establishes the foundation, year two creates momentum through leadership, mentorship, and networking, and by year three, students are ready to move even further into real-world experiences through internships, either on or off campus.
As the program matures, so do the students, and so do the opportunities available to them.
Ultimately, we're not simply trying to help schools launch entrepreneurship programs. We're helping schools build environments where students develop the relationships, confidence, initiative, and experience to become entrepreneurial thinkers and leaders.
Launching the program is exciting. But what happens in years two and three is what makes it transformational.
Interested in building a multi-year entrepreneurship program at your school? I'd love to connect and explore what that could look like.