It might seem like an unusually early age to learn how to start your own business, but Craig Zamary says exposing children to entrepreneurship, as early as 1st grade, sparks creativity and inspiration. Zamary says entrepreneurship is a learning process: the earlier it starts, the farther along it gets.
Zamary is a lecturer for Kent State University’s College of Business and Administration. He is also a serial entrepreneur who has started and sold three of his four startup companies. His interest in working with youth, started with his own elementary school son who created and launched an app. When a first grade teacher learned of the young entrepreneur’s success, she invited Zamary into a classroom of bright-eyed students. Together they explored ways of thinking out of the box through unique ideas and inventions.
Zamary is so passionate about reaching youth, he has addressed members of Congress and the U.S. Department of Education. He has been recognized by the United Nations, U.S. Embassy, and Kauffman Foundation. At the end of October, at the invitation of David Bray, Ph.D., CIO of the Federal Communications Commission, Zamary will have the distinguished opportunity to present and advise the next President of the United States and the administration.
Zamary has also shared his experience through a series of articles in the Huffington Post:
- Why Entrepreneurship Should be Taught in 1st Grade
- Youth Entrepreneurship – Top 10 Reasons Why the U.S. Department of Education Should Consider This
- Young Entrepreneurs – Coolest Youth Startup in the United States.
Zamary says regardless of whether students actually start their own business, teaching them entrepreneurship in elementary school encourages them to step outside of their comfort zone, work in teams, and learn to unleash their potential.