According to a study published by Wolters Kluwer, a global company providing software and services solutions, young entrepreneurs have a natural inclination towards problem-solving and seeking answers on their own. Furthermore, they are more likely to start businesses that have a positive impact on the world, utilize technology to their advantage, and are more likely to be flexible and adaptable, according to the survey. All these characteristics are viewed positively by more experienced entrepreneurs who have already established their brands in the market.
Influencing corporate culture, exchanging experiences, revolutionizing the market, listening humbly, innovating capability, among others, are lessons that are on the learning list of experienced leaders. CEOs and founders of companies in various sectors share what they learn on a daily basis from the new generation of entrepreneurs working in their companies.
“The richness of diversity among generations has directly influenced our culture”, Lucas André, CEO and founder of Fast Tennis.
The diversity among generations generates a rich and balanced culture between agility and maturity. “Our business model needs to be flexible and adaptable to consumer transformations, and the meeting of generations has been crucial for this. One point that greatly enriches our discussions and decision-making is the diversity of our team, which includes members of various ages. The richness of diversity among generations has directly influenced our culture. With a plurality of ideas and the daring to question the status quo, young people bring an innovative, flexible, and adaptive mindset, which often complements the maturity and experience of more senior professionals,” says the CEO of Fast Tennis, a network of tennis academies that brings an innovative proposal and is dedicated to transforming the practice of the sport into a unique and fun experience.
“The exchange of experiences is fundamental for the success of the business,” Claudinei dos Anjos, CEO and founder of Anjos Colchões & Sofás
The entrepreneurial spirit is something innate, regardless of age. Some people are born with the ability to innovate, create, and seek opportunities, while others, if they do not demonstrate it, may never develop. “An example of this is my son Leonardo dos Anjos, who in the franchise project, took on the responsibility for expansion and, by studying and connecting with great entrepreneurs, helped in the evolution. He exemplifies what it means to be an entrepreneur: always seeking to improve and take on new responsibilities and evolve. It is essential to invest in young people, who are more capable of understanding innovations in social networks, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. This generation is more tuned in and unafraid to take risks, while older individuals can contribute with their entrepreneurial spirit. With a combination of experience bringing a new perspective to businesses,” states.
“Prejudice against the younger generation cannot exist, as they are revolutionizing the market.” Ycaro Martins, CEO and founding partner of Vaapty
In a more dynamic world, the younger generation of entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the market through technology. “They are creating everything from banks to startups, creating solutions that connect us and bring efficiency to consumers through technology and creativity. They are people who consume a lot of data and have more insights with these tools. At the same time, we see that it is a generation that also takes risks, creates, and invests time in seeking impactful things in the market,” says Ycaro Martins, CEO and founding partner of Vaapty. The entrepreneur also has the habit of listening to his team to bring insights and solutions that will influence the use of processes and the creation of solutions, such as the idea of younger professionals on his team who encouraged the use of artificial intelligence to boost sales. This exchange also occurs between the younger and older generations through weekly meetings with the team and monthly meetings with the board. The CEO of Vaapty points out that younger companies have culture embedded in the company, ranging from celebrations to daily processes, and bring a perspective that is not practiced in most companies, but it is something that he is inspired by and applies in his company. “Older leaders need to be attentive to what this generation can bring to add value, whether in the business model, company culture, and how to implement it in their operations. Prejudice against the younger generation cannot exist, even if this is a more challenging generation. They have a lot of good things and are revolutionizing the market,” said the CEO.
“Working on the exercise of humility by listening to these young people is more than advice, it is a necessity for the continuity of innovation and continuous improvement in the company”, Cristiano Hoffmann, Director of Operations at DoctorFit
Generation Z brings with it a faster mentality for problem-solving, speed of solutions, ease and familiarity with technologies, explains Cristiano Hoffmann, Director of Operations at DoctorFit, a franchise of personalized training studios, with an innovative methodology. “Therefore, if you can connect the company’s vision with each one’s momentary purpose, even if they do not stay for a long time, they will add a lot to the company. Another point is that being digital natives, introducing new systems and processes involving online tools becomes easier when you have Generation Z entrepreneurs,” he says. The Director of Operations at DoctorFit says that a franchisee in the network developed an action to improve their customer retention, and the response was very positive. “Overall, our business model has always been good, where we had a monthly customer loss of 5%, now with his strategy, our loss dropped to 2%, meaning we increased the customer’s stay time in our business,” he explains. The franchisor brought young franchisees with a lot of knowledge in technology, marketing, sales, and management close, elevating the company to another level, because now, in addition to a technical approach and highly functional system, the network has all the elements that a business performance needs. “Entrepreneurship in Brazil, in itself, is a risky business, therefore, working on the exercise of humility by listening to these young people is more than advice, it is a necessity for the continuity of innovation and continuous improvement in the company. Be humble, listen to these young entrepreneurs in what they have to offer. Use your experience to guide them, but their energy for execution,” advises Cristiano Hoffmann.
“Diversity of thought creates a healthy balance and broadens the business vision”, Rafael Schinoff, CEO and founder of Padrão Enfermagem
The new generation has a lot to teach, especially regarding technology and new work formats, such as hybrid and remote. “As someone from Generation X, I realize that young people enter the market with a more flexible mindset, less attached to the traditional CLT model, and more open to exploring different forms of work. This trend forces companies to adapt, which I consider a necessary evolution. We, as entrepreneurs, need to be willing to integrate these changes into our businesses. In our company, for example, the communication and marketing sector has been directly influenced by the vision of young entrepreneurs. They bring a natural ease in adapting marketing strategies to new digital channels, connecting more effectively with our target audience. This adaptability has modernized our communication and positively impacted the way we relate to customers. Although at times my generation may resist certain changes, young people encourage us to be more flexible, which is extremely beneficial for the organization’s growth”, he states.
“The creativity of young people, combined with the experience of the more seasoned individuals, can generate great innovations for the business,” Rosane Argenta, CEO and founder of Saúde Livre Vacinas. This exchange between generations is enriching, one of the greatest insights was the importance of being more objective in management, using tools and systems to monitor the business. While the younger ones can learn resilience and patience, the more experienced ones gain agility by adopting innovative tools and methods. “As an experienced leader, I have learned a lot from the new generation of entrepreneurs and the younger team members. An interesting example came from a franchisee who brought a playful concept from another segment to our operation. She personalized vaccination plans and created thematic characters, such as the “Baby Mundi Travel,” a plan for traveling babies. This approach not only caught the attention of customers but also made the vaccination moment more enjoyable for children and more peaceful for parents. We frequently hold events where standout entrepreneurs share their successful practices, which has been valuable for everyone. Young entrepreneurs, in particular, have a more analytical approach. They want clarity about the investment and return, and use metrics accurately to measure short, medium, and long-term results. This contrasts with more experienced entrepreneurs, who tend to invest time, money, and energy without measuring efforts as much, relying on persistence to achieve results,” declares
“The young entrepreneur has much more environmental and social responsibility”, Rodrigo Bourscheidt, CEO and founder of Energy+.
Energy+ has many employees aged between 20 and 25, who think in a more integrated and communicative way. Various tools have been implemented based on ideas from this team such as the Chatbot, integration between platforms and the company’s visual identity. “Tarsila, a young Gen Z woman, started at the company as a receptionist, quickly moved onto leadership roles at Energy+. She solved distributed generation problems we had before her arrival. When we founded our association, she became the vice president and now owns a franchise within the network. What I can say is that this generation is the driving force of our work and, on the other hand, is also the consumer of our products, which are completely modern, connected and aimed at the young audience, which has much more environmental and social responsibility, and this aspect makes all the difference in our business. It is indeed a challenge to adapt, but when we manage to make the transition, the result is extraordinary”, says the executive.
“What catches my attention is the detachment of young people to changes”, Cristiano Corrêa, CEO of Ecoville
Youth give valuable lessons and insights, especially regarding the speed of learning. They are prepared to learn in various different ways, whether through writing, audio, video, school, mentoring, and everything else. “What catches my attention is the detachment to change because they are focused on the outcome and, being a younger generation, they have immediacy very close. In Ecoville, there is a young collaborator with a degree in Law. She was a lawyer, but did not find herself in the profession, so she tried Architecture, and also did not identify with it, finally ending up in Marketing. These are completely different areas, where the first two are exact. This generation teaches me a lot about not being afraid to try as many times as necessary. The advice I give to new leaders is that often the anxiety to want to do something new does not always work, we know that, but it is necessary to listen, pay attention because these young people have a broader vision and can see things that may be in our blind spot. So listen to this generation, create opportunities for them. Do a small test, validate the process, the idea, and then scale. The result can be surprising”, says.
“I find it important the exchange of knowledge and skills that comes from this new generation of entrepreneurs,” João Piffer, CEO and founder of PróRir.
Today’s youth tend to have a more direct communication, less hierarchical, are more open to feedback and collaboration. They are very focused on the agility of processes and often adopt a mindset of constant innovation, encouraging experimentation and rapid adaptation, allowing companies to quickly adjust to market changes. “Before we worked as a company that was responsible for all digital marketing management of the network. In addition to not working with a variety of images and videos that included different ethnicities, genders, ages, sexual orientations, and skills, which are our target audience, there was a very large delay in communication, interaction, and engagement on social networks. So we decided to put a young person in charge of this sector. The strategic change was huge and immediate. Our narratives became more diversified, with stories of people from different backgrounds and experiences, showing how our service meets different needs. My advice to leaders is to be open to change, keep their minds willing to listen and consider the ideas and perspectives of the new generation. Promote a collaborative environment, value diversity and inclusion, experiment more, be innovative. Always show availability to adapt to the new and celebrate your victories with your team,” says Piffer.
“The new generation always brings innovation to the company”, Luís Schiavo, CEO and founder of Naval Fertilizantes.
Promoting meetings, technical training, and idea exchanges are essential to challenge the young people in the company to create innovative projects to do things differently within the traditional agriculture sector. For this, Naval Fertilizantes also constantly organizes national and international trips with the entire team to seek the best innovation available in the market. “We had a case in Sorriso (MT) where the employee applied a product and besides visually evaluating it, he also sent leaf analysis which proved positive results. This helped us greatly in closing the deal, turned into a success story, and now we are implementing it with all clients, as a network standard. My advice to entrepreneurs is to always be aware of what is happening around them, always learning and constantly seeking to engage with younger people to understand that their mindset is not the same as the younger generation. Therefore, both have immense value in the market, but the youth is part of the generations that are changing the world,” he says.
“The new generation of young entrepreneurs challenges traditional methods and with innovative strategy and a lot of technology will shape the future of businesses“, Renata Barbalho, CEO and founder of Spain Easy.
Working together with these young people is not only an opportunity to share experiences, but also to learn from their innovative spirit. Essential to remain competitive in an ever-changing scenario. “My participation in various entrepreneur clubs in Brazil and business councils in Spain gives me the opportunity to interact directly with this new generation of entrepreneurs. In many of these meetings, both in Brazil and in Spain, the exchanges are enriching. I give and receive advice, learning from the innovative ideas of these young entrepreneurs. They are deeply connected to technology and show that, even though they are young, they have a mature vision of the challenges of the current market. The value of this exchange of knowledge between generations is immense, as it strengthens both the base of experience and the capacity for innovation. Companies that understand this collaboration are prepared to continue growing, relying on continuous learning and the union of forces between young and seasoned professionals. With almost 17 years of experience, Spain Easy has always combined traditional methods with a wide range of personalized services”, she comments.
“Young people who bring cool insights, especially regarding connectivity and innovation” Angelo Max Donaton, CEO and founder of Lavô.
Cultivating coexistence among people of different ages and extracting the positive side of each experience is a fundamental factor for Lavô. With the purpose of simplifying and democratizing self-service laundromats in the country, the network extends this goal also to the relationships of its service providers and everyone has an open channel for exchanges and suggestions. “Our operation is all outsourced and within the companies that provide us services, there are many young people who bring cool insights, especially regarding connectivity and innovation. I believe it is necessary to listen to this generation, leave the channel open all the time, and always encourage different opinions. In the network, we have this diversity and it helps us in small gestures, such as the difficulty of franchisees with the management step by step within the platform, for example. One of our young partners noticed this difficulty and developed an instructional document on how to click, view, and download the document. This helped a lot, and today we follow this model so that everyone can have the information in the same way, without this digital barrier that is so natural for this generation,” he affirms.
“With today’s youth, the exchange of knowledge flows through a lot of conversation and alignment”, Felipe Buranello, CEO of Maria Brasileira
Empathy and availability for the exchange of knowledge are remarkable traits in today’s youth. “This new generation has a side of caring very much and truly about people, in all aspects. I believe we have always cared, but the arrival of entrepreneurs from this generation seems to have completed us, overflowing what was already good. Among the many benefits that living with this generation brings us, one of the main positive points I see in today’s youth is that the exchange of knowledge flows through a lot of conversation and alignment. Therefore, I believe in the importance of prioritizing exchanges between the team and leaders, to always be informed and not just be the person who speaks, but also the one who listens. The CEO is not the figure who only has to give feedback, on the contrary, he also has to receive, and I feel that this is a very opportune moment for that”, he affirms.
“The energy and willingness of the new leaders are valuable characteristics”, Eleandro da Costa, CEO and partner of Jumper! Professions and Languages
The new entrepreneurial generation has a leadership profile marked by collaboration and engagement, according to Eleandro da Costa, CEO and partner of Jumper! Professions and Languages: “We have many young people taking on leadership roles, both in the franchise and the franchisor, and this has been crucial to driving our culture of teamwork and innovation”, he says. In the educational network, which offers more than 40 professional and foreign language courses for children and adults, the CEO mentions that the ‘Turminha Kids’ initiative originated from a young team member, a concrete example of how the new generation is bringing innovative ideas to the brand. “The initiative met a real market need and brought positive results, demonstrating the power of young people’s creativity. The energy and willingness of the new leaders are valuable characteristics. They have the ability to dedicate themselves to new projects with enthusiasm and are not intimidated by challenges. However, for this energy to translate into concrete results, it is essential to provide the necessary tools and support, as well as an experienced mentor to guide and advise them in this development process”, explains Eleandro. To encourage participation and creativity, they hold meetings that promote idea exchange, active listening, and freedom for leaders to feel confident in presenting their ideas and implementing their plans. “The ability to think outside the box and openness to new ideas and trends are striking features of the new generation. They demonstrate great initiative in seeking innovative solutions and adapting to market changes. This open and proactive mentality is essential for companies to remain competitive in a constantly changing world”, says the CEO of Jumper! Professions and Languages.
