How did you spend your free time when you were a teenager? Most of us were busy playing, partying, and goofing off (and, of course, studying). But were you building your own business? We all come to entrepreneurship by various routes, but I bet few of us knew by the age of 16 that was where we’d eventually end up.

Last week I attended the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) USA National Competition to judge presentations of high school students from across the country. (Full disclosure: I am on the board of SAGE.) SAGE’s mission is to teach students entrepreneurial skills and to encourage them to start, run, and grow their own businesses.

The businesses run by the students have to be either socially responsible companies (a for-profit business that gives back to the community) or social enterprises (a nonprofit company). There are currently about 2,000 SAGE teams around the world, with approximately 15,000 participating students.

I was completely blown away by the poise of these teens who got up in front of a room full of adults, there solely to judge them. Sure they were nervous (who wouldn’t be?), but they were there to convince us why they should win their division and earn a chance to compete in the Global Competition, to be held in Niagra Falls in July. (Lest you think that’s not very international, last year’s Global Competition was in Capetown, South Africa.)

The team that won the social enterprise category was from Holy Angels Academy, an all-girls high school in Buffalo, N.Y. Their theme “Act Locally, Affect Globally” wove through their many projects which included creating a series of children’s books, in both English and Spanish, that educate kids on important issues like water pollution; buying hens for African widows to help ensure their kids have protein to eat as well as to help them earn money selling eggs; and donating LifeStraws, which are portable water filters, to villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti.

Two of the semi-finalist teams in the socially responsible business category (for which I was a judge) hailed from Ross High School in Ohio, and had already started computer services businesses. One of the teams, consisting of three seniors, was planning to “postpone college” for at least one year so they could concentrate on growing their businesses, Bitcove. (Notice the plural –these are ambitious boys.) I, of course, was compelled to offer some “helpful” advice, telling them they needed to go to college to further their business education.

The other team from Ross High School won the socially responsible division. They were all juniors and had already planned to go to the same college, share an apartment, and continue to operate their business, Alpha Technologies. Exhibiting great maturity they realized they might not all end up at the same college and had already formulated a Plan B to operate virtually if needed.

These kids join SAGE because they want to build a business and make a difference in the world. Participation in SAGE is voluntary and usually an extracurricular activity. There’s no school credit given.

I love going to SAGE events as it shows me that the spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and well, and that American teens are dedicated to more than just “hanging out.” This event made me realize that innovation can be as advanced as the Bitcove team providing cloud-computing services in their community, and as simple as the Holy Angels team providing inventory for a boutique in the Dominican Republic run by seven former prostitutes. (The team sent over 100 dresses collected at dress drives.)

These teens could teach us all a lesson. They know that being in business is about more than just taking in money; the spirit of giving back is an integral part of their business missions. They’ve learned … heck, let them tell you in their own words:

• “I’ve learned that owning a business is not all about the money.”
• “I’ve learned that when you help your community, they will turn around and help you.”
• “I’ve learned that customer satisfaction really matters.”
• “I’ve learned that giving back is good business — and good for business.”
• “Because of my teacher, I’ve learned how to get one step closer to the American dream.”

Most of us are so busy running our small businesses that we don’t take the time to reflect on what we’ve learned along the way, and figure out the best way to pay it forward. Make the time. It will be well worth the effort.

Similar Posts:

• QSB’s Inter-Collegiate Business Competition a huge success
• Babson Competition Winners Sell Viral Videos, Healthful Foods
• Shopping for Text Books
• ‘I Want This Drug on the Market by the Time I Need It!’
• Small Biz Resource Tip: JustGive.org