Click to Call

Once we receive your details, we will send you the Espire application form. This form will be reviewed by our panel and a select group of candidates will be invited for an interview. This is a highly selective association!

The first of its kind Student Entrepreneur’s Association: ESPIRE mentors aspiring entrepreneurs from age 14 to 22 to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of entrepreneurship. The take-away is to create your own venture with a dynamic team and launch in the real market place.

ESPIRE Explainer Video

This Association will mentor an exclusive group of select students through the entire journey of entrepreneurship including incubating ventures

  • Foster entrepreneurial thinking
  • Expose them to successful entrepreneurs in an informal setting
  • Learn Lessons from top faculty
    (Columbia Business School, Harvard, Wharton, IIM, ISB)
  • Work on their public speaking skills
  • Teach them the intricacies of running a business
    (balance sheets, marketing strategies, lessons in management, legal studies)
  • Identify and develop their leadership ability
  • Create a  business plan and then launch a venture

———————————————————————————————–

The Benefits of Youth Entrepreneurship Training: What the Research Shows

Entrepreneurship programs can be a lot of fun students but beyond the fun, they can achieve positive results. By learning how academic skills connect to real business opportunities and hopes for success, students can be motivated to work harder in school. Entrepreneurship programs also give wide scope to student creativity and energy and offer a positive way for students to channel their talents.

Key Benefits

  • Increases career and college success
  • Opportunity to develop new skills and enjoy new experiences

Supporting research: Curtain, R. (2000), “Towards a Youth Employment Strategy.” Report to the United Nations on Youth Employment.

  • Improves creative thinking and analytics
  • Builds confidence and self-worth
  • Promotes innovation and resilience
  • Hones communication, leadership and team work

Supporting Research: OECD (2001), Putting the Young in Business: Policy Challenges for Youth Entrepreneurship, The LEED Programme, Territorial Development Division, Paris.

  • Promotes social and cultural identity
  • Builds a stronger sense of community
  • Gives youth, a sense of meaning and belonging

Supporting research: White and Kenyon (2000). “Enterprise-Based Youth Employment Policies, Strategies and Programmes.” Draft Report to ILO, Geneva.

Entrepreneurship: It’s in Demand by Students

A key survey by the Gallup Poll indicates that many students have a strong interest in entrepreneurship:

  • 69% of high school students said that they wanted to start their own busines
  • 73% of the students said that independence was their primary motivation for wanting to start a business (and not monetary benefits).
  • 68% of the students said that it was very important for successful entrepreneurs or business owners to give something, in addition to providing employment, back to the community

Moreover, the survey indicated that youth are not getting the training they want:

  • 9 out of 10 students rate their entrepreneurial knowledge as poor or fair at most
  • when asked to answer questions demonstrating basic entrepreneurial knowledge, high school students on average were only able to answer 44% of the questions correctly
  • 85% of students said they had been taught “practically nothing about” or “very little about” business and how it works
  • 84% of students said that it is very important that they learn more about entrepreneurship and how to start a business

Supporting research: Gallup Organization, Inc. & NationalCenterfor Research in Economic Education. (1994).Entrepreneurship and Small Business in the United States: A Survey Report on the Views of the General Public, High School Students, and Small Business Owners and Managers.  (Available from the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Inc., EwingMarion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO.)

————————————————————————————————–

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly does ESPIRE do?

Ans: It teaches students age 14- 22 to launch their own venture. This is taught through 4 steps:
1) Theoretical Learning – analyzing case studies e.g Facebook , entrepreneurship frameworks, introduction to intellectual property law, pitch deck analysis
2) Practical Experience – conversations with industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs, start-up visits, team selection and building exercises, learning to how make and deliver presentations
3) Brainstorming and Business Plan Creation: brainstorming start-up ideas, market research, writing a business plan, mentored by successful entrepreneurs as well as alumni from top schools globally
4) Launch Venture: create the website, marketing and branding strategy, pitch business to angel investors, participate in business plan competition, launch venture in the market

Q: Do I have to study business/ commerce or want to be an entrepreneur to participate?

Ans: Absolutely not. The idea is to teach students how to think  like entrepreneurs. For instance we want ESPIRE students to “start, lead, initiate, create” in any space they like. This can be in in the workplace, socially, in the communities and  in the their homes too.

Q: How will ESPIRE help me?

Ans: Being accepted to ESPIRE has many advantages.
1) it is a highly selective program which exposes you to a peer group of the highest caliber and gives you a chance to learn from the best minds in the industry
2) as it is selective, immediately you have something exclusive to talk about in your college applications and job interviews. Very few students across India will have access to this. This places you in top 1-2% of students
3) You will learn practical life skills : eg communication skills, how to sell yourself , how lead a team, how to implement ideas
4) You will launch a start-up – an accomplishment atypical to students of your age. THE SHORT-TERM ADVANTAGE IS HELPING YOU GET INTO YOUR DREAM COLLEGE AND EARN SCHOLARSHIP TOO!

Q: How will the modules be taught?

Ans: We want to make this program convenient and easily accessible, most importantly we want to teach in a manner that is most appreciated by students. Thus we intend to deliver 75-80% of this course online. So you can learn when on the move, in the comfort of your home. We also want to give you a chance to revisit the webinars by faculty and experts at your convenience so you truly understand and apply their knowledge.

Q: What is the duration of the program?

Ans: The program will run for six months and end with you working on your own start-up!

Q: What if I travel and have exams during the six months?

Ans: We anticipate all students will have different commitments ranging from tournaments, examinations, travel to sick days during this time. The online module helps students catch up what they missed at their convenience. Again remember this meant to be a fun and exciting learning experience, we do not intend to pressure our students and thus there are no penalties for missing webinars. We will try our best to help you during a busy time for you.

Q: Who are my mentors?

Ans: You will be mentored by the very best. We want to give you a diverse range of expert to ensure you have comprehensive learning experience.  These will range from alumni of top schools such as Stanford, Babson, Wharton, Havard Business School, London School of Economics, London School of Business to lawyers, marketing geniuses, branding experts, successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, tech wizards, UI/ UX designers, faculty from top schools as well.

Q: How do I apply to ESPIRE?

Ans: Please send us an e-mail on contact@ivyaspire stating your interest in ESPIRE and we will send you the application from and requirement

You will need to fill the form and return it with an application fee of Rs 500. In addition to the form we require:
1) Video of under 2 minutes on “ I have what it takes to be an Entrepreneur”
2) Essay : 400 words or less : ‘the most entrepreneurial things I have done or plan to do’
3) If you are shortlisted then you will be invited for an interview

Q: What is the application deadline for ESPIRE?

Ans: All completed applications must be sent in to us no later than May 12th, 2015.

Q: When does the ESPIRE program begin?

Ans: For 2015, we will begin the ESPIRE program on June 15, 2015.

Q: What ventures has ESPIRE launched so far?

Ans: We have already mentored students to launch various successful ventures:

Examples:
1) www.librorum.com ; an online resource sharing community,
2) HumEnergy – pay villagers to generate electricity and then sell it to nearby household via storage batteries
3) www.speakupstaystrong.com – social entrepreneurship  mentoring students on anti- bullying
4) Purple Badge – educates students and government schools on career options available today.
Among many more exciting ventures.

Q: What if i already have a business idea?

Ans: We are the perfect platform for you then. We will help give this idea shape looking at various areas that you need to work on to succeed. We will then help you form an excellent well suited team that is essential to the growth of the venture. Next we will help you actually create a business plan and launch the venture and ideally incubate it as well.