Yes, You Can Be an Entrepreneur Too | Saamra Mekuria-Grillo | TED

翻译人员: Eric Ma 校对人员: Bruce Wang

My name is Saamra, and I’m an entrepreneur.

我叫萨姆拉，我是一 名企业家。

But I didn't become an entrepreneur until I was 39 years old.

但是直到39岁我才成为企业家。

Before that, I was fascinated by innovation and entrepreneurship,

在此之前， 我对创新和企业家精神着迷，

but I didn't see myself as an entrepreneur.

但我并不 认为自己是企业家。

This is despite the fact that when I was in middle school,

尽管在我读初中的时候，

both of my parents had started small businesses,

我的父母都创办了 小企业。

my mom as an independent filmmaker and my dad as a solo lawyer.

我的妈妈是独立电影制片人， 我的父亲是个人律师。

But if you had asked me then if I knew any entrepreneurs,

但是，如果你当时问我 是否认识任何企业家，

I would have said no.

我会说不。

My parents didn't talk about themselves as entrepreneurs

我的父母没有把自己 说成企业家，

or to me about entrepreneurship, so I didn't see them as entrepreneurs.

也没有对我说企业家精神， 所以我不把他们看作企业家。

They talked to me about college and getting a good job.

他们和我谈了大学 和找份好工作。

They were overjoyed when I got an internship in finance.

当我获得金融实习时， 他们喜出望外。

But when I got my first full-time job at an early-stage startup

但是，我一家初创公司找到了 第一份全职工作

that perhaps you have heard of, Google --

这家你可能听说过的，谷歌

(Laughter)

（笑声）

they were worried.

他们很担心。

They said,

他们说：

"Do real people actually work at that company?"

“真有人 在那家公司工作吗？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"What do they do?"

“他们在做什么？”

I went through most of my education and career

在我的大部分 教育和职业生涯中，

believing that entrepreneurship was a pathway for some.

我都认为创业 是某些人的道路。

But not for me.

但不适合我。

When I was at Stanford Business School,

当我在斯坦福商学院时，

I saw all of these eager entrepreneurial types around me

我看到了身边所有这些渴望 创业的人，

who seemed to know how to be an entrepreneur already.

他们似乎已经知道 如何成为一名企业家了。

They spoke the lingo,

他们说的是行话，

they knew which classes to take,

他们知道该上什么课，

which people and professors to hang out with

要和哪些人和教授一起交流

to make magic happen.

才能让魔法变为现实。

That's what it seemed like to me.

在我看来就是这样。

Magic.

魔法。

There was this talk of unicorns

有人谈论独角兽，

and this mystique around what would lead to success.

还有一种关于成功的奥秘感。

And the magical playbook seemed to have been shared with a very specific group.

而且这本神奇的剧本似乎 是与一个非常具体的群体分享的。

And that group did not look like me.

而且那群人长得不像我。

These people had the confidence and the connections to make things happen.

这些人有信心 和人际关系使事情发生。

Manifesting new companies from ideas on napkins.

在餐巾纸 上展示新公司想法。

I did not understand how to do that type of manifestation.

我不明白该如何这么做

So I kept working to get good job after good job,

因此，我一直在努力工作，争取 找到一份好工作，

and I told myself

我告诉自己

I was not entrepreneur material.

我不是创业者。

I learned how to do jobs.

我学会了如何做工作。

But I didn't learn how to make jobs.

但我没有学会如何创造工作。

It wasn't until I saw other Black women around me launching new ventures

直到我看到 身边的其他黑人女性创办新企业

and calling themselves entrepreneurs

并称自己为企业家后，

that I really began to believe I could do it, too.

我才真正开始相信 自己也能做到。

And by that point, I was 39 years old.

那时，我已经 39 岁了。

My journey is far from unique.

我的旅程远非独一无二。

Even now, when I talk to young Black folks

即使是现在，当我与年轻的黑人伙伴

about who they see as entrepreneurs,

谈论他们认为谁是企业家时，

I hear Mark Zuckerberg,

我会听到马克·扎克伯格、

Elon Musk,

埃隆·马斯克、

Bill Gates.

比尔·盖茨。

And when they do name Black entrepreneurs, there are very specific lanes.

当他们点名黑人企业家时， 他们具体的非常特殊的赛道特征。

In sports: Michael Jordan,

体育界：迈克尔·乔丹、

Steph Curry,

斯蒂芬·库里、

Serena Williams.

塞雷娜·威廉姆斯。

In entertainment:

娱乐界：

Beyonce, Jay-Z.

碧昂斯、Jay-Z。

Maybe Nipsey Hussle.

也许是 Nipsey Hussle。

I want to change the narrative

我想改变谁成为这个国家 的企业家的说法。

around who becomes an entrepreneur in this country.

So this is the work that I do.

这是就是我所做的工作。

I work with young Black folks to help demystify entrepreneurship

我与年轻的黑人合作， 帮助揭开创业的神秘面纱，

so they can learn how to make jobs and not just do jobs.

这样他们就可以学习如何创造 工作，而不仅仅是做工作。

We should all care about this.

我们都应该关心这个。

Entrepreneurship has driven extraordinary wealth in this country.

企业家精神为这个国家带来了 非凡的财富。

Of the 100 wealthiest people in the United States,

在美国100位最富有的人中，

63 of them built their wealth in their own lifetimes

有63人通过自己创立的公司

through companies they founded themselves.

在自己的一生中积累了财富。

Only one of those 63 is Black.

这63人中只有一个是黑人。

We should all care about this.

我们都应该关心这个。

And it turns out there is a way to move the needle.

事实证明，有一种 方法可以做出改变。

We have an opportunity to demystify entrepreneurship for Black young people,

我们有机会揭开黑人年轻人 创业的神秘面纱，

and if we get this right,

如果我们做对了，

the potential for all of us is enormous.

我们所有人的潜力都是巨大的。

So what should we do?

那么我们应该怎么做？

First, we need to share the multiple pathways to entrepreneurship

首先，我们需要与年轻人分享 创业的多种途径，

with young people

so that they can see themselves reflected in them.

这样他们才能看到自己在其中 得到反映。

There are so many different ways to be an entrepreneur,

要成为一名企业家， 有很多不同的方式，

from side hustling to small business ownership,

从兼职到小企业

intrapreneurship

内部创业

building a high-growth tech company

建立一家高增长的 科技公司等等。

and many more.

But one of those pathways, the high-growth tech one,

但是其中一条途径， 即高增长的科技途径，

gets way more attention than the others.

比其他途径更受关注。

There’s a whole culture and a guy-in-a-hoodie persona

在这条道路上，有一种完整的文化

that goes along with that pathway.

一个穿连帽衫的男人的角色。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It's not really very inclusive.

它的包容性不强。

So in our work,

因此，在我们的工作中，

we share all of the pathways to entrepreneurship with young people,

我们与年轻人分享所有创业途径，

and we help them find what feels like the right fit for them.

并帮助他们 找到最适合自己的方法。

We share the origin stories of other entrepreneurs

我们分享其他企业家 的起源故事，

who have walked a path

他们走过了一条我们的年轻企业家 可能想探索的道路。

that our young entrepreneurs might want to explore.

We help them understand that they can show up as an entrepreneur

我们帮助他们明白， 他们可以以一种真实的方式

in a way that feels authentic to them,

来表现为企业家，

and that there's no one way to be an entrepreneur.

而且没有一种 方法可以成为企业家。

And that leads to the next thing we need to do.

这就引出了我们需要 做的下一件事。

We have to intentionally provide

我们必须有意识地

a much more diverse set of role models to young people.

为年轻人提供更多样 化的榜样。

We can talk about Mark and Elon,

我们可以谈谈马克和埃隆，

but we also have to highlight Tope,

但我们还必须重点介绍 托普

who founded Calendly,

创立了Calendly

or Shontay, who created Black Girl Sunscreen.

黑人女孩防晒霜的Shontay。

There's Robert, who started Compass Real Estate,

有创立 康帕斯房地产的罗伯特

and Julia, who launched Planet Forward, a decarbonization platform.

和创立脱碳平台 “Planet Forward” 的朱莉娅。

There is a deep legacy of entrepreneurship in communities of color,

有色人种群体有着深厚 的企业家精神

and there are countless Black innovators across every industry

每个行业 都有无数的黑人创新者

that we can and should be raising up as role models.

我们可以而且 应该树立他们的榜样。

And we need to make those role models feel proximate

我们需要让 这些榜样感觉亲近，

so that young people can say,

这样年轻人才能说：

"I can see myself in this person and their journey,

“我可以在这个 人和他们的旅程中看到自己，

and I don't have to wait 20 years to get started."

不必等 20年才能开始。”

One of the best ways to make role models proximate

让榜样接近的最佳方法 之一

is through near-peer mentorship.

是通过近距离的同伴指导。

Our near-peers are young entrepreneurs

我们的同行是年轻的企业家

who are just a few years farther along in their journeys,

他们的旅程只有几年的路程，

like Ahmed who's a freelance filmmaker,

比如自由电影制片人艾哈迈德，

or Jada who has her own lash tech business,

拥有自己的 睫毛科技业务的贾达，

or Florence, who's an emerging product designer.

或者新兴产品设计师弗洛伦斯。

She helped design these shoes I'm wearing.

她帮助设计了我穿的这双鞋。

Each of these mentors can bring their own authentic identity

这些导师中的每一位都 可以带来自己

as a young entrepreneur

作为年轻企业家的真实身份，

to demonstrate what's possible for other young people.

以展示其他年轻 人的可能性。

Finally, when I think about the biggest drivers of entrepreneurial inequity,

最后，当我想到创业不平等的最大 驱动因素时，

in the end it all comes down to relationships.

归根结底一切都 归结为人际关系。

Who has access to the relationships

谁有权访问关系

who will help them achieve their goals,

谁能帮助他们实现目标，

and who doesn't.

谁没有。

This is social capital,

这是社会资本，

and it's just as critical to entrepreneurial success

它与金融资本一样 对创业成功至关重要

as financial capital.

Every successful entrepreneur I've spoken to

can point to an introduction or an opportunity

都可以指出他们 通过人际关系获得的介绍或机会，

that came to them through their relationships

that changed the trajectory of their journey.

这些机会改变了他们的人生轨迹。

And accessing and mobilizing your social capital

而获取和调动 社会资本

is a skill that can be learned.

是一项可以学习的技能。

It's not just something that some people know how to do and others don't.

这不仅仅是某些人 知道该怎么做而另一些人不知道的事情。

So in our work,

因此，在我们的工作中，

we help young people understand who is in their networks already.

我们帮助年轻人了解 谁已经在他们的网络中。

We help them build the confidence

我们帮助他们建立信心

to reach out to those who might be willing to support them.

以便向那些可能 愿意支持他们的人伸出援手。

We help them build fluency with tools like LinkedIn.

我们使用LinkedIn 等工具帮助他们提高流畅度。

We help break down what can feel like a really complex and scary process

我们将

around building your entrepreneurial network

围绕建立您的 创业网络的过程分解

into more approachable pieces.

成更平易近人的部分，帮助分解可能 感觉非常复杂的过程。

And we take an asset-based lens

我们以资产为基础的视角，

affirming that young people already know people

肯定年轻人已经 认识了可以帮助实现目标的人。

who can help them achieve their goals.

I've seen young people go from tentatively curious

在10周的时间里， 我已经看到年轻人从

about entrepreneurship

to seeing themselves as entrepreneurs in the span of 10 weeks.

对创业的好奇 变成了将自己视为企业家。

I've seen the spark that grows

我已经看到，

when young people see identity-affirming role models,

当年轻人看到能够 肯定身份的创新 者榜样时，火花就会增强，

often for the first time, who are innovators.

这种活力往往是第一次。

And I've seen the feeling of power and agency

我已经看到了一种权力和能动 性的感觉

that comes from recognizing the social capital that you already have

这种感觉来自于认 可你已经拥有的

that can help you achieve your goals.

可以帮助你实现目标的社会资本。

This is the real magic.

这才是真正的魔法。

This is the work that I do.

这是我所做的工作。

But we should all care about this

但是我们都应该关心这个问题，

because it matters well beyond the young people we serve.

因为这远不止我们 所服务的年轻人。

If you care about equity,

如果你关心净值，中位数

the median Black family holds only 15 percent

的黑人家庭仅持有

of the wealth of the median white family.

中位数白人家庭财富的15％。

If we're only teaching Black young people how to do jobs and not make jobs,

如果我们只教黑人年轻人 如何做工作而不是找工作，

then we will continue to see that wealth gap persist.

那么我们将继续看到 贫富差距持续存在。

If you care about the economy,

如果你关心经济，

closing the earnings gap

到2050年，缩小收入差距

could add over eight trillion dollars to the US economy by 2050.

可以 为美国经济增加超过八万亿美元。

That's a T, trillion.

那是 T，万亿。

And if you care

而且，如果你

about the resilience of our workforce,

关心我们员工队伍的韧性，

especially given technologies like AI,

尤其是考虑到人工智能等技术，

it's imperative that we teach young people how to make new jobs.

那么我们必须教导年轻 人如何找到新的工作。

By one estimate,

据估计，由于人工智能，

people in the lowest income brackets

最低收入阶层的人

could be up to 14 times more likely to need to change jobs due to AI.

需要换工作的可能性 可能高出14倍。

If we're only teaching young people how to do jobs that exist today,

如果我们只是教导年轻人 如何从事当今存在的工作，

then we're not actually preparing them for their futures.

那么我们实际上并不是在为他们的 未来做好准备。

I'm proof that you can start to see yourself as an entrepreneur later in life

我证明你可以在晚年开始将 自己视为企业家，

and still do something meaningful.

但仍然可以做一些有意义的事情。

I started my organization four years ago at 39,

四年前，我在 39 岁时创立了自己的组织，

and while we're still early,

虽然我们还为时过早，

I believe we have big things ahead.

但我相信我们还有很大的发展前景。

But I also believe that if I had started at 19 or even 29,

但我也相信，如果我 从19岁甚至29岁开始，

I would be at a different stage as an entrepreneur today.

我今天的企业家将处于不同的阶段。

I'd probably be on my second or third start-up.

我可能会进入第二 或第三次创业。

I'd have already learned some lessons that I'm learning right now.

我已经吸取了一些我现在 正在学习的教训了。

I'm also working to unlearn decades of not seeing myself as an entrepreneur.

我也在努力忘记几十年来 没有将自己视为企业家的经验。

Imagine the magic that would be possible not just for them, but for all of us

想象一下，不仅仅是他们， 而是我们所有人

if our young people could start to see themselves as makers of jobs

如果我们的年轻人能够 将自己视为就业创造者

and not just doers of jobs earlier on.

而不是做工作者，这会是多么神奇。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）