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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

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

我是薩姆菈，我是創業家。

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

但我是到三十九歲才成為創業家的。

在那之前，我對創新 和創業都深感興趣，

Before that, I was fascinated by innovation and entrepreneurship,

but I didn't see myself as an entrepreneur.

但我並不認為我會是個創業家。

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

儘管在我讀中學的時候，

both of my parents had started small businesses,

我父母都創立了小型事業，

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

我媽媽是獨立電影製作人，

我爸爸是獨立律師。

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

但在那時，如果你問我 是否認識任何創業家，

I would have said no.

我會說不認識。

My parents didn't talk about themselves as entrepreneurs

我父母在談自己的時候 都沒有把自己講成創業家。

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

也沒有跟我談過創業， 所以我沒有把他們視為創業家。

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

他們會和我談的是大學 以及找到好工作。

They were overjoyed when I got an internship in finance.

當我進入金融界實習時， 他們欣喜若狂。

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

但我錄取的第一份正職工作， 是在一家才剛創立的新公司，

that perhaps you have heard of, Google --

各位可能有聽過，叫 Google——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

they were worried.

我父母當時很擔心。

They said,

他們說：

"Do real people actually work at that company?"

「真的有人類在那家公司工作嗎？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"What do they do?"

「他們是做什麼的？」

I went through most of my education and career

我在受教育期間 和職涯中大部分的時候

believing that entrepreneurship was a pathway for some.

都相信有些人會走上創業這條路。

But not for me.

但不是我。

When I was at Stanford Business School,

我在史丹佛讀商學院時，

I saw all of these eager entrepreneurial types around me

我看到我身邊圍繞著各種 充滿熱情的創業型人士，

who seemed to know how to be an entrepreneur already.

他們似乎都已經知道 要如何成為創業家了。

They spoke the lingo,

他們會說創業家語言，

they knew which classes to take,

他們知道要選哪些課，

which people and professors to hang out with

要和哪些人、哪些教授拉關係，

to make magic happen.

才能讓魔法實現。

That's what it seemed like to me.

在我眼中看起來就是這樣的：魔法。

Magic.

There was this talk of unicorns

有人在談獨角獸，也有人在談 什麼能帶來成功的秘訣。

and this mystique around what would lead to success.

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

且似乎只有非常特定的族群 才能取得魔法指南。

And that group did not look like me.

而我一點也不像那個族群的人。

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

這些人有信心也有人脈可以成事，

Manifesting new companies from ideas on napkins.

用在餐巾紙上寫下的點子 就可以創造出新公司。

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

我不知道要如何像那樣實現點子。

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

因此，我只是持續努力， 不斷去找好工作，

and I told myself

我告訴自己，

I was not entrepreneur material.

我不是做創業家的料。

I learned how to do jobs.

我學習如何去做工作。

But I didn't learn how to make jobs.

但是我沒有學習如何去創造工作。

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

一直到我看到我身邊的其他黑人女性

推出新創事業並自稱創業家，

and calling themselves entrepreneurs

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

我才真的開始相信我也可以做得到。

And by that point, I was 39 years old.

那時，我已經三十九歲了。

My journey is far from unique.

還有很多人和我有類似的經歷。

Even now, when I talk to young Black folks

即使是現在，當我和年輕黑人 談到他們將誰視為創業家時，

about who they see as entrepreneurs,

I hear Mark Zuckerberg,

我聽到的答案都是馬克‧祖克柏、

Elon Musk,

伊隆‧馬斯克、

Bill Gates.

比爾‧蓋茲。

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

當他們舉出黑人創業家時， 通常都來自幾個特定領域：

In sports: Michael Jordan,

運動領域：麥可‧喬丹、

Steph Curry,

史蒂芬‧柯瑞、小威廉絲。

Serena Williams.

娛樂領域：

In entertainment:

Beyonce, Jay-Z.

碧昂絲、

傑斯，也許還有尼普西‧哈塞爾。

Maybe Nipsey Hussle.

I want to change the narrative

我想要改變大家對於在美國 什麼樣的人能成為創業家的觀念。

around who becomes an entrepreneur in this country.

So this is the work that I do.

這就是我做的工作。

I work with young Black folks to help demystify entrepreneurship

我和年輕黑人合作，幫他們 揭開創業的神秘面紗，

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

讓他們可以學習去創造工作 而不只是去做工作。

We should all care about this.

我們都應該關心這個議題。

Entrepreneurship has driven extraordinary wealth in this country.

創業在美國帶來了非凡的財富。

Of the 100 wealthiest people in the United States,

在美國，前一百名最富有的人當中，

63 of them built their wealth in their own lifetimes

有六十三個人是靠 他們自己創立的公司，

through companies they founded themselves.

白手起家建立起他們的財富。

Only one of those 63 is Black.

那六十三個人當中只有一個黑人。

We should all care about this.

我們都應該關心這個議題。

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

而事實證明，確實 有個方法可以推動改變。

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

我們有個機會可以為年輕黑人 揭開創業的神秘面紗，

and if we get this right,

如果我們把這件事做對，

the potential for all of us is enormous.

我們所有人的潛能就會非常強大。

So what should we do?

那麼我們該怎麼辦？

首先，我們得要和年輕人 分享多種創業途徑，

First, we need to share the multiple pathways to entrepreneurship

with young people

so that they can see themselves reflected in them.

讓他們能在這些途徑中 看到自己的可能性。

There are so many different ways to be an entrepreneur,

有各式各樣的方式可以成為創業家，

from side hustling to small business ownership,

從經營副業到擁有小型企業、

intrapreneurship

內部創業、

building a high-growth tech company

打造一家高成長的科技公司等等。

and many more.

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

但這些途徑之一， 高成長科技公司的那條途徑，

gets way more attention than the others.

遠比其他途徑更受矚目。

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

且這條途徑還搭配了一整個文化 以及穿著連帽衣男子的形象。

that goes along with that pathway.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's not really very inclusive.

這並不是很具包容性。

So in our work,

因此，在我們的工作中， 我們會和年輕人分享創業途徑，

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

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

並幫助他們找到他們 感覺最適合的選擇。

We share the origin stories of other entrepreneurs

我們會分享其他創業家的起源故事，

who have walked a path

我們的年輕創業家可能會想要 探索這些創業家走過的路。

that our young entrepreneurs might want to explore.

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

我們幫助他們了解

他們可以用符合自己真實 感受的方式來成為創業家，

in a way that feels authentic to them,

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

成為創業家的方式不只一種。

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

於是就要談到我們要做的下一件事。

We have to intentionally provide

我們必須刻意提供 更多元的榜樣給年輕人。

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

We can talk about Mark and Elon,

我們可以談馬克和伊隆，

but we also have to highlight Tope,

但我們也得強調 創立 Calendly 的托普，

who founded Calendly,

or Shontay, who created Black Girl Sunscreen.

或創建了黑女孩防曬霜的香泰。

There's Robert, who started Compass Real Estate,

有創立了羅盤房地產的羅勃特，

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

還有推出脫碳平台「向前 邁進的星球」的茱莉亞。

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

有色人種族群中存在著 深厚的創業傳承，

and there are countless Black innovators across every industry

且在每個行業中都有 數不清的黑人創新者，

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

我們可以也應該將他們樹立為榜樣。

And we need to make those role models feel proximate

且我們需要讓這些榜樣 感覺更貼近一般人，

so that young people can say,

年輕人才能說：「我可以在這個人 和其經歷中看到我自己的影子，

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

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

我不必再等二十年才開始。」

One of the best ways to make role models proximate

讓榜樣更貼近一般人的最佳方式之一 就是鄰近同儕導師制度。

is through near-peer mentorship.

Our near-peers are young entrepreneurs

我們的鄰近同儕是早幾年 開始踏上創業路的年輕創業家，

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

like Ahmed who's a freelance filmmaker,

如艾梅德，他是自由電影製作人；

or Jada who has her own lash tech business,

或潔達，她有自己的美睫技術企業；

or Florence, who's an emerging product designer.

或佛蘿倫絲，她是產品設計新星。

She helped design these shoes I'm wearing.

她幫忙設計了我穿的這雙鞋子。

Each of these mentors can bring their own authentic identity

這些導師都可以用他們身為 年輕創業家的真實身分

as a young entrepreneur

to demonstrate what's possible for other young people.

向其他年輕人展示 有什麼樣的可能性。

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

最後，當我們思考創業不平等 背後的最大的驅動因素，

最終都會歸結到人脈。

in the end it all comes down to relationships.

Who has access to the relationships

誰能取得人脈，找到能協助 他們達成目標的人、

who will help them achieve their goals,

and who doesn't.

誰無法取得。

This is social capital,

這是社會資本。

and it's just as critical to entrepreneurial success

若想成功創業，它的重要性 不亞於財務資本。

as financial capital.

Every successful entrepreneur I've spoken to

我訪問過的每一位成功創業家

can point to an introduction or an opportunity

都可以說出透過他們的人脈 而實現的某次引見或某個機會

that came to them through their relationships

that changed the trajectory of their journey.

改變了他們旅程的軌道。

And accessing and mobilizing your social capital

取得和動用你的社會資本 是種可以習得的技能。

is a skill that can be learned.

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

它並不是有些人知道怎麼做 而有些人就是不知道的那種東西。

So in our work,

因此，我們的工作包括協助年輕人 了解他們的人脈網路中已經有誰。

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

We help them build the confidence

我們協助他們建立信心，去聯絡 那些可能願意支助他們的人。

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

We help them build fluency with tools like LinkedIn.

我們協助他們熟練掌握 像 LinkedIn 這類工具。

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

建立你的創業人脈網絡感覺可能 像是個複雜又讓人害怕的過程，

around building your entrepreneurial network

我們協助將它拆解成 更平易近人的小片段。

into more approachable pieces.

And we take an asset-based lens

且我們會採用以資源為基礎的視角，

affirming that young people already know people

保證年輕人都已經認識 可以幫助他們達成目標的人。

who can help them achieve their goals.

I've seen young people go from tentatively curious

我見過有對創業感到好奇的 年輕人從試探轉變成

about entrepreneurship

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

把自己視為創業家， 這轉變只花了十週。

I've seen the spark that grows

我見過年輕人初次見到能夠肯定 他們身分的創新者榜樣時，

when young people see identity-affirming role models,

often for the first time, who are innovators.

所產生出的火花越來越大。

And I've seen the feeling of power and agency

我也見過力量和主導的感覺

that comes from recognizing the social capital that you already have

源自於認可你已經擁有達成你的目標

所需要的社會資本。

that can help you achieve your goals.

This is the real magic.

這是真正的魔法。

This is the work that I do.

這是我在做的工作。

But we should all care about this

但，我們都應該關心這個議題，

because it matters well beyond the young people we serve.

因為會受影響的遠不只 我們服務的這些年輕人。

如果你關心公平，

If you care about equity,

the median Black family holds only 15 percent

中等黑人家庭的財富只有 中等白人家庭的 15%。

of the wealth of the median white family.

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

如果我們只教導黑人年輕人 如何去做工作而不是創造工作，

then we will continue to see that wealth gap persist.

財富差距就會持續存在。

If you care about the economy,

如果你關心經濟，

closing the earnings gap

縮短收入差距能夠 讓美國經濟到 2050 年時

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

增加超過八兆美金。

That's a T, trillion.

我說的是「兆」。

And if you care

如果你在乎我們勞動力的韌性，

about the resilience of our workforce,

especially given technologies like AI,

特別是在考慮到人工智慧 這類技術的情況下，

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

教導年輕人如何創造 新工作是勢在必行。

By one estimate,

根據一項估計，

people in the lowest income brackets

如果去計算因為人工智慧而必須 換工作的可能性，低收入階層的人

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

會是十四倍。

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

如果我們只教導年輕人 如何去做現今存在的工作，

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

我們實際上就沒有 幫他們為未來做準備。

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

我是活生生的證明， 證明即使起步晚也一樣

可以把自己視為創業家， 並做些有意義的事情。

and still do something meaningful.

I started my organization four years ago at 39,

我在四年前創立了我的組織， 那時我三十九歲時，

and while we're still early,

雖然成立還沒很久，

I believe we have big things ahead.

我相信我們未來會有很大的成就。

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

但我也相信，如果我 在十九歲或二十九歲就起步，

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

現在我就會處在不同的創業家階段。

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

我可能會在經營第二個 或第三個新創公司。

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

我可能已經學到了一些 我現在正在學習的教訓。

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

我也正在努力放下數十年來 不把我自己視為創業家的觀念。

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

想像一下，如果不僅是對他們， 對所有人來說這魔法都能成真，

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

如果我們的年輕人能更早開始 將自己視為工作創造者，

and not just doers of jobs earlier on.

而不是做工作的人，那會有多棒？

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）