The following is an Op-Ed based on Cameron Herold’s talk from TEDxEdmonton and features commentary from Anum Raza Hasan & Bilal Rashid.

Anum Raza Hasan says…

An idea radiating inspiration is much like a frivolous oyster. What you do with it, eventually determines its viable worth to you. Opportunities to seek inspiration are abundant; they are all around you depending on how effectively you are exploring. The TEDx platform shines as that riveting opportunity.

Cameron Herold at TEDx Edmonton earlier this year spoke about the need to nourish creativity in kids while resisting the overwhelming obsession and omni potent attention levied to ‘educational’ pursuits. In the blind follow up to static curriculums dreams, innovations, visionary ideas have to be sacrificed/ suppressed as he asks, what then happens to greater learning? His panache at barter/ selling goods/ negotiations and innovative business skills plus his competent speaking ability were both denied and sidelined as a kid. Today he is rated best lecturer at one of MIT’s masters programs and termed a leading entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs he says are thinkers, doers, innovators. Do you remember when you were a kid and thought you could do anything. Well according to him, you still can. Because a lot of what we consider impossible is easy to overcome. Because in case you haven’t noticed we live in a world where one individual can make a difference. To seek proof, look around, maybe our leaders, teachers, parents or the speakers slated to speak at the TED x event came with very little resources or guidance or perhaps they didn’t own anything except ….for a single, brilliant idea. That idea teamed with determination and passion becomes a winning combo every time it’s been tested.

Cameron believes it’s easy to change the way we think about what is possible when we acquire the ‘entrepreneurial psyche’. Entrepreneurs have a clear vision of how life can be better. For all of us even when times are tough it’s hard to envision solutions as our views become cluttered with obstacles. But for entrepreneurs turbulence creates opportunities for success, achievement and pushes them to discover new ways of doing things. So what opportunities will you go after and why? If you’re an entrepreneur you know that risk isn’t the reward. The rewards are driving innovation- changing people’s lives- creating jobs- fuelling growth and making a better world by finding new ways to solve society’s oldest problems.

To pan cameras to the local context in an act of self reflexivity demands merit. In a scenario laden with threats to life security and strategic challenges to survival; in a set up when very little is working for us- entrepreneurial initiatives, passion and faith becomes not only desirable but perhaps order of the day! Innovation, exciting ideas and breakthroughs must drive motivations in whichever sector you recall- financial, educational, social. Our civil society players have been innovative with micro finance to reach out to low income families, multiplying further opportunities for welcome change. They have been inventive with technology for instance to raise and upgrade farm produce to feed a larger part of the population, otherwise starving amidst larger state apathy. They have been creative with entertainment platforms to reach out to local and global audiences raising awareness in times when ignorance was rampant, radiating hope in times when none existed.

Bilal Rashid adds…

“A person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk of a business venture”
Definition of an entrepreneur

While going through different Ted Talks this one particularly struck a chord with me since I am an entrepreneur myself and went through a lot of what Cameron has to say about being an entrepreneur have you ever thought Why is it that ever since we were children we were brought up to be engineers, doctors, lawyers. Why did we not get to choose what we want to be.. Off course I am not implying that we gave up education and went out and blew people up or sit around aimlessly and do nothing of ourselves, what I am referring to is to have the options to know that one can go on and be an entrepreneur. We all remember that as kids some of us were good at destroying walls (painters), some were awesome at creating things (specialists), while others wanted to work with animals (vets). We were always scolded or negated of our fantasies. We were brought up to be followers not leaders. Why are we destined to breed followers when we can dictate our destinies? No wonder these questions will remain unanswered till we decide to Identify, accept and act towards supporting and nurturing entrepreneurial kids. They need to be supported and not frighten them. Pakistan as a country needs to change our gross national approach as well as social & cultural acceptance for young entrepreneurs. Preaching Entrepreneurship in Pakistan may sound futuristically stupid but if we plan on standing shoulder to shoulder with modern “developed” countries we need a breed of young leaders who can steer us forward.