What and Who is an Entrepreneur?

Many of us hear the word “entrepreneur” when we discuss an individual who has “made it big” with their idea. Some household names who began as entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Oprah Winfrey are now the leaders of multi-billion dollar companies and also take on social issues. So do these individuals define entrepreneurs? An individual with an idea and the spirit to bring their idea to market becomes the face of an industry? Then what does it mean when a job description for an entry-level position at an established company includes a desire for “entrepreneurial spirit?”

It is important to understand what this means as you investigate career opportunities. This article from The Balance – Small Business presents the definitions and personality profiles of those individuals who are and could be an entrepreneur. And even with these definitions, you will see the lines are not always that clear…

This quick-read article gives you a snapshot of the role of individuals and the types of positions you will find in the Innovation and Entrepreneur Career Community that is defined by

  1. Creating an organization or business around innovation
  2. How the entrepreneur is assuming personal risk in pursuit of goals and that these individuals are critical in driving economic growth and innovation
By Chrys Tsilibes
Chrys Tsilibes Assistant Director, Corporate Partner Relations