Rise of the ‘kidpreneurs’

Generation Alpha, born 2010 – 2025, expect a more seamless world which has the potential to reimagine local communities, affecting the way towns operate, how governments support them, and the way their economies are run. To explore these opportunities, Visa will shortly be inviting the next generation of innovators to put their ideas to the test in a human-centred design session with Visa’s brightest minds.

In just four years, the first members of Generation Alpha will enter the workforce. Whilst Gen Z have already had a profound impact on the way businesses operate, the next generation is set to shake things up even further. Three quarters (76%) of children aged 8-14 aspire to either establish their own business, run a small enterprise, or pursue a ‘side hustle’, compared to only 13% who said they would prefer working for others. This is in stark contrast to the current make-up of the UK workforce, with just 13% of the working population working for themselves, and 86% working for others. If these expectations play out as the data suggests, Generation Alpha has the potential to completely transform how businesses and communities will operate in the next five to ten years.

To recognise the potential for this age group to revolutionise economies, Visa will be inviting the next generation of innovators to step into the role of inventor for a day. Collaborating with the Visa teams who have spearheaded ground-breaking advancements in payment technology, such as contactless, AI and tokenisation, one of the group will have a chance to be appointed Visa’s first ‘Junior Chief Innovation Officer’. Applications will open in due course and those interested in participating will be able to sign up via Visa’s website.

Aston spoke to Mehret Habteab, senior vice president of product & solutions at Visa Europe.

Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash