Veteran impact scaleup Who Gives A Crap has teamed up with education nonprofit Young Change Agents to launch a program that equips teenagers with the skills to become social entrepreneurs.
Impact Boss will launch in Australia and the US in 2026 and hopes to reach 20,000 teens in its first two years. The program aims to empower them to tackle real world problems through business. It can be tailored across school subjects and other learning environments, including being self-directed through a purpose-built Entrepreneurial Learning Hub.
Who Gives A Crap will offer inspiration to students, who’ll learn how the brand approached customer research, prototyping, manufacturing, and its go-to-market strategy, to see how impact social enterprise can be fun, tangible, and achievable.
Across four sprints, students will identify problems in their communities, reframe them as opportunities, and design and launch a social enterprise.
Who Gives A Crap cofounder Jehan Ratnatunga said the company recently surveyed more than 1000 Australian about entrepreneurship and found that 93% think schools should teach entrepreneurial skills such as creativity, problem-solving and financial literacy to better prepare children for work, while 87% think it’s important for young people to learn how to make a positive impact through their job.
“We’re looking to supercharge social entrepreneurship education around the world,” he said.
“Entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for stimulating economic growth, improving health and creating social change. Combine that with the bold ideas of young minds, and it’s something we’re proud to be part of. Honestly, I think I’ll learn more from the students than they will from me!”
Young Change Agents cofounder Margaret O’Brien said Impact Boss will ensure that young people don’t just watch the future happen – they lead it.
“Over nine years, we’ve run thousands of youth programs, and we’ve seen the most effective way for students to learn is through role-modelling what’s possible,” she said.
“Who Gives A Crap is one of the best and most relatable examples of a social enterprise for youth – fun, inspiring and built to make a difference.”
The problem they’re looking to solve Ratnatunga explains, is that while the social enterprise sector is growing, education is lagging behind.
“We’re a group of people passionate about tackling big social problems in creative ways,” he said.
Being part of Impact Boss helps show young people that they can do it too. They’ll even get to sample our products – and one day, we hope we get to sample theirs.”
More at youngchangeagents.com/programs/impact-boss
And here’s Jehan Ratnatunga explaining how Impact Boss works.
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