DOWN TO BUSINESS

In condensed interviews, a small army of business owners and corporate executives dish out general reflections and advice for tween capitalists.

A range of small- to medium-sized business founders, corporate or philanthropic foundation executives and management experts, venture capitalists, and even a government official with a business background sound off on topics including significant character traits they see in themselves and look for in their employees, identifying missions and potential markets, leveraging social media, and networking. In deference to self-starters with shorter attention spans, the authors (both high school students) end each entry with pithy lists of “Key Takeaways” pulled from the Q&A profiles. Considering the wide range of backgrounds and experiences represented, the book includes much difference of opinion—in particular, about the value, or even necessity, of going to college—but the interviewees have a general consensus that climate change, social inequities, and sustainability are crucial issues to consider for every product or enterprise. And, if some interviewees lean into jargon, many more set out clear, concise expressions of their approaches, challenges, and goals (the nonfinancial kind: Money is seldom mentioned, even in passing). While nearly all the contributors are based in the U.S., many are immigrants or children of immigrants, and in addition to ethnic diversity, there’s equity in gender balance, including one genderfluid, nonbinary app creator, offering readers a broad range of perspectives on entrepreneurial life.

A many-voiced chorus of encouragement for business-minded readers.