Inspiring and Impactful Entrepreneurship — In conversation with Jason Harvey
Entrepreneurial thinking isn’t constrained to focusing on monetary gain; it’s about innovating solutions that improve the world around us. Self-starter methods of asking questions, identifying gaps, and finding opportunities to improve are simple in practice but lead to growth and stronger solutions. By fostering entrepreneurial ideas and business knowledge across the world, individuals can access their untapped potential to improve their communities.
A results-driven C-Suite leader focusing on community empowerment, Jason Harvey is an impactful value creator with years of experience sparking growth and positive business transformations.
From the Peace Corps to Sammy Startup to your current role as an EVP, you’ve created entrepreneurial impacts at various levels — from a nonprofit to entertainment. How do you successfully develop a lasting impact across communities, and how do you approach each one?
Entrepreneurship is the simple approach of identifying a need or opportunity and developing a unique idea to address it. Although navigating the economic landscape of each community is different, the core entrepreneurial approach is the same: developing an idea, testing it, building a plan (including marketing and finances), and the trial-and-error nature of launching it.
I’ve had the opportunity to help others understand this approach and execute it with a Peace Corps micro-lending initiative in Ecuador. I leveraged my expertise to help people understand the basic, critical knowledge necessary in developing a small business, fostering financial literacy and business management knowledge while providing technical assistance for bookkeeping and marketing. Through mentoring and providing ongoing support, I was able to target underserved groups with opportunities to develop their entrepreneurship and even connect with other businesses.
I clearly remember one woman who created a soymilk business — cow milk was expensive and she’d mastered her family recipe, so she decided to sell it to others. After she acquired her loan and got started, her soymilk sold like hotcakes! Not only was she able to earn enough money to afford healthcare for her family, but the entire community was able to live a healthier life with new access to nutritious milk.
Writing Sammy Startup is another way I’ve been able to share my expertise and ignite entrepreneurial flames in underserved communities. I wanted to inspire children like my own to start a business, no matter how small — so, Sammy Startup introduces kids to the business-building process of forming a unique idea and launching it, using positive representation for children of color, fun characters that teach while entertaining, and authentic storytelling that reflects their real experiences.
The potential impact of creating small businesses in underrepresented communities is profound, and that begins with fostering entrepreneurial attributes and confidence in children. Sammy’s Lemonade stand teaches children about running with their unique ideas, differentiating themselves from others, and trying to make an impact in their community. Some say “entrepreneurship” is a long word that kids aren’t interested in, but kids aren’t afraid of long words — they just need help learning them.
The impacts of implementing entrepreneurship can be felt throughout whole communities. Through building businesses, individuals can improve their lives and the world around them in a meaningful, lasting way.
Thanks for sharing, Jason.
