Youngry Founder Story: We want to change the world using entrepreneurship as our medium
Youngry’s Founder, Ash Kumra, is determined to support early stage founders by connecting them with mentors and inspiring content. An avid meditator, Ash shares his perspective on the importance of impact and purpose in building a company.
What is your business, and what problem you are solving?
Youngry is a movement using content, events, and mentorship to help entrepreneurs hustle, profit, and inspire. Our mentorship platform allows every entrepreneur who is young in spirit and hungry in ambition to receive access to the best mentors.
While globally three startups are launching each second, Harvard Business Review and Forbes report that over 90% fail or close in their first five years of operation. Our mission is to change that statistic with proper mentorship, content, and events.
What inspired you to start your company?
We want to change the world using entrepreneurship as our medium. Our approach is to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to thrive as business leaders. This includes providing access to better mentorship, inspiring content, and events that connect you with mentors and fellow entrepreneurs.
Who is in your core team? How did your team come together?
At the time of our first campaign in 2016, it was just me and my co-founder, Ankur Garg. Our first campaign enabled us to grow our team. Our COO, John Reed, leads our mentorship platform access. In addition, we’ve added a CTO, Angel, VP of Sales, Michael Markman, and Content Director, Anna Dadurian, to our team.
What I love about our core team is that we’ve come together by a shared passion for Youngry’s mission. Each of my teammates joined either by attending Youngry events or collaborating with previous businesses on a mission to change the world.
Please explain your edge (or differentiation) over your competition?
Whereas our content is interactive and scalable, most market players produce static, repetitive content. By integrating inspiring content with collaborative events through our digital mentorship application, Youngry’s business model allows us to engage our base of early stage entrepreneurs and mentors anytime, anywhere.
We believe if you have a dream or a goal, you can be an entrepreneur.
What’s the thing you believe to be true that no one else agrees with?
There is good in anyone. Through entrepreneurship, anyone can change the world and make it better. I’ve often met people who feel that entrepreneurship is limited to certain types of people. We don’t buy into that philosophy. We believe if you have a dream or a goal, you can be an entrepreneur.
If you never had to work another day in your life, what would you do? Why?
I would dedicate myself to mastering self-growth. I love meditation and questioning how to make life better.
It is a beautiful thing to give our core users the opportunity to potentially gain as a shareholder through equity crowdfunding.
What about equity crowdfunding appeals to you?
I love that it democratizes the playing field. It is a beautiful thing to give our core users the opportunity to potentially gain as a shareholder through equity crowdfunding.
How do you see your industry changing in the next five years?
I expect it to grow phenomenally. Entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing segments in the world, no matter where you go. It has no borders, no politics, no religion. If done right, there are countless entrepreneurship opportunities to inspire.
If you had $1M to invest, where would you put it (you can’t invest in your own company).
I would invest in equity crowdfunding companies. I love the companies on Republic’s platform and I believe equity crowdfunding is really changing the future with these investments.
Favorite book?
I can’t choose just one. Here are my three favorites:
Head here to learn more about Youngry.
Originally published at republic.co.
