themselves with positive people, but equally important, they need to be positive to succeed. Having a negative outlook can drain one’s energy and alienate people, hurting personal and professional prospects. Children aren’t born pessimistic, it’s a learned trait, and so is optimism. That’s why optimism needs to be nurtured at an early age so they can be positive about their abilities and their future prospects. The difference between an entrepreneur that is just getting by and one who is thriving is a creative drive and an innovative approach to solving problems. Developing this skill can start at early childhood.
image courtesy ford motors
8. Engaging the community
Entrepreneurs experience loneliness, sometimes amplified by the stress of their daily lives. The best cure for loneliness is helping others because it provides a deep sense of fulfillment and belonging to the community. In addition, by becoming involved in the community you gain new perspectives and further boost your self-esteem. Children, by learning that they can make a difference in their immediate community, will develop an understanding to the challenges our society faces. By participating in activities like cleanups or food drives, they’ll continue on this path of community engagement in the future. Nurturing these skills in children today can create more capable and effective entrepreneurs, leaders, and responsible citizens. While the BizWorld programs focus on the practical aspects of entrepreneurship, we place equal emphasis on developing these skills that help the entrepreneurial spirit truly shine.
| THE FIX |
The race is on Ford invests US$1 billion in autonomous vehicle technology startup Argo AI
D
iving into the industry’s selfdriving race, Ford Motors has invested US$1 billion for the next five years in Argo AI, an Artificial Intelligence startup focused on developing autonomous vehicle technology. Fun fact? The AI startup was founded by Bryan Salesky, a former employee from Google’s self-driving team, and Peter Rander, who previously headed Uber’s autonomous efforts up until September 2016. With Ford’s proficiency in the automotive sector and Argo AI’s robotics know-how, a team from the two entities would develop a virtual driver system for Ford’s autonomous vehicle that’s set to be delivered in 2021. The investment essentially means that Ford is gaining a majority stake in the startup, though Ford CEO Mark Fields has expressed how Argo AI will operate independently, and is incentivizing employee retention by offering equity in the startup. And in the future, Argo AI plans to license its tech to other companies too. Quite familiar to those watching the industry too- if you remember, last year, Volvo partnered with automotive safety company Autoliv to develop autonomous software, and license it in the future too. That’s not to ignore Tesla’s approach to
updating its software, with Uber looking for cities to test its self-driving feature, and Google’s parent company Alphabet launching new division Waymo to primarily focus on developing its autonomous vehicle tech. And if we look closer to home, UAE is taking steps to being a smart city, further closer to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. In collaboration with firm Ehang, the Road and Transportation Agency recently revealed their plans for the Chinese EHang 184 passenger drone to launch operations soon. Showcased at the World Government Summit in Dubai, the autonomous aerial vehicle was tested and found capable of carrying a person. With a lot of players involved, we might finally be closer to having flying cars and more, soon.
Peter Rander, Argo AI COO, Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO, Bryan Salesky, Argo AI CEO and Raj Nair, Ford EVP
march 2017 Entrepreneur
51