“Empowering youth to lead, not just follow.” What if we taught leadership before algebra, and value creation alongside vocabulary? This talk explores how entrepreneurial thinking—curiosity, resilience, and initiative—can reshape early education and empower youth to become architects of their own futures. By integrating entrepreneurship into learning, we move beyond rote instruction toward a model that cultivates purpose, adaptability, and real-world impact. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of academia and practice, I am a passionate contributor in the fields of strategy and entrepreneurship. I love working with entrepreneurs, may it be in my classroom, through Incubators and Accelerators or within my own portfolio of Startup investments.As the Porsche AG Chair of Strategic Management and Digital Entrepreneurship at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, I aim to inspire and empower individuals and organizations to pursue their goals and aspirations. I believe in the power of reflective decision making, and I strive to bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem. For my contributions to the ecosystem I was named one of the 20 most influential Entrepreneurship Professors in Germany. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx