The Evolution Of The Entrepreneur

the O EVOLUTION of the ENTREPRENEUR Entrepreneurs have shaped the face of business and enterprise since the dawn of man. From the first wheel to the advent of the Internet, these clever businessmen evolved for centuries into their most recent incarnation, the Social Media Entrepreneur. THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL The very first entrepreneur was the engineering caveman. While his fellow cave dwellers lugged their food on slabs, he saw the need for a better system of transportation and invented the wheel. CAVEMAN Neolithic TRADER'S DELIGHT Phoenician traders sailed up and down the Mediterranean selling Tyrian Purple, a commodity desired by the Greeks. They also were the first to use the alphabet, no doubt to hold strategy meetings. THE PHOENICIANS Classical Antiquity TO MARKET THEY GO Roman entrepreneurs were present in all the open-air markets and covered shops, hawking goods by the side of the road. They also expanded their businesses to Roman military camps during campaigns, where they sold food and clothing to soldiers. ROMAN MERCHANTS Classical Roman EXPLORE-PRENEURS Entrepreneurs wore many hats during the Renaissance. While many still maintained trade businesses, many more began businesses in exploration and the newest invention, the printing press. A TRADES MAN Renaissance AMERICAN INNOVATION The next evolutionary stage of entrepreneurship came during coloial times, as represented by Benjamin Franklin. Among his many patents, newspapers and print shops, he never forgot the most important tool for any entrepreneur: effective networking. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Colonial America GOLDEN AGE The next form of the entrepreneur came in the form of men heading West in the 1840s to find gold. While many treasure hunters came back empty-handed, Levi Strauss and other entrepreneurs made the journey because they saw market potential in these diggers. THE 49'ERS 1840s-1870s UTILITARIAN ENTREPRENEUR Tech-savvy entrepreneurs, who evolved in the late 1880s and early 1900s, based their businesses on electricity. Men like Thomas Edison came from humble origins, but soon turned their businesses into larger-than-life corporations. THOMAS EDISON 1880s-1900s LADIES' TURN With the suffrage movement gaining momentum, many women began starting their own businesses. Öne such entrepreneur, CoCo Chanel, created a international sensation because of her clothes and savvy business skills. ENEL COCO CHANEL 1920s REVENGE OF THE GEEKS The next entrepreneurial evolution did not occur until the late 80s and early 90s, when start-ups began navigating the Internet. Then, any entrepreneur worth his salt had a business card that ended in .com. BILL GATES 1980s-1990s TWEET THIS, LIKE THAT Instead of using the Internet as a forum for their business, social media entrepreneurs are reshaping it to fit their business. Ihese social media entrepreneurs thrive on connectivity and social media colloquialisms such as 'Like,"Digg' and'Tweet! SOCIAL MEDIA THINKER 2006-PRESENT Sources: Wikipedia I Britannica.com l I World Book Encyclopedia Grasshopper Group EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURS