Ralph writes from Bratislava :

“That teacher was there for me.” “I wouldn’t be where I am today if that coach hadn’t taken an interest in me and supported me through those tough periods of my youth.” “Having someone older to turn to, who had walked where I was walking, made all the difference.”Research after research that has studied at at-risk youth – those who have beaten the odds and succeeded in life – have found that it is the impact of a trusting relationship with a caring adult that proved to be the most common success factor. A business start-up is something like the most at-risk of youths. They have odds to beat. Everyone’s heard the jarring and sad statistics, “One-hundred percent of all new businesses fail in the first year!” It’s hyperbole of course, but it seems to be what people are saying. And the fact is, that more new businesses than not, do fail over time. Most credible studies put the numbers at 30% of new businesses failing during the first two years of being open, 50% during the first five years, and 66% during the first 10.At the Agathe Center for Entrepreneurship, we make a “durable commitment” to our clients. We’re committed to “walking alongside” our clients for the long-term. It’s never our intent to engage in singular, one-off interactions. It’s our intent to go “narrow and deep” rather than “broad and shallow”. We see this as one of the best ways of clients beating the odds.Whether it’s the challenge of finding success as an adult when coming from an at-risk group, or the challenge of guiding a business from start-up to stability, we believe that the support of a caring, committed, and experienced advisor does make a difference. We’ve got a “durable commitment” to that.

The Agathe Center for Entrepreneurship provides support to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in developing and implementing their projects. Based in Bratislava, Slovakia, the Center provides tailored coaching and consulting services to local and international clients. It relies on a dedicated team, a widespread network of advisors, and a thriving ecosystem of impact enterprises to help entrepreneurs who want to “do good while doing good business”.

Learn more on our website

Recent Highlights –

In January we received a group of high-school students from Samokov, Bulgaria. 10 students and their 2 teachers joined us at the Agathe Center to learn about Entrepreneurship and business as a mission.  It was an encouraging time for the team to see these students and their teachers’ commitment as they raise all the support needed to make this school trip. Among the different discussions and activities they had during this time, a highlight was that they got to develop heir business’ ideas and pitch them to the panel.  One of their teachers, share this:  “We were all very warmly received by everyone at the Agathe Center, for which we are surely grateful.  I very much enjoyed my time there and was happy to meet and get to know the other business owners & understand their unique experiences. The sessions we went through were informative and worthwhile and I was on board with the vision you guys have, from the start.  I myself learned quite a few new things, as I am sure my students did. They seemed to like it a lot too and were happy to be a part of it. We all came out of the experience with some fresh ideas about our small town. The discussions and activities made us think critically about the needs of our community and how we might go about solving some of them.  I know the kids really enjoyed the fact that it was all centered around community mindfulness and betterment. And the fact that it required a thorough analysis of their home town had the added bonus of giving them a new perspective. I’d be happy to visit there again and I will gladly help spread the message that business has a duty to be socially-responsible.