Introducing Dear Dreamer: Bringing Entrepreneurship Education to the Next Generation
Introducing Dear Dreamer: Bringing Entrepreneurship Education to the Next Generation
WHAT IS DEAR DREAMER
Inspired by the vision of Audrey McLoghlin and made possible through a gift by the Frank & Eileen Foundation,
Dear Dreamer is a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered platform that brings world-class entrepreneurship education to young people, everywhere, at no cost—built at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship.
Dear Dreamer helps young people see themselves differently: as creators, leaders, and founders equipped to shape the world around them. Audrey believes the best way to build something is to build it—that’s why the Foundation is thrilled to support Dear Dreamer, a program rooted in learning by doing.
The platform adapts the MIT Martin Trust Center’s proven, evidence-based entrepreneurship curriculum into a digital, self-paced learning experience that teaches entrepreneurship by presenting students with interactive exercises that help them develop their own business idea.
Through the Frank & Eileen Foundation, Audrey has a singular mission—to create more women entrepreneurs by unlocking access to exceptional entrepreneurship education for all—and believes that to make a real impact we must shift our focus to the next generation.
Bill has spent years developing and iterating on his 24-step entrepreneurship framework, Disciplined Entrepreneurship. Startups using the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework through MIT’s accelerator have a 61% survival/acquisition rate and have raised over $1 billion.
Unified in their mission to raise the bar for entrepreneurship education and democratize access to it, Audrey, through a gift by the Frank & Eileen Foundation, proudly supports Bill and his team bringing the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework to young people, everywhere, at no cost.
Through the Frank & Eileen Foundation, Audrey has a singular mission—to create more women entrepreneurs by unlocking access to exceptional entrepreneurship education for all—and believes that to make a real impact we must shift our focus to the next generation.
Bill has spent years developing and iterating on his 24-step entrepreneurship framework, Disciplined Entrepreneurship. Startups using the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework through MIT’s accelerator have a 61% survival/acquisition rate and have raised over $1 billion.
Unified in their mission to raise the bar for entrepreneurship education and democratize access to it, Audrey, through a gift by the Frank & Eileen Foundation, proudly supports Bill and his team bringing the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework to young people, everywhere, at no cost.
START YOUNG. THINK BIG.
Dear Dreamer is designed specifically for students aged middle school and up—a critical age to cultivate curiosity and combat the sharp decline in self-confidence that research shows often impacts young people, particularly girls, between the ages of 12 and 13.
Many students have an idea, a dream, or simply a question they can’t stop asking. They want to create something but don’t know where to start. Dear Dreamer exists to instill the confidence in young people that they are capable of building something of their own.
By equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset and set of tangible skills through Dear Dreamer, the
Frank & Eileen Foundation hopes to create 50,000 lifelong entrepreneurs by 2030.
A CLOSER LOOK
Through a series of standalone courses, Dear Dreamer combines short educational videos, interactive exercises, and AI-powered feedback to guide students through MIT’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework. Students earn a certificate upon completion of each course, reflecting the seriousness of the work they have done and the skills they have developed.
Dear Dreamer was co-designed with students from the ground up, ensuring the platform was built to resonate with the young people it’s intended for. From the youth-focused branding to light gamification elements to the thoughtful incorporation of AI support, Dear Dreamer was built with youth at the center and an incredible amount of intention.
The Future of entrepreneurship education
Dear Dreamer launched with its inaugural standalone course, ‘Customer’, which teaches students the importance of taking a customer-centric approach as they develop their business. The course guides them through identifying potential customers, defining a target market, conducting interviews, building a persona, and creating a first prototype.
With the Customer course covering just the first few steps of the 24-step Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, there is much more to come within the world of Dear Dreamer. Stay tuned for future courses on topics like Value Proposition, Customer Acquisition, Business Models, Product Development, and Scaling a Business.
How to Get Involved
Dear Dreamer is the first example of what a donor-powered community can make possible. Learn more, get involved, help fund what’s coming next, and make the Frank & Eileen Foundation’s mission, your legacy.
