We believe that entrepreneurship thrives in all types of organisations. It goes beyond the traditional notion of a sole founder and extends to individuals within corporate organisations, the public sector, and leadership teams. Entrepreneurs are simply people who recognise a good idea and execute it.
It comes down to a specific mindset - entrepreneurs are people who embody resilience, confidence, ambition, humility, empathy and curiosity. They are focused on growth and play a crucial role in driving organisations forward, no matter their position.
We recognise and nurture this entrepreneurial mindset in individuals at all levels, empowering them to drive growth and change.
An entrepreneurial society is not just a lofty ambition; it's an urgent necessity for Scotland's future. With a staggering £20bn deficit each year and an economy that struggles to grow, we face critical challenges that demand entrepreneurially-minded leaders at the helm. Without more scaling businesses, Scotland loses. The scarcity of growth hinders job creation and tax generation, impeding our ability to fund the changes our society needs.
Our research has revealed a significant gap: investors cannot find the right leadership teams to invest in, hindering our economy, and subsequently, our society as a whole. To tackle this challenge, we focus on nurturing and empowering entrepreneurially minded leaders who can drive businesses forward and propel Scotland's growth.
It all begins with people. If we want to transform Scotland and our society, we need to build a movement of entrepreneurially-minded leaders with the potential and ambition to make that happen.
Once we identify these leaders, our focus shifts to empowering them with the belief and mindset necessary to think, act and lead entrepreneurially.
For entrepreneurial leaders to thrive, they need robust support networks and connections. To drive change, we emphasise building meaningful connections between leaders to propel their growth even further.
Founded and nurtured by the GlobalScot network in 2007, The Saltire Foundation and the Saltire Scholar Programme were created to find and grow the next generation of leaders in Scotland. This visionary group wanted the programme to deliver internships that would provide students with:
In April 2014, the Saltire Foundation, alongside the Entrepreneurial Exchange, an organisation focussed on bringing together like-minded entrepreneurial leaders, joined to become founding partners in the creation of Entrepreneurial Scotland. The Saltire Scholar Programme now forms an integral part of the organisation's mission to inspire, develop and connect Scotland's current and future leaders to build the most entrepreneurial society in the world.
Meet the team behind Entrepreneurial Scotland and our transformational programmes.
The Entreprenurial Scotland Foundation (USA) supports Saltire programs by raising funds and sourcing opportunities for Saltire Scholars and Saltire Fellows.
The Saltire Scholar Programme is Entrepreneurial Scotland's flagship programme designed to find, grow and connect students with the ambition and potential of becoming future leaders for Scotland.
A membership for ambitious and driven leaders focussed on growing and expanding the business they lead