Some of the most impactful and disruptive companies of the 21st century sprung from the minds of young, first-time entrepreneurs. Creativity, hard work, and the Internet have helped turn young people with radical ideas — from Mark Zuckerberg with Facebook to Brian Chesky with Airbnb — into some of the most influential figures in the world.

While this demonstrates to young people that the act of creation isn’t separate from them, it has also changed the way more established companies approach business. They now see how fostering a corporate culture of independent and dynamic employees is a way of harnessing that entrepreneurial drive and creativity necessary to promote business growth.

These are great shifts in mindset on the individual side as well as the corporate, but much more remains to be done to promote entrepreneurship. Here are four ways companies can actively participate in a bottom-up approach to entrepreneurship education.

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The gig economy has come under scrutiny in the last couple of years. Critics have raised concerns as to whether enough hours are available for gig workers to earn living wages — let alone the high wages many of the new technology-enabled marketplaces claim to offer. After factoring in financial responsibilities like maintenance, supplies, insurance, tax withholdings, liability coverage, on-the-job injuries and illnesses, the question gets even more heated.

But it’s dangerous to make broad generalizations about the gig economy, which includes jobs as varied as courier, handyman, lawyer, interior designer and more. Even within one position, the variety of hours worked makes it difficult to paint gig economy employees with a single brush.

In many ways, the gig economy is still a strong and completely valid method for workers to obtain a living wage.

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While discussions surrounding AI’s eventual overthrow of humanity can be fun and interesting, they often overlook the little revolutions that are happening right now.

As the debate centers on the future, AI is already doing a lot right now to help human employees do their jobs better and more efficiently, improving the customer experience. This current AI revolution comes in the form of machine learning.

Like any new tech, machine learning still needs the right people behind it to work properly. There are a few things you need to keep in mind when employing this tech in your business.

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Not that long ago, venture capitalists took relatively passive roles with their investments. Besides a decent rate of return, the only expectation was really just a seat on the board. It was the epitome of a transactional relationship. Today, all that has changed. With the exception of maybe a few remaining “traditionalists,” most VC relationships are becoming more similar to partnerships.

But these relationships are largely dependent on more nuanced dynamics, like mutual respect and trust. You can’t expect to walk in, hold out your hand, and secure funds — it doesn’t happen like that. For this reason (and many others), I always recommend approaching relationships with VCs in the following ways:

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The sharing economy is in constant flux. With shifts in regulations, technology and competition, any company operating in this model must be ready to switch gears at a moment’s notice. This inconsistency places great demands on employees, making it essential for companies to have hiring practices that develop the right kind of workforce.

Your employees must be innovative, forward-thinking and adaptable if you hope to grow as a business — or even compete at all. Many companies take reactive approaches to hiring that prioritize speed to beat out the competition. But this isn’t the best approach.

Find out what is and how Uber has mastered it.

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Playing at work has become so commonplace that it’s starting to seem a bit clichéd. But as played out (excuse the pun) as this trend may be, it hasn’t stopped an increasing number of companies from encouraging employees to enjoy more childlike diversions at work.

The reason? Productivity.

When someone’s age becomes more subjective and not tied to a number, that employee becomes 5 to 6 percent more productive in the workplace. He or she taps into a newfound desire for knowledge and skills, thereby becoming a more goal-oriented person.

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