This year, 2021, is set to be the year of the entrepreneur.

One in 18 people around the world now owns their own business, and experts predict that far from proving a hindrance, the current COVID-19 pandemic will actually be a help to millions more who may be using lockdown to perfect their potentially billion-dollar business ideas.

So, in this episode of The Agenda with Stephen Cole, we look at what makes an entrepreneur, what drives them, and what sets the world's richest people – people like Tesla's Elon Musk and Amazon's Jeff Bezos – apart.

Stephen Cole talks to Dan Vahdat, Founder and CEO of Huma – an A.I. business designed to democratize healthcare – about how he came up with his idea and how the pandemic has transformed his operation.

We also hear from Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and one of the "dragons" on the British TV show Dragons' Den, where millionaires look to invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs. She tells us how her entrepreneurial spirit kicked at the age of just seven, and what she really looks for when she's planning a new investment.

Scott Omelianuk is the Editor-in-Chief of Inc., a magazine designed to inspire current and future magnates, who describes himself as an "underachieving entrepreneur." He reveals exactly what he means by that, and outlines the character traits you really need to be successful.

And finally, we attempt to answer the age-old question of whether a true entrepreneur is born or made. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Associate Professor in Entrepreneurial Leadership at Henley Business School explains just how we can all learn to be a business tycoon.

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