Earniversity

The Earniverse

News and thinking

30 posts on money-earning skills, employability and real-world readiness.

Events · 16 May 2025 · 1 min read

Earniversity Co-Founder Dene Botha to speak at BRILLIANT Festival 2025

Dene Botha, Co-Founder and Head Coach at Earniversity, is set to deliver a compelling talk at the BRILLIANT Festival 2025, taking place on 11 November at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool. As a self-taught entrepreneur and youth-skills specialist, Botha brings over two decades of experience in empowering young people with essential life skills. His session, titled “What School DOESN’T Teach,” aims to bridge the gap between traditional education and the practical skills needed for success in adulthood. Known for his dynamic speaking style, Botha has previously delivered a TEDx Talk on future-proofing the next generation, challenging conventional educational paradigms. His work spans various youth-focused initiatives, including Young Mavericks Academy, Inspired Youth, and Ready.Set.Success!, reflecting his commitment to equipping young individuals with the tools to thrive in an ever-evolving world. The BRILLIANT Festival 2025 will feature a diverse lineup of speakers and sessions, focusing on the intersection of education, industry and technology. Attendees can expect thought-provoking discussions and innovative insights aimed at shaping the future of learning. For more information and to register for the event, visit www.brilliantfestival.com.

Cayla Platt

  • Events · Awards · 16 May 2025 · 3 min read

    Fast Track Challenge – Programme Report March/April 2025

    Programme Overview The Earniversity Fast Track Challenge continued its mission to empower young people with practical, income-generating skills, confidence, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Over a five-week journey from 3 March to 2 April 2025, students engaged in 10 interactive live classes, exploring real-world strategies in reselling, in-person services, digital skills, and freelancing.

    Dene Botha

  • Events · Partnership · 15 May 2025 · 2 min read

    Freemantles School Partners with Earniversity to Empower Students with Real-World Skills

    Surrey, UK – 02.05.25 Freemantles School is proud to announce a new partnership with Earniversity, the UK’s leading provider of practical skills and entrepreneurship education for young people with additional needs. This collaboration marks an exciting step forward in preparing students for life beyond school, offering real-world skills, confidence, and pathways to financial independence.

    Dene Botha

  • Awards · Achievements · 14 May 2025 · 1 min read

    And the winner is... Earniversity! Most Innovative Education Company - UK

    Earniversity Awarded "Most Innovative Education Company in the UK - 2024" London, UK – July 2024 – Earniversity, a leading institution dedicated to empowering young people with modern earning skills, has been awarded the title of "The Most Innovative Education Company in the UK - 2024" in the Education & Training Awards presented by Corporate Vision.

    Dene Botha

  • Awards · Report · 12 March 2025 · 2 min read

    New Wave of Young Entrepreneurs Emerge from Earniversity’s First Programme of 2025

    72% of Students Earn Money During Earniversity’s Groundbreaking Programme 81% Programme Completion Rate, and 90% Satisfaction with Live Coaching Earniversity, the pioneering education platform that equips students with real-world money-earning skills, has successfully concluded its January–February Fast Track Challenge (FTC) with exceptional results.

    Cayla Platt

  • Events · Partnership · 4 February 2025 · 3 min read

    North Essex Economic Board Partners with Earniversity to Launch Groundbreaking Youth Initiative

    North Essex, UK – The North Essex Economic Board (NEEB), in partnership with Earniversity, is thrilled to announce an innovative opportunity for young people across the region – the NEEB Fast Track Challenge. Running from March to May 2025, this life-changing programme offers up to 200 young people the chance to gain real-world earning skills, completely free of charge.

    Cayla Platt

  • Events · Awards · Report · 24 December 2024 · 4 min read

    Awards a-plenty at the Fast Track Challenge

    Earniversity Celebrates the Completion of Its Most Successful Fast Track Challenge Yet London, UK – December 2024 – Earniversity, the leading platform for equipping young people with real-world earning and employability skills, is delighted to announce the successful completion of its November/December 2024 Fast Track Challenge (FTC). This programme, Earniversity's most impactful to date, saw 44 ambitious young people from across the UK embark on a transformative journey, with an impressive 37 completing the challenge—an outstanding 84% completion rate.

    Dene Botha

  • Events · Awards · Partnership · 7 November 2024 · 3 min read

    The game is afoot! Prizes and Awards for Fast Track Challenge #4

    Press release: The excitement is building as we kick off Earniversity’s Fast Track Challenge #4 (FTC) – The popular 5-week programme designed to empower young people from across the UK with invaluable "Earnability Skills" for a prosperous future. With students from all walks of life joining us, the Fast Track Challenge brings together live and interactive learning led by Earniversity’s Head Coach, Dene Botha, and his team of expert coaches.

    Cayla Platt

  • Partnership · 14 October 2024 · 3 min read

    York College Partners with Earniversity

    York, UK – 14 October 2025 – In an exciting new initiative aimed at equipping students with essential entrepreneurial skills, York College has partnered with Earniversity to deliver the exclusive Pioneer Programme to its Year 12 and 13 students. Running from 15 October to the end of January, this one-term programme will see York College students embark on an immersive journey designed to prepare them for real-world challenges and opportunities.

    Cayla Platt

  • Achievements · Report · 23 September 2024 · 6 min read

    The report is in: OUSTANDING

    Programme Overview The Earniversity Fast Track Challenge aimed to equip young people with essential employability, entrepreneurship and impact skills to positively impact their lives, their families, and their communities as a whole.

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 5 September 2024 · 1 min read

    EP1: Don’t just live, thrive

    Looking for your purpose? In our first podcast episode, host Simon Bullmore teams up with Dene Botha (founder of Earniversity), and young entrepreneurs Aaminah Khan (freelance tutor and learning design manager at Earniversity) and Connor Gartside (Blueprint Dynamics) to break down how passion and purpose can come together to create a life you love—and a living!

    Simon Bullmore

  • Mindset · Events · 18 July 2024 · 2 min read

    Finding your Purpose: Free workshop for teens

    🔥This is the year to set your children on a path to success!💥 Join us for a FREE workshop for teens, "Finding Your Purpose," designed to help parents support their kids in achieving academic and financial success while discovering their true purpose.

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 5 June 2024 · 2 min read

    Own your future: The case for looking beyond formal education

    Today, the traditional paths laid out by formal education systems often fall short of preparing us for the complexities and opportunities of modern careers. It's time for a wake-up call. To truly own your future, you must look beyond the classroom and ask yourself some fundamental questions about your purpose and the impact you want to make.

    Will Remes

  • Partnership · 10 May 2024 · 2 min read

    Plumstead Manor School Embraces Earniversity Programme to Empower Students Earnability Skills.

    Plumstead Manor School, renowned for its forward-thinking approach to education, is proud to announce its partnership with Earniversity, the innovative platform dedicated to equipping young people with modern money-earning skills. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in providing students with practical, real-world opportunities to enhance their employability and financial literacy.

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 22 April 2024 · 5 min read

    The rise of impact skills: Preparing a new generation for global challenges

    As we face unprecedented global challenges – from climate change and economic inequality to systemic racism and political polarisation – the next generation of leaders and changemakers need to be equipped with the skills needed to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.

    Will Remes

  • Mindset · Awards · Achievements · Empowered Youth · 15 April 2024 · 2 min read

    Celebrating a decade of Empowering the youth: Award winning partners

    As schools reopen their doors, it's a timely moment for educators and mentors to reflect on our shared mission. In a world marked by rapid change, nurturing grit, fostering growth, and inspiring dedication in young minds has never been more crucial.

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · AI · 22 March 2024 · 4 min read

    An ethical way ahead: Enhance your digital business with Generative AI

    As a young entrepreneur, what creative and efficient ways can you adopt to launch and promote your business online? At the forefront of your mind should be a generative AI tool like ChatGPT 4. The capabilities of generative tools are vast and varied, which means they should be a real asset to your business. However using them ethically is key to ensuring your success without compromising your authenticity and your integrity, and losing trust in you and your brand, before you've really got started. Here’s how you can ethically use ChatGPT 4, or indeed any similar tool, to plan and promote your digital business.

    Simon Bullmore

  • Mindset · 15 March 2024 · 8 min read

    AI ate my marketing: 3 ways to use AI to get good results & avoid harm

    AI tools like ChatGPT open up a world of inspiration, ideas and productivity for anyone starting a side hustle or small business. Which is why you should see them as an essential part of your sales and marketing toolkit. Before you dive in you need to know how to use them effectively. That means understanding both the value of AI and its limitations. Otherwise you risk, at best, looking bland, and, at worst, misinformed or toxic. And that could cause real harm to your business and your personal brand. In this article we look at how to get the best out of AI tools and avoid making a mess of it.

    Simon Bullmore

  • Mindset · 11 March 2024 · 3 min read

    Navigating the Side Hustle Tax: Understanding the changes and thriving amidst challenges

    In recent times, the introduction of the "side hustle tax" has become a reality, ushering in a new era of regulations that directly impact individuals engaged in online transactions. Platforms like eBay, Airbnb, and Etsy will now play a more active role in reporting the income of their sellers to HMRC, a move aimed at curbing tax evasion. While this development may initially seem daunting, there's an opportunity to turn it into a positive trajectory for your side hustle. At Earniversity, we're committed to being your go-to portal for understanding the nuances of these changes and empowering you with the knowledge needed to navigate this evolving landscape... And there's something rather interesting about this "side-hustle" tax....

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 20 February 2024 · 3 min read

    Embracing imparfection in the age of AI: The Pratfall Effect and the Power of Authenticity

    Over the past few weeks, SONA has blown the mind of the human-race. This AI is set to start, and end many opportunities. However, in the era of artificial intelligence, where algorithms think they're perfect but occasionally trip over their own virtual shoelaces, let's explore the hilarious and heart-warming world of the Pratfall Effect. Despite AI's brilliance, it turns out that people still find charm in the occasional algorithmic face plant. So grab your virtual popcorn, and let's dive into the imperfectly perfect world of human connection!

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 14 February 2024 · 2 min read

    Navigating the influencer, or unfluencer landscape

    In the ever-evolving digital sphere, influencers have emerged as key players, shaping trends, and influencing the way we consume content. This blog post explores the fascinating world of influencers, their growing impact on consumer behaviour, and the intriguing concept of "Unfluencers."

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 8 February 2024 · 17 min read

    Washington Post Interview -    Dene's Winding Path

    This article first appeared in the Washington Post. It is reproduced here for people outside the US who can't access it. "I’m a living paradox." - Dene Botha "I met Dene three years ago via LinkedIn. He asked to chat. I almost always say yes to such a request–unless you are obviously trying to sell me something I’ve not requested. As a former professional surfer, tv show host, reality show winner, rhino activist, forex trader, realtor, etc. he’s lived enough professional lives for several people. Dene, 41, dropped out of school at 15 to pursue professional surfing and now works as an entrepreneur. He resides in Cornwall, England and is the COO at Earniversity- The School of Earning - a virtual business school for young people who want to learn digital skills and earn real money, in real time. This is his extremely circuitous and winding path." - Russ Finkelstein

    Dene Botha

  • Events · 1 February 2024 · 1 min read

    Join our open evening

    Join our open evening to meet the team, ask questions, review the programme and get a feel for whether it's right for you, or for someone you want to sponsor.

    Dene Botha

  • Mindset · 23 January 2024 · 3 min read

    Education needs to evolve: here's how we find the missing link

    We need to help young people unlock the innovative thinking, resilience, and the bold spirit they will need to navigate the unchartered waters of tomorrow. Starting with how we think about and support their education.

    Will Remes

  • Mindset · 18 January 2024 · 2 min read

    Nurturing the seeds of innovation: A guide for parents

    Young people stand at the epicentre of transformation. It's not about turning every child into a startup founder, but about cultivating a mindset that breeds innovation, resilience, and the courage to chase dreams. Let's delve into the power of an entrepreneurial mindset.

    Will Remes

  • Mindset · 18 January 2024 · 2 min read

    The power of entrepreneurial practice: Nurturing side hustles

    Research show integrating entrepreneurial practice into formal education is not just a luxury but a strategic move with far-reaching benefits. Let's unravel the magic of side hustles for young minds.

    Will Remes

  • 9 January 2024 · 3 min read

    Unmasking the terrifying reality of financial Illiteracy amongst young people

    When you next stream a spooky film on Netflix, remember that there’s something far more frightening than ghostly apparitions and brain munching zombies lurking in the lives of young people. The scariest stuff haunting the financial well-being of our youth is an alarming lack of knowledge about money-earning skills. In this spine-tingling journey, we explore the genuinely unsettling aspects of this conundrum and shed light on a potentially transformative solution.

    Dene Botha

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