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When Nikolaj Astrup founded Refuga, he believed traveling the world with entrepreneurs would not only create memorable experiences for entrepreneurs but would also become an opportunity for networking and collaboration that would exceed the status quo.
He was right.
Today, Astrup has traveled to 50 countries with more than 500 entrepreneurs, and though each entrepreneur who travels with Refuga brings their unique perspective, culture and passions, he shares that entrepreneurs worldwide have more in common than meets the eye.
Founded in 2012, Refuga's mission is to provide "the world's greatest networking adventures." Having traveled to Spain and trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro, Astrup believes it's this unique platform for networking that has allowed entrepreneurs the ability to grow their businesses – and communities – through adventure and personal connection.
Through traveling with entrepreneurs for the past 5 years, Astrup has observed the many similarities that exist in the community of international entrepreneurs:
- Stronger connection in networking.
Through his time traveling with entrepreneurs, Astrup has seen the similarities among entrepreneurs and the way they communicate. "Entrepreneurs don't mind sharing their knowledge and experiences, even without expecting anything back. They try to contribute to the communities they are a part of," shares Astrup. He says it's this commonality that has set the stage for open dialogue and deep conversations on Refuga trips. "It's like a safe haven, where people discuss things they wouldn't discuss with their peers or families back home," he says. "For me personally, it's been powerful to find out that there are people ‘like’ me out there: people who share the same combination of interests and have the same mindset."
- Resilience in the face of failure.
Among entrepreneurs, there's often a distinguishing way successful entrepreneurs view failure - they've experienced it, learn from it, and aren't afraid of sharing their experiences. "Our trips are often a forum where participants feel good about sharing their failures and mistakes. One of the things we often discuss is that failure and the ability to handle failure is something you need to have as an entrepreneur. Often it's not the failure itself that concerns and entrepreneur, but more how friends and family who are not entrepreneurs, respond to an entrepreneur's failure," says Astrup.
- An all-around growth mindset.
Entrepreneurs believe they can learn from anything, including failure, and are inspired by the success of others. They also have many interests and strive for growth personally and professionally. "Really successful people have multiple interests and mindsets where they are proactively interested in ‘everything.’ I see very clearly that those with multiple interests are just as focused on succeeding in life (relationships, other ambitions, etc.) as they are in business," shares Astrup.
- An emphasis on freedom, rather than money.
Although financial security and the opportunity to make money are certainly not lost on entrepreneurs, Astrup shares money isn't the primary motivator for the entrepreneurs he travels with. "Their main motivation is freedom, not money," Astrup says. "Almost all of the entrepreneurs I've met want freedom and that's why they're working hard. Some want the freedom to shape their daily lives, but most just want the professional freedom to create the stuff they want, the way they want, while not being limited by fixed rules in bigger corporations."
- They're invested in giving back.
Entrepreneurs across the globe see entrepreneurship as an avenue to make a difference. According to Astrup, "Some want to give back from the start, others want to become successful first to build experiences and resources. A lot of people who have reached some kind of success want to contribute back to the startup communities they're a part of." And while there are entrepreneurs who are motivated by money, many have other ambitions, like succeeding in other parts of their life. "Money isn't enough. They want to do something good. I've seen many people become successful and after they feel confident and safe, they want to do something else and something more. Really successful people measure success in impact, not just money," he shares.
- Entrepreneurship can change the world.
While many entrepreneurs emphasize making an impact, the creative energy, passion and determination that entrepreneurs have can change communities across the globe. "We have had quite a few participants from non-Western countries – people that come from countries where the support network, the community, and the opportunities they have are very different from Western countries. But their mindset and mentality are amazing," he shares. "A lot of these people see entrepreneurship as a powerful tool to create a better life. A tool where they are not limited by their country or government."
While entrepreneurs and the communities they come from may differ, according to Astrup, there are many similarities that make up the DNA of worldwide entrepreneurs: they want to make a difference, change the world, experience freedom and build real connections. It's these similarities that allow entrepreneurs to build community and learn from one another – in Astrup's case – one adventure at a time.
