The SME Forum

Is entrepreneurship a profession? There is a perception that entrepreneurship is not a profession; that entrepreneurship does not need to be learned, since it is an innate talent. If this is true, then why do 97% of SMEs have annual revenues of less than RUB 10 million and why is the share of SMEs in the country’s GDP at the lowest level among developed countries for the last 30 years? There are more than 6.3 million de facto entrepreneurs in the country, yet de jure, there is no such profession. At the same time, we see a growing need for systematic knowledge among entrepreneurs themselves. Many, realizing that short-term courses do not have the desired effect, are seeking a fully-fledged, systematic entrepreneurial education. Colleges and universities are responding to the demand by opening departments and courses on entrepreneurship. However, due to the lack of professional and educational standards, they ‘hide’ it within the professions of management, economics, etc. The lack of professional standards limits the development of entrepreneurial education and the science of entrepreneurship. The solution to this issue may become a new driver of economic development in the Russian Federation. What do entrepreneurs think about the profession of Entrepreneur? What is the attitude of representatives of higher and secondary education to the educational standard? What economic effect can the Russian Federation obtain with the approval of the ‘Entrepreneur’ professional standard?

Moderator
Eduard Omarov, Vice-President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA

Eduard Omarov

Vice-President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA

Born 28 November 1964
1971-1981 studied at the school № 201 in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.
1983-1985 served in the Soviet Army of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.
1985-1993 served in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Tyumen city.
Since 1993 till nowadays – businessman, Director-general of “Kvanta +”
Education:
Tyumen Industrial University. Speciality: Mechanical Engineer.
Tyumen State University. Speciality: Psychologist.
Academic degree: Ph.D
Deputy of Tyumen Regional Duma
Vice-president of All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium Business "OPORA RUSSIA"
Member of the Enterprise Development Council under the Commissioner of the Russian Federation President in the Urals Federal District.
Lecturer at Tyumen State University. Scientific articles on the topic of success and success in business.
The author of “Artisans and the Rockefellers: for those who want to be successful”, 2014
Author of the educational project “Evening School of Entrepreneur”

Panellists
Alena Arshinova, Chairman of the Council, Eurasia Non-profit organization
Alexander Vedekhin, Deputy Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Oleg Makarov, Advisor to the Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)
Semyon Tenyaev, Founder, TenChat
Andrey Sharonov, General Director, National Alliance for Social and Environmental Responsibility, Corporate Governance and Sustainable Development; Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Association of Digital Platforms

Alexander Vedekhin

Deputy Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation

Oleg Makarov

Advisor to the Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)

Semyon Tenyaev

Founder, TenChat

Semyon Tenyaev is russian IT entrepreneur, investor, head of the VBC group of companies and founder of TenChat social network. Graduate of the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Semyon held key positions in the treasuries of the Russian Agricultural Bank, Moscow Credit Bank and the leasing company Center-Capital. The best IT banker by The National Banking Journal, 2020. The Top 10 CEO rankings in the sphere of Software and Communicathons by The "Generalny director" magazine.

In 2016, Semyon has founded the VBC financial marketplace, an ecosystem for government order participants that has become a leader in the main segments of the e-procurement market, in particular, financial products.

In 2021, Semyon has founded TenChat, a social network for active people that brings together entrepreneurs, employees, freelancers and bloggers. The number of its users is more than 1 million. In April 2022, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation included TenChat in the recommended list of Russian social networks as part of import substitution.

Andrey Sharonov

General Director, National Alliance for Social and Environmental Responsibility, Corporate Governance and Sustainable Development; Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Association of Digital Platforms

In 2013 was appointed Dean of SKOLKOVO Business School and from 2016 to 2021 he was President of the Business School. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Mayor in the Moscow Government for economic policy.
Mr. Sharonov was born in Ufa in 1964. He graduated from Ufa State Aviation Technical University and the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation; holds a Ph.D. in sociological science. From 1989-1991 Mr. Sharonov was People’s Deputy of the USSR, and until 1996 was Chairman of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Youth Affairs. Between 1996 and 2007 he served in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation as department head, deputy minister and state secretary. From 2007 through 2010 Mr. Sharonov was managing director and chairman of the Board of Directors of Troika Dialog Investment Company, and headed the investment banking business. Andrei is a Chairman of the Board of NefteTransService LLC, member of the Management Board of such companies as PJSC Sofkomflot, PJSC PhosAgro, JSC Medicina, EN+ GROUP IPJSC, PJSC Rosseti, Non-commercial organization Foundation for Development of the Center for Elaboration and Commercialization of New Technologies (Skolkovo Foudation).
By directive of the Moscow Mayor dated 22 December 2010, Mr. Sharonov was appointed Deputy Mayor in the Moscow Government for Economic Policy, Chairman of Regional Energy Commission. Mr. Sharonov headed the Executive Committees of Moscow Urban Forum and Open Innovations Forum. Mr. Sharonov was awarded the Aristos prize for “Independent Director” in 2009, the national award “Director of the Year – 2009” for “Independent Director” and the international award “Person of the Year – 2012” for “Business Reputation”. He also received special award for personal contribution to the development of corporate management in 2016 from the Independent Directors Association and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Mr. Sharonov was awarded the Order of Honour and is an Honoured Economist of the Russian Federation. He also received President's Letters of Gratitude in 2003, 2008 and 2018.

Front row participants
Dmitry Abbakumov, General Director, Leonardo; member of the general council, coordinator for the Central Federal District, Business Russia
Alexey Grishchenko, Acting Director General, Delovaya Sreda (Business Environment)
Victor Ivlev, Chairman of the Committee for the Development of Youth Entrepreneurship, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Valentina Kurenkova, Director for Government Relations and Deputy General Director, Netology
Yulia Shishkina, Department for the Implementation of Special Projects, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

Alexey Grishchenko

Acting Director General, Delovaya Sreda (Business Environment)

Valentina Kurenkova

Director for Government Relations and Deputy General Director, Netology

Yulia Shishkina

Department for the Implementation of Special Projects, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation