Entrepreneurship will become the everyday job of the future as artificial intelligence lowers the financial and technical barriers to starting a company, serial founder Alexa von Tobel said on an episode of CNBC’s Changemakers podcast.
Building a new business traditionally requires time, capital, and specialized skills. Von Tobel took a leave of absence from Harvard Business School during the 2008 financial crisis to launch her financial planning company, LearnVest, which she later sold to Northwestern Mutual in 2015.
“Entrepreneurship will be the everyday job of the future,” she told CNBC. “I think every person here in America will be empowered to be entrepreneurial because of AI.”
New business formation is shifting toward solo operations that do not plan to hire traditional employees. According to Liya Palagashvili—a labor economist and director of the Labor Policy Project at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center—early studies shared with CNBC indicate an upward trend in startup filings within sectors heavily impacted by artificial intelligence.
Between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026, filings for new enterprises showing no immediate indication of adding staff increased by 26.8%. Von Tobel said that technology will transform company creation into a low-stakes commitment rather than an intimidating hurdle.
“Anybody with any skill set can turn it into a business because of AI,” von Tobel told CNBC, adding that launching a micro-business could serve as a practical fallback for workers between jobs.
Venture capital firm Inspired Capital, which von Tobel co-founded in 2019 with former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, invests in startups connecting everyday business owners to digital markets. One portfolio company, ShopMy, provides tools for creators to earn income by sharing product recommendations and collecting commissions.
The platform uses AI algorithms to analyze creator profiles, audience engagement, and brand objectives.
Von Tobel described the company as a provider of entrepreneurship skills and tools for creators looking for flexible income.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a similar outlook on David Senra’s “Founders” podcast, stating that the market is on the verge of seeing the greatest boom in smaller businesses in history.
Technology acts as an enabler, but human decision-making remains central to company operations.
““At the end of the day, it’s still our judgment, my judgment, making that final call,”” von Tobel told CNBC.
Inspired Capital focuses on startups capable of reaching valuations of $10 billion or more. When evaluating pitches from founders, von Tobel looks for leaders who maintain a clear, long-term view of their industry across five, 10, or 20 years.