intrapreneur

[in-truh-pruh-nur, -noor, -nyoor]

noun

1. an employee of a large corporation who is given freedom and financial support to create new products, services, systems, etc., and does not have to follow the corporation's usual routines or protocols.

intrapreneur

/ ˌɪntrəprəˈnɜː /

noun

1. a person who while remaining within a larger organization uses entrepreneurial skills to develop a new product or line of business as a subsidiary of the organization

Other Word Forms

• intrapreneurship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intrapreneur¹

First recorded in 1975–80; intra- + (entre)preneur

Word History and Origins

Origin of intrapreneur¹

C20: from _intra- + ( _entre ) _preneur

Example Sentences

Welch himself never went down the startup path, but he was a great intrapreneur, having built GE’s Plastics and Chemical Divisions into $1 billion units. 

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But if the thought of losing your steady paycheck makes you shake, or you want to hang on to your job for other reasons, you have another choice: You can become an intrapreneur.

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Robyn Forman, VP at Searchmetrics notes “intrapreneurs learn leadership from their close acquaintances and bosses. If you find an intrapreneur in your company, pair them up with a leader to help grow them into the leader they need to be. Have that leader grow the relationship. All intrapreneurs learn by example. Make sure that example is amazing.”

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Changing departments at one’s current employer, raising a hand for different assignments, and being an “intrapreneur” by starting new initiatives within your current work environment are a few small yet tangible ways to make your job work more for you.

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The Intrapreneur club is an initiative the team have planned and are about to execute, which brings together staff at big companies with an entrepreneurial mindset, and shows them how to introduce a more dynamic and creative culture to their workplaces.

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When To Use

What does intrapreneur mean?

An intrapreneur is an employee of a company who works to create new business opportunities or products for the company in the style of an entrepreneur (which is someone who starts their own business from scratch).Intrapreneur is based on entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs start their own ventures and work for themselves, often by developing a new product or service. Intrapreneurs are encouraged by their employer to work in much the same way as an entrepreneur would, just within and as part of the company.Example: As an intrapreneur, I get to use some of the same skills as an entrepreneur but without all the risk.