42-year-old CEO dropped out of high school—now his company buys others for millions: His best advice for young people

Aaron Levant, CEO of Complex, a media and e-commerce platform, never graduated from high school or attended college. But that hasn't stopped him from building businesses in spaces where formal education is often seen as a prerequisite to success.

For Levant, a lack of industry knowledge in his early career wasn't a disadvantage — it was an opportunity to do things differently, he says. His experience has turned into a business philosophy, he says: "Ignorance is rich."

"[I had] no experience in trade shows and fashion and media companies and events, and I went in and did it," he tells CNBC Make It. "And my naiveness toward the subject matter allowed me to try things that no logical person would have."

After over two decades of building businesses as a serial entrepreneur, Levant's company NTWRK, a video commerce platform, acquired Complex in 2024 in a $109 million deal.

Ultimately, his career success comes down to risk-taking and hustle, he says — plus a lack of perceived barriers. Here's what he says about being young in work and entrepreneurship.

Learned limitations are a mindset challenge Levant notices a lot: People are too often scared to try something new because of how others have done things — or attempted and failed at doing things — before, he says.

Data indicates the same: Among those considering entrepreneurship, 44% would not start a business because of fear of failure, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a report from Babson College.

After dropping out of high school, Levant taught himself graphic design tools and started working in the fashion and design space, which quickly got him working in trade shows. Eventually, in the early 2000s, he started working on building the Agenda Show, which grew to become a leading streetwear and action sports trade show, featuring performers like Tyler, the Creator and booths from brands as big as Nike.

Following Agenda's success, he then started building ComplexCon, an annual festival for music, streetwear, art and food, which reported $20 million in sales at its 2024 show, according to Billboard.

While managing his trade shows and other startups, including Hall of Flowers, a cannabis tradeshow, and Truff, a hot sauce company, Levant pivoted to starting NTWRK.

Conventionally, someone in his position as a founder and CEO might have had corporate experience in commerce, media or fashion, or some level of formal education relating to business — but Levant didn't. His entrepreneurial ventures all started because he was willing to try and unafraid of failing, he says.

"Sometimes, the less you know about something, you might actually stumble on being successful," Levant says. "Sometimes institutional knowledge of a subject matter, of an industry, can actually cause you not to be successful because you have perceived roadblocks." 

To be sure, data indicates that people with a high school diploma or college degree make more money, on average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some employers also will only hire people with specific experience.

But you don't always need typical white-collar qualifications to pursue your passions and turn them into viable ventures, Levant says. And the people who wouldn't hire you may be the very same people whose businesses your idea could disrupt.

Levant's message to would-be entrepreneurs: Don't be afraid to try. Even if you don't have access to insider knowledge or a near-perfect business plan, he says, you should muster the courage to start anyway — then start hustling.

"I really encourage people to not be discouraged or scared," Levant says. "Go out there, get into a field you're interested in and passionate about, try, regardless or your experience level, work really hard." 

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