Archive for Haiti

Tom Bilyeu – Quest Nutrition

Tom Bilyeu is a young entrepreneur from California who co-founded the extremely popular health and wellness food company, Quest Nutrition. Tom Bilyeu’s story to uprising is very inspirational. Instead of creating his company solely for profit making, Tom wanted to create a product that would allow others to live a healthier lifestyle. For a good part of Tom’s early adult life, he was overweight and lived an unhealthy lifestyle. However, he was still motivated to become a successful entrepreneur and wanted to incorporate health into a business idea. Tom ended up having an amazing weight transformation, and simultaneously initiated Quest Nutrition, a health food company that offers a variety of protein snacks, most notably their bars. In the fitness industry, Quest protein bars are one of the most well-known product in their field. Almost every gym, convenience store, and grocery store that I have been to has some form of Quest Nutrition product. Quest Nutrition has a great variety of snack products with very good flavors and a great macro/nutrition label. In 2014, Quest Nutrition ranked No. 2 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing U.S. companies in 2014. A few years ago, Tom and other co-founders of Quest sold the company to Simply Good Foods Co. for $1 billion. Leading up to the acquisition, Quest was generating revenue over $300 million in that year. Tom’s story is a perfect example of a young entrepreneur using a problem and a need of inspiration in his own life to create a product that not only helps himself with that, but countless others.

Daniel Zakowski | Ready, Set, Food!

Daniel Zakowski created Ready, Set, Food! in 2017. This is a company that sells pre-measured, natural supplements that dissolve in breastmilk, formula, and food. These supplements slowly expose babies to peanuts, eggs, and milk. Daniel’s nephew has life-threatening food allergies and he found out that there are many clinical trials that prove if we expose babies to certain foods then it can help prevent severe food allergies from developing. Daniel teamed up with his brother in law who is a doctor and an allergist, Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan. This supplement is on track to save over 200,000 babies a year from developing a severe food allergy. There are multiple different supplements that you can buy. They created a Peanut Only supplement for babies who already have a milk and egg allergy. You can also buy a Peanut and Egg supplement or all three in one. The biggest challenge that Daniel has faced is the lack of knowledge among parents and medical persons and that they don’t realize babies can be spared life threatening allergies if only they were exposed to these foods earlier on. Daniel was motivated by someone in his own life who has experience a life threatening allergy and wants to ensure that he can give others the best chance to avoid this. These supplements are a really unique way that parents can protect their children; however, they must spread this information.

Source: https://startup.info/daniel-zakowski-ready-set-food/

 

Kenan Pala

The young entrepreneur who I found is named Kenan Pala and he created his business called kids4community. This is a non-profit organization that works with charitable organizations that engage children who are five years or older. The purpose of this is to introduce the concept of charitable work to young kids. One thing I found interesting is how he came up with this business idea. He said in an interview that he was on a leisurely run with his dad and had an “aha moment” when he saw people aiding a baby seal who needed help but not homeless people. This sparked his passion for helping people who are in need when he saw that happen. Kenan was also very involved with volunteering for his community but noticed that it was hard to find work to do because of his young age. I thought it was a great idea because it is creating a positive impact on kid’s lives and at the same time is helping the community. This is also beneficial for parents because instead of finding a babysitter and paying money to watch your kid, you can just send them to this, and they will be busy and accounted for. This young man is very inspiring because he was very determined to make this successful. When he encountered problems at the start with having enough volunteers, he just focused on his vision of helping the homeless. His passion outweighed the conflicts he encountered which eventually led to success and growth of the business. The one question that I have is how he can expand this to other states across the country. I hope that he is able to keep his business growing so that he can have a positive impact on kids and the community.

Interview with Kenan Pala, Creator of Kids4Community - Kidpreneurs - Young  Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas!

Get “Illuminated”

Calloway Cook is a young Entrepreneur who is taking a major step in the supplements market. He was frustrated that the supplement market was lacking an answer for solid healthy supplements. He was working out and taking supplements, but did not really know what he was putting in his body.  He saw some positive effects of the supplements, but did not know the long term effects of some of the ingredients. Just by talking to other people in the market, he realized there was no answer for an openly, honest supplement.

He realized people would be willing to pay a high price to know what they are consuming. The market is shifting to a place where it is willing to spend more to eat better. There has been a health movement with the spread of information. Calvin Cook wanted to enter that market and find a solution he can even use himself.

He created Illuminate labs. Illuminate labs. Illuminate labs are very open about what is in their products. They say that there are no supplement standards in the United States. That is why Illuminate Labs meets the European Union’s standards. The European union’s standards tend to be the highest in the world in this market. On his LinkdIn he just posted that their website had over two hundred thousand hits this last month. They had over one million users in general last year. Their supplements are starting to build a consistent user base.

I think the main thing you can learn from this example is that you do not have to look past yourself for a product. Just examine what problems you have in your life. Your product do not have to solve everything for everyone. It can just be a problem you face, because most likely other people face the same issue.

Alina Morse And The Healthy Lollipop

Alina Morse is just an ordinary high schooler with an extraordinary passion for clean teeth. The 17-year-old is the CEO of a company called Zolli Candy. Zolli Candy creates lollipops, hard candy, and taffy all vegan, natural, KETO, gluten-free, and sugar-free. As a child, after having been offered a lollipop from a bank teller, she pondered over a major problem. Candy is terrible for your health and especially, your teeth. At the age of seven, she decided to act and spent two years over her home stove, endlessly researching, and questioning dentists and food scientists. The result was a lollipop sweetened by xylitol and erythritol, natural sweeteners that, due to their ability to neutralize the mouth’s pH, actually prevent cavities and tooth decay by lowering plaque and bacteria. 

By the age of nine, Morse’s lollipop was finally ready and launched when Whole Foods Market picked it up. The new Zollipops became a bestseller on Amazon and were quickly adopted by Kroger in 2016 while Morse became an inspiring new face to the rest of the entrepreneurship and oral health world. 

With her passion for healthy teeth and gums, Morse has waged a war against the tooth decay epidemic, specifically in children. In an act to save kids’ teeth, she began a “100,000 Smiles” campaign and in doing so, has donated thousands of Zollipops to schools and dentists and has donated her profits to oral health education. It is inspiring to see someone so young be so passionate about one area of pain, a passion she has nurtured since the age of seven and successfully weaved into her million-dollar idea. Morse is a surprising entrepreneur due to how she flipped the problem. She not only made candy harmless. She made it healthy

Mr. Cory’s Cookies

  • Cory Nieves is one of the youngest entrepreneurs as he started his own business at the age of six. His business is called Mr. Cory’s Cookies  and he makes delicious all-natural flavored cookies and sweet treats. The one thing that stood out to me was how dedicated he was throughout the process. It started with selling hot cocoa then transitioned to making the famous all natural from high quality ingredients cookie. For being that young, I found it very impressive how seriously he took his idea. It sounds like the thing that differentiates his cookies from others is the ingredients that he uses. He expanded his line of cookies to more health-conscious people by including flavors like double dark, oatmeal raisin, and sugar with still more to come. I thought that this was smart because eating cookies and other sweet treats is not a healthy option, but with his cookies, it sounds like a better alternative. One thing that I am curious about is the nutrition facts that is not listed on the website. I would’ve liked to compare his cookies compared to normal ones to see how big of a health difference there actually was. While I was looking at the menu, it says that a portion of the proceeds goes back to the community. This is a great idea and represents his purpose of starting the business which is inspiring. He is very mature for his age, and I respect the fact that he still gives money from his sales which shows that he truly is trying to make the world a better place (his dream).
  • At 17 Years Old, Cory Nieves Runs Successful Cookie Business 'Mr. Cory's  Cookies'

The Transformation Factory: Sea Moss

When Alexiou Gibson was a young 19 year old man, he weighed 500 pounds and was told by doctors that he would die by the age of 30…so making major life changes Alexiou “transformed” his body and now lives a healthy life. Using his wild life story, Alexiou wanted to help others live a healthy and happy life so he created this company, The Transformation Factory. This new product released by the startup has high nutritional benefits and is environmentally sustainable. In fact, it is an organic vegan superfood that the transformation factory naturally collects and infuses with spring water and organic fruits to create a gel. Some health benefits include weight loss and weight control, sore joint treatment, post-workout recovery, thyroid issues and even more applications.

Gibson is an extraordinary example of an entrepreneur because he was able to use a passion of his to create a successful business model. Not only that, but his product is meant to promote a healthy and happy life for others so they can share the same success that he enjoyed in his journey. This shows that in entrepreneurship, it can be beneficial to create an idea for something that is important to you and you are passionate about.  He demonstrated grit and determination, not just in his startup but also in battling his own health issues. This teaches and inspires me to stay determined in my own life.

 

SoundMind: An App by Travis Chen and Brian Femminella

https://www.businessinsider.com/soundmind-gen-z-founders-pandemic-stress-trauma-solution-2021-11

Travis Chen and Brian Femminella acknowledged how there was a lack of trustworthy mental health resources, and so they decided to come up with an app called SoundMind, which uses music to help reduce anxiety for individuals. Both of these individuals battled immense challenges in their personal lives, and they used them as inspiration to try to provide resources for other people. They created an online environment for people to have crucial mental health resources, and have a sense of community for others who understand the struggles that they are going through. They plan to expand their app even further to allow creators to upload their own sounds, along with commission opportunities.

Mark Sotomayor – Buy a Tea, Plant a Tree

Mark is a recent 2020 graduate from Grove City College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship. He started his business, Treecup Tea, during his sophomore year at Grove City College. Through a development process of his product, he learned a lot about branding and what it takes to start a business. He began selling samples of his grandmother’s chai tea recipe at local events and pop-up shops out of Dixie cups. He now has 4 different flavors of tea packaged in sleek glass bottles, and he sells it in large stores such as Whole Foods and local farmers markets. His success took time and hard work. Although Mark experienced setbacks and help along the way, that is what grew into the success he has today.

Mark’s tea business is especially unique due to his passion behind the cause he helps with. For each tea that is bought, a tree in Haiti is planted. This serves to combat deforestation in one of the most poverty-stricken places in the world. Mark accomplishes this through partnering with a foundation called Haiti Friends. Mark values transparency in marketing, so he feels strongly about sticking to this purpose behind the business.

Mark is driven by the commitment to “Jesus Christ and follows the leading of the Holy Spirit. He wants to manifest God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven.” Mark is led by the Lord in everything he does and does not focus on the money. His purpose is bigger than the profit he makes, and this is apparent in his business. I believe this is what makes Treecup Tea unique and a great idea. It can be hard to find businesses that truly stick to their cause and do not drift from their true mission when they are blinded by success as their sole purpose and fall into the trap of greed.

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I find Mark’s story truly inspiring because even through setbacks, he found a way to work through them and dig deeper. I can apply this to my own life and future business career because it is important to keep in mind that setbacks are what help us learn and grow. I aim to have a Christ-centered focus in everything I do just as Mark does. As Mark puts it, “if your business isn’t about God then what is it all for?”

 

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Project “I am” -Jahkil Jackson

Project “I am “was started by a nine year old Jahkil Jackson in Chicago. Jackson helped his aunt distribute cans of food to the homeless in Chicago which sparked his own idea. The I Am project is a non-profit and shares a goal to help to the homeless in the world that are in need to his coined terms as ‘Blessing Bags.’ These consisted of deodorant, wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bottled water, granola bars and more. Jackson’s small business quickly grew, and he has impacted more than 50,o00 lives of the homeless around the world. Atlanta, Virginia, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Idaho and many more states in the U.S. have been greatly impacted by his generosity and care. There has also been a worldly impact where the blessing bags have been sent to many countries in Africa, and South America for special relief packages after natural disasters.

Jackson is really emphasizing the need for donations that go towards project I Am, so they can continue to make an impact around the world. He encourages everyone to be able to see the importance of helping out can make in your community. I AM thankful for my many blessings 🙏🏽 including @walmart for believing in my mission. This donation will help make over 500 blessong bags for those in need. #walmart #endhomelessness #BeTheChange #YouthDoItBetter #JahkilJackson #DontWaitToBeGreat

While Jackson had a lot of help from his family in the idea of helping others, he took that idea and pivoted to make a bigger idea. This is very inspiring, because Jackson saw that there was a need for the homeless that was unfulfilled. Instead of just handing out money, Jackson knew he wanted to make a real life impact by giving them the opportunity for staying healthy and clean as they go through difficult times. Jackson was acknowledged by former president, Barack Obama as well for his efforts in 2017 and featured on Cartoon-Network and many other platforms. This helped a lot with networking and getting his message out there for the public to understand the mission.