Author Archive for Annalese Aderholt

Josh Feinsilber: Kahoot, But Different?

Josh Feinsilber is a young teen and 2019 high-school who created the learning site Gimkit, which was inspired by the popular quiz-like learning game, Kahoot. Feinsilber experienced Kahoot and decided to make a different and better type of app that is very personalized and oriented on achieving goals, so as to motivate students. At his small high school in the Seattle area, more weight is put on projects and hands-on activities than grades; he actually developed Gimkit originally as an independent study project. Now, Feinsilber is worth around $400,000 and Gimkit is worth around $23,000. The site has received criticism for its similarities to other apps and that it is subscription-based, but it has also received a lot a praise at the same time for its distinctive features and success: test scores from users have improved more than that of users of other similar platforms such as Kahoot and Quizlet. Also, the personalization aspect where teachers make “kits,” giving rewards when students master concepts and providing educators easy access to data telling student progress. Overall, Feinsilber used his entrepreneurial mindset to take an existing idea and improve it to make a better product for users.

Langston Whitlock’s SafeTrip: Unique, Thriving, & Safe

Langston Whitlock is an 18-year-old Atlanta-native, Georgia State University freshman, longtime coder, drummer, son, and brother. Also, he is cofounder and chief information officer (CIO) of the multi-million dollar company, SafeTrip, which provides ridesharing services for the homeless and elderly in the Atlanta, Georgia area who are in need of reliable transportation to medical appointments and wheelchair compatibility. It all started when Whitlock and Ja’Nese Jean, opera singer, social entrepreneur, philanthropist, and now SafetTrip’s CEO, who had been friendly colleagues in Atlanta for several years, were attending a local event and discovered the problem they would soon solve with SafeTrip. As they were at the community outreach event, Whitlock told Jean that he had heard from a local homeless veteran that many people in the area were unable to make it to important medical appointments due to lack of transportation. Jean replied by asking “Can you make an app for that?”

Whitlock learned how to write code as a young 12-year-old when he created an anonymous messaging app to try and contact his father; at 16 he became the youngest person to be recognized by Forbes Enterprise Technology judges and CIO for the company, meaning he oversees the development team and helps implement sourcing data and new technologies, such as users being able to pay for rides by debit, credit, or insurance. Though everyone else who works for the company is older than him, he says this is no issue at all and it works well; if anything, he says, “They love me cause I’m a kid, I guess.” Additionally, his perspective as a young person has proven valuable: SafeTrip recruits new high school graduates to be drivers for the company in order to further community-connectedness and to help teens who may not have a clear path ahead of them; also, these kids have just recently learned things like defensive driving and CPR at school, so these skills are fresh in their minds.

The app itself launched in 2018 and in 2019 made $3.4 million in revenue; also, it currently has $2 million in funding. Their motivation, besides wanting to better their community and help those in need, is also rooted in that the Atlanta-based company wants to show that the Atlanta technology scene is just as impressive and valuable as Silicon Valley. Additionally, Whitlock is personally committed to providing for his mother and bringing her all the happiness in the world, as a way of repaying her for the work she has put in throughout his life.

Overall, Langston Whitlock is a great example of a young entrepreneur in the 21st century. He and his cofounder saw a problem in their community and, using their existing skillsets and resources as active community members, and building on the typical idea of ridesharing went out and solved a real problem for the greater good.

Max Reisinger: 17 & Living a Dream

Max Reisinger is a 17-year-old from Chapel Hill, North Carolina who is living a life that many teens and adults alike wish they were: one of YouTube and social media fame and successful business ownership. Reisinger currently has over 250,000 YouTube subscribers and nearly 13 million total views on his channel, as well as his own clothing brand, Perspectopia, which is a combination of the words “perspective” and “utopia” and is the basis for what his brand as a whole strives for.

Max’s YouTube channel was the beginning of his career as an entrepreneur and continues to be an integral part of his brand and internet presence. Max’s family lived in France for 7 months while his mother, a French professor, was on sabbatical there; his documentation of parts of this experience, along with his filming and editing skills led to his first big break on YouTube. In May of 2019, his video titled “A Day in the Life at FRENCH PUBLIC SCHOOL” would eventually reach just over 2 million views. His next most viewed video is about his experience coming back to America, in which he describes the “reverse culture shock” felt and provides an overall reflection on his time in France. This uncommon life-experience intrigued many and allowed Max’s talents and personality to shine and made the important initial strides in his YouTube career.

Now, Max mainly uploads vlogs about his life and topics teens and the surrounding demographic can relate to, including videos about his first college visit, time management, or just his average day. Also, he receives paid sponsorships and an overflow of positive comments on his videos as to how he is a true inspiration to his viewers. Max has a joy for life and a unique personality that is entertaining and well-reflected in his skillfully-edited videos — all of which attract new viewers and subscribers every day.

But Max did not stop with YouTube: he wanted to build his brand as an individual and to create a community in which different perspectives and experiences could be brought together in order to support one another and aim for a better tomorrow. Thus, in 2019 he launched the aforementioned Perspectopia. Specializing in embroidered Champion crewnecks, the site also includes t-shirts and various accessories like bucket hats, socks, and stickers, all of which Max designs, makes, and ships from his bedroom. Though still a high school student, brother, son, and friend, Max is a champion of productivity (something he frequently gives tips about on his YouTube and Instagram) and manages to work on his business endeavors for an average of 80-90 hours per week.

Keeping with the brand’s message, Max created an online discussion forum connected with Perspectopia on the popular platform Discord, so that people from anywhere in the world can discuss their lives with and support one another in the context of his brand. Currently, Perspectopia is donating over half of its profits to a Filipino community recovering from a recent typhoon, where a member of the Discord server lives. Perspectopia has been successful thus far because Max has created a brand that is not only original in design and well-made, but is also based on a mission felt by many and appeals to the ethos of a person; by buying his products, his customers can be a part of something greater — whether that be helping those in need, or just embodying the message of trying to continually improve our world.

Overall, Max Reisinger is an excellent representation of what a young entrepreneur looks like, and is perhaps one of the most realistic examples of such because, after watching his videos, he is seen to be a genuine, hard-working person chasing his dream. The combination of Max’s unique and high-quality YouTube and clothing brand with his commitment to making the world a better place is what has made him a success and inspiration thus far.

Leanne Holder

Leanne Holder is a 26-year-old entrepreneur who owns Because Racecar Box and Vitamin Coffee, and also acts, models, and dabbles in fitness. When her career as a fitness coach and personal trainer fell through in 2016/2017, Leanne decided to launch Because Racecar Box, a company that delivers “car enthusiasts with detailing products directly to their door.” Holder values fitness and health, which is why she is currently the co-owner of Vitamin Coffee, which sells vitamin-infused coffee that promotes a healthier immune system and just feeling better.

Because Racecar Box is the leader in its industry, and boats upwards of $390,000 in profits per year, and since her purchase of Vitamin Coffee, the company has increased sales by over 100%. Holder was named of 10 Entrepreneurs to watch in 2020 by justentrepreneurs.co.uk, and will surely see more achievements in years to come.

Leanne Holder’s Because Racecar Box is a brand new service, and her intrusion into the traditionally male-dominated industry of cars further shows that she is a true entrepreneur, meaning she is willing to take risks, and is also able to combine existing ideas to make new ones.

It started with a bath & it was “Da Bomb”

In 2012, sisters Caroline and Isabel Bercaw were a couple of young teenagers who loved using bath bombs, so they decided to start creating their own for fun. But — theirs were unique. Some of their “bombs” would have a fragrance or would be fizzy, but what was most striking for customers was that each would have a small treasure—like a ring, or a fortune—in the middle when the outside had dissolved. After selling out their products at a local art fair and getting a call from local and major retailers, Caroline and Isabel realized they could turn this into something real.

As of 2018, Da Bomb is a $20 million-plus company employing 200 people with features on Forbes 30 Under 30 2019 as well as the Wall Street Journal Business. With their parents as CEO/CFO, co-founders Caroline and Isabel are now young college students with their products — that were once just a hobby — in thousands of stores worldwide and online. Their bombs are made from a selective few, clean ingredients in order to keep things “as natural as possible” (Da Bomb). Additionally, for a long time, they made each bomb by hand in their basement, but due to their immense growth, they have had to outsource; however, all of their products are made in the USA.

What made their bath bombs so great? For most people, it was the treasure inside. It was a personal gift, and that made an impact on the consumer. Also, clever names such as “F-Bomb,” as well as fun fragrances caught the attention of consumers looking for something unique. Caroline and Isabel are now the authors of two books, both of which contain recipes and other DIY-type activities to make and do with bath bombs, face scrubs, and more.

Overall true innovators in their field, Caroline and Isabel Bercaw created a highly-successful, family-run business founded on simplicity, uniqueness, and fun — and it is the bomb.

 

 

CEO, Grace Beverley — Where Fitness Meets Sustainability

Grace Beverley is a 23-year-old Oxford University graduate, as well as the founder and CEO of three fitness brands that emphasize sustainability and eco-friendliness: TALA, an athletic wear company, Shreddy, a fitness and workout planning app, and B_ND, a gym equipment shop.

As an 18-year-old heading to university, she was a fitness and lifestyle-type YouTube and Instagram personality, where she has since amassed 500k subscribers and 1 million followers (as of September 2020). During her second year of pursuing a degree in music at Oxford, she launched B_ND, and in the spring of 2019, TALA, with Shreddy to follow soon after. Now, her legitimacy as a young CEO is rising quickly beyond owning three brands that have received zero funding from external investors; she was named #1 in Forbes 30 Under 30: Europe 2020, with TALA earning £6M, or roughly $7.6M, in the first year of business. Despite her successes thus far, however, she has expressed struggles with her self-perception and validation due to her beginnings being while she was in school, her background in the “influencer, YouTuber area,” where it is difficult to be taken seriously, and also being a young, woman CEO in a competitive, crowded, and challenging industry. While some of her success can be attributed to her internet presence, she does not consider herself an influencer — a title she is trying to get away from — but a fitness entrepreneur who uses social media.

Beverley is passionate about and driven by her belief in a competitive business model that incorporates sustainability, and in her case, fitness inclusivity as well. She believes that in order to truly move towards a more sustainable world, venture capitalists, investors, and private equity firms must be encouraged to make money in the world of sustainability so that the future of the industry is able to “survive alongside traditional business.” With these innovative concepts in mind and her interest in fitness, she developed her brands.

B_ND sells vegan-friendly workout equipment and TALA boasts that 92% of products are made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles. TALA is unique in this aspect, as they are one of few brands to make eco-friendly and ethical athletic clothing that can be purchased for a similar, if not better price as other “fast-fashion activewear [pieces]” that are not eco-friendly. In terms of “fitness inclusivity,” TALA and Shreddy are very intentional about relaying to consumers their understanding of the various different body types and people they are selling to, and that they are not trying to overly promote transformations or weight loss. At the same time, Beverley does not like the idea of advertising and marketing with “body positivity” on the forefront; as she believes the fitness world wrongly invaded the movement and is in actuality “one of the most fatphobic and non-inclusive industries there is.”

Beverley’s successes in this new niche have been inspirational to many, as she often posts productivity advice and tips on her social media stories, and is set to release a book in April 2021 titled Working Hard, Hardly Working: Redefining Productivity in the Modern World. Overall, Beverley is making a meaningful impact in the fitness world by being able to create and sell ethical athletic wear and equipment for affordable prices — a demand and industry that had not yet been discovered as profitable or possible.