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Alexander Kulitski – The Teenage Software Entrepreneur

Posted by dawsoncm21

· Friday, November 26th, 2021

· 1 Comment

As a college student, Alexander Kulitski recognized the opportunity to innovate the software and web application industry, specifically in smaller businesses and international enterprises. This is how he developed Smart IT which had quick success and profit. One of the projects Alexander and his team worked on was the first online ticket sales service, which is still the most popular service in the country.

Alexander got the idea for the business through the knowledge he gained from participating in an IT club which lead him to freelance work. As a freshman in college, Alexander was earning good income and had a great reputation as a freelancer. He ran a blog and would get multiple work offers a day. Realizing he had some savings to spend, he decided to hire some of his friends to help him keep up with his growing work and rent an office space. This was the beginning of Smart IT.

The entrepreneurial spirit Alexander possesses drives his business on a day to day basis and he is excited to be engaged in how automation is changing our world. He has found purpose in his desire to be part of technology that is changing the world at rapid paces. Alexander values many different methods to help him stay focused and productive day in and day out such as sports, yoga, vacations, and meditation. Curiosity goes hand in hand with these productivity methods due to the industry of technology having such a rapidly changing nature. Alexander is dedicated to being diligent even if something doesn’t work at first. He values quality over quantity, giving your all into everything, and facing the tough decisions head on.

I very much admire Alexander’s entrepreneurial traits that demonstrate his passion for business and technology. He is not afraid to take on a project that is difficult, as long as he follows through and gives it his all no matter what. Even from a young age, Alexander pondered how he could transform his passions into a business that could make a difference, and now he has found great success in doing so.

1 Comment

Categories : Computers, Software, Young Entrepreneur

Garrett Gee – The Scanning Millionaire

Posted by dawsoncm21

· Monday, November 15th, 2021

· 5 Comments

Garrett Gee is one of the founders of Scan Inc., a company focused on the QR code industry from a new and innovative angle. The company began out of an idea Garrett and his classmates came up with for a project in his entrepreneurship course at BYU. They decided to put their idea into action, which ended up making them millionaires. Scan is a downloadable app that allows people to make their own QR codes that can link to more than just a website. It also allows you to scan a barcode to check a price on an item. With a wider variety of codes you can scan, this company was immediately very popular to multiple large investors. The app blew up as soon as Garrett and his team launched it, and he went on Shark Tank to pitch his idea. Although he did not secure a deal with a shark, the additional publicity for his business only made it that much more popular. Garrett ended up selling Scan Inc. to Snapchat for $54 million.

These young and successful entrepreneurs are perfect examples of true innovators. They saw that the QR code system had more potential than it was being used for, so they decided to do something about it. Although they very well could have moved on from this idea, especially since it was an idea for their class, I am inspired by their follow through with the project. I am especially inspired by Garrett because he demonstrated his determination throughout the building of the company through his passion and drive to “connect the real world with the digital universe”.

I have learned that we have the power to “change the world from our college dorm rooms”, as Garrett said. With technology advancing, it could be any second that a million dollar idea comes to us. When approaching innovation, it is important not to limit yourself by self doubt because the world truly is at our fingertips.

5 Comments

Categories : App, Shark Tank, Snapchat, Young Entrepreneur

Mark Sotomayor – Buy a Tea, Plant a Tree

Posted by dawsoncm21

· Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

· 1 Comment

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.

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?”

1 Comment

Categories : Business, Charity, Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Haiti, Handmade, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact, Startups, Uncategorized

Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman – Fashionably Making a Difference

Posted by dawsoncm21

· Friday, October 1st, 2021

· 2 Comments

People often get caught up in fast paced lifestyles and do not slow down to take time to appreciate the little things in life. It is always a good reminder to take a break once in a while and count your blessings. Two young, fresh out of college entrepreneurs realized that people need this reminder when reflecting on their time spent in Costa Rica and seeing how the Costa Ricans lived with a spirit of gratitude for the simple things in life. This is how their company was born.

Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman went on a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate graduating college. During their time there, they met two artisans that made bracelets and asked them to make 400 bracelets for them to take home with so they could display them in a local boutique. The artisans agreed, and the bracelets ended up selling out of the boutique in only a few days. Seeing the huge opportunity, Griffin and Paul wanted to develop a company with the bracelets. Branching off their inspiration from the lifestyle that the Costa Ricans embraced, Griffin and Paul decided to create a movement around their grateful attitudes for the simple things in life. The Costa Ricans called this lifestyle “pura vida”, so that is what they named business. Griffin and Paul partnered with the artisans in Costa Rica to launch their business, and now their employees have expanded to artisans in El Salvador, India, and more in addition to Costa Rica. They now have over 800 employees for this business, and it is continuing to grow.

Not only are Griffin and Paul spreading an inspirational message with their bracelets and jewelry, but they are also giving back to communities in need. They are providing artisans with reliable and good paying jobs with positive work environments, neither of which they had in their previous jobs. In addition to this, they have partnered with hundreds of different charities and donated millions of dollars to important causes. This is no ordinary bracelet and jewelry company. Their passion and mission for this business is apparent, and it is an inspiration that they have such a heart to give back.

These entrepreneurs helped solve the problem of low wages and poor work conditions for hundreds of people in other countries while selling a product with meaning. They are clearly driven by wanting to help others, and they are succeeding in multiple ways. This makes them unique in the jewelry business because genuine giving hearts can be hard to find. I am inspired by their story, and I have learned that seizing an opportunity is sometimes all it takes to make a big impact.

2 Comments

Categories : Charity, Jewelry, Social Impact, Travel, young entrepreneurs

Gabby Goodwin – CEO of Confidence

Posted by dawsoncm21

· Monday, September 27th, 2021

· 1 Comment

“My advice to other girls is to work hard, try your best, and remember NO is just an abbreviation for Next Opportunity!”

These wise words come from the 11-year-old entrepreneur, Gabrielle Goodwin. She is the CEO of Confidence, a business that sells innovative hair clips and hair products specifically targeted toward young girls. Her business came to be through her personal experience of losing hair clips. Hair accessories can be notorious for falling out of hair and disappearing, the beginning of the never-ending cycle of buying ridiculous amounts of hair accessories. Gabby was determined to fix this problem. Gabby and her mother came up with a new design of hair clips that would never fall out. Gabby’s success in her business clearly shows how real of a problem this is for mothers and their daughters around the world.

In addition to running her business, Gabby is a sought-after keynote speaker. She shares her story with others, in hopes of inspiring them to persevere in pursuing their dreams and ambitions. This is what drives her to keep running her business and making it better. Her initial idea of hair clips has now expanded into other products including: a hair product line, a children’s book, and a makeup box. Expanding her business is evidence that Gabby is not stagnant in her efforts, but she wants to continue to make her business better through hard work and harnessing her passion.

Gabby’s story is unique in showing other young girls that they can strive for their dreams like she did and still is doing. Many times, children become intimidated by their imagination, but Gabby is a great example of how ambition and drive can get you far, no matter your age. Additionally, her idea is unique in how she approached the design. She wanted the hair clip to have a design on both sides, and she wanted the clip to be effective in how it held hair. In pondering these two problems, she invented Gabby Bows that precisely solved them. Through Gabby’s personal experience, there was no other design of bow on the market that solved these problems, so Gabby decided to take on the solution herself in motivation to help her own hair needs and others. All these factors are what makes Gabby’s idea great. Through the process of coming up with a hair clip solution then arriving at the final product, Gabby showed strong entrepreneurial traits that simply cannot be taught. Her eye for the problem that needed to be solved showed her maturity and ability to carry out the innovative solution.

From Gabby’s story, I have been inspired to keep an eye out for the problems that I experience in my everyday life and to not be discouraged when I hear a “no”. I love that Gabby put such a positive spin on the word “no”, that is largely looked at as a negative. She spreads the message that when one door closes another one opens so that no one ever gives up on their dreams.

1 Comment

Categories : Beauty, Business::Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Kids, Positivity, Young Entrepreneur

Mikaila Ulmer – CEO of Saving Bees One Lemonade at a Time

Posted by dawsoncm21

· Sunday, September 19th, 2021

· 2 Comments

Curiosity is the birthplace of all creation and innovation. Lack of curiosity limits us in what we can achieve. Mikaila Ulmer, a 15-year-old entrepreneur, not only had the curiosity but had the drive and courage to turn her idea into an award-winning, multi-million-dollar company.

The idea of Mikaila’s company, “Me & the Bees Lemonade”, began when she was just 4 years old and got stung by bees twice in one week. Stemming from her anger around getting stung, she was curious as to why bees even existed. She was intrigued to discover truly how much of an impact bees have on the environment. In preparation for some children’s business competitions, she wanted to combine finding a way to help bees not go extinct with her grandma’s lemonade recipe in her business idea. This is how “Me & the Bees Lemonade” was born. She decided to make her own variation to her grandma’s lemonade recipe with honey and donate a percent of profits to “local and international organizations fighting hard to save the honeybees”. Since she started the business, it has shown unbelievable growth and she now is selling her lemonade in multiple major markets and stores.

Although some may think that a lemonade business is mundane and not worth investment, Mikaila clearly proved this wrong. Mikaila’s lemonade business stands out among the rest. How? She has a drive and meaning behind it. She has a clear purpose and vision for her mission as a CEO. She wants to help the environment at the same time as spreading joy by saving the bees and sharing her grandma’s lemonade recipe with the world. Her passion for the cause and her personal tie to the business is what makes Mikaila unique and what makes her idea great. In the social entrepreneurship arena, we can learn from Mikaila. Whether involving the environment, people, technology, etc., entrepreneurs like Mikaila should inspire us to replicate her passion and courage to change the world for the better.

Mikaila also has a desire to share her story of being a social entrepreneur with others, which she does through speaking at events, leading workshops, and participating in social entrepreneurship panels. She clearly values inspiring others in a way that shows them that they can also make a difference if they are willing to take the chance and apply their passion to a cause. Personally, I am inspired by Mikaila’s story because she is the epitome of young entrepreneurs that achieve success by filling a need that makes a difference and that people care about with no fear. Her story reiterates to me the importance of running with a vision. Mikaila says herself, “My generation-we’re the future. When we grow up, we’re going to be the people who are the presidents and the leaders of the world…If we start at a young age making a difference, donating back, giving back, when we grow up, we can do that on a larger scale.” This quote encourages me that even at a young age, we have the opportunity and potential to make the world a better place. If we capture our dreams and transform them into reality, then there is nothing we cannot do.

2 Comments

Categories : Beverages, Blog, Business, Business::Entrepreneurs, Great Ideas, Lemonade, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Positivity, Social Entrepreneur, Women Entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneur