Ritesh Agarwal is the founder and CEO of OYO Hotels and has crafted one of the most interesting entrepreneurial stories in India. At just 25 years old, his determined vision, sharp insights, and stellar execution have made him a billionaire and transformed India’s hospitality industry. From a young age, Agarwal had a deep interest in technology and exploring India. On his various trips across different countries, there became a major pain point: the lack of standardized, quality budget accommodations for domestic travelers. The poor amenities, mediocre facilities, and consistent unreliability tainted this lodging segment for India. Though affordable, these deficiencies left a gap in the massive economy hospitality market. Driven to find a solution, Ritesh started his entrepreneurial journey. After initially attempting to simply catalog any affordable properties, he decided to improve the hospitality situation directly himself. Ritesh realized that merely locating inexpensive stays online was only a partial fix.  Integrating technology and his firsthand experiences, Ritesh Agarwal started OYO Hotels. The company took a two-sided approach partnering with independent budget hotels and lifting quality standards in their amenities, facilities, and service reliability. Instead of building or buying properties, OYO developed their model by leveraging software and operations transforming and bettering existing hotels. The hotel partners access benefits like digital distribution and branding while travelers finally enjoy consistent baseline amenities and stays. Ritesh’s solution for India’s hospitality industry was not only successful but also quite profitable. From 1,000 OYO rooms in 2013 to over 850,000 rooms and 17,000 + hotels operating under brand standards in 2018. Agarwal went from being a college dropout at twenty years old to billionaire entrepreneur by twenty-three. Driven by consumer insight and steely conviction, Agarwal’s journey with OYO Hotels stands out as an inspiring story where he uses both his vision and entrepreneurial potential for the good of India and its people.

In 2013, at the age of just 22, Davis Siksnans and co-founder Lauris Liberts, started a company that would go to redefine the print-on-demand landscape. Their company was and is called Printful. It started as an aspiration to integrate custom print products into the e-commerce world which has since turned into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. Before the establishment of Printful, Siksnans and Liberts were the driving force behind their company Startup Vitamins. This company sold motivational posters and clothing, which would later become the reason for Printful’s success.

The transition came when the two decided to expand their products to include apparel. This, however, had multiple logistical problems at the time with services lacking the requisite speed and quality. With this gap in the market the two decided to start their company, Printful. Within a short period of time their newly started company went a team of five to a company employing over 500 people in the United States, Mexico, and Latvia. They have They have their head offices in Charlotte, Los Angelas, and Riga, Latvia.

The company’s dedication to their market’s innovation is unbeatable, totaling approximately $12 million in printing technology. Notably, $6.6 million was allocated in the most recent fiscal year alone. In a span of just five years, Printful has produced over 6.5 million customized products. Beyond its initial focus on just T-shirts, the company now offers embroidery, screen printing, and an extensive array of customization options across thousands of items.

Printful’s success lies in their early establishment of partnerships with key e-commerce platforms, including Shopify in their early days. These strategic partnerships positioned Printful as a go-to solution for businesses seeking print-on-demand services. As Printful continues to redefine the landscape of print-on-demand, it stands as a testament to the vision and perseverance of its founders.

In September 2017, Ryan Trahan, a college freshman at Texas A&M University, found himself at a crossroads. He was not only a student athlete but also a young entrepreneur juggling his track and cross-country pursuits with his water bottle brand, Neptune. He also had a YouTube channel about running.  Then came a pivotal moment when the NCAA, delivered a life-changing ultimatum. They told him he had to make a choice: continue as a college athlete or pursue his Neptune venture and YouTube channel. It was a defining moment in Ryan’s life. With just 30,000 YouTube subscribers, Ryan took a daring leap of faith. He made the choice to drop out of college, pack his bags, and move to Florida. He was set on building his brand and growing his YouTube channel. It was a risky move, but Ryan was determined to work for himself and create something from what he had. He shared this decision with his subscribers, setting the stage for the start of his inspiring journey. The choice paid off in ways he couldn’t have imagined. Ryan’s YouTube channel flourished, amassing over 11 million subscribers. He became a shining star in the content creation world, known for his innovative videos, including the “penny to a house” series, which landed him at the #1 spot on YouTube’s trending page. Ryan’s influence extended beyond YouTube, with 1.4 million TikTok followers and 566,000 followers on Instagram. His posts offered glimpses of his adventurous life, from visiting Iceland’s loneliest house to watching sunsets with giraffes. Ryan’s path as a creator had its share of highs and lows, from building a home for his single father to wrestling with the burnout that comes with relentless content creation. Through it all, his entrepreneurial mindset remained persistent. “Creating something from nothing has always been ingrained in me,” he emphasized. In the end, Ryan Trahan’s college journey took a unique turn, allowing him to pursue his passions. He epitomizes the young, wild, and entrepreneurial spirit, daring to dream big and achieving it.

At just the age of nine, Moziah Bridges started a bow tie company called Mo’s Bows in 2011. Growing up, Moziah always enjoyed dressing well but never found bowties that appealed to his style. When his mother took him shopping, he wanted the adult bowties instead of the child bowties, however, they were very expensive, so his mother suggested this he have his grandmother make them instead. With the help of his grandmother, Moziah started making and “fashioning” his own bow ties. His first bowties were made from the scrap fabric his grandmother had. Moziah especially liked the vintage fabrics as they were different and stood out from most. From this experience with his grandmother, Moziah wanted to start a business making bowties. The goal: create and sell fashionable bowties with a bit of style. Since the start of his business, Mo’s Bows, the company took off. Moziah Bridges has made appearances with his business on The Steve Harvey Show, The Today Show, O: The Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, 20/20, CBS This Morning, and Shark Tank. On Shark Tank he secured a deal and mentor with Daymond John. Moziah has also gotten his products into major retailers like Neiman Marcus. From his innovation and dedication to his craft and business Moziah’s business has become a sensation and is known quite well.  Since appearing on Shark Tank back in April of 2014, Moziah Bridges has an estimated net worth of two million dollars as of 2023. According to Moziah, bow ties are just the beginning; he also wants to create and sell pocket squares as well as neckties. Mo’s Bows is in Memphis and has a well-maintained website.

At the age of just seven, Alina Morse started her company, Zolli Candy. The idea came from a trip to the bank for her father. The bank teller offered her a candy and she graciously declined as her parents always told her candy would damage her teeth. From her experience she came up with the idea to create candy that both tasted good and was good for your teeth. Her product was Zollipops, a tooth-friendly lollipop. Alina’s candies use natural sweeteners like xylitol and erythritol helping reduce dental plaque and oral bacteria. Morse herself is allergic to artificial dyes and colors so they use natural coloring like beetroot juice and citric acid for color. Within a short period of time her candy was sold in multiple stores across the United States. Since her first product in 2012, Alina has expanded her sugar-free vegan candies to drops and taffy. Since the beginning of her business venture, Morse has become Zolli Candy’s CEO and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine and Money publication.

The name Zolli came from Alina’s younger sister, Lola when she tried to pronounce one of the ingredients in their candy. Lola said “Zollipops” and that was the name for their most popular candy, Zollipops. Her mother formerly worked in sales and her father was a consultant for Deloitte: both now work within the company. Her father is Alina’s manager and her mother, Suzanne is her coach, schedule organizer, and stylist. Her younger sister, Lola helps make videos for the company. From their sales in the United States and internationally, they totaled six million in sales in 2018. Recently, she launched the Million Smiles Initiative, encouraging schools to speak on dental hygiene to young students by donating Zollipops. This year in 2023 the CEO, Alina Morse and her business, Zolli Candy, are worth six million dollars.