Jack Bonneau is possibly the youngest entrepreneur ever. This kid took selling lemonade to a whole new level when he wanted to buy Legos. Jack needed a way to make 400 dollars for a Lego set he wanted, so he set up a lemonade stand and made 900 in three months. He realized he may have something bigger than Legos however, and began to branch out. He set up more stands around the Denver area and in his breakout year he made 15,000 dollars at age 10. He is trying to expand even more and enter into different states. Jack is really a phenomenon not only because he is so young but because of how quickly his company has grown. He morphed it into something called “Jacks Stands and Marketplace.” Jack now lets other kids run their own stand under his brand and he personally teaches them how to sell and think like an entrepreneurial, and again he is 10 years old. I do not remember what I was doing when I was 10 but it certainly was not owning my own majorly successful company.

Olenka Polak and her brother Adam grew up in a multilingual household and that hardship led them to a business breakthrough. While Olenka was at Harvard, she and her brother were thinking about how CDs and DVDs came in many languages but the movie seeing experience was still strictly in the English language. The siblings developed an app that uses one’s phone microphone to capture the sound and experience of what is happening on the screen, then it also translates the dialogue into the language of choice. Such a gateway idea has the potential to bridge such a gap between the theater industry an those who do not have English as their first language. The Polak’s idea has drawn attention from far and wide, even from the likes of Disney, Paramount, and Sony. With industry titans knocking at their door it is hard to speculate what the myLINGO’s potential value will be but they could possibly monopolize an entire industry. The Polaks are another example of young people seeing a problem and finding out a way to fix it, and make money doing so.

Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola realized that convenience sells. A huge market is growing for on-demand sales and these two college kids realized they could make money from it. While in college, they set up a version of an app that would deliver a plethora of products anywhere near them. Their first customer made an order of simple snacks, even though the customers apartment shared a wall with a 7-Eleven. In that moment, they knew people would pay just so they did not have to leave their household. After they launched, the duo would work all day delivering between classes. Currently, they have 80 employees and occupy 12 different cities. Many factors come into play with a business like goPuff, but the duo looks to keep expanding. Their motto is, “Don’t stress the little things. Done is better than perfect.” These two young entrepreneurs encourage others to not take no for an answer and to pursue their goals and dreams no matter how many people doubt. Their inspiring story goes to show just how amazing the American economy and Dream is, and speaks to how vibrant it still is. If they can do it, what is stopping you?

Ralphy Dominguez went to prison for selling drugs, he came out an skilled worker. Soon after, he became an entrepreneur, combining his skill with aid from Refoundary a company that helps ex-inmates get back on their feet. Ralphy learned through a craft course in prison how to build with leather. He came out of prison and through Refoundary was able to start his own company making hand-crafted leather wallets. The acquire leftover materials from large companies and refashion it into quality wallets. Since starting the business, Ralphy has hired two other men, who were formerly in prison, to help him create the products. They have done business in flea markets around New York City, and recently have been given shelf space at a high-end boutique in Manhattan.

This story is so cool, because it is someone using their creativity and skills to not only redeem his life, but also produce a legitimate business. Now he is making an honest living, and helping to redeem the lives of others by giving them a job in his growing platform.