Author Archive for ReynoldsAL17

Kickz

Posted by ReynoldsAL17

· Wednesday, December 12th, 2018

· 3 Comments

Benjamin Kapelushnik

Kapelushnik has been called Ben “kickz” Kapelushnik, the “Sneaker Don”, the sneaker plug, and a teen entrepreneur who is changing the world. His customers include D.J. Khalid and other high profile celebrities. Kapelushnik works with brands including Yeezy and Air Jordans before they are open to the public market. He is able to glean a 40 percent profit margin from each sale.

Sneakerdon.com Beginning

Kapelushnik began selling sneakers when he was in fourth grade. He said his parents did not want to fund his hobby of collecting sneakers. After he realized all the kids at school wanted his shoes he began reselling shoes already on market to his classmates in order to make a small profit. It took Kapelushnik years before he was able to build sneakerdon.com to the one million dollar profit it reached this year. He said his father had a hard time wrapping his mind around the concept of buying shoes for eight hundred dollars, wearing them for a small period of time, and being able to resell them for more. His mom on the other hand has encouraged him to chase his dreams, even if she did not quite understand the process.

Benjamin Kapelushnik’s Future Plans

Kapelushnik wants to open stores and chains to go along with the website business he already manages. He wants to become bigger and better at his job. Kapelushnik plans on furthering his education at a college institution, even though he already runs a successful business as a sixteen year old.

My Thoughts

Although I may share more of Benjamin’s father’s attitude towards the idea, I think the sneaker business is growing. If Kapelushnik continues to make connections and improvements I believe there will be almost no limit to the success he will have in his industry. I wish him well in his future endeavors, and I will keep my eyes peeled for his guest appearances on celebrity snap chats.

3 Comments

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Fashion

Briago Labs

Posted by ReynoldsAL17

· Friday, December 7th, 2018

· 2 Comments

The Problem

A while back on the internet I saw a picture of a young woman in tears at a restaurant table. She wasn’t on a date, she was surrounded by family. After reading the post it was clear the tears were indeed happy, not sad. For the first time in her seventeen years of living this girl was given a menu she could read; in braille.

Braigo Labs

Braigo Labs is a company which provides low cost blue tooth and internet equipped braille printers to help the visually impaired. Their goal is to help 50 million of the worlds population accomplish a task most of us take for granted. Being able to read independently is a struggle for the visually impaired. Typical braille printers cost around three thousand dollars. Braigo Labs product is sold for 82% less than competitors.

Founder

Braigo Labs is one of the most impressive entrepreneurial endeavors in existence. Its impressiveness is compounded by the age of the founder and its creation story. Shubham Banerjee is 14 years old. Braigo Labs primitive version was built with Lego Mindstorms EV3. The inspiration struck while brainstorming ideas for a seventh grade science fair project. Banjeree is not alone in his journey, as many teachers and mentors are encouraging and helping make the second version of the printer possible. Banjeree says the best advice they’ve supplied is; “Be humble,” and “Innovate for the right reasons — money is not one of them.”

2 Comments

Categories : Creating, Great Ideas, Helping Hands, Social Entrepreneur, Social Justice

Mo’s Bows

Posted by ReynoldsAL17

· Tuesday, December 4th, 2018

· 3 Comments

Mo’s Bows

Moziah Bridges, the sixteen year old founder, wants to become a fashion mogul. Most would say he is well on his way. Mo’s Bows is a company which produces handmade bow ties and neckties with colorful, inspired designs. Moziah, or Mo for short, has been an entrepreneur from the young age of twelve and does not plan on stopping or slowing down anytime soon.

The Beginning

Mo began making bow ties with his grandmother because he wanted to add a flare to his outfit and was unable to find a bow tie which matched his personality. At twelve years old Mo pitched his business idea on Shark Tank and Daymond John knew it was an adventure worth his investment. Since then Daymond John has helped Mo’s Bows attain partnerships with various big name businesses such as Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, and even the NBA.

Success

While Moziah is already considered extremely successful by many, his appetite for bigger and better will not be tamed. Mo has declared his ambitious goal; a full clothing line by the time he graduates college. Moziah wishes to attend a university of higher education and study fashion design. His brand is internationally recognized. However, Moziah will not stop until Mo’s Bows is a household name for men’s and women’s accessories.

3 Comments

Categories : Uncategorized

NextGenVest

Posted by ReynoldsAL17

· Sunday, October 14th, 2018

· 3 Comments

NextGenVest-Kelly Peeler

NextGenVest is a company which was started by Kelly Peeler. The goal of NextGenVest is to help Gen Z become more aware of financial decisions through text messages. Customers have saved $39 million because of the access NextGenVest supplies to the $2.7 billion of unclaimed financial aid each year.

Customers are able to get advice from “Money Mentors”, who are experienced and trained college students who provide customized help. They give advice on budget setting, lowering student debt, building credit, finding scholarships, applying for FASFA, and even apply for college!

This company uses data points such as school location and type to suggest the best approach for finances. Most people would assume something like this would cost an arm and a leg, but Peeler’s service runs at the low price of $0.00 dollars.

Peeler has been interested in helping younger generations with financial decisions for a while, and has been a part of other organizations, such as Business Without Borders and the International Women in Business Summit. Peeler was selected as one of eight Kauffman Foundation Global Scholars. Her success is just beginning, her work ethic is incredible. She is connected to big name entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. She also graduated from Harvard University and lives in the very liquid New York City, New York.

Personally

This would have been extremely helpful for me as I was applying for college and loans. I hope NextGenVest starts to use social media to advertise to the generation they are targeting. I really like the concept and how it cuts down the amount of confusion surrounding difficult to use websites like niche scholarships and FASFA loans. I also think it’s amazing how the people giving the advice are also college aged students who have been given the training to help others their own age.

https://www.nextgenvest.com

3 Comments

Categories : Academia, Education, Women Entrepreneurs

Veterati

Posted by ReynoldsAL17

· Wednesday, October 10th, 2018

· 1 Comment

Veterati

is a technological platform designed to provide America’s 1.5 million transitioning veterans as the attempt to enter the civilian workforce. It also targets the 5.5 million underemployed military spouses navigate careers in the civilian world.

Beginnings

The idea came from Daniel Rau, however it was in a very elementary phase. When Daniel reached out to Diana who helped develop the idea to its current state.

The Problem and Solution

80% of jobs are not listed, they are instead they are filled by communication in personal networks. This typically leaves those who served in the military out of the loop so to speak. So husband and wife Daniel and Diana created a social network using algorithms to pair former military and their spouses with successful business people in their area, provide mentors, and help build networks vital to furthering careers. This solution is unique and solves a serious social injustice.

Success

Veterati has become the leading Veteran Service Organization to deliver free on-demand mentoring to the military community. The Raus have made it to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list and are continuing to succeed as they currently have 10,000 members and continue to grow. Their is still a large population of military service members looking to transition to civilian careers who aren’t using Veterati yet who could take advantage of this program in the future.

Personal Opinion

This company is making strides in the world of social entrepreneurship. The Raus identified a problem, and solved it in a convenient way that simultaneously adds value to the world. In my opinion, this is a win-win-win. I see the potential for this start up and it reminds me of a military version of LinkedIn. I am also a fan of the fact that this start up led to Daniel and Diana getting married, it’s a super adorable inspiration.

1 Comment

Categories : Databases, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Social Entrepreneur, Social Justice, Social Media

Eterneva

Posted by ReynoldsAL17

· Monday, September 17th, 2018

· 1 Comment

Eterneva

“Makes memorial diamonds out of the cremated remains of loved ones.”

This startup was born from personal loss. The founder, Adelle Archer, lost her mentor to a battle with pancreatic cancer. She discovered the lack of options of ways to commemorate loved ones. The business Archer was working for at the time was researching diamond development that, combined with a trend in cremation over burials led her to wonder if the carbon from the ashes of loved ones could be used to create diamonds. She found a few other companies were successfully doing so and began working on her own way of sentimentally including passed loved ones in life. Eterneva sends a small portion of ashes to Amsterdam where the eight month process begins. Unlike competitors, Enterneva includes the buyers in the process by sending text updates throughout the eight months. They build close relationships with their customers throughout this time and appreciate the person being memorialized. Customers can also pick from a variety of colors- traditional clear, red, pink, yellow, blue,green, and black. Many families pick colors that were special to their loved ones.

Will this be an accepted way to move foreword in grief?

Admittedly, this does sound a bit strange at first. However, Archer explains, diamonds allow people to pass the memory of loved ones down generations where ashes in urns do not. At first I thought who would ever turn someone they loved into a piece of jewelry? The more I read about this idea, the more it began to make sense to me. Life is beautiful, why would we not want to commemorate it in a way that reflects the beautiful people we get to share it with? This is a deeply connective idea, I believe there is truth in saying the diamonds can be an excellent way to grieve losing a loved one and still feel connected to them.

What is the cost of Eterneva?

Diamonds made naturally are pricey to begin with, how does Eterneva compare? Eternrava asks $7,000 for .5 carat diamonds. It is in fact more expensive than natural diamonds, however these diamonds have a much more emotional factor to them.

1 Comment

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Art, Jewelry, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Social Entrepreneur, Women Entrepreneurs, Youngest Entrepreneurs