Ryan Hickman may be the one of the youngest entrepreneurs to ever live. When he was three and a half years old, he took a trip with his dad to the local recycling center. When Ryan saw how the recycling of old bottles and plastic worked, he immediately fell in love. The idea of helping the environment by repurposing used materials was fascinating to him. Just after this escapade, he founded and became the CEO of his own recycling company: Ryan’s Recycling. After several years of hard work, he caught the attention of celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Aniston. Ryan explained his business during these interviews, which had consisted of him and his dad driving around Orange County collecting recyclable goods from locals. In the ten years that Ryan and his father have run Ryans recycling, they have collected and recycled 1.6 million cans and bottles. In the beginning, Ryan said he was primarily running his company as a for-profit in the beginning, but over time his business model changed. When he was 6, he started seeing his business as a way to also help the environment in addition to making money from it. This environmental aspect drove Ryan to work even harder in this endeavor. On the money side of things, Ryan is just as responsible. The pay he receives all goes into his college fund. As for college, he hopes to stay local so he can also work on building his recycling business. As the years have passed, Ryan has branched out into the nonprofit scene. In 2020, he founded Project 3R, which was created as a nonprofit to boost environmental education and awareness. In addition to his thriving nonprofit, Ryan also helps out other environmental-oriented businesses. All the money Ryan makes from selling company t-shirts he donates to the pacific marine mammal center in Laguna Beach to assist in the rescuing and rehabilitation of injured sea lions. Ryan is certainly an entrepreneur, and a thoughtful one at that.
Archive for Entrepreneurship – Page 7
John Temerian was born in 1988 and raised in the Palm Beach area of Southern Florida. Coming from a family of immigrants and mechanics most of John’s childhood was surrounded by cars. In the 1980s, his father, John Temerian Sr. was the authorized service in Palm Beach for Lamborghini collaborating with Joe Nastasi. Nastasi was the main distributor for Lamborghini in the United States at that time. When most kids spent their summers at friend’s houses and camps, John spent them at his dad’s shop sweeping, reading anniversary owner manuals, studying serial numbers, and reading factory/dealer options. Because of this John understood the minute details and could outsell almost any car expert and enthusiast in his teens. Since John also spent most of his time at his dad’s shop, he met many of the company’s clients. The most interesting ones he said were visionaries and innovators; most of them being entrepreneurs. These clients inspired John to push himself to expand his father’s idea and innovate the car industry. At the age of eighteen, John left home and set out to break into the industry and become an entrepreneur. On his way to success, John Te
merian was considered Miami’s Orlando Bloom look-alike, worked with Donald Trump, and even got arrested.
John’s successes are best shown through Curated and Lou La Vie. He started a luxury car rental called Lou La Vie for the growing demand for luxury and exotic rentals for downtown Miami. John’s greatest success, however, was starting his company called Curated back in 2015. At Curated, John’s team buys, “curates,” and sells vintage blue-chip stock super cars. Blue chip meaning that the cars are low mileage, high value, and typically are produced in small numbers (special editions/anniversary/press cars). They have had cars like Ralph Lauren’s Ferrari 288 GTO, a Lamborghini Diablo GT2 race car, and a 2006 Ferrari FXX Evo. John has also had a crucial role in launching Palm Beach’s Super car Weekend as well as the Miami Concours events. Through his networking and connections John Temerian has changed and transformed the vintage super car market in a short amount of time. John’s greatest assets are his expertise, international connections, and his reputation. For John, these cars are much more than just a hobby and job, but an obsession, and meeting John Temerian myself, I can honestly say that this is much more than a job, it is a mission.
Jung Hoon Park, known as Sam, proudly serves as the co-founder of JoyBox Media, a thriving enterprise with a heartfelt mission. JoyBoxMedia is dedicated to empowering brands to bridge the gap with the vibrant Gen Z demographic. Sam and his brilliant team specialize in crafting one-of-a-kind content tailored for TikTok, ensuring that businesses can authentically engage with younger audiences. Notably, their creative prowess has left an indelible mark on renowned brands like Torn and Tory & Massari.
Hailing from the vibrant city of Toronto, Canada, Sam Park’s journey to success is marked by resilience and unconventional paths. He faced the challenging decision of dropping out of college not once, but twice, a choice that eventually led him to the esteemed position of CEO at JoyBox. Remarkably, his business’s triumph is not solely attributed to its uniqueness or strategy but rather to Sam’s unwavering integrity and unwavering commitment to delivering top-notch work.
“Doing good work may spread rapidly, but a subpar job travels even faster. Integrity in dealings with customers, friends, and colleagues is the bedrock upon which a robust brand reputation is built. While skills open doors, integrity is the key to staying in the room.”
The tale of JoyBox Media took an unexpected twist when it transitioned from being a shorty-nominated entertainment network, to providing a platform for celebrities, athletes, and creators to share their insights on internet trends. Following its acquisition by GameLancer, the focus shifted towards crafting binge-worthy, short-form content tailored for brands, creators, and networks, all while achieving wide-scale distribution within our parent company, GameLancer.
Sam Park’s entrepreneurial spirit ignited in 2017 when he, alongside Kamar Burke, founded a social media film and photography venture, which served as a haven for creatives to freely express themselves through the lens. However, this venture was not Sam’s maiden foray into entrepreneurship, as he had previously ventured into landscaping, app development, and a multitude of other business endeavors.
As he navigates each day, Sam remains dedicated to the art of gratitude. His core values of integrity and respect extend seamlessly from his personal life into the realm of business. He aspires not only to fortify his own brand but also to inspire fledgling entrepreneurs to persistently show up, maintain consistency, and deliver high-caliber work. His true passion lies in connecting with others and offering assistance, harnessing his gift of communication as a powerful tool. Sam’s most profound and inspiring belief centers around tethering one’s self-worth to purpose rather than the specific work undertaken. This philosophy fosters a liberating environment for creative exploration across diverse business ventures, unburdened by one’s self-identity solely tied to a career.
In 2016, young Hannah Grace was challenged by her dad to make her own beauty products. This challenge was brought up because Hannah was growing an interest in bath bombs and her dad encouraged her to make them herself. Right away, Hannah jumped on the opportunity to make her own.
When Hannah Grace was 11 months old, she was diagnosed with Diabetes type 1. Her parents were worried about how she would grow up with her health issues, but they never stopped Hannah. She grew up to be a determined young girl and eventually became a CEO of her own company with her bath bomb-making skills. Now only 14, Hannah is doing whatever she sets her mind to and is still a successful young entrepreneur.
Mate Rimac founded Rimac Automobili, now Bugatti Rimac, the Croatian company with the quickest car ever made. Mate founded his company in 2009 and met a designer from General Motors in 2010. By 2011, Rimac had developed its first concept called Concept One. They aimed to produce an electric hypercar that was unlike anything ever seen.
Fast forward to today, and Rimac Automobili is now Bugatti Rimac, owning the majority of Bugatti with the rest under Volkswagen/Porsche ownership. They have successfully launched their first car, the Nevera, and also produce bikes under a sister company called Greyp Bikes. Mate has been able to develop his car for over 10 years and launch successfully, while also taking on greater responsibility with a novelty company like Bugatti. They have taken over and plan on transitioning away from the iconic W16 engine to hybrid and electric technology. As a company that specializes in electric technology, they also sell to other companies. In fact, that is where they found a lot of success while they were developing their hypercar.
From Mate Rimac, I have learned what an entrepreneur looks like. While his ultimate goal was to create a hypercar, he was able to develop his electric car technology and sell it to other companies for profit. In doing so, he was able to fund his other projects and make his dream hypercar which is now the quickest in the world. His determination and drive have found his success and he continues to develop and innovate in the hypercar space. I am excited to see what he and his company do next!
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is an American businessman and philanthropist who has one of the most subscribed YouTube channels of all time. MrBeast is best known for making insane and often expensive challenges for other people to participate in to win big cash prizes. He is motivated by more than just one reason. In an interview, he said, “I’m motivated because I want to support my mom and my family. I am motivated because I want to employ my friends and help them. I am motivated because I want to be a YouTuber.” He has the desire to help others and has been helping others by donating so much money in many of his videos.
His idea is great because he is entertaining people while giving to others simultaneously. MrBeast demonstrates the entrepreneurial traits of experimentation and improvement. He wants to make the best videos on YouTube and make sure that each one is better than the last. How are they innovating? Aside from YouTube, his other ventures include a mobile game, Finger on the App, his own fast food restaurant chain, MrBeast Burger, and his own line of chocolate bars, Feastables. He has also exercised his philanthropy by partnering with Team Trees and Team Seas and inventing his own platform, Beast Philanthropy.
MrBeast inspires me to invest in others, to make sure that I am providing a quality service for them and helping them out as God commands us to. He reminds me that it is important to have fun with what you are doing and make it fun for other people. It makes others more invested in what you’re selling.
Michael Wren (AKA Mikey), was a young man who was very entrepreneurially minded. Ever since he was young he’s had ideas on ways he could be making money to help others. When Mikey was the young age of eight years old, he became the Co-founder and CEO of Mikey’s Munchies. Mikey’s Munchies is a vending machine company with lots of machines around the local area. These machines come fitted with the basic snacks you might be craving when you are hungry. Mikey’s vending machine was the start of a successful future.
Mikey now age 13, likes to help out his local community. Mikey likes volunteering to raise money for kids who may not be able to afford toys. Mikey is also the author of two children’s books. These books can help kids open their eyes to the world of business at a young age. The first book titled “Mikey learns about business”, covers ideas that might help a child start a business. These ideas include things like creating a business plan, basic marketing strategies, and simple networking skills that can be easily learned and applied. His second book titled “Biz is a Whiz” is targeted at a younger audience.
Needless to say, Mikey has a bright future ahead of him and is a prime example of a successful young entrepreneur.
At age 3, Ryan Hickman noticed the problem of all the garbage lying around the streets in our country. Ryan wants to make a change and started recycling his garbage. In doing so, Ryan was making 5$ for every time he was able to bring in some of his garbage to the recycling center. As he got older he was able to collect his neighbor’s recyclable garbage as well. To do so more efficiently, he used a bike that had a bag connected to it so he could carry more trash. At the young age of 7, Ryan successfully was the founder and CEO of “Ryan’s Recycling Company”. His fame rapidly grew and he was featured on many popular News sites. These include CNN’s kid wonder as well as the Ellen show, and the Today show. Ryan also started up a website where he is able to sell his merchandise. All the profits of his merchandise go to a rescue organization (Pacific Marine Mammal Center). From the profits of the shirts, he has been able to raise a mere 14,000$. Ryan has also been responsible for the recycling of over 1.5 million pieces of garbage. For a kid who is only 13, Ryan shows us how possible a small idea can be. Ryan is a great example of someone who utilizes his entrepreneurship skills to make a change for good in this world.
Sara Robinson, the Co founder and CEO of the company “Sara Sews”, is a young entrepreneur. Sara and her mom one day were sewing an apron when they decided to make it into a business. “Sara Sews” makes aprons of all sorts of colors and styles. These aprons are made in many sizes and can be worn by children and adults. They make reusable sandwich bags and other things as well. Sara’s business started when she was only in the second grade. She made an apron for one of the kids in her class and her mom had posted it on Facebook. The post got lots of positive feedback and all of her friends and family were requesting her to make more. Her business really started to blow up in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was very challenging. Overcoming this obstacle was the hardest part of her journey in becoming a successful entrepreneur. In 2019 she was the winner of the girls mean business contest. This was a big accomplishment for Sara and was just the beginning of her career. Sara is only young and looks to do big things as the future of her career continues.
While on a surfing trip to Bali, Indonesia Andrew Cooper and Alex Schulze were struck by the amount of plastic waste filling the oceans. Having grown up in Florida themselves, they feel a deep connection to the sea and all it provides and protects. Cooper and Schulze discussed this issue with local fisherman to get an idea of the ramifications this has on their livelihoods. After their conversations they decided to start an organization that staffs full time crews to rid the ocean of this unwanted waste.
Wanting to have a product to make from the recovered plastic, Cooper and Schulze decided to create bracelets as a “wearable symbol of their mission that would spark conversations about plastic pollution and it would act as a physical reminder to people to make ocean-minded choices like refusing single-use plastics.”
4Ocean has recovered 26,326,650 pounds of trash since 2017. Their unique approach as one of the few organizations that solely targets ocean clean-up has made a huge impact in communities and the world as a whole. Working in twelve locations, with seventeen vessels, 4Ocean employs 185 crew members who clean our waters.
This image comes from 4Ocean’s Osbourne Reef Tire Cleanup, where they work to remove hundreds of thousands of tires that have found their way to the ocean floor.