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Ryan Hickman – Ryan’s Recycling

Posted by hartmankg19

· Thursday, November 10th, 2022

· 3 Comments

Ryan Hickman - YouTube

Ryan Hickman is the founder of Ryan’s Recycling, which focuses on the collection of recyclable materials so that they do not go to waste. What makes Ryan Hickman a unique entrepreneur is he takes his own approach to a global problem, the problem being recyclable materials being wasted.

Ryan has been driven to make a difference in cleaning up the planet ever since he was at the age of three when he didn’t like seeing discarded bottles and cans lying on the ground, so he did something about it. This idea is great because it ensures that reusable materials end up being renewed instead of potentially being left in the world and polluting the environment.

Ryan is innovating by starting a new nonprofit, Project 3R, which he uses to educate and stress the importance of recycling to adults and kids alike all around the world. It will also help to organize and manage clean-up efforts for the community. He also sells T-shirts that state the message, “Make the Sea Trash Free.” All of the profits from the sale of his merchandise and recycling go to the rescue organization Pacific Marine Mammal Center. He has helped recycle 1.5 million cans and bottles and raised more than $14,000.

Ryan inspires me to look for problems in the world, find a good solution to that problem, and get others to care about the problems too through community and teamwork to help expand your business. I have learned the principle that getting others passionately behind your solution to the problem you are trying to solve can help expand your business.

3 Comments

Categories : Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Environment, Recycling

Ryan Hickman

Posted by beckta20

· Monday, October 10th, 2022

· 4 Comments

Ryan Hickman began his entrepreneurial career at the age of three when he realized the importance of recycling and the potential for earning money. Ryan began his journey by making a trip to a local recycling center and then being rewarded a few bucks. This passion for recycling has grown and developed into a much larger project. The three year old who is now a teenager has widened his vision and now is driven to help clean up the earth one person at a time. Ryan now sells merchandise promoting the message “Making the sea trash free.” The profits of this merchandise, as well as his recycling business, go to the organization Pacific Marine Mammal Center. This organization is a rescue sanctuary for sea lions and seals. Ryan has had a meaningful impact on the efforts of cleaning up the earth. He is very passionate about educating people about how important it is for people to recycle. Ryan believes that if everyone did just a little bit to help, then we would see a large impact on the health of the earth. I think Ryan’s story is incredible and very motivating. As simple as recycling may sound, his passion has driven him to something so meaningful in this world and he has become a part of something that is bigger than himself. I think it is fascinating to see the parallels between what we talk about in class with innovation and the process of growing a business to Ryan’s specific story. I think Ryan will inspire a lot of people to make an effort in doing their 1% and turning this world into a much better and healthier place. Ryan Hickman

4 Comments

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Blog, Enviornmental, Environment, Recycling

Manly Candles Made by a Kid

Posted by izakmh19

· Tuesday, October 4th, 2022

· 4 Comments

The main character in this venture is Hart Main. The kid is still only thirteen years old. That has not stopped him from creating a business that does over one million dollars in sales every year. It all started when his sister was selling candles at school. He was making fun of them for smelling so “girly.” He then came up with the idea for candles that appealed more to the male senses. Girls are not the only ones who like good, quality sents.

He started to make them and put the candles in reused cans. He and his parents started the business called ManCans. He originally did it to save up for a bike costing $1,500. Now he makes millions. His parents invested a lot in the company and play a big part of course. They clearly have taught Hart good Morales and values.

Not only do they do they recycle soup cans as the holder for the candles in order to help the earth. They also donate a portion of every sale to soup kitchens in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. This generation is very empathetic and also environmentally concerned. Hart Main has clearly taken that into account in his marketing strategies.

The product itself comes in many manly scents. Some ones I thought sounded good were campfire, bacon, sawdust, fresh cut grass, and grandfathers pipe. The product is a cool idea and it is cool to see someone so successful at such a young age. People in college can not use the excuse that they will get started on their dreams later when this kid is out here doing this. We can all use him as an inspiration. I hope he got the bike that he wanted.

4 Comments

Categories : Candles, Enviornmental, Smells, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact

Nohbo-Benjamin Stern

Posted by williamslg21

· Tuesday, October 4th, 2022

· 2 Comments

When he was 14, Benjamin Stern started creating eco-friendly products for an assignment for his 9^th biology class. He was frustrated by the problem of waste, specifically plastic, so created his own solution. His product, called Nohbo, was a plastic free way of packaging toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and shaving cream. It is, “the world’s first single use, water soluble Drop for personal care products.” The shampoo is surrounded by a biodegradable, water-soluble, polymer film, similar to tide pods. In 2016, Benjamin pitched his idea on Shark Tank and secured a deal with Mark Cuban for $3.4 million. Since then, his company has grown tremendously. He plans to expand his company to other fields and educate consumers on ways to reduce waste. Nohbo states that their goal is, “to combat plastic waste in hotel amenities, and create a superior line of eco-friendly personal care products. They also highlight the importance of educating their consumers about plastic waste in their mission statement which says, “With monodose packaging, there’s a consumer journey. We need to educate consumers about what the products are, how to use them and their benefits. Education is critical.” Nohbo note only presents an different perspective on personal care but also helps their consumers to understand why their alternative is so important.

Sources:

https://nohbo.com/pages/our-story

https://markcubancompanies.com/companies/nohbo/

2 Comments

Categories : Clean water, Enviornmental

Plastic Fashion

Posted by MalcolmTV22

· Tuesday, September 27th, 2022

· No Comments

Some of the best entrepreneurs are simply good at addition. Robert Luo was passionate about fashion and he was passionate about reducing food waste – so what did he do? He added. By combining the two passions he formed his business, Mi Terro. Mi Terro is a company that turns waste, particularly food waste, into fashion items. His first fashion-from-waste product was a duffle bag; the company utilized natural cork and plastic garbage from the ocean to make them. People have made bags using unique materials before, but this was the first of its kind. After this endeavor Luo began to think of other ways to help further reduce waste. An idea came to him while at his uncle’s dairy farm in China. His uncle’s dairy buyer had switched to another supplier, leaving his uncle with endless buckets of spoiled milk. Where most would see a problem, Robert Luo saw an opportunity. Using biogenetics, this milk could be processed into fiber which could then be made into T-shirts. Luo could turn spoiled milk into consumable apparel, and if there were any doubts in his mind about general interest in this product, they were soon quenched when his Kickstarter fundraiser collected all the needed money in just 2 hours! People like the idea of turning waste into something usable – and not just buyers, investors are interested as well. He’s been working with many different companies that are fascinated by the product and that realize its potential. Despite his present success, Luo’s business had not begun well. He says he cold-emailed 1000 journalists and of the mere six that replied, all of them said no. It was Luo’s admirable perseverance that got his company off the ground, he suffered so many sleepless and stressful times to get where he is now.

No Comments

Categories : Enviornmental, Fashion

“Buy a Bottle… Save a Bee.”

Posted by williamslg21

· Sunday, September 25th, 2022

· 2 Comments

When Mikaila Ulmer was 4, she received a 1940’s cookbook from her grandma that would lead to a multi-million-dollar company in just a few years. One of the recipes was for flaxseed lemonade and Mikaila decided to give it her own twist by adding honey instead of only sugar. She came up with this idea when she was stung by bees twice in one week and began to research them and their importance. Mikaila then began to sell her lemonade, called Me & the Bees, locally to support organizations protecting honeybees. Since the beginning of her business, she has given 10% of her profits to charities that protect honeybees. In 2015, Mikaila pitched her business on Shark Tank and landed a $60,000 deal with Daymond John, to put toward growing her business. In just a few years, Mikaila’s lemonade now sold in over 1,500 stores and is carried in many major retailers such as Whole Foods and Kroger. Since then, Mikaila has expanded her business to include other honey and beeswax-based product such as lip balm. Mikaila is now 17 and, in addition to her company Me and the Bees, she works with the Health Hive Foundation, “a nonprofit to further help the mission of saving the pollinators.”

Sources:

https://www.meandthebees.com/pages/about-us

https://nypost.com/2022/06/19/teenager-mikaila-ulmer-became-a-multi-millionaire-with-lemonade-business/

2 Comments

Categories : Bees, Enviornmental, Lemonade

Have you seen these shoes?

Posted by Kasianideseg21

· Saturday, September 17th, 2022

· 4 Comments

Have you seen these shoes?

These are BANGS Shoes, created by Hanna Davis. After teaching in China, she noticed the green canvas work shoes worn by locals and was inspired to create change. She came up with the idea to use shoes to help workers provide for their families and build self-sufficiency in other countries. Backed by her family, she was able to invest in an initial shipment. She had a website, business cards, and a model. She paid the manufacturing fee and was delivered no product. As she started over and began to save again, she worked as a bartender. One night she struck up a conversation with an elderly couple who took an interest in her. They began to ask her about herself, and Hanna began to grow uneasy at the targeted questions, not wanting to disclose the specifics. She took down their information and later that week, decided to look him up. The man turned out to be a retired VF executive. VF is a corporation that owns outdoor adventure and apparel companies such as Vans, Supreme, The North Face, Jansport Dickies, and more. Two months later, George and Gayle Darrah become signed investors and business partners.

BANGS Shoes comes from the Chinese character “to help” and the brand prioritizes self-sufficiency. They source their materials ethically and employ the working class to help manufacture their products. They then take 20% of their profits and loan them through a non-profit to help other entrepreneurs get started. They have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs in over 12 different markets in 79 countries.

Today, BANGS can be found all over Instagram, promoting outdoor adventure, encouragement, and positivity. Their unique shoes are a talking point and a casual staple in closets. On their webpage, they feature which rotates to highlight one of their entrepreneurs. Another section, titled “15 Things You Can Do Right Now” encourages movement and connection. Through its mission statement and engagement with customers, the brand effectively uses its platform to help others and create positive change in local economies.

If you would like to check them out you can find their Instagram Here

Or click to view their Website.

4 Comments

Categories : Entrepreneurship, Enviornmental, Handmade, Healthy Lifestyle, Investing, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, shoes, Women Entrepreneurs, 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

Jack Stern: Eco-Friendly Shampoo?

Posted by smithjr19

· Wednesday, September 29th, 2021

· 3 Comments

Ben Stern was a freshman in high school when he was taking biology. The topic of recycling came up and Stern began to turn his entrepreneurial wheels. At the age of 16, Stern had brainstormed a single-use shampoo ball. This idea was spurred from the thought that “the furthest room away from the recycling bin was the bathroom”. He saw his mom disposing of a tide pod and wanted to eliminate as much waste as possible. The Nohbo Ball was pitched on Shark Tank in front of billionaire investors in 2016. Stern eventually landed a deal with Mark Cuban, who secured an investment of $100,000 for 25% stake in the company. Thanks to the help of Cuban and his own entrepreneurial drive, Stern now has purchasing agreements in Europe for 76 million units. An idea that started in a high school classroom has turned into over three million in further investments.

Stern claims that his innovation is not without obstacles, however. Starting a company from scratch can seem like an insurmountable task, especially for a teenager with no practical business-world experience. Product development was seen as very challenging to begin. The chemistry for the product had to be redesigned due to the powder-based product breaking up. Stern has since pivoted to a liquid drop-based design that is more effective. Stern partnered with Absolutely Natural, a manufacturing cosmetics company, and has been able to scale production, seeing that the Nohbo Ball produces 180 million drops per year.

This story is not only inspiring to me nut also extremely relevant. Stern took a simple problem based on relevant information that he was learning in the classroom and implemented it in his own entrepreneurial sense. The product was not only innovative, as it adapted towards today’s climate of ecofriendly products and sustainability, but Stern faced many obstacles along the way. Stern did not have a straight path to success, but he had to entirely redesign his product to see that it fully worked and could continue to be scaled.

For more about Stern’s story, click here.

3 Comments

Categories : Enviornmental, Shark Tank, Uncategorized

Sprout and Lentil: The business which expanded during the pandemic

Posted by warburgle21

· Monday, September 27th, 2021

· 1 Comment

Sprout and Lentil is the only mom-and-pop vegan cafe on Aquidneck Island. Founded in 2019 by the husband and wife team of Carmen Foy and Matt Sole, Sprout and Lentil has grown from being a booth at a farmers’ market to having its own independent retail business located in the center of Middletown, RI. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Foy – who was born in Spain – trained at the Cordon Bleu in France and then worked for twelve years as a chef aboard yachts.

Foy and Sole have stayed true to their business mantra of “Food with a Mission” by serving only plant-based foods. For instance, Foy ordered granola and then returned it to the producer it contained honey. She and her husband are dedicated to a purely vegan business. Additionally, the owners have created a special niche serving their community for people who are vegan, vegetarians, and kosher. Foy and Sole know their target customers very well and have seen that there is a high demand for quality vegan products. Some may ask, “Who would ever want to pay for a $16 burger?” or “Why isn’t the 50 cent spicy ketchup included with my fries?” Without doubt, the prices are high and sauces are not included with fries, burgers, nor cauliflower nuggets. A gourmet truffle oil dressing retails for eleven dollars. Perhaps it is hard to believe here in western Pennsylvania, but their local customers – hard core vegan regulars, and tourists – do buy and enjoy the expensive truffle oil dressing as well as the $16 burgers. The customers believe that the high prices are worth the money for what they receive. Foy and Sole have created a demand for specialty vegan food.

Please take a look at Sprout and Lentil’s website:

http://sproutandlentil.com/

1 Comment

Categories : Business, Business::Entrepreneurs, Business::Sales, Cooking, Enviornmental, Food, Health, Healthy Lifestyle, Nutrition, Restaurants, Sustainable, vegan speciality food

Tags : animal rights, entrepreneur, Innovation, small business, vegan specialty food