Archive for Millennial Enrepreneuers – Page 37

Hotels for Hope

Posted by Hannah Vaccaro 
· Thursday, September 18th, 2014 
· 1 Comment

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The Brilliant Entrepreneur

After studying hotel management at Penn State, and then beginning a hotel referral service, Neil Goldman initiated a brilliant concept into his business. From owning a broker management hotel service taking overflow business from local Austin hotels in 2008, Goldman began asking his hotel partners to donate $1 per every overnight hotel reservation to aid different children’s charities.  In 2010 this change was made, and matching the $1, “Hotels for Hope” donates $2 to a different children’s charity each time an overnight reservation occurs at any of the 1,000+ hotels Goldman is partnered with.

A Simple Act can Change the Worldimage

This simple concept is ingenious because it encourages people that there is a way to change the world through the simple, very common, act of booking a hotel room. The business model is unique because the people booking rooms are charged nothing. Hotels for Hope handles all aspects of booking the hotels, and out of those profits, donates to charities of choice including “Rock for Kids”, “A Glimmer of Hope Foundation”, “Live Strong Foundation”, “Special Olympics Texas”, and many others.

Hotels for Hope is a for-profit business making a significant social change in the lives of kids through a simple act. Everyday people are so drawn to this business idea because it is proving that having a social impact in the world is tangible. Over 90,000+ nights have been booked through Hotels for Hope, and more than $185,000 has been donated to children’s charities. The company foresees total donations to exceed $1 million dollars by the end of 2015.

Child_with_LIVESTRONG_sticker_700x400An Inspiration to All

 Personally, I see Goldman as a truly   inspiring entrepreneur because of his unique social change twist in his business. I appreciate Goldman’s innovate thought-process in his ability to apply a world influence in a competitive industry. The nature of his business exemplifies the fact that he recognized and evaluated his position in the hotel industry with a new perspective, and then took action. Not only is his thought process and ingenuity commendable, but inspiring through his desire to use his hotel management skills to change children’s lives through these foundations. Neil Goldman is the type of business leader I desire to become and aspire to, and I truly admire and respect his passion to serve others while owning a for-profit company.

For more information…visit www.hotelsforhope.org

  

1 Comment
Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers
Tags : , ,

A New Way of Thinking

Posted by Rebecca Sayers 
· Thursday, September 18th, 2014 
· No Comments
No Comments
Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Uncategorized

Lauren Fleshman and Picky Bars

Posted by Brandon Wise 
· Thursday, September 18th, 2014 
· 2 Comments

In 2010, Lauren Fleshman, a 2x USA 5k and 5x NCAA champion, and her husband Jesse Thomas, a professional triathlete, realized that the power bars they were eating weren’t getting it done.  They found that there were two types of post workout nutrition bars, ‘performance bars filled with gnarly ingredients’ and ‘real food bars not balanced for sport.’  They decided that they could make something better.  Later that year, they teamed up with pro marathoner Steph Rothstien, and founded Picky Bars.  Picky Bars makes dairy and gluten-free bars using real food ingredients instead of the fake stuff other companies use.

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It makes sense that professional athletes would come up with this idea.  Nutrition is a very important aspect of athletics and especially endurance athletics.  Lauren, Jesse, and Steph are very driven people.  Many aspire to be pro athletes but not many get there.  They are driven mostly by joy.  They love endurance sports and when they realized something was missing they took action to fix it.  Its a great idea because it solved a problem they were personally dealing with.  Steph Rothstien has celiac disease and most every thing marketed as gluten-free is not made out of real food.  Recreational athletes see a company like this as a part of endurance sports culture and tend to identify with it better than a company such as Gatorade that sells drinks in vending machines in airports and gas stations.  You can get your bars straight from Picky Bars with a monthly order of pick some up in your local specialty running shop.

Picky Bars doesn’t need to be sold in Wall-Mart or Costco to reach its intended market.  You can join the Picky Club and get a set amount of bars sent out to you monthly directly from the company.  The bars are also sold in specialty running and endurance sports shops around the country.

Picky Bars reminds me that there are an infinite amount of ways that entrepreneurs can make the world better.

Check it out at http://pickybars.com/00000001

 

2 Comments
Categories : Fitness, Millennial Enrepreneuers

J.Sider and BandPage

Posted by sweetml1 
· Wednesday, January 1st, 2014 
· No Comments

J. Sider is the founder and creator of BandPage. In his own pursuit of getting his name out there in the music scene, he discovered that there was a much more effective and creative way to connect bands with their fans. Instead of using multiple online platforms, ads, and word of mouth, he created an online platform just for bands and musicians.

This company is based in San Fransisco. More than 500,000 bands and musicians currently use BandPage as their platform. J. Sider created his business on a freemium model of revenue. The musicians can purchase different tools and extras for their page on the site, and they sell an experience to fans. It helps both musicians and fans get unique access to information and a musical experience. This business is not going unnoticed by large name musicians. Musicians such as Rihanna, 50 Cent, and Arcade Fire currently use BandPage!

BandPage used another online platform, Facebook, to start up the business. Bands were able to create pages, release updates, and frequently update their information. The success was fast, and many bands decided to use BandPage. Two rounds of  raising money were conducted, and between the two rounds, over 18 million dollars were invested in BandPage. Unfortunately, the business took a hit when Facebook changed its layout. Pages and timelines were no longer used, so musicians who used BandPage were unable to set their original pages as their default page. This set back did not stop BandPage. They ventured out past what Facebook could offer, and created their own website. Their success continues, and both fans and musicians benefit.

 

Check out https://www.bandpage.com/ for additional information!

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Categories : App, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Online Companies, Technology, Websites

Ware and Waffles

Posted by Caroline Bennett 
· Friday, December 6th, 2013 
· 3 Comments

The Entrepreneur

Along with attending Mahomet-Seymour High School, 17-year old Zach Ware is the entrepreneur of his own mobile food truck.  Coming from a “foodie” family, Zach came up with his idea and with the help of his family and friends he has made it a reality.  In beginning the process, Zach showed his “quick start initiative” and bought a truck and fully prepared it all, himself to be a suitable kitchen space for his business needs.  Cost efficiently he found equipment on eBay and carefully measured to be sure all of the space in the truck was used wisely.  He made a business plan developed with the focus for clientele being people from his own neighborhood.  Zach’s sister and other friends help him work the truck as a business.  Zach plans to use his earnings from the truck pay for college.

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The Product

The Crave Truck is a mobile food truck serving street waffles in Champaign and Urbana, Illinois.  The street waffles are described as “a chewier version of a typical ‘American’ Belgian waffle.”  Zach came up with the business idea when watching “Throwdown” with Bobby Flay.  The truck serves waffles to be eaten hot offering gluten-free, whole-grain, and classic waffles with toppings such as whipped cream, ice cream, and fresh fruit.  Zach also serves “Crave Coffee” to customers as well. 

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Check out the Crave Truck here:

Crave Truck on Facebook

3 Comments
Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers

“How I Made and Lost 2.5 Million Dollars

Posted by John Porter 
· Thursday, December 5th, 2013 
· 5 Comments

2.5 million dollars is a lot of money for anybody, let alone a 21 year old high school drop out.  That, however, was the income of millennial entrepreneur Andrew Fashion.  Andrew created websites which gave users the tools to personally design their MySpace pages. Upon his creation of these websites, Andrew started taking home checks upwards of $100,000.  Unfortunately, he was incredibly irresponsible with his money.  A luxurious house in LA, and multiple top-of-the-line sports cars.  This was just a start.  Newest advances in technology and trips to Hawaii, London and a number of other places around the world were soon tacked on to Andrew’s exhaustive spending.  The key to Andrew’s success?  Excellent marketing that resulted in his sites topping Google’s search rankings.

Unfortunately for Andrew, all good things came to an abrupt, and unpleasant end.  A massive overhaul of his websites in 2007 made Google think they were brand new sites, causing them to plummet to the seventh and eighth pages of Google searches. Andrew’s seemingly endless well of profit instantly dried up leaving him in massive amounts of debt.

Since then, Andrew has been blessed to dig himself out of his financial hole.  He has worked through his debt, and is now a successful internet marketer.  He has clearly learned from his mistake.  “Instead of blowing money on toys and cars, I am going to invest it back into the company or another company.  I will do the typical saving, like 401 k’s and rainy day funds.  Looking forward, Andrew hopes to move away from the internet business and become a real-estate developer.

AndrewFashion

5 Comments
Categories : Droupout, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Online Companies

Lauren Bush Lauren and FEED

Posted by Alexia Skoriak 
· Saturday, November 16th, 2013 
· 3 Comments

FEED Logo

The Beginning

Lauren Bush Lauren is the niece of former President George W. Bush, the granddaughter of former President George H.W. Bush and the wife of David Lauren, son of Ralph Lauren.  Despite, connections in high places, Lauren has seen her fair share of poverty around the world.  Lauren acted as a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Honorary Student Spokesperson and was able to travel to Africa, Asia and Latin America and see the program’s effects on the ground.  A fashion designer herself, Lauren, in 2006, designed a bag to support the WFP’s School Feeding Program.  The bag was designed to imitate the bags used by WFP in distribution, especially with the use of burlap.  Lauren labelled each bag with the FEED logo and a number, signifying the number of children the purchase of the bag would help feed for a year.  In 2007, FEED Projects LLC. was started by Lauren and her partner Ellen Gustafson.

FEED Lauren Bush Lauren

 

The Products

FEED currently offers a very wide variety of products to choose from.  Now, these products, besides displaying the logo and number of meals provided, also show the country that the purchase supports.  Bags from duffle bags to artisan tote bags, laptop cases, bracelets, scarves, t-shirts and even children’s apparel can be found at http://www.feedprojects.com/.

The Impact

$6 million+ has been has raised through FEED Projects, providing more than 75 million meals to 62 countries.  FEED Foundation was created in 2008.  It is a non-profit designed to provide other services impoverished areas and support other local organizations fighting hunger around the world.  FEED Project partnerships have also expanded to include UNICEF, Target and Tom’s Shoes.

Lauren Bush Lauren used her design skills and concern for the hunger across the globe to create products that not only give back, but are becoming a fashion statement (much like Tom’s Shoes).

“When I started FEED I hadn’t even heard of the term social entrepreneur. Now it’s the cool hip buzzword,” Said Lauren when asked about her beginnings as a social entrepreneur,

“It’s part of our generation’s ethos to want to pursue our passions, pursue business, pursue entrepreneurship, but also do it with the world in mind.”

FEED foundation

To find out more please visit/watch the links below:

http://www.feedprojects.com/

http://www.thefeedfoundation.org/

3 Comments
Categories : Fashion, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Social Entrepreneur

Mo’s Bows

Posted by Caroline Bennett 
· Friday, November 15th, 2013 
· 3 Comments

Meet Moziah Bridges.

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Moziah, Mo for short, is a young entrepreneur who started Mo’s Bows, a one-man bow tie business, at the age of ten in Memphis Tennessee.  Mo has always loved looking good and fashion, but became frustrated when he could not find the fashionable ties he hoped to.  Mo started making his own ties when his grandmother taught him when he was nine.  Since then, Moziah has earned over $30,000 selling Mo’s Bows on Etsy and from his website.  The bow ties are also found in boutiques in Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Arkansas.  Moziah has high hopes to expand his business to include neck ties, pocket squares, and other accessories for men. 

contact

Moziah is an inspirational young entrepreneur.  His innovation and energy to develop this business at such a young age is really astonishing.  Mo found a problem in the bow tie industry and has definitely succeeded in his solution of the problem with Mo’s Bows.  His positive attitude and plans to enhance his company and expand also shows great promise for Mo’s future. 

3 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Fashion, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Online Companies, Youngest Entrepreneurs

Biochar

Posted by Hueberfx1 
· Friday, November 15th, 2013 
· 1 Comment

    • Jason Aramburu

    • Age, 27
    • Founder
    Aramburu’s re:char uses biochar to help farmers in East Africa fight climate change and grow more food. Biochar is made from crop and animal waste; for a $60 investment, a farmer saves $200 annually, boosts crop yield 26%, and reduced chemical fertilizer consumption by 80%.
  • What is Biochar

Biochar Is a Valuable Soil Amendment

chartreeBiochar is a solid material obtained from the carbonisation of biomass. Biochar may be added to soils with the intention to improve soil functions and to reduce emissions from biomass that would otherwise naturally degrade to greenhouse gases. Biochar also has appreciable carbon sequestration value. These properties are measurable and verifiable in a characterisation scheme, or in a carbon emission offset protocol.

This 2,000 year-old practice converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and increase soil biodiversity, and discourage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water.

Biochar is found in soils around the world as a result of vegetation fires and historic soil management practices. Intensive study of biochar-rich dark earths in the Amazon (terra preta), has led to a wider appreciation of biochar’s unique properties as a soil enhancer.

Biochar can be an important tool to increase food security and cropland diversity in areas with severely depleted soils, scarce organic resources, and inadequate water and chemical fertilizer supplies.

Biochar also improves water quality and quantity by increasing soil retention of nutrients and agrochemicals for plant and crop utilization. More nutrients stay in the soil instead of leaching into groundwater and causing pollution.

Biochar is a Powerfully Simple Tool to Combat Climate Change

The carbon in biochar resists degradation and can hold carbon in soils for hundreds to thousands of years. Biochar is produced through pyrolysis or gasification — processes that heat biomass in the absence (or under reduction) of oxygen.

In addition to creating a soil enhancer, sustainable biochar practices can produce oil and gas byproducts that can be used as fuel, providing clean, renewable energy. When the biochar is buried in the ground as a soil enhancer, the system can become “carbon negative.”

Biochar and bioenergy co-production can help combat global climate change by displacing fossil fuel use and by sequestering carbon in stable soil carbon pools. It may also reduce emissions of nitrous oxide.

We can use this simple, yet powerful, technology to store 2.2 gigatons of carbon annually by 2050. It’s one of the few technologies that is relatively inexpensive, widely applicable, and quickly scalable. We really can’t afford not to pursue it.

– Jason is a unique entrepreneur working to fight many malfactors like hunger, poverty, famine and malnutrition through his enhanced soil for farmers. He is a great inspiration and a fantastic Millennial Entrepreneur.

1 Comment
Categories : Agriculture, Biofuel, Blog, Clean water, Millennial Enrepreneuers

Pradux-Linking You and Me to Societies’ Top Icons

Posted by John Porter 
· Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 
· 2 Comments

Ever seen an athlete, artist, actor or any other icon and wish you could share their wardrobe with them? Alex Koblenz sure has. In fact, it happened to him just a few years ago.  Alex was at a Jay-Z concert and loved what HOVA was wearing.  Upon returning home, he spent hours pouring through the internet trying to discover what Jay-Z had on during the concert. Unfortunately, he was unable to find it.  His frustration turned into an ingenious business idea. His problem needed a solution. A thus came about the founding of Pradux.

Pradux is a website that allows users to browse products they see in their favorite magazines, on the web, on  TV, and in blogs. His site possesses a plethora of products from fashion to food, art, electronics, sports and more. The website is based of thousands of databases from popular TV shows to movies and iconic figures in pop culture.

Pradux is a very intriguing company from a business standpoint.  It allows users to submit the products that they see on TV and in the world.  In this manner, it works much like any popular social media site like Instagram or Twitter.  Every time a user engages a posted product, they receive a point.  These points add up and eventually unlock experiences with the brands on the website.  If someone buys a posted item, the user who posted that item splits the commission with Pradux 50/50. Over the course of the next five years, Alex sees Pradux being not only able to bridge the gap between, but also blend social, retail and entertainment into one ultimate experience.

In a society so caught up in current economic turmoil, Koblenz is a glimmering light of hope in the business world.  His positive attitude drives his business and innovation. “Never quit,” he insists, “always keep moving forward. Always try to find some type of positive each day, however small it is, to keep the momentum going.”

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2 Comments
Categories : Bootstrap Business, eCommerce, Fashion, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Websites
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