Archive for Millennial Enrepreneuers – Page 39

Sean Belnick- BizChair.com

Posted by Drew Williamson

· Friday, October 4th, 2013

· 3 Comments

The Start-up

At the age of fourteen, Sean Belnick had only 500$ in his pocket that he made doing odd jobs around his house. Most kids his age might buy video games or 0ther electronics, but Sean Belnick wanted to do something greater with his 500 dollars. Now, at the age of 24, he is worth roughly 42 million$ because of his ability to seek out a problem and solve it using his limited resources. Belnick invested his 500$ in starting a website, BizChair.com, where he sold office chairs from his home. His stepfather, who worked in the office furniture business, advised Belnick to enter this market based on lack of quality office chairs for a good price. Although his business began at a strictly local level, the word spread about BizChair’s solid prices and great quality. Soon, Belnick’s website was able to expand their advertising, and was poised to grow.

Expansion

Over the next decade, BizChair.com grew into a national organization. Belnick’s ability to advertise and sell thousands of chairs with under 100 employees allowed his company to make large profits from selling office chairs. Soon, he expanded his menu of products to include restaurant, school, church, and medical furniture. His annual revenues grew from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions over just a decade.

Belnick’s BizChair.com is an example of how even at a young age and a small amount of money, an innovative idea can really grow into something successful and profitable. As one of the fastest growing internet retail websites in the U.S., Belnick has shown how to attack a problem with an effective solution, and how to change that solution as time goes on.

3 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Websites

Tobel Tackles Financial Troubles

Posted by Caroline Bennett

· Friday, October 4th, 2013

· 4 Comments

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Alexa von Tobel is the founder and CEO of LearnVest.com. She is a young entrepreneur of an immediately successful business that is focused on helping people manage their finances. After completing college, Alexa was faced with managing finances on her own and did not feel comfortable with the overwhelming task. She came up with a source in which she would help bring financial literacy to people all over through a website. Being driven by her own problem and struggle, Alexa was able to innovatively create a site in which she can help others dealing with the same issues. She demonstrates innovation, leadership skills, and creativity through her design of LearnVest

About Alexa von Tobel

THE MISSION

The mission of LearnVest.com is to LIVE YOUR RICHEST LIFE. By working with the financial experts at LearnVest, people can learn to really be able to take control of their own money. There are specific levels of investment in the site, and they all lead to individual financial plans that address the customer’s specific needs.

THE STEPS TO TAKE

1. Get informed: receive news and updates from LearnVest to stay up to date with all it has to offer.

2. Get organized: using the website you can set up an account and administer to your specific financial situation

3. Get support: LearnVest is a valuable source and customers can take advantage of talking with finance experts.

OVERVIEW

Alexa von Tobel is a millennial entrepreneur who inspires others to find problems in their lives and come up with constructive and achievable solutions. Alexa shows other how staying dedicated to an innovative idea can truly reap the benefits in a successful business. LearnVest is a one of a kind website that helps people with their financial situation. To learn more, check out this video.

4 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Uncategorized, Websites

IdeaPaint: Leave Your Mark

Posted by Alexia Skoriak

· Saturday, September 21st, 2013

· 10 Comments

The Story

The idea came to John Goscha and fellow freshman college student, Andrew Foley, while brainstorming business ventures one night in 2002. The two Babson college students asked the question “What if we could turn the whole wall into a whiteboard?”. At Babson, Entrepreneurially minded students would often brainstorm their ideas using paper that covered the walls, often needing to be ripped off and replaced. Being poor college students at the time, unable to afford whiteboards, especially ones that would fit their brainstorming and collaboration needs, John and others began to wonder that a whiteboard paint did not exist. Later the same year (2002), this need fueled the process of starting up IdeaPaint, a business that sells environmentally conscious paint that turns any smooth surface into a 13-14-15_IdeaPaint whiteboard. After a few years of gathering support and venture capital money, John Goscha invited two fellow Babson graduates, Jeff Avallon and Morgan Newman (both of whom are still with the company today) to join the start-up. IdeaPaint launched in 2008 at the Chicago Trade Show, with their first product, IdeaPaint Pro.

The Product

The former president of IdeaPaint, Bob Munroe, describes the company’s three main positioning strategies as:

“Flexibility and Versatility”

IdeaPaint offers the ability to be applied in many different spaces and shapes that whiteboards could not. They also offer color selections, including a clear dry erase paint option.

“Environmental Advantage”

Instead of a traditional whiteboard that must be manufactured in a factory and then disposed of, IdeaPaint can be used on existing surfaces, or even to recoat an existing dry erase board. It is also GREENGUARD Certified to insure indoor air quality.

“Cost”

Averaging about $4 per foot, IdeaPaint sells for “less than half the price of a high performance white board.”

The Success

Due to the innovative birth of this idea, and the product’s continual encouragement of innovation, creativity and collaboration, IdeaPaint has seen great success. By 2012, they hoped to bring in $ 15 – 20 million. In 2012, the IdeaPaint corporation expanded into the home market and is now available in all Lowe’s stores. Their products have reached 75,000 homes, schools and offices. IdeaPaint has received recognition by Fast Company, CNBC, and the Wall Street Journal. Well-known, including many Fortune 500, companies have utilized IdeaPaint in their own headquarters. Some of these companies include NASA, Google and even Apple.

To learn more visit http://www.ideapaint.com/ or enjoy the following video:

http://youtu.be/lo2HFA6T20U

Sources:

http://www.ideapaint.com/about/our-story/

http://www.ideapaint.com/about/founding-story/

http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20110620/PRINTEDITION/306209972

10 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers

Dr. Joseph Harvey- Hospital Plantation Social Entrepreneurship

Posted by Hueberfx1

· Friday, September 20th, 2013

· 6 Comments

His Story

Ever since he was 7 years old, “Joey” has wanted to be a missionary doctor to the Congo. God used the exciting tales of wild animals, saving lives, and other adventures in the jungle as told by veteran missionaries Gene & Sandy Thomas to capture this young boy’s heart.

Joe went on to take Biology at Houghton College, then entered medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans where he completed an M.D., Masters in Public Health & Tropical Medicine joint-degree program in 1992, and finished Family Practice Residency at Saint Vincent Health Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, in June, 1995

The Harveys were serving in the capital city, Brazzaville, while learning the French language. In the Spring of 1997, they were forced to leave the country due to civil war. They returned to the US for the remainder of that year. It was during this time when God confirmed in Joe’s heart the vision of returning to Congo to start that country’s first-ever Christian Hospital.

In January 1998, the Harveys moved to Vanga, Democratic Republic of Congo for two months, where Joe worked at the Evangelical Hospital of Vanga. After returning to the US and working in an Emergency Room there for much of 1998, Joe and the family went to Gabon in November, working for 8 months in a Christian Hospital in Bongolo. In August 1999, God opened the door for them to return once again to the Republic of Congo, in the city of Impfondo.

The Harveys worked in Impfondo with nurse Sarah Speer re-open a health clinic that had been closed for over 5 years. They celebrated the grand opening of the clinic in January of 2000. In two years’ time, the clinic saw 10,000 patients!

While working at the clinic in Impfondo and continually seeking God about starting a Christian hospital, Joe went one day to a wedding reception that some frends held at an abandoned communist youth camp. The camp had been built about ten years earlier by communists to indoctrinate the area’s youth in communist and marxist philosophies. But the 1990s brought wars and changes in the Congo’s government, so the camp never got used once it had been built. Joe looked around the site, saw how structurally sound its 29 buildings were, and immediately envisioned what the camp would look like if God were to open the way for His people to transform it into a Christian hospital. Joe began regularly visiting this site, about 3 miles from his home, and walking around its fence, praying specifically (according to Matthew 16:18) against the spiritual gates that Satan had established around it, that God would open the way for the missionaries to build a hospital there.

One day, as Joe went to pray outside the camp, he found that the large, steel gates in the wall of the camp had been removed! Apparently some fishermen had taken them off and used their long rods with sharp spear-like tops as new fishing spears. Encouraged by this rather tangible answer to prayer, Joe approached the governer about using the camp. The governor said the camp was national property, so Joe would have to ask the president about using the camp. A few months later, when the president and his wife came for a visit to Impfondo, Joe was able to have a meeting with the president’s wife. As it turned out, Mrs. Sassou-Nguesso had personally overseen the construction of that camp ten years earlier! She had since become a follower of Jesus Christ, and was delighted at the idea of the camp becoming a Christian hospital!

With Mrs. Sassou-Nguesso’s help, Joe was able to meet with her husband in Brazzaville a short time later. President Sassou-Nguesso gladly told Joe he could have the camp, and told his cabinet that they were to do everything they could to help Dr. Harvey get that hospital started. God indeed answers prayer!

The Harveys came back to the USA for a 1 year furlough from 2001 to 2002. They went to dozens of churches, sharing the news of what God had been doing in Congo, and asking people to pray, donate money and equipment, and especially to come join them in Congo. Joe collected 13 tons of donated equipment and in August, 2002 sent it by boat from New York in a 40-foot shipping container. The Harveys returned to Congo in late August and two months later received the equipment in Impfondo.

The hospital construction phase is now underway. One 6-man work team came to Congo in October, 2002 and more are expected to come soon. One long-term missionary, Andrea Schneider, has joined them in Impfondo and more are due to arrive in the coming months. God is pulling together the team, the equipment, the local Christians, the finances, the relationships with the government, and most importantly the prayer to make the vision become a reality over the next few years.

That vision is to bring the hope and healing of Jesus Christ to the people of Congo, as each person who visits the hospital for healing is provided with excellent medical care and more–much more: the Gospel invitation of eternal healing, eternal hope and eternal life with Jesus Christ.

His Passion

– Dr. Harvey in his own way can call himself a social entrepreneur. he works fervently to benefit his hospital and expand his mission. his mission statement for the Congo is, “To impact the health of a nation by offering health and hope to those who need it most”. what makes Dr. Joseph special to me is first his passion for Christ but secondly his passion for expansion.

His Plans

– when i last spoke with Dr. Harvey we talked about the needs of his hospital in the Congo and the work that needed completion. he didn’t stop the he then went on and talk about his passion for Egypt and Syria and his hopes to start christian hospitals in those countries as a way to spread the love of Christ.

A day in the life for Dr. Joseph and his family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mxVajs-Fik

6 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Uncategorized

Posted by sweetml1

· Friday, September 20th, 2013

· 2 Comments

Making Bank….Eventually

Payroll is tricky. It is also an essential component for any small or large business. Without payroll, no one gets a check. Without a check, employees don’t make money. Without money, there is no business. Millennial Entrepreneur, Tomer London is a co-founder of a company called ZenPayroll. The title describes it all. He obtained degrees from Haifa’s Technion Institute and from Stanford’s graduate engineering program . As a younger boy, he created software to help with communication issues for new users to the English language, and an inventory system for his father’s clothing store. Innovation, creativity, and productivity are nothing new for this young entrepreneur. His experience with developing other software and his sharp intelligence make him an entreprenurial force to be reckoned with.

Technology

ZenPayroll is all about ease of use and efficiency. It uses a simple template that can be downloaded in mere minutes. The specifics of the program can be conformed and designed specifically for different needs of small businesses. It takes a daunting task and condenses everything in a ready to use program. ZenPayroll stands a chance to really switch up the market because other companies have not updated or streamlined their programs in a while. People are used to what they have, so there isn’t much incentive to make innovative technology. ZenPayroll sees it differently. Small businesses need a payroll system that fits their every need. Tomer London recognized this, and really stands a chance to make a difference.

Why ZenPayroll?

The question is….what makes this company different from already established and frequently used payroll programs? Cost. Affordability. Big Investors. Motivated founder. ZenPayroll is not currently making money because the program is not out in the market yet. But, it is estimated that it will cost around twenty five dollars a month to use this program. This is a marked difference between the thousands of dollars that other companies charge per month of services that are given. Also, there are big name investors backing ZenPayroll. For example, Google Ventures, Dropbox, and a co-founder of Youtube. Tomer London currently has 6.1 million dollars of invested money to support his cause!

Tomer London

He understands his business, and the market he is entering. With innovative technology and a new business plan for an already established need, he is ready to take the payroll market by storm. Entrepreneurs, both young and experienced, can now worry less about how much time payroll will take out of their busy schedule. They can focus on looking for rich opportunities, getting creative, and starting their businesses. Tomer knows what he is doing, and he is ready to work.

2 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Technology

Budd Seed

Posted by Drew Williamson

· Friday, September 20th, 2013

· 4 Comments

Since he was in middle school, Ken Budd has loved to play golf. He thoroughly enjoys the game, and loves to help develop local golf course in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Growing up in the town, he realized that there was a problem prevalent in many local golf courses. The grass, or the turf, on these courses was constantly and bad shape, and in no condition to play a fun round of golf. “Budd Seed,” as he called it, was launched in order to solve this problem through supplying top notch grass seed to the courses, and providing lawn care to each course for a price.

Ken’s business quickly took off due to the need for a grass seed supplier in the city. As his reputation for stable prices and great work grew, so did his business. Budd Seed became the weekly supplier to almost every golf course in Winston-Salem. 20 years later, Ken sold his multi-million dollar business and retired. He still enjoys playing golf on the same courses he used as a kid. Ken Budd’s ability to see a problem in the community of Winston-Salem shows why he is a brilliant entrepreneur and a great businessman.

4 Comments

Categories : Bootstrap Business, Millennial Enrepreneuers

Garage Sale: A New Approach

Posted by Aimee Lynch

· Friday, September 20th, 2013

· 4 Comments

Sometimes the most innovative ideas are also the simplest, or the most overlooked. That’s what Ben Weissenstein latched onto in his idea to begin a business that took advantage of an ordinary neighborhood phenomenon – the garage sale. When he was just 14, Ben was helping his mom get ready for a garage sale, and he thought about how this could be expanded into a bigger business. Five years later, Grand Slam Garage Sales is the result of much hard labor on the part of Ben and a few of his hand-chosen friends.

The Business

Other services provided by GSGS include actual service to set up garage sales and clean up afterwards, as well as a business kit that the company sells to people who want to start their own local garage sale businesses. Ben and his team have considered selling franchises to the business since they are a licensed LLC company, but after considering logistics, they decided that selling the business kits would be a more efficient way of expansion.Today, Grand Slam Garage Sale (GSGS) offers several game-changing services for how to revamp the garage-sale industry. For twenty dollars, anyone can have their garage sale listed on an online database so that people can find them when looking for local garage sales to attend. GSGS also keeps an email list of people who sign up to be notified of new garages sales in their area.

Mission

Ben’s website states a simple goal: “Help lots of people throughout the country who want to clean up the clutter around their homes while making a little extra money at the same time.” An average GSGS-hosted garage sale makes over $800 in the few hours that it functions. It truly does allow busy people to make some money while also engaging the problem that many people have of overabundance of things that add disorganization to everyday life.

Grand Slam Garage Sales has been featured on Dr. Phil, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Ben is an example of a millennial entrepreneur who looked at his available resources and created a business idea out of a common neighborhood practice.

4 Comments

Categories : Bootstrap Business, Millennial Enrepreneuers

From Trash to Musical Treasure: The Inspiring Landfill Harmonic

Posted by SmithMM1

· Friday, September 20th, 2013

· 6 Comments

How it began: Several years ago, Favio Chávez was working at a massive landfill south of Asunción, Paraguay. He became friends with the families who live among the trash and work as recyclers. Chávez then figured out how to make musical instruments using the scraps of dirty oil cans, jars, wood, forks and other junk in the Cateura Landfill. He also created an orchestra with local kids as the members.

Chávez is a musician with experience forming classical ensembles. He initially put a few instruments together for the children who had nothing to play with. He was not planning on creating a brass and string section from scratch. After hearing the good sound that the instruments produced,however, he decided to perfect them. Using the help of a resident garbage picker named “Cola,” Chávez constructed smooth sounding, built-to-scale cellos and violins, an astonishing feat considering that he used only basic carpentry skills and scraps from the landfill.

Chávez’s orchestra now has 30 members and although is has been a big commitment for the children and their families, they have received worldwide recognition. They’ve performed several places such as Argentina, Brazil, and Germany. A U.S based film maker even made a documentary about them and their inspiring story.

The children and Chávez say that ultimately the goal of the music project is to educate the public about a world problem that they feel shouldn’t be ignored. Were it not for Chávez and the Landfill Harmonic, these children would never get a chance to learn how to play an instrument or be a part of an orchestra. To many of these children, music is a form of hope and a true joy. It is the best part of their lives.

“I made this orchestra to educate the world and raise awareness,“ says Chávez. “But it’s also a social message to let people know that even though these students are in extreme poverty, they can also contribute to society. They deserve an opportunity.”

This is an amazing video about the Landfill Harmonic. Please, check it out!

6 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Orchestra, Paraguay, Recycling

The Power of a Cake Pop

Posted by olsonaa1

· Friday, September 20th, 2013

· 4 Comments

“I envision social entrepreneurs as individuals who create solutions to critical social issues in society,” is a quote from a very young entrepreneur. Mishika Narula started her business, Power of Pops, in 2011. She started selling cake pops to help children with disabilities. Her cousin, who had disabilities, was her inspiration for starting her business. All the money that she raises goes towards The Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA), but she wants to someday soon start her own non-profit that benefits children with disabilities. So far her accomplishments include raising $20,000 for an event called ‘Strikes for NSSRA’, also raising enough money, between the months of January and April, to send three children to a summer camp.

Mishika has received numerous acknowlegments for her work. Mishika has met the president of Bolivia and also Oprah Winfrey. The NSSRA awarded Mishika with the “Friend of the Year” award. Mishika has been featured in Forbes and on Make It Better. I admire Mishika because she started a business, that has done so well, in high school. She has already had a huge impact on society and she is proud to be a social entrepreneur. She says,” I hope to further my ability to imagine innovative solutions to the problems in our society and use my experience in Power of Pops to help others.”

Mishika has a very innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, and you can tell from reading about her that she will be an amazing innovater. Mishika and her business have already inspired me. Her business may not be the most recognized social enterprise, but she has still made a big impact. You don’t have to be the next Blake Mycoskie (although it would be nice) to make an impact.

4 Comments

Categories : Millennial Enrepreneuers, Social Entrepreneur