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Langston Whitlock’s SafeTrip: Unique, Thriving, & Safe

Posted by Annalese Aderholt

· Monday, December 14th, 2020

· 3 Comments

Langston Whitlock is an 18-year-old Atlanta-native, Georgia State University freshman, longtime coder, drummer, son, and brother. Also, he is cofounder and chief information officer (CIO) of the multi-million dollar company, SafeTrip, which provides ridesharing services for the homeless and elderly in the Atlanta, Georgia area who are in need of reliable transportation to medical appointments and wheelchair compatibility. It all started when Whitlock and Ja’Nese Jean, opera singer, social entrepreneur, philanthropist, and now SafetTrip’s CEO, who had been friendly colleagues in Atlanta for several years, were attending a local event and discovered the problem they would soon solve with SafeTrip. As they were at the community outreach event, Whitlock told Jean that he had heard from a local homeless veteran that many people in the area were unable to make it to important medical appointments due to lack of transportation. Jean replied by asking “Can you make an app for that?”

Whitlock learned how to write code as a young 12-year-old when he created an anonymous messaging app to try and contact his father; at 16 he became the youngest person to be recognized by Forbes Enterprise Technology judges and CIO for the company, meaning he oversees the development team and helps implement sourcing data and new technologies, such as users being able to pay for rides by debit, credit, or insurance. Though everyone else who works for the company is older than him, he says this is no issue at all and it works well; if anything, he says, “They love me cause I’m a kid, I guess.” Additionally, his perspective as a young person has proven valuable: SafeTrip recruits new high school graduates to be drivers for the company in order to further community-connectedness and to help teens who may not have a clear path ahead of them; also, these kids have just recently learned things like defensive driving and CPR at school, so these skills are fresh in their minds.

The app itself launched in 2018 and in 2019 made $3.4 million in revenue; also, it currently has $2 million in funding. Their motivation, besides wanting to better their community and help those in need, is also rooted in that the Atlanta-based company wants to show that the Atlanta technology scene is just as impressive and valuable as Silicon Valley. Additionally, Whitlock is personally committed to providing for his mother and bringing her all the happiness in the world, as a way of repaying her for the work she has put in throughout his life.

Overall, Langston Whitlock is a great example of a young entrepreneur in the 21st century. He and his cofounder saw a problem in their community and, using their existing skillsets and resources as active community members, and building on the typical idea of ridesharing went out and solved a real problem for the greater good.

3 Comments

Categories : Business, Convenience, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact, Transportation, Uncategorized

Tags : atlanta, coding, entrepreneur, georgia, ridesharing, Technology

BLDR Faith

Posted by osmonder19

· Saturday, November 28th, 2020

· 5 Comments

In the Bible, Jesus calls his disciples to go out into the world and share the Word. As Christians, we should strive to share the gospel with others and live boldly. Blake Stanley, a high school student from Urbandale, Iowa, took this mission to heart.

Blake wanted to wear clothing that displayed his Christian faith, but he found that a lot of them were cheesy and “in your face.” He wanted to design a shirt that made people stop and think about the deeper meaning.

Growing up, Blake was taught to use his gifts for the glory of God, and he wanted to use his creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to serve his faith. Hence, BLDR Faith was born in 2017. BLDR is an acronym for Birth Life Death Resurrection and is pronounced ‘bolder’. These 4 simple letters hold the most powerful message in history, and Blake really loved that it could spark conversations about the gospel.

At the beginning of starting this company, Blake’s family and friends were apprehensive about BLDR because they didn’t want him to be judged for sharing his faith. Despite this, Blake kept focus and reminded himself of Romans 1:16 which says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

Even though he didn’t get much support or money in the beginning, he knew that he was working for a greater purpose. He stayed motivated because of the customers who would come back and tell him how they were able to share the gospel by wearing the BLDR merchandise.

Blake is currently taking a year off college to expand BLDR and its mission. His company donates 25% of all proceeds to various missions. This year, part of the donation will go to The Salt Network, which helps to plant churches on college campuses across the nation. Additionally, BLDR will be donating to IllumiNATIONS, which is an organization devoted to translating the Bible in every language.

I really love the mission behind this organization, and it’s evident how the Lord has used Blake to share the gospel through his t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.

Also, their merchandise is really cool – feel free to check BLDR out and support a small business at: https://bldr.faith/

5 Comments

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Clothing, Design, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, Social Impact

Travis Scott

Posted by HangliterTA19

· Friday, November 13th, 2020

· 4 Comments

Travis Scott is a secular rapper who grew up in Houston, Texas. Scott comes from a family of musicians and started playing the drums at three years old and continued to learn more and more about music as he grew up. Scott attended the University off Texas in San Antonio until he dropped out to focus and pursue his dream career. Travis Scott’s music started getting a lot of intention and suddenly, he was one of the most popular rappers. Scott’s story however, doesn’t end there and it hasn’t been a simple world of success with music. He showed an entrepreneurial spirit and mind with how he branded himself.

Travis Scott is very famous for his music, but he has used that popularity to expand into other areas of earning revenue and popularity. Scott has done several collaborations with Nike, designing shoes and clothes that have become sought after and very expensive on the resell market. His shoe designs have been super unique, even for Nike. Scott took a classic Jordan Retro 1 high and made the swoosh bigger, but then flipped it backwards and people fell in love with it.

Fortnite took the gaming world by storm and Travis Scott realized this so he seized an opportunity and performed a virtual concert in the game for more than 12 million viewers. This concert in the game was completely free, but Scott made a fortune off of his merchandise line where he collaborated with Fortnite.

Finally Scott also did a collaboration with McDonald’s and created a $6 meal. Scott was able to reach a much younger market with this meal and attract new listeners to his music. McDonald’s chief marketing officer Morgan Flatley said, “His ability to kind of see where culture is going and have a hand in where culture is going is really unique.” Travis Scott has time and again showed an entrepreneurial trait of always being able to adapt and find new ways to make money and attract new consumers to his brand.

4 Comments

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Male Entrepreneurs, Music, Sneakers, Social Impact

Jordan Karcher – Grounds & Hounds

Posted by lockwoodbj19

· Monday, November 2nd, 2020

· 4 Comments

In 2012, Jordan Karcher adopted his first dog from a rescue shelter and realized he had a passion for saving dogs in shelters. This is what prompted Jordan to find a way to combine his passion for coffee with his new passion for rescue animals. This solution to this issue was the creation of his brand, Grounds & Hounds.

Karcher is unique in his entrepreneurial journey because he combines two passions in his life to make a difference. Grounds & Hounds donates 20% of their proceeds to animal rescue organizations. Their slogan is “every pound saves a hound.” This combination allows Grounds & Hounds to stand out from competitors who only focus on coffee, rather than helping a cause along the way. Helping animals drives Karcher to build his brand in the best way possible, because the funds he raise all contribute to his passion for animals.

Grounds & Hounds is also unique in the way they produce their coffee. Rather than producing coffee in mass amounts, each batch is homemade in small amounts by their “roast masters.” This production process certainly makes the coffee product seem much more personal to the consumer. It enforces the idea that Grounds & Hounds is high quality coffee made with a purpose.

Innovation

Grounds & Hounds is constantly innovating in order to stand out on the market. Instead of purchasing the cheapest coffee beans, they source their beans from the top regions around the world to ensure the best quality taste. In addition, the 20% proceeds are donated to innovative animal rescue centers to promote better living conditions for animals. Grounds & Hounds also offers a monthly subscription called “Coffee Club” where consumers can receive various coffee flavors each month. This is different than other brands that only sell coffee individually.

My Takeaway

Jordan Karcher’s story has certainly inspired me. He found a way to combine his passions for coffee and animals and create a successful company to benefit both passions. It was very encouraging to see that someone so young found a way to act on his passion and create a successful company. I always saw the coffee industry as one that was controlled by large companies, but Karcher showed that it is possible for anyone to be successful in a market if their brand can stand out.

4 Comments

Categories : Coffee, Dogs, Male Entrepreneurs, Social Impact

Samuel Bistrian – Roma Boots

Posted by bidelspachcr20

· Saturday, October 10th, 2020

· 1 Comment

Samuel Bistrian was born in a small impoverished village in Romania and lived there until his family had the opportunity to emigrate to the United States when he was a young boy. One of his fondest memories of his time living in Romania was when he received a pair of rain boots as a gift. These boots were significant to him because of the wet climate of his village and his lack of adequate footwear, but even so, they were more than simply a pair of shoes. They were an agent of life-changing opportunities and an inspiration for all he would do in years to come.

Later in his life, while living in the United States, Bistrian happened to be working in the retail store where Blake Mycoskie launched his first line of Toms shoes. After talking with Mycoskie and hearing more about his “one-for-one” business model, Bistrian decided to do something similar with rain boots. Despite his student loans and credit card debt, Bistrian started his company, Roma Boots, with the $5,000 in his savings account. He adopted Toms’ “one-for-one” model by donating a pair of boots to an impoverished child for every pair sold. However, he also took this redemptive aspect a step farther by using Roma Boots to support schools in impoverished villages by donating funds and reading materials. Bistrian recognized that in order to eliminate poverty, children needed more than a good pair of shoes. They also needed a good education that would empower and encourage them to do great things with their lives.

I think Samuel Bistrian is an incredible example of an entrepreneur who not only created a successful business, but also touched the lives of thousands of children in the process. He focused on his vision and not his circumstance. Though he did not necessarily have the capital and support that he needed at the time when he started his business, he sacrificed his own resources and personally took on the risk because he was determined to make an impact. His company’s motto, “give poverty the boot”, highlights the redemptive purpose of helping children overcome poverty. To this day, Roma Boots has been fighting poverty and empowering children in 26 different countries and donating over 100,000 pairs of rain boots!

Learn more at:

https://romaboots.com/

https://www.romabootspoverty.org/

1 Comment

Categories : Charity, Education, Fashion, Kids, Male Entrepreneurs, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, shoes, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact

ManCans! Manly scented candles

Posted by simmonsbw19

· Wednesday, October 7th, 2020

· 1 Comment

Another young entrepreneur out of Ohio is Hart Main. Hart Main is a 13-year old that came up with the idea of manly scented candles. “Why don’t people make candles with scents that everyone likes?” Hart Main asked, while smelling the overly perfumed candles his sister was selling for a school fundraiser, he thought about guys who did not want their bedrooms to smell like, lavender soap. Although his sister did not expect him to fully pursue the manly scented candles idea himself, he did, and the idea has turned into a nationwide success. But before this success, before the company started, Harts’ wheels began turning, and the entrepreneur in him began to come out. He saw the opportunity right under his nose, the young entrepreneur combined his passion for helping his community with his interest in making a different sect of candle by donating to local soup kitchens and using the empty cans to hold his extraordinary scents. Main put in an initial investment of $100, his parents put in $200, and they all worked together to develop the candles as a group. Hart and his family work together to craft these handmade soy-wax-blend candles that possess the kinds of familiar smells from around the house that no man (or woman) would turn their nose up at. Hart’s current candles includes scents like dirt, fresh cut grass, sawdust, campfire, pizza, and coffee, bacon, Grandpa’s Pipe, and more. Each comes individually packed in a gift box. Today, ManCans candles are in over 60 stores across the country and have sold about 9,000 units. Main looks forward to improving his business, as well as moving into other entrepreneurial ventures, “I like the fact that I have control over things and can make decisions and see what’s actually happening,” he says.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hart-main-mancans-13-year-old-entrepreneur_n_909300

1 Comment

Categories : Air Quality, Bath, Business, Candles, Charity, Creating, Great Ideas, Male Entrepreneurs, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Social Impact, Youngest Entrepreneurs

Pocket’s Get Wise – Sofia Overton

Posted by lindbergmm20

· Monday, October 5th, 2020

· 3 Comments

In this current age of technology and social-consciousness we see a new demand among children and adults of generation z wanting to make a positive social impact in some way with every purchase they make. Whether it is being environmentally sustainable, supporting a cause, or donating to a mission, every purchase needs to mean something. As a young person, Sofia Overton saw a vacancy in the market, along with a pain people were feeling within her own community. Sofia was only eleven years old when she started her company called Wise Pocket Products.Her goal was to make life a bit easier for active children, just like herself. One day she observed her cousin put her phone into her boot because the leggings she was wearing were not conducive to storing cell phones. Not having a pocket to put your phone in is always a struggle so she framed this as a problem and grew determined to solve it. Gears began to turn and she soon went to work on a pocket that would be located towards the top part of the sock that was the right size and secure enough to effectively hold any cell phone comfortably. It was then that the Wise Pocket design was conceived and she went to work manufacturing and marketing her product. Though it was the cell phone that Sofia designed the pocket for, she quickly found that since her target market was primarily active kids, that both inhalers and epi-pens could also be safely and securely carried in the Wise Pocket.

She did not stop innovating at the sock-pocket technology, but has also innovated her unique Wise Pocket design into leggings to solve the original problem that her cousin faced.

Though safety, security, and style are the themes of Wise Pocket Products, Sofia has made redemption a major factor of her company. She found that in her school district alone, there are six-hundred and twenty seven homeless children. This saddened her so much that she, once again, innovated a solution to fix this deprivation in her community. For every pair of socks sold, the buyer makes a small positive impact in the life of a child in need. Sofia makes sure that with each purchase of a pair of Wise Pocket Socks that the Wise Movement is serving those suffering homelessness and need across the globe. She truly believes that warm feet equal warm hearts, and every child shall experience that. As a young entrepreneur, Sofia saw a problem, framed it out, implemented redemptive qualities, innovated a solution, marketed the solution, generated revenue, and to this day continues to bring warm feet and warm hearts to children in need. She continues to fight for those suffering homelessness while supporting herself with her own God-given entrepreneurial spirit.

Visit https://wisepocketproducts.com/ for more information!

3 Comments

Categories : Art, Leggings, Sneakers, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact, Socks, Sports

Tags : homelessness, leggings, redemption, safety, security, serving, social impact, socks, storage, Style

Are You Kidding Socks

Posted by vankirkjs18

· Sunday, September 27th, 2020

· 3 Comments

For Brandon Martinez (14 years old) and his brother Sebastian (12 years old), age is simply a number when it comes to business. The two brothers started their sock company in 2014 as they sought to start a non-profit to live out their passion: designing and selling socks while supporting national and local charities. Hence, the mantra of these boy’s non-profit: “kids helping kids.” The boys are quite intentional about shaping their business so that communities are impacted by their model of charity. With each pair of socks that one buys, one sock is donated to a charity. The business partners with a list of nine non-profits.

One of the parts I love most about this business is the design of the socks. They consist of youthful patterns which are certainly attractive to kids. Furthermore, some of the socks have designs of certain charities printed on them which create awareness of the charity when worn and 30% of the sock profit is donated to that charity. The picture below illustrates and example of these charitable socks.

“You’re never too old or too young to start a business… you can be 7 or 70.”
– Sebastian Martinez

“If we’re not learning to give back then what are we really doing for the world.”
– Brandon Martinez

As the quote of Brandon Martinez suggests, the two business kids are all about improving the world. Christian or not, these boys are serving others through ingenuity. In addition, they did not let their youthful status stop them from pursuing their dreams. What an entrepreneurial spirit the two possess! The two boys have contributed over $300,000 in charitable contributions; located on their website, they claim the main focus of the business to be donating socks to kids in foster care, the homeless, and those affected by natural disasters.

The business does a great job at marketing their product well too; they know the desires of their audience. For example, the business acknowledges that more than nine in ten millennials would purchase a product associated with a cause. I admire these kids as they obviously discerned a common passion and implemented a business that first and foremost focuses on others.

3 Comments

Categories : Business, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact, Socks

Nohbo

Posted by martinnm18

· Sunday, September 13th, 2020

· 2 Comments

Ever since he was 5, with a longing to buy a teddy bear with not enough money, Benjamin Stern has had the entrepreneurial spirit. Most 5 year-old kids would whine and complain to their parents about not having the money for the teddy bear, but he is different. Instead of doing this, he went to the mall and peddled cookies. Stern bought cookies from Costco and sold them individually at malls near him. He managed to strike a nice profit on these. He then began selling coffee door to door and giving 10% of the proceeds to Wounded Warriors. One day as he was doing the dishes, he began observing the detergent pod and wondered why there wasn’t a pod for toiletries like shampoos or shaving cream. That is where Nohbo came into fruition, he wanted to make a biodegradable pod that disintegrated when it reacted with shower water. He actually went onto Shark Tank and signed a deal with Mark Cuban for an investment of $100k. What is cool about this company is that first, Stern is in high school. Second, it has a larger impact than just striking a profit off of a unique idea. Stern is limiting plastic waste by using biodegradable supplies to make these pods. The issue of plastic waste is huge and plastic waste from toiletries is very overlooked. Stern is changing that by ridding the opportunity to get these products in plastic containers. Finally, this product is very unique and he is dealing with a part of the toiletry industry that has not been touched yet. I am confident that there will be companies tagging along trying to sell their similar products. I love this company because it is just proof that you can create a unique idea, that benefits society leaving it better than before, and with the ability to turn a nice profit. What he is doing is really cool and I am excited to see where he goes from here. He says he is working on getting his product into hotels because there is a lot of money in that sector. Stern knows where the money and markets are and he is not afraid to branch out to reach them. Very impressive kid.

2 Comments

Categories : Shark Tank, Social Impact