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Archive for Young Entrepreneur – Page 4

Gus Schoenbucher – Gus’s Eats & Treats

Gus Schoenbucher was 14 when his father gave him the idea to sell ice cream out of a boat. It was aluminum, and Gus’s father did the exact same thing 40 years prior. The reason Gus’s business took off but his father’s never did was because of a complaint about Gus not having a food service license. As Gus puts it:

” ‘You know what? I’ll go ahead and get a license,’ and now it’s an official business, and it’s all registered in my name.”

Since then, Gus expanded to selling hot dogs, red hot dogs (for visitors from Maine), chips, and soda. At some point, the manager of Krispy Kreme contacted Gus, so he sells donuts out of his boat too!

Considering that Gus’s business operates out of a single boat on Merrymeeting lake in New Durham, New Hampshire, business is pretty good. Gus drives the boat around the lake and delivers food to hungry customers, as well as transactions on the water. In no time, he upgraded from a dinghy boat to pontoon.

Gus operates his business on a seasonal basis because of school. Even though his business is a summer side hustle, it’s remarkable what cool things can be done with a good idea. Gus’s business is a fine example of kids rising to a challenge without being afraid of failure. Gus could have quit when someone complained about him not having a food service license. He could have chosen to be too lazy to go out and get a permit. He could have been afraid to get the license because he was just a kid and nobody was going to let a kid register a business. But Gus did not take no for an answer. He persevered when most kids his age would have given up, and how has a successful business. Making a successful business doesn’t drop into your lap; you can’t back down because of criticism or fear.

Revelations Tee Co.

Revelations Tee Co. Was founded by Grove City student Eleni Kasianides during her work for a business class. She wanted to find uplifting clothing that was faith-based, but not tacky. So often in the Christian market, there are bright colors and flowers with common verses taken out of context. Revelations Tee Co. strives to be unique, the subtle branding encourages questions. The hope for the line is that wearers will desire to be intentional with their faith, and share when asked in public. The first collection is scheduled to drop on Monday the 21st, entitled “Pleasant Words.”

Above all, Revelations aspires to glorify God in the choices we make. To share our faith and go boldly into the world with love. Revelations stands for more than just the book in the Bible. It also represents the constant eureka moments we have with God and the ability we have to share those moments with others.

The circle logo encompasses several Easter eggs, for those who know to look for them.  The circle with an olive “branch” from John 15:5, and the “Book of Life” in Daniel 12:1. Even the three dots represent something bigger; the trinity. Symbolism is packed into every piece and special care is given to ensure theological accuracy.

As Christians, we are called to stand out. To live and act intentionally. Revelations hope to marry style and faith in its debut collection. The initial drop will include six original designs from Bible verses and worship songs. It will feature different styles and sizes to accommodate a variety of styles and preferences.

If you would like to check out a preview of their website, you can find all the details here.

 

Luke Economou – Madman Los Angeles

Luke Economou is a Greek/American young entrepreneur who goes to UC Santa Barbara. Luke was born in Connecticut but has lived around half of his life in Santa Monica, California, before moving to Santa Barbara this past year for school. I consider Luke to be one of my closest friends from back home as we have known each other for almost 10 years now (ever since he moved to Los Angeles) and have built a brother-like relationship. Luke has always had a passion for fashion and is one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial-minded individuals I have met. Similar to me, Luke graduated high school right after the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. He was originally planning to attend UCSB right away but instead decided to attend a local community college online. It was during this time that he started his designer/streetwear brand, Madman. Luke’s vision with Madman is to provide extremely stylish and luxury clothing that blends the culture of Los Angeles with our inner “madman.” The moto for his brand is, “What’s done in the dark, must come to light.” Luke wanted to establish a culture around his brand so that when people acquired his fashion pieces, they became part of the Madman family. Luke has been selling his product mostly through his online store, https://madmanlosangeles.com/, but has also initiated multiple pop-up stores in various locations around Los Angeles. Most notably, Luke held pop-up stores and events several times in the renowned shopping mall, The Beverly Center, at the Lost Warhol’s concept store. Madman was featured on the Beverly Center’s main attraction screen and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback on his brand’s design, message, culture, comfortability, uniqueness, and much more.

Peyton Robertson and the DropStick

     In 2019, the USA Golf Association adjusted its rules for tournaments, requiring golfers to drop their ball more specifically.  When it comes to relief (a golfer placing their ball due to abnormal course conditions), the Rules of Golf now specify that a legal drop is within 20 inches of the ball’s position.  But how can a golfer determine if a drop is within this 20-inch mark?  

     This is the problem that 16-year-old Peyton Robertson wanted to solve, and he, therefore, created the DropStick.  This innovation is a rod that acts as an alignment tool but collapses into a diamond shape to create an outline that shows the golfer if their drop lands within the legal 20-inch zone.  Because the distance of a drop factors into the legality of the golf game, many golfers added the DropStick to their equipment bag to check the accountability of themselves and their competition.  

     The new rule that was created in the golf world created a new opportunity, and Robertson was one of the first people to identify a problem with the rule and immediately came up with a solution.  Additionally, he created a product that solved not one, but two problems:  fixing the alignment of a golfer’s shot and determining whether a drop was legal.  

     Robertson’s innovation acts as an excellent example of a mash-up of two different tools.  He took an existing object, combined it with a new one, and changed the mechanics so that they were cohesive.  The problem was clear, and though it wasn’t considered by many golfers, Robertson has inspired me to find small problems that make a big difference and then present the problem in a meaningful way. 

 

Click Here to Learn More: https://www.si.com/golf/news/feature-2018-02-21-teen-inventor-helps-golfers-measure-up

Moziah Bridges (Mo’s Bows)

Moziah Bridges better known as ‘Mo Bridges’ began a unique business. Mo made an appearance on the TV series Shark Tank to promote his business, Mo’s Bows.

Mo was inspired by his father who believed in dressing smart every day no matter the occasion. Following in his father’s footsteps, he soon found himself shopping for bow ties. However, not long into his search, he was discontent with the options available on the market. He saw a need for stylish, quality, and affordable bow ties. Thus the birth of Mo’s Bows.

He began making his own bows shortly before the beginning of his company. At the age of 9, Mo opened his doors for business by launching Mo’s bows in 2011 and selling them on Etsy. And in 2015, during the NBA draft, several of the players who would be drafted wore his ties on the big night. Mo would soon after attend the Mercedes Benz Fashion week with his Shark Tank investor, Daymond John.

Mo says that he has always felt a strong passion for fashion. Mo’s Bows has allowed him to create a higher-quality product that holds a high place of respect in the fashion industry.

Fraser Doherty (JAM?)

Fraser DohertyFraser Doherty is a fun example of young entrepreneurship. At age 14 he began an interesting hobby: making jam with his grandmother’s recipes. But he quickly turned this hobby into a profit by going door to door selling his jam. However, this was just the beginning. He took his business to the next level by setting up a stand at an Edinburgh farmer’s market. Not only that but he also offered his customers the very special service of having their jam delivered by bike to their door.

In 2007 the U.K. supermarket, Waitrose, asked if he would sell his SuperJam products in their stores. Now that Doherty’s jam had shelf space he was about to get a lot more attention. After 5 years Doherty would begin selling his product made with 100% fruit in Japan and Korea and would sell 1 million British pounds worth of jam in an hour on the Korean shopping network. Queen Elizabeth II would award him the MBE medal of honor for service to business in the U.K. And in 2019 Doherty sold his 5 millionth jar of jam.

At a young age, Doherty found something he enjoyed doing and saw a way to spread that enjoyment to the rest of his community and eventually across the world. While Doherty’s innovation did not solve a world crisis, all can agree that an increase in quality jam does the world a lot of good.

Hillary Yip and MinorMynas

     Hillary Yip was 10 years old and struggling to learn Mandarin.  Her mother sent her to Taiwan to improve her language skills, where she attended a camp that she absolutely fell in love with.  With the help of her parents, teachers, and entrepreneurial networkers, Yip had the ability and willingness to create MinorMynas. The app aims to educate others to learn different languages while making friends with those in other countries.  The unique twist on this platform is seen through the use of video calls that help people engage in conversations with those from different cultures around the globe.  Additionally, the platform reaches over 60 countries and extends to subjects beyond language, assisting children to further learn about a passion that they may have.  Yip took her interest in promoting technological learning and combined it with her struggles to learn languages in an in-person environment.   She also created her platform with the larger purpose of creating fewer misunderstandings between cultures as well as negative stereotypes.  

 

     Yip had struggles with learning languages like most people.  But she innovated by taking the format of a language learning camp in Taiwan and reframing it for an online environment, making the problem of learning languages more manageable.  Therefore, she used modes of innovation by applying a common problem to a different process.  Personally, I am inspired by Yip’s observance of identifying types of teaching methods that worked for her and then applying those methods in a different and more beneficial environment.  While many people can complain about or compliment teachers and their methods, Yip was able to spot a good idea at a young age, and simply remarketed and reworked the idea to make a great product.  

 

Click Here to Learn More: https://internationaljournalofresearch.com/2022/04/24/meet-the-youngest-ceo-in-the-world-hillary-yip/

Moziah Bridges

Moziah Bridges is a young entrepreneur, and his business is called “Mo’s Bows”. He started his business when he was just nine years old. He started it because he wanted a suitable bow tie and didn’t find anyone that he liked so he decided to make his own. This started the creation of his colorful bowties where he would use leftovers from his grandmother’s sewing projects. Ever since he learned how that skill, he mastered it, and it inspired him to start his own business. I was amazed how at that young of an age that he could put his time and dedication towards sewing and making bow ties. While on his site, I thought that his bow ties were very creative and unique, and I also noticed he also did neckties and squares with cool designs. What I found most interesting about the growth of Moziah’s business was that he appeared on shark tank at the age of 11 and actually made a deal with one of the sharks. He was fortunate enough to have Daymond John as a mentor that would guide him to leading a successful business. He was mature enough to realize that there was always room for improvement and listened to all the advice Daymond has given him thus far. In my opinion, this is when his business took the next step, and he has generated over 200,000 dollars with the sales of his ties. I also like how he is never complacent and is always looking to improve. His ultimate goal is to make his business a multimillion-dollar company and I think he can achieve this if he keeps on working the way he is.

Moziah Bridges talks bow ties, books and plans post-high school

Jaffry Mallari

Jaffry Mallari is the creator of the clothing brand Resurgence, where he creates fashion based upon his graphic designs. He started from the bottom, and rose his way up to success by scraping by with every cent he could use to make even basic designs to sell. His efforts paid off generously, and he has many consumers that love his designs.

In high school, Jaffry realized that he wanted to take his love for designing graphics to the next level, and make it his career. He started out with only $400, but was still determined to create a thriving business that he would pour everything he had into. He views clothes as a “canvas” where he can use his artistic abilities to create a design that others would enjoy. He took two unrelated ideas: fashion and art, and combined them to create Resurgence.

He struggled greatly with finding funding to create his designs, and since they were so limited in the beginning, his designs were basic and lacked originality. Another challenge he faced was discovering an audience that would be interested in his designs, but he used his love for the platform Discord to reach out to others. Now, he has a vast audience just from his Discord use.

Jaffry Mallari is an excellent example of a successful young entrepreneur, because he created a successful, and innovative brand out of close to nothing. His efforts inspire others to realize that ideas are achievable no matter the limitations, and to follow their passions.

Kenan Pala

The young entrepreneur who I found is named Kenan Pala and he created his business called kids4community. This is a non-profit organization that works with charitable organizations that engage children who are five years or older. The purpose of this is to introduce the concept of charitable work to young kids. One thing I found interesting is how he came up with this business idea. He said in an interview that he was on a leisurely run with his dad and had an “aha moment” when he saw people aiding a baby seal who needed help but not homeless people. This sparked his passion for helping people who are in need when he saw that happen. Kenan was also very involved with volunteering for his community but noticed that it was hard to find work to do because of his young age. I thought it was a great idea because it is creating a positive impact on kid’s lives and at the same time is helping the community. This is also beneficial for parents because instead of finding a babysitter and paying money to watch your kid, you can just send them to this, and they will be busy and accounted for. This young man is very inspiring because he was very determined to make this successful. When he encountered problems at the start with having enough volunteers, he just focused on his vision of helping the homeless. His passion outweighed the conflicts he encountered which eventually led to success and growth of the business. The one question that I have is how he can expand this to other states across the country. I hope that he is able to keep his business growing so that he can have a positive impact on kids and the community.

Interview with Kenan Pala, Creator of Kids4Community - Kidpreneurs - Young  Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas!